Foot-rope, the rope to which the foot of a sail is sewed. See Bolt-Rope.
Foot-ropes are also the same with horses of the yards. See that article.
FOOT-WALEING, the whole inside planks or lining of a ship, used to prevent any part of the ballast or cargo from falling between the floor-timbers. See Midship-Frame.
FORE, the distinguishing character of all that part of a ship’s frame and machinery which lies near the stem.
Fore and Aft, throughout the ship’s whole length, or from end to end.
Fore Bowline, the bowline of the fore-sail. See Bowline.
Fore-castle, gaillard d’avant, a short deck placed in the fore part of the ship, above the upper deck. It is usually terminated, both before and behind, by a breast-work in vessels of war; the foremost end forming the top of the beak-head, and the hind part reaching to the after part of the fore-chains.
Fore-cat-harpings, a complication of ropes used to brace in the upper part of the fore-shrouds. See Cat-harpings.
Fore-foot, brion, a piece of timber which terminates the keel at the fore end. It is connected by a scarf to the extremity of the keel, of which it makes a part: and the other end of it, which is incurvated upwards into a sort of knee or crotch, is attached to the lower end of the stem, of which it also makes a part, being also called the gripe.
As the lower arm of the fore-foot lies on the same level with the keel, so the upper one coincides with the middle line of the stem: its breadth and thickness therefore correspond to the dimensions of those pieces, and the heel of the cut-water is scarfed to its upper end.