boat terms???

[garland reese]

I gotta question.

In the rowing community, a common command for all rowers to cease rowing is "way enough". I have lots of people who are of the opinion that this term is actually "weigh enough". I don't think so, since the boat is underway, or making way and you no longer want to cintinue to make way so you say "way enough" IsAtRight? :confused: Or am I wrong? :eek:

And ......on a separate thought....when you hoist an anchor, do you "weigh anchor"? And is it Anchors away or anchor a-weigh?

This seems trivial, I know, but answers to questions like these just might lead to world peace. :D :D :D

[Paul Scheuer]

Anchors aweigh = Anchor's aweigh = Anchor is aweigh. As a report on the status of the anchor. Presumably after responding to the command to weigh anchor.

Dont know about "whea enough".

[ 04-05-2003, 09:20 AM: Message edited by: Paul Scheuer ]

[Donn]

"Weigh" and "Way": "Weigh oars" is an archaic English command meaning to lift the oars out of the water, while the command "Give Way" originally meant to start rowing, because "way" means movement (as in "steerageway"). The Americans spell "Way Enough" (as in 'enough motion') as "weigh enough." They also drive on the wrong side of the road and drink their beer weigh too cold."

more... (http://www.row2k.com/columns/index.cfm?action=read&ID=17)

Anchor's aweigh means the anchor is free of the bottom.

link (http://www.marisafe.com/resources/boatdictionary.asp?mode=browse&term=A&did=4569)

[ 04-05-2003, 09:37 AM: Message edited by: Donn ]

[garland reese]

Thanks Donn,

I continually try to advocate way enough as the proper term, but to no avail............ I guess it all comes out sounding the same....
It's in our learn to row class manual as weigh enough.......drives me crazy :rolleyes:

[Donn]

Garland...check this site:

http://wayenough.org/main.htm

[Mrleft8]

Actually, the term comes from the very first "Valley girl", who was taking rowing lessons at Eton.
On her very first day, after about 10 minutes of rowing, she abruptly lifted her oars out of the river and stopped. Her instructor (who had serious doubts about this girl...)asked her if she'd had enough. The valley girl's response was: "like totally WAY enough! I'm SOOOO sure!" The instuctor (having never heard of Encino or Frank Zappa) asked her again if she'd had enough, and the girl replied once again: "WAY! I'm like so totally grodie to the max? I'm like sooo out of here! Enough? Way!"
And from then on "way enough" has been the term used for lifting oars, and stopping....

[JeffH]

Mrleft8: :D

Garland: Funny you should mention that, since I have just recently run accross several late 1800's to early 1900's sailors referring their ships to being under weigh and having weigh and so forth. Made me ponder, briefly, about wether "way" has, over time, somehow become an acceptable corruption of "weigh" and we're all a bunch of lubberly fools for using the term, or if the difference is just another result of the ongoing inter-Atlantic spelling dispute (we all know, of course, that the Brits can't spell worth a darn :D ). THings that keep you up at night...

[garland reese]

Dang :mad: , Jeff!!!
And I thought I had this thing all figured out. Oh well, what's one more sleepless night :rolleyes:
:D :D :D

[ 04-06-2003, 04:54 PM: Message edited by: garland reese ]