A notoriously difficult seam on a wooden vessel, typically the outboard seam where the deck meets the hull timbers, or a low seam near the waterline. It is prone to leaking because it takes the brunt of structural flexing and is physically awkward for shipwrights to reach and pack with oakum.
Heard on the job
The surveyor found rot starting right along the devil seam on the starboard quarter.
Insider tip
The phrase 'between the devil and the deep blue sea' originally referred to the precarious position of a sailor hanging over the side of a ship to caulk this specific seam.
Also heard as
- the devil