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

COILING, rouer, implies a sort of serpentine winding of a cable or other rope, that it may occupy a small space in the ship. Each of the windings of this sort is called a fake, and one range of fakes upon the same line is called a tier; there are generally from five to seven fakes in a tier; and three or four tiers in the whole length of the cable. This, however, depends on the extent of the fakes. The smaller ropes employed about the sails are coiled upon cleats at sea, to prevent their being entangled amongst one another in traversing, contracting, or extending the sails.

COLLAR, collier d’ etai, a name given to the lower part of any of the principal stays of the masts, or the part by which the stay is confined at its lower end. Thus the collar of the main-stay connects the lower end of the stay to the ship’s stem. See the article Stay.

COLOURS, the flags or banners which distinguish the ships of different nations. See the articles Ensign, Jack, and Pendant.

COLLIERS, certain vessels employed to carry coals from one port to another, chiefly from the northern parts of England to the capital, and more southerly parts, as well as to foreign markets. This trade is known to be an excellent nursery for seamen, although they are often found, from the constitution of their climate, to be not so well calculated for southern navigation.

COMMAND, in the royal navy, implies the rank and power of an officer who has the management of a ship of war, of whatever kind, under twenty guns, as sloops of war, armed ships, or bomb-vessels. He is intitled master and commander, capitaine du petit état, and ranks with a major in the king’s army.

Commander is also expressed of a large wooden mallet used on sundry occasions in a ship.

COMMISSIONERS of the navy, certain officers appointed to superintend the affairs of the marine, under the direction of the lord-high-admiral, or lords commissioners of the admiralty.

The duty of these officers does not extend to the internal government of ships invested with a military command, either at sea or in the port. It is more immediately concerned in the building, docking, repairing, and cleaning of ships in the dock-yards. In consideration of this, all ships of war are commissioned from a report of their qualities presented to the Admiralty by the Navy-board.

They have also the appointment of some of the inferior sea-officers, as surgeons, and masters of ships.

The principal officers and commissioners residing at the board are, 1, The comptroller. 2, Two surveyors, who are shipwrights. 3, Clerk of the acts. 4. Comptroller of the treasurer’s accounts. 5. Comptroller of the victualling accounts. 6. Comptroller of the store-keeper’s accounts. 7. An extraordinary commissioner. Besides these, there are three resident commissioners, who manage the affairs of the dock-yards at Chatham, Portsmouth, and Plymouth, under the direction of the board at the Navy-office.