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The Sailor's Word-Book

♦ To back an anchor. To carry a small anchor ahead of the one by which the ship rides, to partake of the strain, and check the latter from coming home.

♦ To back a ship at anchor. For this purpose the mizen top-sail is generally used; a hawser should be kept ready to wind her, and if the wind falls she must be hove apeak.

♦ To back and fill. To get to windward in very narrow channels, by a series of smart alternate boards and backing, with weather tides.

♦ To back a sail. To brace its yard so that the wind may blow directly on the front of the sail, and thus retard the ship's course. A sailing vessel is backed by means of the sails, a steamer by reversing the paddles or screw-propeller.

♦ To back astern. To impel the water with the oars contrary to the usual mode, or towards the head of the boat, so that she shall recede.

♦ To back the larboard or starboard oars. To back with the right or left oars only, so as to round suddenly.

♦ To back out.

(See Back a Sail.) The term is also familiarly used for retreating out of a difficulty.

♦ To back a rope or chain, is to put on a preventer when it is thought likely to break from age or extra strain.

♦ To back water. To impel a boat astern, so as to recede in a direction opposite to the former course.

♦ Backing the worming. The act of passing small yarn in the holidays, or crevices left between the worming and edges of the rope, to prevent the admission of wet, or to render all parts of equal diameter, so that the service may be smooth.

♦ Wind backing. The wind is said to back when it changes contrary to its usual circuit. In the northern hemisphere on the polar side of the trades, the wind usually changes from east, by the south, to west, and so on to north. In the same latitudes in the southern hemisphere the reverse usually takes place. When it backs, it is generally supposed to be a sign of a freshening breeze.

***

The outside or convex part of compass-timber. Also a wharf.

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