RustyBattleship

Been too long so I'll give the answer.

Actually, ceiling boards go way back to the days of the tall ships and were the bottom decking of the cargo holds. Along comes the 20th century with steel cargo ships. The steel decks of the cargo holds were decked over with wood dunnage, BUT some of the old-timers still called them the ceiling boards.

Therefore, you could walk on the ceiling, at least until the cargo was put aboard.

Sorry. Guess that was too sneaky.

Anixtu gets the next question as he weas absolutely correct about the floors being the vertical intercostals (framing) of the innerbottom of a ship.

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Anixtu

What is the proper term for the naval item commonly referred to as a "dildo"?

RustyBattleship

The only item that immediately comes to mind (based strictly upon shape of course) is a BELAYING PIN. At first I was thinking of a Bosun's Fid, but that would be too skinny.

Anixtu

I may have been too Brito-centric in my choice of question. Having Googled for pics, the US variant may not be the same shape as the British one. I did on a previous occasion find an Australian one that appeared to be identical to the Brit. I've been on the receiving end (wee hint) of a Dutch one and they are a different shape again (butt plug was suggested ).

I have photographs of the article ready for use that I will link to later.

RustyBattleship

Well, I can't think of any item from any Navy that has a shape that can be callously called a dildo except belaying pins.

These look anything like what you are asking for?

Attached Images

	Belaying Pin.jpg (27.1 KB, 76 views)
	belaying pin 2.jpg (64.1 KB, 74 views)
	belaying pin 3 brass.jpg (21.1 KB, 74 views)

Anixtu

Very suggestive, but not the one. A dildo is a similar size and shape (obviously), but plastic with a yellow shaft and a much shorter pink rubber knob on the end. In my experience on replenishment auxiliaries the slang term is used universally and the proper term almost never.

RustyBattleship

I have worked on a lot of Auxiliary ships (all US Navy) such as AO's, AK's and AP's, as well as smaller auxilliaries like Tug Boats (AT's). But I have never seen a tool like you describe.

Yellow plastic handle with a pink rubber knob on the end.

Then again, if I ever saw one lying around, I probably would not have touched it without a dissinfectant.

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tankie

Hmmm very apt , because if one hit you you were certainly f#####D

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Anixtu

It is a line throwing projectile:

Dildo2.jpg - Image - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Seen about to be fired from an L85/SA80.

Also:
Dildo1.jpg - Image - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
and
Dildo3.jpg - Image - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

I'd be interested to see what the US version looks like. A Google Images search brought up plenty of pics of M14s with a fairly short cup shaped firing adapter but I didn't spot the projectile.

RustyBattleship

I think we still use the old fashioned "Monkey Fist" knot at the end of the line. The knot is "muzzle loaded" into the tube fitted on the end of the barrel and a grenade launcher blank is used to fire it over to the other ship.

Originally we used a modified Remington 11mm receiver and black powder blank. Basically it was just the tube sticking out there.

On civilian ships, however, they are not allowed to carry rifles (except MARAD). So the devices they are allowed for line throwing or emergency flares are only harmful to the user.

Line throwing is done the old fashioned way with a big guy standing in a clear area, swinging the monkey fist in circles until he builds up speed and finally casts it over to the next ship.

The American movie actor Steve Reeves who played Hercules back in the 60's was ex-Navy. Whenever line throwers were needed he would voluteer and they would make a contest as to who could heave the line the furthest over the other ship.

Anixtu

Very interesting, thanks. I'll keep a close eye for what they're shooting if I ever RAS with a US unit. So far only British, Dutch and German.

The commercial civilian (emergency) line throwing systems I've seen have all been rocket based, usually Speedline 250s. I was on one ship that had a (non-operational) pneumatic line throwing system for mooring ops.

Dreadnought

This would be the older version of the gun from the 1960's era for line throwing. The USN currently uses the MI4- aboard ship. It would like to have the (M16A3) as of a 2006 report Naval small arms program JSSP (perhaps this has changed since) but they still want to retain the M14 for burials at sea and line throwing.

Attached Images

h98212t.jpg (18.3 KB, 42 views)

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So whos question is it guys?

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RustyBattleship

I'll take a stab at it.

To my knowledge, the Long Beach Naval Shipyard was the only Navy installation with a pier like this.

What was it used for?

RAL's Pal is not allowed to answer as he has probably been out on it as I have.

Attached Images

SACS pier-cropped.bmp (418.7 KB, 34 views)