: a person who carries or has charge of explosives (as in blasting operations)

Why are they called powder monkeys?

“Powder Monkey” was the moniker used to describe these young boys who had the hazardous duty of running from the powder magazine to the cannons with a load of highly flammable gunpowder strapped to their backs, dodging gunfire from enemy ships while doing so.

What did powder monkeys do?

Powder monkeys were usually the younger boys, chosen in part because they were short and could fit in the cramped spaces of a sailing warship. Their job was to carry gunpowder from where it was stored in the lower section of a ship to the gun crews manning the cannons on the upper decks. It was very dangerous job.

What age were powder monkeys?

American naval battles in the 19th century relied on the bravery of Powder Monkeys, or Powder Boys. These boys worked long hours and lived under hard conditions on United States Navy vessels. The Navy hired boys aged 10-14 because of their size.

What is the master of a ship?

the term that is given to the captain of a ship or the chief commanding officer of a ship.

Powder Monkey

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What were nippers?

Nippers are young surf lifesavers, usually aged between 5 and 14 years old, in clubs across Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Unlike senior surf lifesavers, the majority of them do not patrol the beaches. The focus for Nippers tends to be on fun, and surf awareness. Nippers learn about safety at the beach.

Why do ships have monkeys?

Ship's monkeys

When the British first began to explore Africa, young monkeys were often captured and taken back on board the ship to entertain sailors. For example, a Senegal monkey was kept as a pet by a ship's cook in the 19th century and entertained passengers with its antics.

When did sailing ships become obsolete?

End of the sail age. At the end of the 19th century, it became evident for british shipowners that the days of the deep sea commercial sail ships were closing the end. The large square rigged ship was no longer a viable commercial offer.

What is a 2 masted sailing ship called?

A brigantine is a two-masted sailing vessel with a fully square-rigged foremast and at least two sails on the main mast: a square topsail and a gaff sail mainsail (behind the mast).

What is a 3 masted sailing ship called?

Barque: A vessel that has at least three masts with the fore and main masts being square. Today many “sailing school” ships are barques. Barquentine: This type vessel has three masts, all are fore-and-aft rigged except for the square mast. Barquentine ships are most frequently seen in the Baltic and North Sea.

How did old ships sail without wind?

If your sailboat has motor propellers, then it will be pretty much easy to propel your sailboat even when there are no winds. The propeller works by literally using a portion of the forward energy to propel the sailboat forward while directing the same energy back to the propeller to blow backward.

Why is it called the poop deck on a ship?

We quote verbatim: “The name originates from the French word for stern, la poupe, from Latin puppis. Thus the poop deck is technically a stern deck, which in sailing ships was usually elevated as the roof of the stern or “after” cabin, also known as the “poop cabin”.

Why is Monkey Island called Monkey Island?

2) The Spencer family used to manage fishing in that stretch of the Thames in the 18th century. Local fishermen would come to the island and pay to fish. Even back then, money was colloquially known as 'monkey', hence 'Monkey Island', because if you were coming to the island, you were going to spend a lot of money.

Are Capuchins good pets?

Wildlife officials adamantly oppose capuchins as pets. ... "Keeping monkeys as pets threatens public health and safety as well as animal welfare. They can attack, they can spread disease and the average pet owner cannot meet their needs in captivity," she said.

What does Nipper mean in England?

1 : any of various devices (such as pincers) for nipping —usually used in plural. 2a chiefly British : a boy employed as a helper (as of a carter or hawker) b : child especially : a small boy.

What do Nippers learn?

The U6 and U7 Surf Play program is all about fun, participation and building confidence. The lesson plans consist of surf education, personal safety, running and flags, swimming, wading, and lots of other fun games and activities!

How old is ginger nut in Bartleby?

Ginger Nut The twelve-year-old office factotum, Ginger Nut, ambitious son of a van driver, runs errands, sweeps, and, for a dollar per week, performs other tasks common to office boys, including purchasing cakes and apples for the copyists.

What is the real secret of Monkey Island?

The secret was the fact an undead LeChuck was hiding under the monkey head (implied). This then changed during the series to the fact the giant monkey head was part of a robot (explicit).

What does Inselaffe mean?

'Inselaffe' is a German word meaning 'Island Monkey' and is used, perhaps derogatively but mostly light heartedly, to describe the people of England.

What kind of monkeys are on Monkey Island?

A family of spider monkeys are the only inhabitants of Monkey Island, a tiny chunk of land sitting in the Homosassa River. Customers dining at the Florida Cracker Riverside Resort, or hanging out at the Monkey Bar, enjoy ringside seats to sometimes wild offshore antics.

Why do the Navy call toilets heads?

At the front of the ship was the figure head: a carved wooden figure or bust fitted on the bow of the ship. Since the wind was blowing from the rear to the front, the “head” (or front) of the ship was the best place for sailors to relieve themselves. So, when the shipmates went to the toilet, they went to the head.

What is a poop knife?

A poop knife refers to a knife kept near the toilet to slash big concrete turds that otherwise tend to congest the toilet. It is usually a knife with a long handle and a dull blade, as an accidental skin cut would otherwise lead to an infection. It is not meant for use at the time of bowel movement.

How did pirates poop on ships?

Design. In sailing ships, the toilet was placed in the bow somewhat above the water line with vents or slots cut near the floor level allowing normal wave action to wash out the facility. Only the captain had a private toilet near his quarters, at the stern of the ship in the quarter gallery.

Why are sails triangular?

Flattening and twisting the top part of the sails helps keeping heeling moment under control. So does the (often undervalued) triangular shape of the sails: As the helmsman starts to pinch to prevent excessive heeling, the sails are set at a narrower at angle to the wind.

Did the Vikings invent the keel?

The keel: A structural beam that runs from a ship's bow to its stern and sits lower than the rest of the hull, the keel was first invented by those intrepid Norse sailing men known as Vikings. ... The addition of a keel prevented this lateral movement, increased speed and made Viking ships more stable.