TACES. See [Taishes].
TACK. A rope to confine the weather lower corners of the courses and staysails when the wind crosses the ship's course obliquely. Also, the rope employed to haul out the lower outer clue of a studding-sail to the boom-end. With jibs and fore-and-aft sails, the tack confines them amidships. A ship is said to be on the tack of the side from which the wind comes: even if it be on the quarter.—To tack. To go about, to change the course from one board to another from the starboard to the port tack, or vice versâ. It is done by turning the ship's head suddenly to the wind, whereby her head-sails are thrown aback, and cause her to fall off from the wind to the other tack. The opposite to wearing.
TACK AND HALF-TACK. Working to windward, or along shore, by long and short boards, or legs, alternately.
TACKLE. A purchase formed by the connection of a fall, or rope, with two or more blocks. When a power sustains a weight by a rope over a fixed sheave, the weight and power will be equal; but if one end of the rope be fixed, and the sheave be movable with the weight, then the power will be but half the weight; but in a combination of sheaves, or pulleys, the power will be to the weight as 1 to the numbers of parts of the fall.—Ground-tackle. Anchors, cables, &c.—Tack-tackle. A small tackle used to pull down the tacks of the principal sails to their respective stations, and particularly attached to the main-sails of brigs, sloops, cutters, and schooners.
TACKLE-FALL. The part hauled upon in any tackle, simple or compound.
TACK OR SHEET. A man's saying that he will not start tack or sheet implies resolution.
TACK-PINS. The belaying pins of the fife-rail; called also Jack-pins.
TACTICS. The art of disposing and applying naval or military forces in action with the enemy, in whose presence strategy gives place to tactics.
TAFFIA. A bad spirit, made and sold at Mauritius.
TAFFRAIL, or Taffarel. The upper part of a ship's stern, a curved railing, the ends of which unite to the quarter-pieces.