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McCarthy: sheer-rail

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Marius Hancu

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May 5, 2012, 8:30:13 AM5/5/12
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Hello:

---
[inspecting a wreck]

He swam the length of the steel hull and turned, treading water,
gasping with the cold. Amidships the sheer-rail was just awash. He
pulled himself along to the transom .

Cormac McCarthy, The Road
---

"sheer-rail":?

--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu

Peter Brooks

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May 5, 2012, 8:46:55 AM5/5/12
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[OED]
"
1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1780), Rails‥are likewise nailed upon
several planks along the side; one in particular is called the *{sheer-
rail}, which limits the height of the side from the forecastle to the
quarter⁓deck, and runs aft to the stern, and forward to the cat-head.
   1846 A. Young Naut. Dict., Sheer-rails, a name for the mouldings
round a vessel's top sides.
"

Peter Duncanson (BrE)

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May 5, 2012, 8:57:28 AM5/5/12
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OED:

1769 W. Falconer Universal Dict. Marine (1780) , Rails..are
likewise nailed upon several planks along the side; one in
particular is called the sheer-rail, which limits the height of
the side from the forecastle to the quarter~deck, and runs aft to
the stern, and forward to the cat-head.
1846 A. Young Naut. Dict., Sheer-rails, a name for the mouldings
round a vessel's top sides.

From:
http://www.bruzelius.info/Nautica/Etymology/English/Repository%281788%29_p443.html

RAILS, narrow pieces of fir or oak with a moulding struck on them
and fastened to the ship's sides as ornaments, likewise in the head
and stern; their names are as follows: the lower rail on the side is
termed the waist rail, and the next above it the sheer rail, which
is generally placed well with the toptimber line, the rails next
above the sheer rail are termed drift rails, and the rail above the
plank sheer the fife rail, the rails of the head are known by lower,
middle and main or upper rails, and the rails of the stern are named
from the parts where they are fixed, as lower counter rail, upper
counter rail, &c.

This image has a red dot marking the sheer rail:
http://www.shipmodeling.ca/gs57.jpg

from:
http://www.shipmodeling.ca/aaglo-01.html#s

(Click on the names in white to see images.)

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

Marius Hancu

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May 5, 2012, 11:54:34 AM5/5/12
to
On May 5, 8:57 am, "Peter Duncanson (BrE)" <m...@peterduncanson.net>
wrote:

> >---
> >[inspecting a wreck]
>
> >He swam the length of the steel hull and turned, treading water,
> >gasping with the cold. Amidships the sheer-rail was just awash. He
> >pulled himself  along to the transom .
>
> >Cormac McCarthy, The Road
> >---
>
> >"sheer-rail":?
>
> OED:
>
>     1769   W. Falconer Universal Dict. Marine (1780) ,   Rails..are
>       likewise nailed upon several planks along the side; one in
>       particular is called the sheer-rail, which limits the height of
>       the side from the forecastle to the quarter~deck, and runs aft to
>       the stern, and forward to the cat-head.
>     1846   A. Young Naut. Dict.,   Sheer-rails, a name for the mouldings
>       round a vessel's top sides.
>
> From:http://www.bruzelius.info/Nautica/Etymology/English/Repository%281788...
>
>     RAILS, narrow pieces of fir or oak with a moulding struck on them
>     and fastened to the ship's sides as ornaments, likewise in the head
>     and stern; their names are as follows: the lower rail on the side is
>     termed the waist rail, and the next above it the sheer rail, which
>     is generally placed well with the toptimber line, the rails next
>     above the sheer rail are termed drift rails, and the rail above the
>     plank sheer the fife rail, the rails of the head are known by lower,
>     middle and main or upper rails, and the rails of the stern are named
>     from the parts where they are fixed, as lower counter rail, upper
>     counter rail, &c.
>
> This image has a red dot marking the sheer rail:http://www.shipmodeling.ca/gs57.jpg
>
> from:http://www.shipmodeling.ca/aaglo-01.html#s
>
> (Click on the names in white to see images.)

Are we talking about structures above other structures? Rails upon
other rails?

Thank you both.
Marius Hancu

Horace LaBadie

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May 5, 2012, 1:45:03 PM5/5/12
to
In article
<4106fd3f-9f48-4b6c...@gn8g2000vbb.googlegroups.com>,
Rails mounted on the side of the ship, at different levels above the
waterline.

I suppose at some time in the past they gave fixed points by which one
could judge how far the ship was rolling or how high the waves were
breaking over the ship.

Tom P

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May 7, 2012, 4:59:29 AM5/7/12
to
I notice that according to Google the expression "sheer rail" can also
have a completely different meaning - a slider rail for mounting a
shower head on the wall.

39...@students.d94.org

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Oct 12, 2015, 4:04:26 PM10/12/15
to
On Saturday, May 5, 2012 at 7:30:13 AM UTC-5, Marius Hancu wrote:
> Hello:]hklygdddddddddddddddddddddddddddkafa love to laugh?

1000110110000110100100010111110010001001010001001000100001000100000100010000100010
> Cormac McCarthy, The Road
> ---
> hahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
> "sheer-rail":?
>
> The Joker >:)
> Thanks.
> Marius Hancu


--

--
This message sent from a student at Community High School District 94

Harrison Hill

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Oct 12, 2015, 5:53:30 PM10/12/15
to
On Monday, 12 October 2015 21:04:26 UTC+1, 39...@students.d94.org wrote:
> On Saturday, May 5, 2012 at 7:30:13 AM UTC-5, Marius Hancu wrote:
> > Hello:]hklygdddddddddddddddddddddddddddkafa love to laugh?
> 1000110110000110100100010111110010001001010001001000100001000100000100010000100010
> > Cormac McCarthy, The Road
> > ---
> > hahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
> > "sheer-rail":?
> >
> > The Joker >:)
> > Thanks.
> > Marius Hancu

You should be enjoying your student years. Girls, beer - to name but a few.
Replying to questions that have awaited an answer for three years; asked by
people no longer around. There are better uses for your time :)

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