1. A glass that makes you cough just means it is strong on the booze.

2. The line about which there was a disagreement was "Coil your ropes, lads, fore and aft". The disagreement was due to the fact that on a sailing ship almost all "ropes" are termed "lines" or more specific names such as "downhauls" or "halyards". Kendall said there were two "ropes" on a sailing ship and neither of them would be likely to be coiled. I am not sure which those two are.

3. A dolphin striker is a wooden piece that projects downward from the prow under the bowspirit. It serves to tension the lines that secure the bowspirit, if I remember correctly. In any case it tends to get wet first, hence dolphin striker.

4. I have never heard a dolphin striker called a "Rule Brittania" but I wouldn't be surprised if a Yankee sailor would coin some expression like that to be disrespectful to the Brits. That had a long term ruction, you may recall, over various issues such as press-ganging, slavery, taxation, etc.

Hope these remarks help!

A