'Pamir' - 'The Poop from the Starboard Jigger Shrouds' [001] with our mystery man. The two life buoys indicate the name of the ship 'Pamir' and her home port of Mariehamn in Finland as is common practice.

My granddaughter Cerys, aged 6, gets told off for using the word 'poop' so Granddad pointed out whilst on a visit to H.M.S. Trincomalee at Hartlepool that she was actually standing on the poop deck; incidentally whilst watching a fascinating demonstration of period firearms and the firing of a cannon. What I didn't know at the time, was that according to the Dictionary of Sea Terms which is an appendix to the 'Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor' [336] published in 1819 that 'pooping' is defined as follows:- 'A Ship is said to be pooped, when she is struck by a heavy Sea, on the Stern or Quarter.' So now the rules are clear. Poop, pooped and pooping may be legitimate and commonly used words at sea but are not to be uttered under any circumstances at Cerys's house!