mast clamp

American  

noun

Nautical.

1. a pierced slab of hardwood built into the deck structure of a small ship or boat to receive the force of the mast, which is fitted tightly through it.

2. Also called mast hasp.  a metal collar fitted to a thwart of a small boat to steady a mast.

---

Example Sentences

As Crean crawled out of his sleeping bag and began wriggling out from under the decking, his shoulder knocked against a pin that held the mast clamp in place.

From Literature