, or ratlings.
Small lines which traverse the shrouds of a ship (at distances of 15 or 16 inches) horizontally from the deck upwards, and are made firm by jamming clove-hitches; they form a series of steps, like the rounds of a ladder.
·noun ·pl ·Alt. of <<Ratlins>>. ...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
Seeing that all are horizontal and ship-shape. ...
The Sailor's Word-Book