[Prodigal]

Hello, all!

I am a Greek translator/subtitler, and I am currently subtitling a documentary about a young crew training for the Transpac race. When their instructor jumps overboard to help them prepare for this emergency, we hear one of the crew shouting:
Bearing off big time out of the sack!
I understand the first part of this phrase, "bearing off". But I can't find what "out of the sack" means here. Is it a sailing-related idiom, or just a general idiom?

Many thanks in advance for any help.

 

[scottyt]

out of the sack is the same as out of bed

i would take that line as getting ready to make a big course change, and pay attention ( pay attention as in stop dosing or sleeping and wake up ). out of the sack is said to those who feel asleep

to go truely slang on it, man overboard, wake the F ^%$ up and hang on.

 

[Prodigal]

Thanks, Scotty, for the quick answer!

Yes, it had occurred to me that it might be something like "wake up", because I know the idiom "hit the sack", but, then, I have met so many idioms in this documentary, that I wasn't sure anymore

 

[Omatako]

Bearing off big time out of the sack!
I understand the first part of this phrase, "bearing off". But I can't find what "out of the sack" means here. Is it a sailing-related idiom, or just a general idiom?

Actually, I believe the correct term is "bearing away" not "bearing off".

As for the phrase - no I can't recall it ever being used in my sailing experience.

 

[Prodigal]

Actually, I believe the correct term is "bearing away" not "bearing off".

Yes, when researching this term I found out too that the correct was "bear away", but in the documentary it is heard more than once as "bearing off". These are young sailors.

 

[Valiente]

Bear away is correct. The only situation I can think of in which "bearing off" is used is "I am taking a bearing off my handheld compass to that landmark".

If it helps, English can be confusing for English speakers.

 

[sck5]

or maybe his crew was in the sack and were about to be thrown out of it when the boat bore away.

or maybe he wanted everybody awake in a COB situation. I know I would yell "All hands on deck right NOW"

 

[JohnRPollard]

I saw that movie too (assuming you're talking about Morning Light) and it is full of both sailing vernacular and regional dialect (the skipper is an Aussie or Kiwi, I think), as well as hip slang spoken by the youngsters. So I don't envy your task.

I have done enough translating to know that context is key and sometimes there is no directly analogous expression. The audience will understand well enough by what they see visually.

Good luck!

 

[Boasun]

The term "To Bear Off" means to move away from. Especially if it boat killing shoals and whatnot.
"To Claw Off" Is similar to "To bear Off" But is more frantic and more pucker power as you are trying to sail up wind away from those shoals.

Now "Veer" is to pay out the sheets... What is opposite?

 

[nolatom]

I grew up with "head up" and "bear off", some 50+ years ago. Still say it that way.

My bad??

 

[Jeff_H]

As several people have suggested these terms vary from area to area, and time to time. Obviously, seeing the terms used the context is important to a complete understanding of the correct translation. Like Noatom, I have used the terms, 'heading up' and 'bearing off' for nearly 50 years now.

To shed light on some of the discussion above, based on my experience, on a boat big enough to have orders passed to crew or a helmsman, the personal calling the helm would say, "prepare to bear off", The order that was then given to the helmsman would be "Bear away". The Helmsman would respond, "Bearing off" or "Bearing Away". The boat herself is said to have be "Bearing off" or "bearing down" meaning turning away from the wind.

My asssumption is that "Out of the Sack" comment was aimed at the 'off watch' or watch members who were 'standing by' and who were 'sacked out' in other words lying down.

Regards,
Jeff

 

[bubb2]

Hello, all!

I am a Greek translator/subtitler, and I am currently subtitling a documentary about a young crew training for the Transpac race. When their instructor jumps overboard to help them prepare for this emergency, we hear one of the crew shouting:
Bearing off big time out of the sack!
I understand the first part of this phrase, "bearing off". But I can't find what "out of the sack" means here. Is it a sailing-related idiom, or just a general idiom?

Many thanks in advance for any help.

In the light of a man over board dill, Out of sack. would have to be the equivalent of "all hands on deck."

 

[ste27]

Around here I think they're pretty much interchangeable... I'd tell the helm to bear off a bit or bear off around that mark when we're 'round the cans but when we're W/L it's a bear away set at the top mark. Bah, who knows?

 

[WouldaShoulda]

I saw that movie too (assuming you're talking about Morning Light) and it is full of both sailing vernacular and regional dialect (the skipper is an Aussie or Kiwi, I think), as well as hip slang spoken by the youngsters. So I don't envy your task.

Ah, jeeze, that changes everthing!!

 

[Flybyknight]

Boasun wrote "Now "Veer" is to pay out the sheets... What is opposite?"

BACK

Dick

 

[somers12]

Thinking out of the box here... Perhaps, the instructor whom the students had put in a sack... escaped and jumped overboard. The person at the helm, knowing they'd be in big trouble, yells "Bearing off big time, out of the sack! In other words, "Time to get the 'Hell out of here'.

 

[rocinante33]

Prodigal,

I am responding a little late here, so forgive me.

Remember that "bear away" and "fall off" are both commands given in relation to the wind.....turn away from the wind. Bear away might also be used with respect to another object (a boat, ship, a shore or a breakwater, for example), but in the offshore context away from all other objects, it is given with respect to the wind. "Bear off" has probably resulted from merging those two terms. Now all three terms are synonymous.

The opposite of these commands is "head up," turn into the wind.

It may be a regional thing. I sail in Southern California and Roy Disney is a quintessential So. Cal. sailor. He probably hired a lot of Southern Californians to teach sailing to those kids, too. Maybe they imparted the local jargon upon them. Or maybe not regional?

 

[patrickrea]

Boasun wrote "Now "Veer" is to pay out the sheets... What is opposite?"

BACK

Dick

Trim would be the opposite.

 

[81Hunter]

I don't think regional. I'm a Brit, and now in VA, and have heard that all over.

LOL, regional would be bad if you had a mixed crew..

"huh? what does that mean?" BANG! Splash..