G.I.: Anything of Government Issue.
Gantline: A line rove through a single block secured aloft.
Garboard strake: The strake next to the keel (running fore and aft).
Gather way: To attain headway (to get going or pick up speed).
Gear: The general name for ropes, blocks and tackles, tools, etc. (things).
Gilguy (or gadget): A term used to designate an object for which the correct name has been forgotten.
Gipsey (gypsey): A drum of a windlass for heaving in line.
Glass: Term used by mariners for a barometer.
Glory hole: Steward’s quarters.
Go adrift: Break loose.
Golden Slippers: Tan work shoes issued to U.S. Maritime Service trainees
Grapnel: A small anchor with several arms used for dragging purposes.
Grating: A wooden lattice-work covering a hatch or the bottom boards of a boat; similarly designed gratings of metal are frequently found on shipboard.
Graveyard watch: The middle watch.
Green sea: A large body of water taken aboard (ship a sea).
Ground tackle: A term used to cover all of the anchor gear.
Grounding: Running ashore (hitting the bottom).
Gunwale: The upper edge of a vessel or boat’s side.
Hail: To address a vessel, to come from, as to hail from some port (call).
Half-mast: The position of a flag when lowered halfway down.
Halliards or halyards: Ropes used for hoisting gaffs and sails, and signal flags.
Hand lead: A lead of from 7 to 14 pounds used with the hand lead line for ascertaining the depth of water in entering or leaving a harbor. (Line marked to 20 fathoms.)
Hand rail: A steadying rail of a ladder (banister).
Hand rope: Same as “grab rope” (rope).
Hand taut: As tight as can be pulled by hand.
Hand: A member of the ship’s company.
Handybilly: A watch tackle (small, handy block and tackle for general use).
Hang from the yards: Dangle a man from one of the yard arms, sometimes by the neck, if the man was to be killed, and sometimes by the toes, if he was merely to be tortured. A severe punishment used aboard sailing ships long ago. Today, a reprimand.
Hatch: An opening in a ship’s deck for passageway or for handling cargo or stores.
Hawse buckler: An iron plate covering a hawse hole.
Hawse-pipes: A pipe lead-in for anchor chain through ship’s bow.
Hawser: A rope used for towing or, mooring.
Hawser-laid: Left-handed rope of nine strands, in the form of three three-stranded, right-handed ropes.
Head: The ship’s water closet (toilet or wash-room). The upper edge of a quadrilateral sail.
Head room: The height of the decks, below decks.
Heart: The inside center strand of rope.
Heave: To haul or pull on a line; to throw a heaving line.
Heave around: To revolve the drum of a capstan, winch or windlass. (Pulling with mechanical deck heaving gear).
Heave away: An order to haul away or to heave around a capstan (pull).
Heave in: To haul in.
Heave short: To heave in until the vessel is riding nearly over her anchor.
Heave taut: To haul in until the line has a strain upon it.
Heave the lead: The operation of taking a sounding with the hand lead (to find bottom).
Heave to: To bring vessel on a course on which she rides easily and hold her there by the use of the ship’s engines (holding a position).
Heaving line: A small line thrown to an approaching vessel, or a dock as a messenger.
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