Dictionary

haul out en · VERB

Meanings

1. (said of a seal or sea-lion) To come out of the water, in order to rest
   • "But there are the holluschickie," she said. "The holluschickie haul out by themselves, and Dr. Jordan says that paths are left between the harems, and that as long as the holluschickie keep strictly to the path they are unmolested by the masters of the harem." 1904, Jack London, chapter 30, in The Sea-Wolf (Macmillan’s Standard Library), New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, →OCLC:
   • This is because animals from southern California rookeries may haul out to molt in a different place from where they breed, showing up to be counted on northern California rookeries like Año Nuevo. 1994, Burney J. Le Boeuf, Richard M. Laws, Elephant Seals: Population Ecology, Behavior, and Physiology, page 13:
   • The general impression, as derived both from the printed reports and oral communications, seems to be that the vast majority, if not all, of the bachelors haul out on the beaches during the season. 1898, David Starr Jordan, The Fur Seals and Fur-seal Islands of the North Pacific Ocean, page 92:
   • Seals haul out on the rocks near Chamisso Island in late summer and autumn. 1986, Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment Program, Final Reports of Principal Investigators, page 414:
2. To pull on an outhaul in order to extend (a sail) along a spar, or to pull on a reef-tackle to reef (a sail).
   • When the yard is down, but not before, haul out the reeftackles, and haul taut the buntlines — the yard will brace in easier if the ship is luffed to make the weather leach of the sail lift. 1876, George Strong Nares, Seamanship: Including Names of Principal Parts of a Ship, page 202:
   • Haul up and spill the sail, as if you were going to furl it, then haul out the reef-tackles and reef it. 1871, Thomas Liddell Ainsley, A Guide Book to the Local Marine Board Examination, page 297:
   • It is mostly the way to man the clue-lines and the bunt-lines, to ease off the lee-sheet and clue it up; then man the weather-brace, let go the lee-brace and bunt-lines at the same time; when the sail is spilled, haul out the reef-tackles, and reef as before. 1800, John Hamilton Moore, The New Practical Navigator:
   • Hoist Away, Haul Out! taking in the slack of the outhaul and inner halliards. When halfway up between the deck and lower yard, haul out the squilgee, and as the sail falls, haul out on the outhaul, and hoist the sail up taut to the topmast studding-sail boom; then haul out the outhaul and pull up on the inner halliards. 1884, Stephen Bleecker Luce, Aaron Ward, Text-book of Seamanship, page 407:
3. To turn sharply in order to deviate from the current heading or course.
   • She may then steer by the eye, keeping about three times as far off the islet Chapany, as from the shore, until all the islands be in one, she will then be in the narrowest part of the channel; she must then haul out to the westward, so as to get midchannel between the shores of Zanzibar and Chapany, when the latter bears N.W.b.N. (true). 1844, The Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle, page 275:
   • If stop-off point is not on the direct run, a charge of 1 cent per ton per mile (minimum 20 miles) for haul out of direct run will be made in addition to stop-off charge, except that such charge will not be made between Sudbury Junction and Sudbury, Ont., on lumber for dressing at Sudbury, Ont., and reshipment to points south of Sudbury Junction, Ont. 1934, Report of the Board of Transport Commissioners for Canada, page 181:
   • They led me into less than 3 fathoms water and a very narrow Channel formed by Isles, that led into a deep Bight; and as I went in with a large wind, and not having room to haul out either way, or even bring the Ship's head to, to the wind, I was obliged to let go the anchor all Standing, and send my Boat to sound the Passage out. 1940, James Colnett, The Journal of Captain James Colnett, page 245:
4. To pull a boat out of the water; (by extension, loosely) to drydock a ship.
   • A small marine railway at Fleming Landing can haul out boats up to 35 feet in length. 1953, United States Coast Pilot, page 32:
   • They managed to haul out their motorboat by paying a local to drag it ashore with a line hitched to a truck.
   • That is why, wherever there is a threat of ice forming, mariners haul out their boats, if they possibly can, or escape the threat. 1988, Tristan Jones, The Improbable Voyage of the Yacht Outward Leg Into, Through, and Out of the Heart of Europe, page 64:
   • Boats of all sizes have to be hauled out for maintenance sooner or later. 2017, Scott Wilson, Boats Out of Water:
5. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see haul, out.
   • Why not haul out fresh manure and cover? 1855, N. B. Cloud, The American Cotton Planter, page 313:

Forms

Relateds

haul-out · haulage