windlass-bitts

With a warning toot of the whistle, she went ahead, and the long tow-line swept the sea-tops, tautened, strained, and creaked on the windlass-bitts, and settled down to its work, while the schooner, dropping into her wake, was dragged westward at a ten-knot rate.

"Where Angels Fear to Tread" and Other Stories of the Sea Morgan Robertson 1888

A rope's-end, to which the other end of the hawser was attached, was then promptly hove from the boat alongside and smartly hauled inboard over the ship's bows, and several turns of the hawser were taken round the windlass-bitts.

The Missing Merchantman Harry Collingwood 1886

Here you are, Pip; and there's the windlass-bitts; up you mount!

Moby Dick, or, the whale Herman Melville 1855

Here you are, Pip; and there's the windlass-bitts; up you mount!

Moby-Dick, or, The Whale 1851

Frequently her Aurora was completely submerged, and tons of water would come in upon the forecastle, washing entirely aft at the next send, so that our only means of keeping above water was to stand on the windlass-bitts, or to get upon the heart of the main-stay.

Miles Wallingford Sequel to "Afloat and Ashore" James Fenimore Cooper 1820