Sea voyage terminology

Use this forum to discuss the April 2019 Book of the month, "Adrift" by Charlie Sheldon
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Kristin Ransome
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Re: Sea voyage terminology

Post by Kristin Ransome »

I had to reference the dictionary a few times! While I can't remember specifics now, I'm hoping the definitions will come back to me if they're required in the future!
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Post by Browlyns »

To me this terminologies are always annoying and draw backs. The urge to constantly refer to the dictionary always takes the flow of the story away.
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Post by DC Brown »

I don't know technical terms about water, let alone seafaring jargon! Anyway, I was lucky enough to read this on my tablet and just click for meanings. I know I learned a few words, but I couldn't tell you which ones. No emotions, as I was able to look them up instantly with the tap of a finger. Loved the book.
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Post by DC Brown »

Firefawkes wrote: 24 Apr 2019, 22:07 I had to reference the dictionary a few times! While I can't remember specifics now, I'm hoping the definitions will come back to me if they're required in the future!
I also referenced the dictionary. I feel the same way hoping the definitions come back. But if they do, then I'll have to deal with the annoying "How on earth did you know that?" I always get from family!
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Post by danielleamy »

I love reading books like this on the Kindle, you can easily look things up on there. I usually have to look up unusual terms in case I miss something important from the book. That's why it's sometimes helpful to include a glossary with books that have unusual terms or jargon
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Post by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda »

briellejee wrote: 04 Apr 2019, 03:07 I also had a hard time with the sea jargons. I wished that the author could have explained them even once, even of its just in context.
I had a hard time too. I always appreciate when an author explains, whether in context, footnotes or as a glossary, words that are not familiar for the general audience. It helps me not to lose the reading flow looking up words.
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

Charlyt wrote: 04 Apr 2019, 05:16 I had a hard time understanding the technical terms as well especially at the chapter where the Warhorse crew were attaching lines to the Seattle Express. Some of the terms I looked up in the dictionary, but there were so many of them I had to go with the context clues instead. Still, I thought those nautical terms gave the book a distinct personality and I enjoyed every part of it.
I can related to this. I also reached a point where I had to understand some things based on the context. The author could have thought of minimizing the technical sea voyage terms, espeecially, the terms occurred in a single scene.
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Post by ObsessedBookNerd »

The terminology made me feel irritated. I was bored with the book because of this and didn't want to continue further.
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

TuyetMai wrote: 02 Apr 2019, 22:48 I did have to reach for the dictionary when nautical terms showed up, but they didn't bother me. I do wish the author has included footnotes explaining their meanings to save us from looking them up though.
I am in total support of this. The footnotes would have helped some of us a lot. At times, reading a sentence or a paragraph only to find a new vocabulary may be tempting as one assumes and moves on without looking it up. The footnotes will be really valuable.
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

ObsessedBookNerd wrote: 26 Apr 2019, 09:47 The terminology made me feel irritated. I was bored with the book because of this and didn't want to continue further.
I hope this was in the section of setting up the tow. The sea terminologies were very many. One word that I found over-used was 'aft' till I was wondering if it had multiple meanings. I hope you did not quit reading the book.
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Post by Abacus »

I love all the technical jargon about working on a ship. The Warhorse tug. Come-alongs, heavy blocks. Gotta haul gear on the windward side. Foc'sle. Can you stream a line and a light for getting a tow? Fill the engine room with Halon to put out the fire. Ship cobbled with jury-rigs, old sensors and air valves which often jammed shut. Rebuilt the winches, the big tony bit, new wire ties. Travis is the best kid splicing wire, I ever saw. Buckhorns calls warhorse an ancient useless scow. Warhorse was a low, old style, deep-seating wide squat, with a mostly open rear deck, huge towing winches. Aircraft too, have great descriptions - A big stubby four-propeller Coast Gaurd aircraft. Charlie Sheldon is a great story teller.
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Post by jessinikkip »

Books like this usually throw me off and I can't enjoy them. Its a bit easier when you have internet and can just click an unknown word on the tablet. But after a while, it's hard to stay in the story when you're all the time having to look something up.
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Post by amymc1306 »

I too found some of the terminology to be difficult. I had to look up some of the phrases and words. I did find the terminology diminished in the latter part of the book though making it more enjoyable for me. I struggled to get in to the story because of the terminology but I persisted because I began to like some of the characters and wanted to know what happened to them.
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Post by starshipsaga »

Terminology in a novel that is too technical can be a pain, but at the same time, I don't mind - I think it lends the story authenticity and makes it more immersive so I tend to give authors like Sheldon a pass :D
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Post by Brendan Donaghy »

Can't tell my aft from my starboard and couldn't find my way from one end of a boat to the other without help, but I don't think that gets in the way if the story is good enough. I thought the first chapter of 'Adrift' was fast-paced and gripping. It was clear enough what was happening, even if I wasn't always sure if it was happening at the front of the boat, back of the boat, left-hand side... :)
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