Nathan sighed and leaned his head back on the top of his chair. Today was obviously "Pick on the Captain Day". His major protagonist was Lucas, who was currently sitting on the wicker sofa opposite him on the porch with a smirk on his face. Kristin wasn't being much of a help either. She was sitting next to him in a chair pretending to read a book but chuckling along with Lucas' comments.

"Okay... let me try to get this straight," Lucas was feigning serious concern on this matter, "it's not a bathroom... it's a head."

"Right," said Nathan in a long-suffering tone.

"And that wall?" Lucas pointed to the wall of the house.

"Is a bulkhead."

"And that?" Lucas said pointing at the floor.

"That's a deck."

Lucas got a self-satisfied smirk on his face. He was driving the Captain crazy and he knew it. He crooked his thumb towards the door into the house.

"That would be a hatch."

Lucas pointed up towards the ceiling.

Nathan looked up and stared at the ceiling. "Overhead. That's the overhead."

"And the kitchen?"

"Is the galley." Nathan had no idea why he was being so patient with this little smart aleck.

"Uh huh. And when we walk up to the porch from the ground level we walk up a... ??"

Nathan shook his head and sighed again. "A ladder. We walk up a ladder."

"Ah, I see... now when we had to repair the roof... what was that thing with the rungs that we climbed up?"

"That was also a ladder... just a different kind." Nathan flashed a quick grin at the boy.

"And that thing you wear up here?" Lucas pointed at his forehead.

"Is a cover."

"Okay, I call it a hat but you call it a cover... right?"

"Right."

Lucas leaned forward with a look of serious concentration on his face. "And you wear your cover on your... ??"

Nathan saw where he was going with this one and grinned. "I wear my cover on my head." Kristin was holding her book up in front of her face to hide her laughing.

Lucas still had the serious look on his face. "And that would be different... ?

Nathan broke in on him. "Than the head which has the toilet... yes."

"And if a boat without power isn't moored to anything it's... ?"

Nathan thought a moment, trying to figure out where this one was going. "That boat would be adrift."

"But if I dump my coat on the sofa when I come in??"

Nathan nodded... now he saw what Lucas was going after. "That would be leaving your gear adrift."

"Even though it's not on the water?"

"Even though it's not on the water."

Lucas was really enjoying himself with this game... and the Captain didn't seem to be too irritated... yet. He tried again.

"Alright. When I go down the stairs... I mean the ladder, I go... ?"

"You go below."

"Not downstairs?"

"Nope, you go below... because this is our main deck."

Lucas leaned forward again and put his elbows on his knees, resting his chin on hands. "And when you sail the ship, to get from place to place, you don't use a map, right?"

Nathan leaned back and folded his arms while shaking his head a little. "Nope, I use a chart."

Lucas made circling movements with one hand. "And even though it looks like a map, it's a chart because... ?"

"It's a chart because it has navigational aids on it."

"Ummm hum. And when we're aboard the boat the room I live in is a... ?"

Nathan thought for a second... wondering again where this inquiry was going. "Your room would be a compartment," he said cautiously.

"And the room you live in... ?"

"Ah, I see... my room would be my cabin."

Lucas shook his head in mock confusion. "And the difference would be because???"

"Because I'm the commanding officer of the boat."

Lucas shrugged. "Oh, and that makes you special..."

"Absolutely," said Nathan with a grin.

"You know... you sailor guys are really confusing."

Nathan didn't say anything... he just leaned his head on his hand and grinned.

"Alright... alright," Lucas said earnestly. "I've got one thing I really don't understand."

"And what would that be?" said Nathan patiently.

"How come sometimes they're ships and sometimes they're boats??

Nathan nodded. He'd been expecting that one. "The standard rule is that a boat can be carried on a ship but a ship cannot be carried on a boat."

"But a barge is big but it isn't a ship."

"No, because a ship also has to be capable of independent operation."

"But a frigate is a ship."

"Yes... a frigate is a ship."

"But the seaQuest is bigger than a frigate."

"Yes... but there's always exceptions to things. A submarine is always a boat."

"Have you ever thought of giving out a degree in Navyspeak?"

"Hey, Lucas... you haven't even begun to explore the variations of Navyspeak." Now Nathan had the smug look on his face. "You've got ‘turn in' or ‘turn out' or ‘turn to' ...to say nothing of ‘inboard', ‘outboard', ‘aboard', ‘overboard' or just being ‘boarded'."

"You forgot ‘above board'," mumbled Kristin.

"Oops, or ‘above board'."

"And ‘starboard'," Kristin prompted again.

"And ‘starboard' ...how could I forget starboard?"

Lucas started laughing and fell back on the sofa. "Next thing I know you're going to try to explain ‘watches' or the various decks to me."

"Nah... I was going to explain ‘bells' next."

Lucas was still laughing. "Oh please... please no... not that... I surrender!"

"You mean you strike your colors," grinned Nathan.

"I strike my colors, I strike my colors... you win."

Nathan grabbed a pillow and pitched it at the boy. He smiled and shook his head in mock annoyance. "Some days I don't know why I put up with you..."

"Oh, hell," said Kristin with a smile as she dropped her book into her lap. "Some days I don't know why I put up with both of you."