English Nautical Glossary U

unballast

TFD: To free from ballast; to discharge ballast from.

B: To discharge the ballast out of a ship.

unbend

B: to take the sails off from their yards and stays. To cast loose the anchor from the cable. To untie two ropes.

unbit

B: To remove the turns of a cable from off the bits.

under bare poles

F: the situation of a ship at sea when all her sails are furled, particularly in a tempest.

under courses

Signifies the foresail, mainsail, and mizen are set

under foot

B: is expressed of an anchor that is directly under the ship.

under sail

F: the state of a ship when she is loosened from her moorings, and under the government of her sails and rudder.

under the lee

TFD: to the leeward; as, under the lee of the land.

under the rose

TFD: in secret; privately; in a manner that forbids disclosure; - the rose being among the ancients the symbol of secrecy, and hung up at entertainments as a token that nothing there said was to be divulged.

under way

W: moving through the water; not anchored, moored, aground, or beached

unmoor

TFD: To release (a ship) from all but one anchor.

F: is to reduce a ship to the state of riding by a single anchor and cable, after she has been moored or fastened by two or more cables.

unreeve

TFD: to withdraw (a rope) from a block, thimble, etc.

F: the act of withdrawing or taking out a rope from any channel through which it had formerly passed; as in a block, thimble, deadeye, &c.

unrig

TFD: to strip (a vessel) of standing and running rigging

unship

W: To remove an oar or mast from its normal position

TFD: To remove (a piece of gear) from its proper place; detach

upper deck

F: the highest of those decks which are continued throughout the whole of a ship of war, or merchantman, without any interruption, of steps or irregular ascents.

upper works

TFD: the parts of a vessel above the waterline when fully laden

F: a general name given to all that part of a ship which is above the surface of the water when she is properly balanced for a sea voyage