An Universal Dictionary of the Marine / Or, a Copious Explanation of the Technical Terms and Phrases Employed in the Construction, Equipment, Furniture, Machinery, Movements, and Military Operations of a Ship. Illustrated With Variety of Original Designs of Shipping, in Different Situations; Together With Separate Views of Their Masts, Sails, Yards, and Rigging. to Which Is Annexed, a Translation of the French Sea-terms and Phrases, Collected from the Works of Mess. Du Hamel, Aubin, Saverien, &c.

by William Falconer

ROVER, a pirate or free-booter. See Pirate.

ROUGH-TREE, a name given in merchant-ships to any mast, yard, or boom, placed as a rail or fence above the ship’s side, from the quarter-deck to the fore-castle. It is, however, with more propriety, applied to any mast, &c. which remains rough and unfinished.

ROUND-HOUSE, a name given, in East-Indiamen, and other large merchant-ships, to a cabin or apartment built in the after part of the quarterdeck, and having the poop for its roof. This apartment is usually called the coach in our ships of war.

ROUNDING, certain old ropes wound firmly and closely about that part of a cable which lies in the hause, or under the ship’s bow, or athwart the stem. It is used to prevent the surface of the cable from being chafed or fretted in those places. See the articles Kaicling and Service.

Rounding-in generally implies the act of pulling upon any rope which passes through one or more blocks, in a direction nearly horizontal; as, round-in the weather-braces! &c. It is apparently derived from the circular motion of the rope about the sheave or pulley through which it passes.

Rounding-up is used nearly in the same sense, only that it is expressed of a tackle which hangs in a perpendicular position, without sustaining or hoisting any weighty body: it is then the operation of pulling the blocks closer to each other, by means of the rope which passes through them, to compose the tackle; and is therefore opposed to over-hauling, by which the blocks are drawn farther asunder.

ROUSSING, the act of pulling together upon a cable, hauser, &c. without the assistance of tackles, capsterns, or other mechanical powers. It is particularly used in the exercise of removing a ship from one place to another, by means of ropes and anchors. See the article Warping.

To ROW, ramer, (rowan, Sax.) to impel a boat or vessel along the surface of the water by oars, which are managed in a direction nearly horizontal. See Oar.

Row-galley. See the article Galley.

Row-locks, those parts of the gunwale, or upper edge of a boat’s side, whereon the oar rests in the exercise of rowing. In the sides of the smallest vessels of war, a number of little square holes, called row-ports, are cut for this purpose, parallel to the surface of the water.