turning at the appointed time.

BREAKING OF A GALE. Indications of a return of fine weather; short gusts
at intervals; moaning or whistling of the wind through the rigging.

BREAKING-PLATE DISTANCE. The point within which iron-plated ships, under
concentrated fire, may be damaged.

BREAKING THE EY. _See_ EYGHT.

BREAKING-UP OF THE MONSOON. A nautical term for the violent storms that
attend the shifting of periodical winds.

BREAK-OFF. (_See_ BROKEN-OFF). "She breaks off from her course," applied
only when the wind will not allow of keeping the course; applies only to
"close-hauled" or "on a wind."--_Break-off!_ an order to quit one
department of duty, to clap on to another.

BREAK-SHEER, TO. When a ship at anchor is laid in a proper position to
keep clear of her anchor, but is forced by the wind or current out of
that position, she is said to break her sheer. Also, for a vessel to
break her sheer, or her back, means destroying the gradual sweep
lengthways.

BREAK-UP, TO. To take a ship to pieces when she becomes old and
unserviceable.

BREAK-WATER. Any erection or object so placed as to prevent the sea from
rolling inwards. Where there is no mole or jetty the hull of an old ship
may be sunk at the entrance of a small harbour, to break off or diminish
the force of the waves as they advance towards the vessels moored
within. Every bar to a river or harbour, intended to secure smooth water
within, acts as a break-water.

BREAM. A common fresh as well as salt water fish (_Abramis brama_),
little esteemed as food.

BREAMING. Cleaning a ship's bottom by burning off the grass, ooze,
shells, or sea-weed, which it has contracted by lying long in harbour;
it is performed by holding kindled furze, faggots, or reeds to the
bottom, which, by melting the pitch that formerly covered it, loosens
whatever filth may have adhered to the planks; the bottom is then
covered anew with a composition of sulphur, tallow, &c., which not only
makes it smooth and slippery, so as to divide the fluid more readily,
but also poisons and destroys those worms which eat through the planks
in the course of a voyage. This operation may be performed either by
laying the ship aground after the tide has ebbed from her or by docking
or careening.

BREAST, TO. To run abeam of a cape or object. To cut through a sea, the
surface of which is poetically termed breast.--_To breast the sea_, to
meet it by the bow on a wind.--_To breast the surf_, to brav