Naut. Obs. Also 6–7 walte. [OE. *wealt, found only in unwealt steady; related to WALT v.] Of a ship: Unsteady, crank.
1539. Adm. Ct. Exam., 4, 7 Dec. The said boate was very walte & very evyll made.
1627. Capt. J. Smith, Sea Gram., xi. 53. We say a Ship is walt when shee is not stiffe, and hath not Ballast enough in her to keepe her stiffe.
1656. Bradford, Plymouth Plant., II. (1856), 291. For covetousnes sake [they] did so over lade her,… As she was walte, and could not bear sayle.
1694. Motteux, Rabelais, IV. lxiii. That our humane Vessels might not heeld, or be walt, but well trimm’d and stiff.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1780), Walt, an obsolete or spurious term signifying crank.
