lubber line

British  

noun

1. Also called: lubber's line.  a mark on a ship's compass that designates the fore-and-aft axis of the vessel

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Example Sentences

The lubber line, therefore, will always represent the bow of the ship, and the point on the compass card nearest the lubber line will be the point toward which the ship is heading.

From Project Gutenberg

While he had winked his eyes, so it seemed to him, the true course had fairly straddled away from the lubber line.

From Project Gutenberg

They were hanging to a lubber line near the quarterdeck, which on the chaser was a part of the after deck having imaginary boundaries only, established by order of the chaser's commander.

From Project Gutenberg

In other words, if the ship is heading NW, the pelorus must be set with the NW point on the lubber line when the bearing is taken of any object.

From Project Gutenberg

Now go to your compass and see that its lubber line is exactly fore and aft and in the keel line of the ship.

From Project Gutenberg