Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (146 page)

             
With
luck,
he
reflected,
they
would
be
home
in
a
little
over
six
months.

***

             
The
newscaster
paused
in
her
delivery
and
then
continued
briskly,
"
In
other
news,
the
activation
of
the
Near
Earth
Gate
for
ships
entering
and
exiting
Transit
to
the
stars
took
place
earlier
this
week.
Located
over
the
Southern
Indian
Ocean
in
a
Geostationary
orbit,
the
gate
enables
ships
leaving
Orbit
Three
to
enter
transit
close
to
home.
Some
anomalies
have
been
reported
by
ships
using
it
but
a
spokesman
for
the
Gate
operators
has
dismissed
these
as
'
teething
troubles
'
with
the
new
technology
being
used.
And
now
I
hand
over
to
our
Regional
Studios
for
the
weather
in
your
part
of
the
world.
Good
night.
"

The End

Parts
of
a
ship:

Head:
The
bow
or
the
"sharp"
end
-

also
:
Heads:
the
toilets
for
the
crew,
mounted
on
either
side
of
the
"Beakhead"
(The
decorated
"prow"
and
extension
of
the
stem),
which
is
essentially
a
bench
seat
or
bar
on
which
to
sit
while
relieving
oneself
directly
into
the
sea.
On
larger
ships
enclosed
but
still
communal,
on
small
ships
protected
by
a
screen
to
stop
you
being
swept
overside
in
bad
weather.

Beam:
the
sides
or
more
accurately,
anything
outside
the
ship
and
to
one
or
other
side.
As
in
"the
enemy
is
abeam"

Stern:
The
back
of
the
ship.

Quarter/Bow/Beam:
For
reporting
purposes
the
ship
has
six
"sections"
so
that
if
another
ship
or
obstacle
is
ahead
but
not
directly
ahead
it
is
reported
as
being
on
the
Larboard
or
Starboard
Bow,
Likewise
if
it
astern
it
is
"on
the
Larboard
or
Starboard
Quarter"
and
equally
with
objects
on
either
Beam,
in
other
words
at
90*
to
the
ships
course.

Larboard:
the
left
side
also
called
the
Port
side.

Starboard:
the
right
side
of
the
ship,
so
called
because
the
earliest
ships
were
steered
by
shipping
an
oar
over
this
side.

Gundeck:
Upper
and
Lower;
the
continuous
decks
stretching
fore
and
aft
on
which
the
guns
were
carried.

Quarterdeck:
The
Command
deck
of
the
ship.
Beneath
this
were
the
officers'
quarters
in
the
"Wardroom"
at
the
aftermost
end
of
the
Upper
Gundeck
in
a
two
decker,
with
the
Captain's
Great
Cabin
at
the
aftermost
end
of
the
Quarterdeck.

Poop
Deck:
the
deck
over
the
Captain's
quarters
and
the
highest
deck
in
the
ship.

Break
of
the
Poop:
the
access
to
the
Captain's
quarters,
the
Sailing
Master's
Cabin
and
Chartroom.
Also
the
position
from
which
the
ship
is
steered,
the
poop
deck
providing
some
shelter
from
enemy
fire
for
the
helmsmen
and
from
the
weather.

Gangways:
the
extensions
along
the
upper
Gunwales
(Literally
Gun
Walls)
and
providing
cover
for
the
Upper
tier
of
guns
and
their
crews,
but
also
access
to
the
Forecastle
(fo'c's'le)
from
the
Quarterdeck
and
to
the
Boat
Tiers
where
the
larger
boats
were
carried
between
the
Foremast
and
the
Mainmast.

Gunroom:
The
space
allotted
to
the
Midshipmen
and
Senior
Warrant
Officers
in
a
large
ship.
It
takes
its
name
from
the
practice
of
keeping
small
arms
in
a
"protected"
space
below
decks.
Usually
located
at
the
aftermost
end
of
the
Lower
Gundeck
or
on
the
Orlop
Deck
below
that.
Frequently
used
as
an
operating
theatre
during
a
battle.

Masts:

Foremast,
Mainmast
and
Mizzenmast,
with
a
"Lower",
Topmast
and
Topgallant
and
sometimes
a
Royal
mast
above
identified
as
the
Fore/Main/Mizzen
Topmast/Topgallant
Mast
etc.

Crosstrees:
At
the
junction
between
the
topmast
section
and
the
topgallant
mast
a
small
platform
was
provided
as
a
perch
for
the
lookouts,
but
it
also
provided
a
springing
point
for
the
shrouds
and
ratlines
to
the
Topgallant
Mast.
Where
a
"Royal"
Mast
was
carried,
a
further
set
of
crosstrees
appeared
at
the
junction
between
the
Topgallant
and
the
Royal.