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

To these remarks may be subjoined the following extracts from the Exposition du calcul astronomique, by M. de la Lande.

At the royal observatory in Paris, a magnetical needle of four inches deviated from the N. 18° 10´ towards the west, on the 15th of February 1759: and on the 22d of April 1760, the same needle varied 18° 20´. It is indeed natural to conceive, that nothing can be precisely ascertained by ten minutes upon a circle whose diameter is only four inches. It is nevertheless sufficiently evident, that this variation continues to increase at Paris. In 1610 the needle declined 8° towards the east, so that the variation has changed 26° 20´ in the space of 150 years; and this appears particularly since 1740: for the same needle, which has always been used by M. Maraldi, is more than 3° advanced towards the west, beyond what it was at that period; and this makes 9´ in one year.

To VEER and haul, to pull a rope tight, by drawing it in and slackening it alternately, till the body to which it is applied acquires an additional motion, like the increased vibrations of a pendulum, so that the rope is straitened to a greater tension with more facility and dispatch. This method is particularly used in hauling the bowlines.

The wind is said to veer and haul when it alters its direction, and becomes more or less fair. Thus it is said to veer aft and to haul forward.

To Veer away the cable. See Cable.

VEERING, virer vent arriere, the operation by which a ship, in changing her course from one board to the other, turns her stern to windward. Hence it is used in opposition to tacking, wherein the head is turned to the wind, and the stern to leeward.

Thus the ship A, fig. 8. plate [XI]. having made the necessary dispositions to veer, bears away gradually before the wind, till it blows obliquely upon the opposite side, which was formerly to leeward, as at a; and as the stern necessarily yields to this impression of the wind, assisted by the force of the helm, and the action of the waves upon the same quarter, the side which was formerly to leeward soon becomes to windward, as in the point a.

Since, by this movement, a ship loses ground considerably more than by tacking, it is rarely practised except in cases of necessity or delay: as, when the violence of the wind and sea renders tacking impracticable; or when her course is slackened to wait for a pilot, or some other ship in company, &c.

It has been observed in the article Tacking, that the change of motion in any body, will be in proportion to the moving force impressed, and made according to the right line in which that force operates. Hence it is evident, that veering as well as tacking is a necessary consequence of the same invariable principle; for as, in the latter, almost the whole force of the wind and of the helm are exerted on the hind part of the ship, to turn the prow to windward; so, in the former, the same impression, assisted by the efforts of the helm, falls upon the prow, to push it to leeward; and the motion communicated to the ship must in both cases necessarily conspire with the action of the wind.

Thus, when it becomes necessary to veer the ship, the sails towards the stern are either furled, or brailed up, and made to shiver in the wind; whilst those near the head are spread abroad, so as to collect the whole current of air which their surfaces can contain. Hence, while the whole force of the wind is exerted on the fore part of the ship to turn her about, its effect is considerably diminished, or altogether destroyed, on the surfaces of the after-sails. The fore part accordingly yields to the above impulse, and is put in motion; and this movement, conspiring with that of the wind, pushes the ship about as much as is necessary to produce the effect required. When she is turned so that the wind will act upon that quarter which was formerly to leeward, as at the point a, fig. 8. her circular motion will be accelerated by extending some of the sails near the stern, as the mizen, and by placing those at the prow more obliquely, which will wheel the vessel round with her bow to the windward; in the same situation, with regard to the wind, as when close-hauled, or tacking.