Sailing Trivia

We’ve learned a lot of interesting little facts during our short sailing career, some useful to our sailing, and some just curious trivia. We’ve also come to realize how many everyday English phrases have a nautical origin. This post includes a variety of both.

Wave Height:

The calculation for maximum wave height is exponential to wind speed rather than linear, so watch out as winds strengthen. Assuming sufficient wind duration (time) and fetch (unimpeded distance traveled over water), wave height in feet can be calculated as about 2% of wind speed squared for winds <30 knots and about 3% of wind speed squared for higher wind speeds. Thus 20 knot winds would eventually yield about 8-foot seas, and 40 knots would yield about 48-foot seas. Helios experienced 45 knot winds in an Atlantic storm two years ago, but fortunately the seas had not yet had time to build to 48 feet. Only about 20 feet. That was scary enough.

Nautical Mile:

One nautical mile (sometimes called a geographical mile) is slightly longer than a statute mile. It equals 1.151 statute miles, or 6,076 feet. Importantly, its length was derived to equal 1 minute of latitude. The circumference of the earth is a circle, so it has 360 degrees of latitude. Each degree is further divided into 6o minutes of latitude. So the earth is 360 x 60 = 21,600 minutes of latitude in circumference, or synonymously, 21,600 nautical miles. One knot of speed is traveling one nautical mile in one hour. We have now sailed Helios a little over 16,000 nautical miles, so have yet to cover the equivalent of the equator.

Squalls:

Squalls (isolated thunderstorms at sea) often generate 30-40 knot winds (the downburst) that hit suddenly 1-2 miles in front of the approaching cloud. Winds are strongest just as the cloud starts releasing rain. Squalls can easily rip the sails if you’re not prepared, so during our Atlantic crossing we often used radar at night to identify and dodge them. 

Trade Winds:

The steady east-to-west trade winds that blow across the Atlantic Ocean are a result of the earth’s Coriolis Effect (a force that deflects wind due to the mass and rotation of the earth) and a consistent area of high pressure on either side of the equator. The name “trade winds” came in the 18th century from their association with ocean commerce that depended on those steady winds. Helios loved the trade wind crossing from Europe to the Caribbean. It’s all downwind sailing! Returning the other way to Europe was not quite so easy.

Three Sheets to the Wind:

The origin of this term for drunkenness comes from sailors. A “sheet” is a rope that controls the trim of a sail. Drunken sailors often lost control of the sheets, and having several loose sheets (“to the wind”) causes the ship to rock about drunkenly. For that reason, among general safety, we did not allow drinking on Helios while underway.

Cup of Joe:

In 1914 the U.S. Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels, banned the use of alcohol on naval vessels. As a substitute, ship stewards increased the use of coffee. Naval lore has it that disgruntled sailors began calling it a cup of Josephus Daniels, later shortened to a cup of Joe.

Posh:

The popular folk etymology of the word “posh” (elegant or stylishly luxurious) is that it originated from 19th century sailing ships as an acronym from Port Out / Starboard Home, or P.O.S.H., that was stamped on the tickets of wealthy aristocrats who preferred cabins on the port side of the ship which was facing north when sailing from Britain to India to avoid the heat of the sun, and the starboard cabin on the return trip for the same reason. Some say posh is merely a backronym - a fanciful acronym formed later from an already existing word. On Helios, we considered all of our cabins to be posh no matter which way they faced the sun.

Everyday Nautical Expressions:

The English language is filled with words and phrases with nautical origins. Here are some more examples:

• Batten down the hatches: Now a general phrase to mean prepare for a difficult upcoming situation, sailors literally had to batten down the hatches for approaching storms.

• Feeling blue: If a captain or officer died while at sea in the past, the ship would fly blue flags as a symbol of grieving or sadness. The phrase is now used more generally for sadness.

• Toe the line: The British Navy required sailors to stand at attention for inspection, with toes lined up straight along the seams of the planks on deck. 

• Tide over: Now typically used for rationing money or food, it originated with sailors when there was no wind. They would float with the tide (tide over) until wind returned.

• Long shot: Olden day ship cannons were notoriously inaccurate, so a cannon shot over a long distance (a long shot) was unlikely to hit its target.

• In the Doldrums: Now used generally for being listless or depressed, the origin came from sailors stuck in the windless waters near the equator.

• Cut and Run: Originally a sailors’ term for cutting an anchor line and setting sail quickly due to danger, it is now used figuratively for a speedy departure from a difficult situation rather than dealing with it.

• By and Large: Now meaning “in general,” the term originally described sailing alternatively as close into the wind as possible (sailing “by the wind” in nautical terms), and off the wind (sailing “at large” in nautical terms).

• Keel Over: This term described when a ship rolled over such that its bottom (keel) was facing up - not a good position for a ship to be in. 

• The Bitter End: The bitter end of a line in sailing is the loose end of a rope that was secured to the bitter (a cleat-like attachment point) on a ship. If a sailor was instructed to secure the bitter end, it meant following the line until they reached the end of it.

• Chips A’Hoy: Christine insisted this is an old sailing term from when British naval officers passed around cookies baked by Keebler Elves to reward crews for a job well done. ;-)