Nautical Term: Scuttle butt

Definition of Scuttle butt

Scuttle butt refers to a specific container that holds the crew’s drinking water supply on a nautical vessel. It is an essential component of maintaining a healthy crew during long voyages.

For instance, a captain might announce to his crew, I’ve received good scuttle butt that there’s a sizable tuna school in our area. Let’s conserve our water supply by using only what’s necessary for drinking, cooking, and essential hygiene practices. The efficient use of our scuttle butt container will allow us to stretch our water supply and increase our chances of catching enough tuna to make up for the water we’ve conserved.

Explore other nautical terms:

Head back to the Nautical Dictionary

Take a Tour With Us!

Recommended Reading