• Barograph – instrument that record barometric pressure over time.
• A “neap” tide – a tide just the first or third quarters of the moon when there is the least different between high and low water.
• Charybdis – a whirlpool off the coast of Sicily personified in Greek mythology as a female monster. (See Wikipedia here for more info.)
• Genoa sail – a large triangular jib sail with the foot usually parallel and very close to the deck to maximize the sail area.
• “On the beam” – not sure. Perhaps the breadth of a ship at the widest point?
• Mephitic – foul smelling or noxious. (Note to self: We’ve had this word before, sunshine. However, this word is perfect for our dog at times…)
• Cuckoo wrasse – type of fish native to the eastern Atlantic.
• Spoor – track or scent of an animal or person.
• Anfractious – sinuous or circuitous.
• Quizling – a traitor who collaborates with an enemy occupying force. (From Norwegian war-time leader Vidkun Quisling who headed a domestic Nazi collaborationist regime during WWII. Thank you, Mr. Wiki.)
• Straithes (harbor?) – an old UK word for a wharf used to unload coal.
• Soutane – type of cassock worn by Roman Catholic priests.
• Biretta – a square cap with three flat projections on top and worn by Roman Catholic clergymen
• Cope (Church clothing) – a long enveloping ecclesiastical vestment.
• Chasubles (church clothing) – a sleeveless outer vestment worn by a Roman Catholic priest, typically ornate and having a simple hole for the head.

(From Coasting by Jonathan Raban.)

Charybdis in action…