SHANK-PAINTER. A strong rope by which the lower part of the shank of an anchor is secured to the ship's side. SHARP UP. Said of yards when braced as near fore-and-aft as possible. SHEATHING. A casing or covering on a vessel's bottom. SHEARS. Two or more spars, raised at angles and lashed together near their upper ends, used for taking in masts. (See page 52.) SHEAR HULK. An old vessel fitted with shears, &c., and used for taking out and putting in the masts of other vessels. SHEAVE. The wheel in a block upon which the rope works. _Sheave-hole_, the place cut in a block for the ropes to reeve through. SHEEP-SHANK. A kind of hitch or bend, used to shorten a rope temporarily. (See PLATE 5 and page 50.) SHEER, or SHEER-STRAKE. The line of plank on a vessel's side, running fore-and-aft under the gunwale. Also, a vessel's position when riding by a single anchor. SHEET. A rope used in setting a sail, to keep the clew down to its place. With square sails, the sheets run through each yard-arm. With boom sails, they haul the boom over one way and another. They keep down the inner clew of a studdingsail and the after clew of a jib. (See HOME.) SHEET ANCHOR. A vessel's largest anchor: not carried at the bow. SHELL. The case of a block. SHINGLE. (See BALLAST.) SHIP. A vessel with three masts, with tops and yards to each. (See PLATE 4.) To enter on board a vessel. To fix anything in its place. SHIVER. To shake the wind out of a sail by bracing it so that the wind strikes upon the leech. SHOE. A piece of wood used for the bill of an anchor to rest upon, to save the vessel's side. Also, for the heels of shears, &c. SHOE-BLOCK. A block with two sheaves, one above the other, the one horizontal and the other perpendicular. SHORE. A prop or stanchion, placed under a beam. To _shore_, to prop up. SHROUDS. A set of ropes reaching from the mast-heads to the vessel's sides, to support the masts. SILLS. Pieces of timber put in horizontally between the frames to form and secure any opening; as, for ports. SISTER BLOCK. A long piece of wood with two sheaves in it, one above the other, with a score between them for a seizing, and a groove around the block, lengthwise. SKIDS. Pieces of timber placed up and down a vessel's side, to bear any articles off clear that are hoisted in. SKIN. The part of a sail which is outside and covers the rest when it is furled. Also, familiarly, the sides of the hold; as, an article is said to be stowed _next the skin_. SKYSAIL. A light sail next above the royal. (See PLATE 2.) SKY-SCRAPER. A name given to a _skysail_ when it is triangular. SLABLINE. A small line used to haul up the foot of a course. SLACK. The part of a rope or sail that hangs down loose. _Slack in stays_, said of a vessel when she works slowly in tacking. SLEEPERS. The knees that connect the transoms to the after timbers on the ship's quarter.