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Auburn Annie · 11-23-2003, 10:47 AM

quote:Originally posted by paddletothesea:
...The song has a couple of "mistakes" there is No such thing as a "main hatchway" they are all equal.

Well, yes there is, in sailing terms anyway - whether it holds for commercial freighters or not, I can't say. From "William Falconer's Dictionary of the Marine" http://southseas.nla.gov.au/refs/falc/0842.html

"MAIN, an epithet usually applied by sailors to whatever is principal, as opposed to what is inferior or secondary. Thus the main land is used in contradistinction to an island or peninsula; and the main-mast, the main-wale, the main-keel, and the MAIN HATCHWAY, are in like manner distinguished from the fore and mizen-masts, the channel-wales, the false-keel, and the fore and after-hatchways, &c."

It's the opening amidships for lowering cargo (as opposed to the fore and aft openings, square or oblong.)

11-23-2003, 10:47 AM	#15
Auburn Annie Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 3,101	quote:Originally posted by paddletothesea: ...The song has a couple of "mistakes" there is No such thing as a "main hatchway" they are all equal. Well, yes there is, in sailing terms anyway - whether it holds for commercial freighters or not, I can't say. From "William Falconer's Dictionary of the Marine" http://southseas.nla.gov.au/refs/falc/0842.html "MAIN, an epithet usually applied by sailors to whatever is principal, as opposed to what is inferior or secondary. Thus the main land is used in contradistinction to an island or peninsula; and the main-mast, the main-wale, the main-keel, and the MAIN HATCHWAY, are in like manner distinguished from the fore and mizen-masts, the channel-wales, the false-keel, and the fore and after-hatchways, &c." It's the opening amidships for lowering cargo (as opposed to the fore and aft openings, square or oblong.)