Nautical Term: Jury

Definition of Jury

A nautical term used to describe makeshift or temporary structures employed during an emergency. Examples include the temporary rigging of a sail or the fashioning of a makeshift mast from available materials.

For example, During a violent storm, the ship’s main mast was torn from the vessel. With the ship severely battered and taking on water, the crew knew they had to act quickly if they were to have any hope of making it to port. Using some remaining rigging and whatever other materials they could scavenge from the wreckage, the crew managed to jury-rig a makeshift mast from which they could raise the damaged sails and begin to make headway against the storm. Although the journey to port was long and arduous, the crew’s quick thinking and resourcefulness had given them a fighting chance of making it to safety.

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