carronades
a short piece of ordnance (mounted guns) used on ships. Cannons and carronades:
http://www.hamilton-scourge.city.hamilton.on.ca/guns.htm

chronometer
a time-measuring instrument, especially one that is used in navigation for keeping accurate time at all temperatures.

circumnavigate
to sail around the world

collier
(a) coal-ship.
(b) a member of its crew.

colonise
establish a colony or colonies in a country or area

commission
(a) the authority to perform a task or certain duties.
(b) an order for something, esp. a work of art, to be produced specially.

convey
to transport or carry goods, passengers etc.

copper
a malleable red-brown metallic element of the transition series, occurring naturally especially in cuprite and malachite, and used especially for electrical cables and apparatus.

grounding
basic training or instruction in a subject

keel
a flat-bottomed vessel, especially of the kind that was used for loading coal-ships.

merchantman
a ship conveying merchandise

merchant marine a nation's commercial shipping

refit
make or become fit or serviceable again

rigged
(a) provide a sailing ship with sails, rigging etc.
(b) prepare ready for sailing.
(c) fit with clothes or other equipment

slop
(a) spill or flow over the edge of a vessel.
(b) make wet or messy by slopping, spill or splashing liquid on.

sloop
(a) a single masted boat
(b) SLOOP OF WAR A minor class vessel, sometimes frigate-built, and carrying one tier of guns

Socratic
relating to the Greek philosopher Socrates (d.399BC) or his philosophy, especially the method associated with him of seeking the truth by a series of questions and answers.

Ptolomaic
relating to Ptolomy, a 2nd century Alexandrian astronomer, or his theories.

Ptolomaic
system the theory that the earth is the stationary centre of the universe.

oakum
loose fibre got by untwisting and picking old tarry ropes etc. used for caulking seams of ships.

caulking, calking
to press tarred oakum into the seams between the planks of a boat to prevent leaks.

trim to adjust the sheet's of a vessel's sail

19th Century Ship-building terms: http://www.vicon.net/~elcid/glossary.htm