clewing

They have a strange habit, not observable among their congeners, of collecting in small troops, and rolling or "clewing" themselves up together.

Quadrupeds, What They Are and Where Found A Book of Zoology for Boys Mayne Reid 1850

Ethelberta could see the men on board the yacht clewing up and making things snug in a way from which she inferred that they were not going to leave the harbour again that day.

The Hand of Ethelberta 2006

A whole suit of sails was completely worn out on this voyage; but what can one expect when the ship is being worked every single day, with clewing up, making fast and setting of sails both in calms and winds?

The South Pole; an account of the Norwegian antarctic expedition in the 'Fram', 1910 to 1912 2003

He had Ranger play the coquette, slowing her by clewing up his main course and backing his top sails to let Drake draw closer, then spreading her canvas and pulling away again.

John Paul Jones 9781451603996 2003

He had Ranger play the coquette, slowing her by clewing up his main course and backing his top sails to let Drake draw closer, then spreading her canvas and pulling away again.

John Paul Jones 9781451603996 2003

As a rule, though, it was only clewing up the sails that had to be done, as we always had to take soundings on the weather side, so that the sounding-line should not foul the bottom of the vessel and smash the apparatus.

The South Pole; an account of the Norwegian antarctic expedition in the 'Fram', 1910 to 1912 2003

Her watch had clambered about the rigging like ants on floating debris, clewing down, close reefing and furling in response to order after order, until she had stopped thinking at all, only moving to obey the bellowed commands.

Ship Of Magic Hobb, Robin 1998

"Good morning, Master Nonnus," Asera said as the hermit came back to take over the tiller and the sheets clewing the sail.

Lord of the Isles 1997

No one seemed to think of clewing up the sails, and thereby lessening the impetuous surges of the unfortunate galliot.

Captain Canot or, Twenty Years of an African Slaver Theodore Canot

Hatteras, a glimpse of old Montauk through the fog, a sharp look-out for beacons and buoys, the song of the leads-man, the quick tramp of men clewing up sail, a heavy splash and the rattle of chain, and we are anchored fast in New London mud.

Harper's Young People, November 11, 1879 An Illustrated Weekly Various