dismast

The pirates were trying to dismast the Helena so she could be boarded, since there was no point in sinking a ship with its cargo.

'They're either firing wild or trying to dismast us!'

Don't try to dismast her.

I shall have to call the steersman back soon or else risk losing control of the ship-which could very well dismast us in this high wind.

His gun crews dismast all four enemy ships before French cannon fire forces the British to abandon the Sutherland.

In the ensuing exchange of fire, Kergariou-Locmaria was severely wounded, but his first officer, Morel d'Escures, took command and managed to dismast Magicienne.

"Oh, an uncontrolled jibe could dismast the ship, but with that woman at the wheel and Nick to handle the main sheet and backstays-" "What's a sheet?

But it was a dangerous game: the whole of the French coast was usually a lee shore, and a lucky shot could dismast a frigate and the wind drive her up on the beach.

They can pour round shot into us, they can tear our rigging to pieces with chain and bar, they can dismast us, and what can we do in return?"

In half an hour the French 36-pounders could rip the guts out of the Charwell, dismast her and carry her into Brest - the wind stood fair for Brest.

"But if she's clean below, and doesn't dismast or fall apart under the strain, and if we avoid digging her bow and flipping fore-and-aft-we might just be able to make it in thirty-six hours."

If he misjudged it, he would dismast her, but if he succeeded in bringing her round, stern first to the wind, he would save several crucial minutes in getting back to the embattled galleon.

If he could dismast her, shoot away her wheel - and it was just abaft the mizen in the Bellone . . . Now he could see the white of the faces on her quarterdeck.