samson post

The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea | 2006 | 700+ words | Copyright

samson post. In the old days when it was normal to cat anchors before they were let go or on weighing, a samson post was a post erected temporarily on deck to take a tackle with a sufficiently long lead for the whole crew to man the fall. When all anchors had to be handled entirely by manpower, a large number of men were required on the tackles used in lifting and stowing. Later, a small derrick mast in a merchant ship to support the cargo booms came to be known as a samson post. They were usually fitted in pairs and were known colloquially as goalposts. It is also the name of a post fitted on the foredeck of yachts and small craft. It is not a deck fitting but extends down to the keel, so is the strongest point on which to make fast mooring chains or a tow rope.

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"samson post." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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