THE ADMIRAL Splice the Main Brace!
I’ve always considered myself to have a reasonable command of the English language to the extent I don’t get agitated about apostrophes or stumped by the subjunctive. However, I am increasingly aware of the number of idioms and adages in common parlance that trace their roots to the world of the ancient mariner. And, in accord with the Festive Season, this Old Salt is devoting his scuttlebutt to a tinsel-tinged treasury of trivia whose origins definitely have a whiff of the briny.
I can think of few better Christmas presents than a win on the National Lottery or ERNIE discovering I still have Premium Bonds. The term “windfall” has its origins in the reign of King George III who, at the time, was desperately in need of trees to build his ships of war. He decreed it forbidden for anyone to cut down a tree with a diameter greater than 24 inches. If, however, some lucky person happened to be walking past a tree and it fell down by “natural causes” such as a strong wind, then it was quite acceptable for that person to lay claim to the tree.
‘Toeing the Line’ can trace its roots back to the days when decks on ships of the line were made up of a series of parallel six-inch wide wooden planks with the gaps waterproofed by a mixture of oakum and tar. Every Sunday on board one of Her or His Majesty’s warships, the entire crew would be assembled, each group or division of men assigned to their own area on deck.
STATEROOM CHIC
In order to maintain some form of order, each group had a deck seam to station themselves beside, placing their toe up to the line. When all crew were duly assembled the Captain would read out the articles of war just to remind everyone of their conditions of employment – and the penalty if any of those conditions were broken or orders disobeyed.
The term ‘stateroom’ is now in common usage to describe passenger accommodation. It derives from the days of the paddle-wheelers that plied their trade up and down the rivers of the United States. The better rooms on these steamers were named after states in the Union, such as Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey – hence ‘stateroom’.
I’ve often heard the question posed to barmen on cruise ships, “Is the Sun Over the Yard Arm?” This, too, harks back to the days when it was considered inappropriate for highly disciplined sailors to have an alcoholic drink until after midday. It is generally accepted that afternoon starts when the sun has reached its highest point in the sky, usually around noon.
Yards on board sailing ships, those timber spars used to support the sails, were found high up in the ship’s masts, so when the question was asked: “Is the sun over the yard arm?” what was really implied was would it be permissible to have a little refreshment?
But, whatever time of day you choose to splice the main brace, have a very Happy New Year!
PORT NEWS SHETLAND RECORD
LERWICK HARBOUR has logged its best cruise season to date, with the increasing number of vessels visiting the Shetland port setting four records. The popular- ity of the islands with passengers is also highlighted by cruise
operators booking future calls up to three years ahead for the first time. The records set in the 2012 season, which began in April and ended September 22, were: • 37,572 passengers, topping the previous highest figure of 30,843 in 2010.
• 52 cruise ships, beating last year’s record of 50. • 1,531,097 gross tons of shipping, up on the previous record of 1,220,455 tons in 2010.
• 3,105 passengers on a single vessel at Lerwick – Costa Pacifica, on July 2, passing her previous record of 3,007 in June 2011. Pacifica also retained her record as the largest cruise ship (114,288 tons) at Lerwick, with two calls this year following a maiden visit in 2011. This season’s final call was by Hurtigruten’s Fram as part of an eight-day North Atlantic Islands Cruise, from Reykjavik, Iceland, to Bergen, Norway. More info:
www.lerwick-harbour.co.uk.
PORTSMOUTH, TOO
PORTSMOUTH is looking ahead to a record cruise year in 2013. Managers at ‘Britain’s Best Connected Cruise and Ferry Port’ have just released the schedule of cruise vessels for the coming year and it shows a significant increase in the number of visits, departures and arrivals. Among those booked to visit is the world’s largest sailing ship and the largest commercial vessel ever to dock at Portsmouth. Port Manager Martin Putman explained: “We’ve been steadily building our cruise business over the last decade, investing in new facilities and making improvements. This appears to have paid off in 2013 with a big increase in the number of cruise ships due to come in and out of the Port.” There will be 50 cruise ship movements at Portsmouth next
year, compared with 34 in 2012. Big name operators like Swan Hellenic and Fred Olsen continue to use the port, and are joined by well-known names such as Thomson in 2013, whose vessel Celebration is booked to call in November. The most spectacular visitor is likely to be Windstar’s Wind
Surf, the world’s largest sailing ship. The sleek five-masted yacht accommodates 312 guests and will be coming to Portsmouth for a chance to visit one of the most famous sailing vessels in history, HMS Victory. Last year major improvements were made to the facilities at Portsmouth International Port, with the extension of Berth 2. This allows vessels as long as 240 metres to visit, including German cruise ship Artania, which, at 231m long, will be the biggest commercial vessel to sail into the Port. More info:
www.portsmouth-port.co.uk.
12 WORLD OF CRUISING I Winter 2012-13
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