=whaler=—A ship used in the whaling industry. =wharf=—A loading place for vessels. =wheel=—When used in its nautical sense, this expression refers to the wheel by which a ship is steered. =wherry=—In different localities wherries are of different sizes and designs. They are small boats, generally driven by oars. =windjammer=—A slang expression for a person who prefers sails to engines. =windward=—That side of a vessel or any other object upon which the wind is blowing is the windward side. An object which is to windward is in the direction from which the wind is blowing. =wind sail=—A tube of canvas, with wings of canvas at the top so arranged as to direct fresh air below decks. It is a kind of temporary ventilator. =wing and wing=—In a fore-and-aft vessel it is possible, when running directly before the wind, to haul the sails on one mast out to starboard and those of another mast out to port. This is said to be sailing _wing and wing_. =wreck=—A wreck is the destruction of a ship. The ship herself or the remnants of her after the catastrophe. =wreckage=—Goods or parts of a ship cast up by the sea after a shipwreck. =xebec= (pronounced “zebec”)—A small three-masted vessel, lateen rigged, and often with an overhanging bow. Common in the Mediterranean. =yacht=—A pleasure boat. The term is indefinite in application, and generally means only the more elaborate pleasure craft owned by the wealthy. =yard=—A spar suspended from a mast for the purpose of spreading a sail. =yaw=—To yaw in a sailing vessel is to deviate from the true course. It is often the result of having an inexperienced man at the wheel. =yawl=—A sailing vessel equipped with two masts, the main and the jigger. (In England the jigger is often called the mizzen.) The mainmast is the larger of the two and supports one or more jibs, a fore-and-aft mainsail, and sometimes a topsail. The jiggermast carries a small fore-and-aft sail, and the mast is set astern of the tiller or wheel. For illustration see page 201. =zenith=—The point directly overhead. Transcriber’s Notes pg 6 Changed: they almost univerally used to: they almost universally used pg 12 Changed: the coasts of Spain, Portugual, France to: the coasts of Spain, Portugal, France pg 47 Changed: feature of the spritsail was partially reponsible to: feature of the spritsail was partially responsible pg 74 Changed: She how she scoons! to: See how she scoons! pg 91 Changed: fitted with steam stearing gears to: fitted with steam steering gears pg 191 Changed: Sir Henry Manwayring, of the Elizabethan navy to: Sir Henry Mainwayring, of the Elizabethan navy pg 259 Changed: A sister ship of the ill-fated Titantic to: A sister ship of the ill-fated Titanic pg 279 Changed: To most of us it is an engima to: To most of us it is an enigma