Hawse or Hawser Hole

[menzies]

So it it a hawse hole or a hawser hole?

Is it a hawse hole because it is a hole in the hawse area of the boat.

Or is it a hawser hole because it is what the hawser passes through?

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. m. From OE dictionary:


hawse (n.)

"part of a ship's bow containing the hawse-holes," late 15c., from Old English or Old Norse hals "part of a ship's prow," literally "neck," from Proto-Germanic *h(w)alsaz, the general Germanic word (source also of Gothic, Danish, Swedish, Dutch, German hals), cognate with Latin collum (see collar (n.)), from PIE root from PIE root *kwel- (1) "revolve, move round; sojourn, dwell." Respelled with -aw- 16c.


hawser (n.)"large rope used for mooring, towing, etc.," late 13c., from Anglo-French haucer, from Old French halcier, haucier, literally "hoister," from Vulgar Latin *altiare, alteration of Late Latin altare "make high," from altus "high" (from PIE root *al- (2) "to grow, nourish"). Altered in English on mistaken association with hawse and perhaps haul.

 

[Comodave]

I always understood it to be a hawse hole that a hawser passes through.

 

[BruceK]

I think it`s pronounced "whore`s hole".

 

[O C Diver]

And just to confuse things, I heard it called a Hawser Pipe.

Ted

 

[angus99]

And in Canada they’re known as hosers.

 

[LarryM]

There's more . . . . . . on every Navy ship I've been aboard they've been referred to as Hawsepipes or Hawse Pipes. So, I looked it up in an old USN Bluejacket's Manual and found this:

Q. What are Hawse Holes?
A. Holes in the bows of a ship for cables to pass through.

Q. What are Hawse Pipes?
A. Steel pipes fitted in the hawse holes to take the chafe of
the cables.

But, I wasn't a Boatswains Mate or a Deck Officer so what do I know?

YMMV

 

[bayview]

Isinglass or vinyl?? Plastic or fish bladders??

 

[Wayfarer]

Salo(o)n!

 

[Chrisjs]

I agree that I always thought they were hawse pipes as well. So, I went to the source (wiki).

A ship's hawsepipe is the pipe passing through the bow section of a ship that the anchor chain passes through. Hawsepiper refers to climbing up the hawsepipe, a nautical metaphor for climbing up the ship's rank structure.

 

[RT Firefly]

Awse-hole?

 

[Fletcher500]

Hawse Pipe in reference to how a license was obtained is what I remember. IE, “The second engineer came up the hawse”.

 

[Boat]

Boatswain or Bosun?

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

Hawse Pipe in reference to how a license was obtained is what I remember. IE, “The second engineer came up the hawse”.

Usually referred to as "Hawsepipers"

 

[localboy]

"Gunnel" or "gunwale"?



Must be winter...

 

[RT Firefly]

gunnel (n.)small marine fish, 1680s, of unknown origin; perhaps from Cornish.

gunwale (n.)"uppermost edge of a ship's side," mid-15c., gonne walle, from gun (n.) + wale "plank" (see wale). Originally a platform on the deck of a ship to support the mounted guns.

saloon (n.)1728, Englished form of salon, and originally used interchangeable with it. Meaning "large hall in a public place for entertainment, etc." is from 1747; especially a passenger boat from 1817, also used of railway cars furnished like drawing rooms (1842). Sense of "public bar" developed by 1841, American English.

 

[FoxtrotCharlie]

You say tomato, I say tomAHto Oh, and let's call the whole thing off

 

[localboy]

A gunwale is the upper edge or planking of the side of a boat. By extension, we tend to use “packed to the gunwales” as a metaphor for something being full up, as if a boat is literally packed to its gunwales, it will be completely full up to the brim. A gunnel is … an alternative spelling for gunwale.

https://libroediting.com/2012/10/08/gunnel-or-gunwale/

 

[Olebird]

Here we go again!

 

[rgano]

There's more . . . . . . on every Navy ship I've been aboard they've been referred to as Hawsepipes or Hawse Pipes. So, I looked it up in an old USN Bluejacket's Manual and found this:

Q. What are Hawse Holes?
A. Holes in the bows of a ship for cables to pass through.

Q. What are Hawse Pipes?
A. Steel pipes fitted in the hawse holes to take the chafe of
the cables.

But, I wasn't a Boatswains Mate or a Deck Officer so what do I know?

YMMV

Then there's the chain pipes for the chain to pass through on its way down to to the chain locker from the windlass.

 

[CapeWhaler]

I enlisted as a seaman recruit and was later commissioned. That was always referred to as "coming up through the hawse pipe." I actually kind of did, I suppose, since I spent my first year serving in a frigate scraping and repainting the waterline and finally was brought up to the bridge to pursue my desired rating as a quartermaster. Character building...
Joe

 

[MurrayM]

Then again, there's always Hoss:

**Warning..it's a full episode to be viewed in a historical context**

 

[rgano]

I enlisted as a seaman recruit and was later commissioned. That was always referred to as "coming up through the hawse pipe." I actually kind of did, I suppose, since I spent my first year serving in a frigate scraping and repainting the waterline and finally was brought up to the bridge to pursue my desired rating as a quartermaster. Character building...
Joe

Indeed it was character building, and good on you! I OTOH went to USNA a month after turning 18 and was submitted to the hell of a full year of physical and mental harassment (with college level academics on top) not very unlike what I recently read about in the book by the SEAL who shot bin Laden - not as brutal, but a solid year for crissakes! It was like they were trying to shove us back down the other direction from you guys coming UP the hawse! Fleet sailors who made it to the Academy suffered 70% attrition. You hadda be young and inexperienced in the real Fleet like me to survive. I look back and think did I really do that? Thank you for your enviable record of service.

 

[CapeWhaler]

And thank you for yours, right back at ya.' My original goal was the merchant marine and I had an appointment to the USMMA (Kings Point) but failed the physical (flat feet) so enlisted in the Navy to get some training as a QM, get out and take the third mate's exam. During my hitch I became aware I could possibly get into the aviation cadet program (NAVCAD), took the exams, and passed. My ship's officers were pushing me to go for a USNA fleet appointment but I started thinking of 1.5 years to a commission and wings vs. 2 years of USNA prep school, 4 years at the Annapolis, and 1.5 years of flight training and elected the cadet route. And then retired from the Navy 34 years later...

A fond memory of painting the waterline was working around the scuppers where the heads flushed out (the good old days). Suppose I'm lucky I came up through the hawse pipe instead of the toilet scupper!
Joe

 

[rgano]

Given the high rate of fail at USNA, especially for Fleet sailors, and your clear-headed appraisal of the time requirement for that route, you made a very wise decision. 34 years is truly a testament to your tenacity.