Garnet is also a small tackle fastened to the clues or lower corners of the main-sail or fore-sail, for the purpose of trussing up those sails, as occasion requires; and hence it is called Clue-Garnet, which see.
GARBOARD-STREAK, gabord, in ship-building, the first range or streak of planks laid upon a ship’s bottom next to the keel, throughout the whole length of the floor. The edge of this plank is let into a groove or channel in the side of the keel, which is called the rabbit of the garboard-streak.
GASKET, garcet, a sort of platted cord fastened to the sail-yards of a ship, and used to furl or tie up the sail firmly to the yard. This is performed by wrapping the gasket round the yard and sail six or seven times, the turns being at a competent distance from each other.
GAUNTLOPE, pronounced gauntlet, a race which a criminal is sentenced to run in a vessel of war, as a punishment for felony, or some other heinous offence.
It is executed in the following manner: the whole ship’s crew is disposed in two rows, standing face to face on both sides of the deck, so as to form a lane, whereby to go forward on one side, and return aft on the other; each person being furnished with a small twisted cord, called a knittle, having two or three knots upon it. The delinquent is then stripped naked above the waist, and ordered to pass forward between the two rows of men, and aft on the other side, a certain number of times, rarely exceeding three; during which every person gives him a stripe as he runs along. In his passage through this painful ordeal he is sometimes tripped up, and very severely handled while incapable of proceeding. This punishment, which is called running the gauntlet, courir la bouline, is seldom inflicted except for such crimes as will naturally excite a general antipathy amongst the seamen; as on some occasions the culprit would pass without receiving a single blow, particularly in cases of mutiny or sedition, to the punishment of which, our common sailors seem to have a constitutional aversion.
GEARS. See Jears.
GIMBALS, balanciers, the brass rings by which a sea-compass is suspended in its box that usually stands in the binacle. See the article Binacle.
GIMBLETING, a term particularly applied to the anchor, to denote the action of turning it round by the stock, so that the motion of the stock appears similar to that of the handle of a gimblet, when it is employed to turn the wire.
GIRT, the situation of a ship which is moored so strait by her cables, extending from the hause to two distant anchors, as to be prevented from swinging or turning about, according to any change of the wind or tide, to the current of which her head would otherwise be directed.
The cables are extended in this manner, by a strong application of mechanical powers within the ship; so that as she veers, or endeavours to swing about, her side bears upon one of the cables, which catches on her heel, and interrupts her in the act of traversing. In this position she must ride with her broadside or stern to the wind or current, till one or both of the cables are slackened so as to sink under the keel; after which the ship will readily yield to the effort of the wind or current, and turn her head thither. See the article Riding.