When the tempest is so violent as to prevent the use of sails, the effort of the wind operates almost equally on the opposite ends of the ship, so that the masts and yards situated at the head and stern counterbalance each other. The effect of the helm is also considerably diminished, because the head-way, which gives life and vigour to all its operations, is at this time feeble and ineffectual. Hence it is necessary to defray this equilibrium which subsists between the masts and yards afore and abaft, and to throw the balance forward, in order to prepare for veering. This is accordingly performed by bracing the foremost yards across the direction of the wind, and arranging those on the main-mast and mizen mast directly in the line of the wind. If this expedient proves unsuccessful, and it is absolutely necessary to veer, in order to save the ship from destruction, by oversetting or running ashore, the mizen-mast must instantly be cut away, and even the main-mast, if she yet remains incapable of answering the helm by bearing away before the wind.
VENT. See the articles Cannon and Windage.
VESSEL, batiment, a general name given to the different sorts of ships which are navigated on the ocean, or in canals and rivers. It is, however, more particularly applied to those of the smaller kind, furnished with one or two masts.
It has already been remarked in the article Ship, that the views of utility, which ought always to be considered in a work of this kind, seemed to limit our general account of shipping to those which are most frequently employed in European navigation. We have therefore collected into one point of view the principal of these in plate [XII].; so that the reader who is unacquainted with marine affairs, may the more easily perceive their distinguishing characters, which are also more particularly described under the reflective articles.
Thus fig. 4. plate [XII]. exhibits a snow under sail; fig. 5. represents a ketch at anchor; fig. 6. a brig or brigantine; fig. 7. a bilander; fig. 8. a xebec; fig. 9. a schooner; fig. 10. a galliot; fig. 11. a dogger; all of which are under sail; fig. 12. & 13. two galleys, one of which is under sail, and the other rowing; and fig. 14. a sloop.
The ketch, whose sails are furled, is furnished with a try-sail, like the snow; and it has a fore-sail, fore-staysail, and jib, nearly similar to those of a sloop; but the sails on the main-mast and mizen-mast are like those of a ship. The main-sail and main-topsail of the brig are like those of the schooner; and the fore-mast is rigged and equipped with sails in the same manner as the ship and snow. The sails, masts, and yards of the xebec, being extremely different from these, are described at large under the article. In the schooner both the mainsail and foresail are extended by a boom and gaff, as likewise is the sloop’s mainsail; the sails of the dogger and galliot are sufficiently expressed in the plate; and, finally, the galleys are navigated with lateen-sails, which are extremely different from those of the vessels above described.
Agent VICTUALLER. See Agent Victualler.
To UNBALLAST, delester, to discharge the ballast of a ship.
UNBENDING, désamarrer, generally implies the act of taking off the sails from their yards and stays; of casting loose the anchors from their cables, or of untying one rope from another. See also Bend.
UNBITTING, débitter, the operation of removing the turns of a cable from off the bits. See Bits and Cable.