sheer pole (sherpol)

1. One of the spars of a sheers, or a single spar stayed by guys, and serving as a substitute for sheers of the usual form.-2. Naut., an iron rod placed horizontally along the shrouds on the outside, just above the deadeyes, and seized firmly to each shroud to prevent its turning. Also sheer - bat ten. sheers (shērz), n. pl. 11. An obsolete spelling of shears. 2. A hoisting apparatus used in masting or dismasting ships, putting in or taking out boilers, mounting or dismounting guns, etc., and consisting of two or more spars or poles fastened together near the top, with their lower ends separated to form a base. The legs are steadied by guys, and from the top depends the nece ary tackle for hoisting. Permanent sheers, in dockyards, etc., are sloped together at the top, and crowned with an iron cap bolted thereto. The sheers used in masting, etc., are now usually mounted on a wharf, but were formerly placed on an old ship called a sheer-hulk. The apparatus is named from its resemblance in form to a cutting-shears. Also shears, shear- legs. sheer-strake (sher's trāk), n. [ Sheer strakes are the strakes of the plating (generally The arle , Naval Arch., § 298. outer) which are adjacent to the principal decks. = Sheer Thursday (sher-thèrz'dā). [ And the nexte daye, that was Shyre Thursdaye , aboute noone, we landed at Kyryell in Normandy, and rode to Depe the same nyght. Sir R. Guylforde , Pylgrymage, p. 3. sheerwatert, n. An obsolete form of shear water.