If a spectator is supposed to be placed, at a competent depth, under the middle of her bottom, in a line perpendicular to the plane of the ground; he will then, viewing the bottom upwards, discover the horizontal curves of all the water-lines.
These curves are all delineated on a plane, supposed to be formed by an horizontal section of the bottom, at the height of the load-water-line, ligne d’eau du vaisseau chargé.
Water-logged, the state of a ship when, by receiving a great quantity of water into her hold, by leaking, &c. she has become heavy and inactive upon the sea, so as to yield without resistance to the efforts of every wave rushing over her decks. As, in this dangerous situation, the center of gravity is no longer fixed, but fluctuating from place to place, the stability of the ship is utterly lost: she is therefore almost totally deprived of the use of her sails, which would operate to overset her, or press the head under water. Hence there is no resource for the crew, except to free her by the pumps, or to abandon her by the boats as soon as possible.
Water-sail, a small sail spread occasionally under the lower studding-sail, or driver-boom, in a fair wind, and smooth sea.
Water-shot. See the article Mooring.
Water-spout, an extraordinary and dangerous meteor, consisting of a large mass of water, collected into a sort of column by the force of a whirlwind, and moved with rapidity along the surface of the sea.
A variety of authors have written on the cause and effects of these meteors, with different degrees of accuracy and probability. As it would be superfluous to enter minutely into their various conjectures, which are frequently grounded on erroneous principles, we shall content ourselves with selecting a few of the latest remarks; and which are apparently supported by philosophical reasoning.
Dr. Franklin, in his physical and meteorological observations, supposes a water-spout and a whirlwind to proceed from the same cause, their only difference being, that the latter passes over the land, and the former over the water. This opinion is corroborated by M. de la Pryme, in the Philosophical Transactions; where he describes two spouts observed at different times in Yorkshire, whose appearances in the air were exactly like those of the spouts at sea; and their effects the same as those of real whirlwinds.
Whirlwinds have generally a progressive as well as a circular motion; so had what is called the spout at Topsham, described in the Transactions; and this also by its effects appears to have been a real whirlwind. Water-spouts have also a progressive motion, which is more or less rapid; being in some violent, and in others barely perceptible.
Whirlwinds generally rise after calms and great heats: the same is observed of water-spouts, which are therefore most frequent in the warm latitudes.