Nautical Term: Thwartships
Definition of Thwartships
Thwartships refers to the direction that is perpendicular to the fore and aft line, which is typically imagined as a line that runs across the ship. For example, if a sailor needs to secure a line on a ship, they might do so by attaching the line to a thwartship cleat. This would ensure that the line stays securely in place, despite any movement of the ship in the fore and aft direction.
Explore other nautical terms: