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.

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