I’ve Manned the Halyard!!!

As a historical writer, I jump at any chance for research that gives me a first-hand taste of life in the past–so a couple weeks ago I snapped up tickets to sail on a replica 19th-century two-masted merchant trading ship. The best part was that they (literally) showed us the ropes, and let us “haul away,” “ease,” “belay,” and “unbelay.”
Quick translations:

-haul: yank on the rope to pull it tight
-ease: let go of the rope to give it slack
-belay: whip it around a metal pin to hold it firmly in pl...