Underway
 |
Look up underway in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Underway, or under way, is a nautical term describing the state of a vessel. "Way" arises when there is sufficient water flow past the rudder of a vessel that it can be steered. A vessel is said to be underway if it meets the following criteria:
- It is not aground
- It is not at anchor
- It is not drifting
- It has not been made fast to a dock, the shore, or other stationary object.
If a vessel is adrift and not being propelled by any instrument or device, it is said to be underway, not making way. The concept of whether a vessel is, or is not, underway has important legal ramifications. For example, in many jurisdictions a child must be wearing a personal flotation device at the time the vessel is underway.
"Under weigh" is a variation, coming from folk etymology, first used in 1749. "Under way" is likely from the Dutch onderweg or Middle Dutch onderwegen (lit. "under" or "among the ways").[1]
References
- ↑ Merriam-Webster Mobile Dictionary, 2015, entries for "under weigh" and "under way".
- "Maloney, Elbert S. Chapman Piloting And Seamanship. 65th Ed. New York: Hearst Books, 2006."