Davit: A curved metal spar for handling a boat or other heavy objects.
Dead ahead: Directly ahead on the extension of the ship’s fore and aft line.
Dead light: Steel disc, that is dogged down over a porthole to secure against breakage of the glass and to prevent light from showing through.
Derelict: An abandoned vessel at sea (a danger to navigation).
Dip: A position of a flag when lowered part way in salute (method of salute between vessels, like planes dipping wings).
Displacement: The weight of the water displaced by a vessel.
Distress signal: A flag display or a sound, light, or radio signal calling for assistance.
Ditty-bag: A small bag used by seamen for stowing small articles.
Doldrums: The belt on each side of the Equator in which little or no wind ordinarily blows.
Dolphin: A cluster of piles for mooring.
Double up: To double a vessel’s mooring lines.
Dowse: To take in, or lower a sail. To put out a light. To cover with water.
Draft: The distance from the surface of the water to the ship’s keel (how deep the ship is into the water).
Drag: A sea anchor contrived to keep a vessel’s head to the wind and sea.
Dressing ship: A display of national colors at all mastheads and the array of signal flags from bow to stern over the masthead (for special occasions and holidays).
Dry dock: A basin for receiving a vessel for repairs, capable of being pumped dry (to repair vessel and scrape marine growth from bottom).
Dungarees: Blue working overalls.
Eagle Flies: Pay day
Easy: Carefully (watch what you’re doing).
End-for-end: Reversing the position of an object or line.
End seizing: A round seizing at the end of a rope.
Ensign: (1) The national flag. (2) A junior officer.
Even keel: Floating level (no list).
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