hurricane hole
n.— «Antigua is, in sailor’s parlance, a “hurricane hole,” which sheltered the ships of Britain’s great naval hero, Admiral Horatio Nelson.» —“Sand ‘n’ sugar” by Betsa Marsh Indiana Star (Indianapolis) Dec. 30, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In a nautical context, the word heave refers to the action of a ship rising or lifting with the waves. The past tense is hove, and if a boat hove into view, it slowly came into sight, as if gradually appearing on the horizon. This is part of a...
Mark in Bismarck, North Dakota, spent years as a sailor, and wonders about the term sea painter, meaning “a rope attached to a lifeboat.” Why painter? The word may derive from Middle French pendeur meaning “a kind of rope that...