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I. OBJECTIVES
1. Make the students be familiar with more terms used during sea travel;
2. Make the students use such terms correctly;
II. DISCUSSION
Aside from using the International Phonetic Alphabet and Numbers in communication, the Maritime industry also has specialized terms relating to sea conditions. Here we refer to the Beaufort Wind Scale in conversing about the sea conditions.
A. THE BEAUFORT WIND SCALE
Beaufort Scale Number | Description and limit of wind speed in knots | Sea criterion |
Ǫ | Calm less than 1 | Sea like mirror |
1 | Light Air 1 - 3 | Ripples with the appearance of scales are formed but without foam crests. |
2 | Light Breeze 4 - 6 | Small wavelets, still short but more pronounced, crests have a glassy appearance and do not break. |
3 | Gentle Breeze 7 - 10 | Large wavelets. Crests begin to break. Foam of glassy appearance. Perhaps scattered white horses. |
4 | Moderate Breeze 11 - 16 | Small waves, becoming longer, fairly frequent white horses. |
5 | Fresh Breeze 17 – 21 | Moderate waves, taking a more pronounced long form; many white horses are formed. (Chance of some spray.) |
6 | Strong Breeze 22 - 27 | Large waves begin to form; the white foam crests are more extensive everywhere (probably some spray). |
7 | Near Gale 28 - 33 | Sea heaps up and white foam from breaking waves begins to be blown in streaks along the direction of the wind. (Spindrift begins to be seen). |
8 | Gale 36 - 40 | Moderately high waves of greater length; edges of crests break into spindrift. The foam is blown in well-marked streaks along the direction of the wind. |
9 | Strong Gale 41 - 47 | High waves. Dense streaks of foam along the direction of the wind. Sea begins to roll. Spray may affect visibility. |
10 | Storm 48 - 55 | Very high waves with long overhanging crests. The resulting foam in great patches is blown in dense white streaks along the direction of the wind. On the whole surface of the sea takes a white appearance. The rolling of the sea becomes heavy and shocklike. Visibility affected. |
11 | Violent Storm 56 - 63 | Exceptionally high waves. (Small and medium-size ships might be for a time lost to view behind the waves.) the sea is completely covered with long white patches of foam lying along the direction of the wind. Everywhere the edges of the wave crests are blown into froth. Visibility affected. |
12 | Hurricane 64 - 71 | The air is filled with foam and spray. Sea completely white with driving spray; visibility very seriously affected. |
B. Some Idiomatic Expressions That Can Be Used In Maritime Service
1. get going – start; go into action; make haste
Example:
Better get going if you don’t want to miss the boat.
2. square peg in a round hole – one unsuited for his occupation or environment
Example:
A sailor who spends more time on land than on the sea is like a square peg in a round hole.
3. make a living – earn enough to live decently; sustain oneself economically
Example:
Being a high-ranking officer in the Navy gives one a huge responsibility but is also a good way to make a living.
4. over-all – comprehensive
Example:
The captain has an over-all appraisal of the ship’s condition.
5. rain cats and dogs – to rain heavily
Example:
Visibility is difficult when it rains cats and dogs.
6. bed of roses – a condition of ease and luxury
Example:
Life in the marine service isn’t like a bed of roses.
7. birds of a feather – persons with the same characteristics and tendencies
Example:
My sisters and me are birds of a feather, we all like to prowl on the beach.
8. hold water – be valid
Example:
What he explained about the incident all hold water.
9. get a raise – obtain an increase in salary
Example:
The management promised that all of us will get a raise at the end of the year.
10. see one off - go to say goodbye to someone at an airport, a railway station, or at the wharf
Example:
He told me he will be late for the meeting because he has to see one off.
11. all set – all ready
Example:
The family is all set for the much anticipated voyage to the Caribbean.
12. all ears – very attentive
Example:
The seafarers were all ears to the Captain when he gave his final instructions before the voyage.
13. under lock and key – locked safely; very secure
Example:
All the doors and port holes should be under lock and key before we embark on this voyage.
14. big shot – an important person
Example:
We heard that a big shot is invited to grace the launching of the newest ship in the line.
15. come to terms – to reach an agreement
Example:
The management and the striking crew finally came to terms and the ship’s voyage will resume in due time.
16. blacklist – a list of people considered undesirable
Example:
The union leader and some of his members are in the blacklist of the management for leading the recently concluded strike.
17. break – an opportunity to succeed
Example:
The rest of the striking crew was given a break by the management after they promised not to launch another strike in the future.
18. tread the middle aisle – to get married
Example:
The captain of the ship will file a leave of absence after he treads the middle aisle this coming June.
19. knock off – stop; leave work
Example:
The crew will knock off tonight for the Captain’s birthday party.
20. play favorites – show partiality
Example:
It is unwise for a Ship Captain to play favorites in his crew’s rift.
III. EXERCISES
A. Give the scale number and description of the sea when:
1. there is a strong breeze
2. there is light air
3. there is gentle breeze
4. there is a storm
5. there is a violent storm
6. there is a hurricane
7. there is a gale
8. there is a moderate breeze
9. there is light breeze
10. there is a strong gale
B. Make an interpretative reading of the poem below:
Sea-Fever
(John Masefield)
I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the whale’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And the gray mist on the sea’s face and a gay dawn breaking.
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of a running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must go down to the seas again to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife,
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.
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