David S.T. Blackmore is a veteran of the Merchant and Royal Navies. He lives in Toronto, and is a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Canada.

Table of Contents


Foreword by Vice Admiral J.A. Baldwin, Jr., U.S. Navy (Ret.)     

Preface     

Introduction     


The Dictionary     


Appendix: Real and Speculative Sea Monsters     


Tables:

1. A-Beaufort's Original Scale. B-The Modern Beaufort Scale     

2. The Douglas Scales     

3. Pierson-Moskowitch Sea State     

4. World Meteorological Organization Sea State Codes     

5. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale     

6. Wind Speed Scales Compared     

7. COLREGS (Navigation Rules or Rules of the Road)     

8. International Flag Signals     

9. Sound and Light Signals     

10. Distress Signals     

11. Examples of Phonetic Alphabets     

12. International Standard 8601     

13. Comparative Officer Ranks     

14. NATO and United States Rank Codes     

15. The Evolution of United States Navy Officer Titles     

16. Equivalent U.S. and Foreign Naval Officer Ranks     

17. Boxing the Compass     


Bibliography     

Index     

The specialized language of seafarers is a complex mixture of the strange and the familiar, incorporating words from a variety of English dialects and foreign languages, and peppered with coined phrases and slang words. With its many intricate nuances, "navalese" is vitally important to a profession in which technical concepts need to be communicated briefly and accurately.
This dictionary defines and discusses more than 9000 nautical terms, abbreviations, slang expressions, customs and events, including terms now grown obsolete. Tables add detail about wind and wave measurements, notations, signals, navigation rules, rank and ratings.