i6 A RAFT PILOT'S LOG 



A boat's "nose" is the extreme point of her hull for- 

 ward, generally called the "bow." 



In John Hay's story of Jim Bludso and the "Prairie 

 Belle" he has Jim cry out- "I'll hold her nose agin the 

 bank till the last galoot's ashore," and every paper or 

 book that has retold this story has used the word "noz- 

 zle" instead of "nose," making it ridiculous. 



A steamboat has many nozzles. One on the loose 

 end of every section of fire hose and one in the lower 

 end of each chimney to confine the exhaust from the 

 engines. 



A green man may speak of "hiring out" to work on a 

 boat, but one soon learns to use the word "ship" instead. 

 He signs a "Shipping List" or "Shipping Articles," a 

 form of contract. 



The question is often asked why we use the feminine 

 pronoun in speaking of a boat. Why always say she? 

 I've heard many reasons given : 



Because it takes a smart man to manage her. 



Because no two of them act alike. 



Because they need a little touching up with paint now and then to 

 look right. 



Because her title is not complete without a "husband." (Until 

 recent years every American vessel's Arinual License had to have some 

 one named in it as "Ships-husband or Managing-owner.") 



Because she moves with such grace and quiet dignity. 



Occasionally some one builds a freak so homely and 

 awkward looking that we all refer to it as "it." No one 

 uses the feminine in speaking of it. 



We always say "make it fast" instead of "tie it up" 

 and we say "let go" or "let her go" instead of "untie it" 

 and in speaking of a person looking sickly or run down 

 we say he "looks like he's all let go." 



We use quantities of rope, good manila rope that 



