lubber's hole

Perhaps I had better go up through the lubber's hole.'

Once it was secured, and the lubber's hole filled with a fitted piece of plywood, he could relax.

Access for sailors to the top may be by a Jacob's ladder, lubber's hole, or the futtock shrouds.

- and through the lubber's hole!

James climbed the ratlines to the masthead, then clambered over the edge, ignoring the lubber's hole like the experienced sailor he was.

And harkee, Mr Rowbotham, he is to come down through the lubber's hole, d'ye hear me?

Thank you: you are very good, but I must beg to be excused this time,' said Martin, looking through the lubber's hole with some anxiety. '

As well as climbing the futtock shrouds, most ships also allowed access to the top through the "lubber's hole" at the tip of the ordinary ratlines.

Now, Colonel, this is the lubber's hole, and if you will lower yourself through it, powerful hands will guide your feet to the horizontal cords that act as steps.'

From immediately under the top Jack threaded Hanson up through the lubber's hole, himself taking the backward-leaning futtock-shrouds and dropping from the rail to join him. '

Quickly, trying not to fumble, I undipped my belt and swung down through the open trap - called the 'lubber's hole', suitably enough - and into the shrouds again.

And may I beg you to unbuckle your breeches at the knee, leave your coat on those stunsails for the boy to bring down, and lower yourself through the lubber's hole.

He lowered himself through the lubber's hole, and as he hung there by his elbows with his feet searching for the shrouds below he said to himself, 'Tonight is perhaps Jack's true peripety.

But, perhaps you expect to get into heaven by crawling through the lubber's hole, cook; but no, no, cook, you don't get there, except you go the regular way, round by the rigging.

Presently anxious hands were placing their feet from below, up and up, a great way up, since the Surprise had a 38-gun ship's mainmast, and presently two delighted faces gazed into the top through the lubber's hole. '

It came to him strongly now, though some of the upturned faces were winking and nodding at him: he slid his legs through the lubber's hole with a grave expression on his face and began his laborious descent. '

His right foot was firmly moved up to the next ratline, his left followed it; and after one more hideous swinging backward lunge in which he closed his cyes and stopped breathing, the lubber's hole received its second visitor of the day.

Bonden was still peering down the lubber's hole, the way Stephen had always come before, the safe, direct, logical, but ignominious road; and his unsuccessful attempt at disguising his astonishment when he turned was a consolation to Stephen's mind: its element of vanity glowed cherry-pink.

This hole, this lubber's hole, is as who should say never used, except by those who have never been to sea or persons of great dignity, and when Jack came up through it he gave Jan Jackruski, ordinary seaman, so disagreeable a fright that he uttered a thin scream. '