BOOKING. A reprimand.
BOOKS. (See [Ship's Books].) Official documents.
BOOM. A long spar run out from different places in the ship, to extend or boom out the foot of a particular sail; as, jib-boom, flying jib-boom, studding-sail booms, driver or spanker boom, ringtail-boom, main-boom, square-sail boom, &c. A ship is said to come booming forwards when she comes with all the sail she can make. Boom also denotes a cable stretched athwart the mouth of a river or harbour, with yards, top-masts, or stout spars of wood lashed to it, to prevent the entrance of an enemy.—To top one's boom, is to start off.—To boom off, to shove a boat or vessel away with spars.
BOOMAGE. A duty levied to compound for harbour dues, anchorage, and soundage.
BOOM-BOATS. Those stowed on the booms.
BOOM-BRACE PENDANT. A rope attached to the extremity of a studding-sail boom, and leading down on deck; it is used to counteract the pressure of the sail upon the boom.
BOOM-COVER. The tarpaulin, or painted, cover over the spars.
BOOMING. Sound of distant guns; it is often, but wrongly, applied to the hissing or whistling of shot.
BOOM-IRONS. Are metal rings fitted on the yard-arms, through which the studding-sail booms traverse; there is one on each top-sail yard-arm, but on the lower yards a second, which opens to allow the boom to be triced up; it is one-fourth from the yard-arms, and holds down the heel of the boom when it is rigged out.
BOOM-JIGGER. A tackle used in large ships, for rigging out or running in the top-mast studding-sail booms.