Nautical Term: Alive

Definition of Alive

Alive in the maritime context refers to a state of heightened awareness and responsiveness to one’s surroundings. This term is often used to describe the condition of a ship’s crew or the vessel itself. For instance, after encountering a sudden storm, the captain might announce over the ship’s PA system, ‘All hands on deck! We must secure the vessel and make sure all crew members are safe and accounted for.’ In this example, the term ‘all hands’ refers to all members of the crew, while ‘on deck’ signifies that they must report to their assigned posts on the ship’s open deck areas.

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