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jolly-boat

The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea | 2006 | Copyright

jolly-boat, possibly from the Dutch and German Jolle, Swedish jol, a small bark or boat, though this may be the derivation of the English yawl. It is more likely to be a perversion of gellywatte, a small ship's boat of the 18th and 19th centuries, which was used for a variety of purposes such as going round a ship to see that the yards were square, taking the steward ashore to buy fresh provisions, etc. It was clinker built, propelled by oars, and was normally hoisted on a davit at the ship's stern. When it was included as part of a warship's outfit of ship's boats, it pulled six oars on three thwarts.

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jolly-boat

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

jolly-boat ship's boat. XVIII. of unkn. orig.; cf. app. synon. †jolywat, gellywatte (XV–XVII), and YAWL.

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T. F. HOAD. "jolly-boat." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "jolly-boat." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-jollyboat.html

T. F. HOAD. "jolly-boat." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-jollyboat.html

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