NAUTICAL   DICTIONARY.
 

ABACA (Fr, Abaca). A kind of banana tree, abounding
chiefly in the Philippine Islands, with the fibres whereof they
make cordage. This cordage, like coir, has the property of
floating in water; and it does not require to be tarred, as it is
not subject to rot in water.   c^^'^^J   )

ABACK. The position of the sails of a vessel when their
surfaces are pressed aft by the force of the wind. All aback
implies that all the sails are aback. The sails are laid aback
(Fr. coiffe) when they are intentionally adjusted in the above
manner, either to stop the ship, to deaden her way, or to make
her move astern. They are taken aback (Fr. coifFe) when sud¬
denly thrown aback by a change of wind, or through the negli¬
gence of the helmsman.    See Brace aback and Full.

When the action of a marine engine is reversed, so as to urge
the steam-vessel astern, the machinery is said to work aback.

ABAFT. Behind; nearer or towards the stern of a vessel.
This term is not used with reference to things out of the ship.

ABAFT THE BEAM.    See Bearing.

ABANDONMENT (Fr. Abandonnement), in Marine Insur¬
ance, implies the yielding up to the insurer all that may be saved
of the property insured, when some misfortune, for the conse¬
quences of which he is responsible, has taken place, and the
circumstances are such as to entitle the assured to recover as for
a total loss.

ABEAM of any vessel: the same as On her beam. See the
article Bearing. Guns are said to be pointed abeam when they
are pointed in a line at right angles to the ship's keel.

ABLE SEAMAN.    See the article Seaman.

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