Recent content by Laura the translator

Hi again! What's the difference between "heave to" and "lay to"? And what's the past tense of the first one -- "the ship hove to"?

Hmmm, "harbor master" sounds more old fashioned and this is an old book.

What's the name of a place where you would register after bringing your ship into a harbor? Is that the "port authority"?

Thanks, so are ships never just "lying"? They have to be "lying at anchor"? Is there any other way to say, in essence, "parked"? What if it's a boat with no anchor?

Hello, I'm back with many questions. 1. Can you call a ship with two masts "a two-master"? (like "a four-wheeler") 2. Do ships "run into" harbors? Do they "run" in general? (Running at certain speeds or to certain places) 3. Is "lying" the ship equivalent of a car being parked? Would you say...

Thanks to both of you, this is very helpful!

Does this sentence make sense to you? (It's about the schooner sailing in the tropics in oppressive heat): "The sun sails were spread over the whole ship and the gaff sails were taken down to reinforce them."

Thanks! :)

Hi everyone. I am translating a book from German into English and the characters often travel in a schooner. I want to make sure I have the correct phrasing and vocab when I write about their sailing adventures. Anyone want to help? Today I have questions about the phrase "to set sail" and how...