| Abaft |  |
Aft of any particular point on the vessel. E.g. abaft the mast - behind the mast.
|
| Abeam | |
At right angles to the line of the keel.
|
| About | |
To go about, to change tack.
|
| Aft | |
Towards the stern of the vessel.
|
| Amidships | |
Midway between the stem and the stern.
|
| Apparent wind | |
The wind felt aboard the boat underway.
|
| Athwart | |
From side to side.
|
| Avast | |
To stop, to hold fast, e.g. avast heaving.
|
| Awash | |
A vessel, wreck, or shoal so low that water constantly washes over.
|
| Aweigh | |
Term to indicate that the anchor has broken out of the ground.
|
| B |
|
Return to top of Glossary
|
| Back | |
1) wind shifting counter clockwise 2) to sheet a headsail out to windward making the bow bear away from the wind.
|
| Backstay | |
Standing rigging from a masthead, leading aft to resist forward strain.
|
| Ballast | |
Iron or lead placed in the keel of a ship to increase her stability.
|
| Bar | |
A shoal in the approach to a harbor.
|
| Battens | |
Thin pieces of wood or fiberglass set into the leech of the sail to control shape.
|
| Beacon | |
Aid to navigation, lighted or unlighted, radio or racon, set on the shore or rocks.
|
| Beam | |
1) Extreme width of a vessel. 2) Athwartships timber on which the deck is laid.
|
| Beam bearing | |
Direction of objects when abeam i.e. at right angles to the fore and aft line.
|
| Bearing | |
Direction of an object expressed in Compass notation.
|
| Bear away | |
To put the helm up, i.e. keep further away from the wind.
|
| Beating | |
Sailing towards the direction of the wind by tacking.
|
| Beaufort wind scale | |
Sea state scale laid down by the World Meteorological Organization.
|
| Becket | |
Small rope circle, a simple eye.
|
| Belay | |
To make a rope fast to a belaying pin or cleat.
|
| Bend | |
Knot of various kinds.
|
| Bight | |
Any part of a rope between its ends; also a curve, a cove on a coastline or channel.
|
| Binnacle | |
The box which houses the Mariner's compass.
|
| Bitter end | |
The last part of a cable/rope left around the "bitts" when the rest is overboard.
|
| Bitts | |
Pair of vertical wood or metal posts fixed on deck with a horizontal cross bar to which ropes may be secured. |
| Bluff | |
1) a steep shore. 2) full bowed vessel.
|
| Bobstay | |
A stay for the bowspirit to prevent it lifting; from bowspirit end to stem at waterline.
|
| Bollard | |
Heavy short post on a wharf or dock to secure ship's mooring lines to.
|
| Bolt rope | |
A strong rope/cable sewn round the edge of sails to give strength and prevent tearing.
|
| Boom | |
A spar for many purposes, such as to stretch out the foot of a fore and aft sail.
|
| Boot top | |
A band of paint at the waterline between "wind and water."
|
| Bower anchor | |
Main anchor carried forward in a vessel.
|
| Bow | |
Forward part of vessel.
|
| Bowspirit | |
Heavy spar from deck leading forward from stem head, to which headsails are attached.
|
| Breast line | |
Ropes forward and aft at right angles to the ship to "breast" into the dock.
|
| Bridle | |
A rope attached to both sides of a boat or object to lift it. Lifting tackle or towing tackle.
|
| Bring up | |
To stop, as to come to anchor.
|
| Broach | |
When running, to accidentally turn and get broadside on to wind and sea.
|
| Bulkheads | |
Partitions fore and aft or Athwartships, forming separate compartments.
|
| Bulwarks | |
A vessel's topsides that extend above the deck.
|
| Buoy | |
A float, with distinguishing name, shape, color or light.
|
| Burgee | |
Pennant (pointed) shaped flag with design indicating the Yacht Club or personal interest of the vessel's owner.
|
| By the head | |
Greater draft forward than aft.
|
| By the lee | |
When running under sail, if the wind blows over the same side as the mainsail.
|
| By the stern | |
Greater draft aft than forward.
|
| C |
|
Return to top of Glossary
|
| Cable | |
1) 1/10 Nautical mile, 2) anchor chain, 3) stainless steel wire.
|
| Capstan | |
A vertical cylindrical machine for veering or hoisting the anchor chain.
|
| Careen | |
To heel a vessel over on one side by tackles, to work on her bottom.
|
| Carry way | |
To continue to move through the water.
|
| Carvel | |
Edge to edge planking for a vessels hull.
|
| Catenary | |
The curve of an anchor cable as it lies between the anchor on the sea bottom and the vessel which lies to it.
|
| Cathead | |
A heavy piece of curved timber projecting from the bow of a ship for the purpose of holding anchors.
|
| Cat of Nine Tails | |
An instrument of punishment with which seaman were flogged.
|
| Caulk | |
To fill the side or deck seams with oakum or cotton to prevent leaking.
|
| Cavitation | |
The loss of effective propeller thrust caused by the blades of a propeller cutting across the column of water sucked along by the propeller instead of working in it.
|
| Chain plates | |
Metal strips fastened outside or inside the hull to attach standing rigging.
|
| Check | |
To slowly stop a vessel's movement or to slowly ease a rope.
|
| Chine | |
The fore and aft line of the hull where the bilge turns up towards the topsides of the hull.
|
| Claw off | |
Working a vessel to windward off a lee shore.
|
| Cleat | |
A two pronged device for making ropes fast.
|
| Clew | |
The corner of the sail where the leech meets the foot.
|
| Close-hauled | |
Sailing close to the wind.
|
| Companion | |
Ladder in a ship.
|
| Composite | |
Construction method for a wooden vessel built with metal floors and frames or a variety of materials.
|
| Con | |
To give orders to the helmsman in narrow waters.
|
| Counter | |
The overhanging portion of a stern.
|
| Course | |
1) The direction a vessel steers to, 2) the square sail set from a lower yard.
|
| Cradle | |
The frame erected round and under a vessel to support her out of the water.
|
| Cringle | |
Rope round a thimble, worked into a sail.
|
| Crown | |
1) Where the arms of an anchor meet the shank, 2) the knot when the strands of a rope are interlocked to start a backsplice.
|
| Crutch | |
Fitting to support boom.
|
| D |
|
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|
| Davit | |
Crane for hoisting, lowering and holding boats in position in large vessels.
|
| Dead reckoning | |
The position found by calculation from course steered and distance run over time.
|
| Deadweight | |
Total weight of vessel, also known as displacement.
|
| Deckhead | |
Underside of a deck. The roof of a ships cabin.
|
| Deep | |
Unmarked soundings of the lead line.
|
| Dolphin | |
A built pile structure for mooring in harbor.
|
| Downhaul | |
Rope or tackle used to haul down sail or yard.
|
| Down helm | |
Order to helmsman to put tiller away from wind; up helm is towards wind.
|
| Dowse | |
1) To extinguish a light, 2) Lower sail or spar quickly, 3) Spray with water.
|
| Draft | |
The depth of water occupied by a vessel at any time.
|
| Drogue | |
A sea anchor - a cone shaped canvas bag to which the vessel lies in heavy weather to keep the bow pointing into the waves, or towed from the stern to slow the speed when running.
|
| E |
|
Return to top of Glossary
|
| Earing | |
Rope for bending sail or head cringle to yard, or clew cringle to boom.
|
| Ebb | |
The period when the tide falls or flows from the land.
|
| Eddy | |
Circular motion of the water unconnected with general water movement.
|
| Ensign | |
The flag, usually carried at the stern, that denotes a vessel's nationality.
|
| Eye of the wind | |
That point from which the wind is blowing towards the observer.
|
F |
|
Return to top of Glossary
|
| Fairlead | |
A fitting for leading a rope over an obstruction to avoid friction.
|
| Fairway | |
Shipping channel, normally the center of an approach channel.
|
| Fathom | |
Nautical measurement of depth of six feet or 1.83m.
|
| Fender | |
Soft rubber or other material to prevent chafe between vessels, or vessel and pier.
|
| Fetch | |
1) To make, arrive at a desired point. 2) The distance the wind has from weather shore to ship.
|
| Fiddle | |
Wooden top, with divisions fitted to cabin table to keep objects from sliding in rough weather.
|
| Flare | |
The outward spread of a vessel's topsides; also a distress signal.
|
| Fix | |
A position obtained by taking accurate bearings or by astronomical observations.
|
| Flashing | |
Navigational light with duration of light less than dark, operating at regular intervals.
|
| Floor | |
Athwartship structural member fastened to keel and lower ends of frame.
|
| Foot | |
The lower edge of a sail.
|
| Fore and Aft | |
In line with the keel - lengthways of the ship.
|
| Forward | |
Towards the bow.
|
| Foul | |
Opposite to clear, as "foul berth," "foul anchor," "foul bottom."
|
| Frap | |
To bind ropes together, or bind a loose sail to prevent it flapping.
|
| Freeboard | |
The distance from the waterline to the deck outboard edge.
|
| Freshen | |
Wind freshens when increasing.
|
| Full and Bye | |
Close hauled but with sails well filled.
|
| Furl | |
Gathering in sail and securing with gaskets to its spar.
|
G
|
|
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|
| Gaff | |
The spar to which the head of a fore and aft sail is bent.
|
| Galley | |
The kitchen of a ship of any size.
|
| Gallows | |
Frame of wood or metal with rounded top for supporting the boom.
|
| Gimbals | |
Two concentric rings to hold the compass or stove horizontal at all times.
|
| Go about | |
To tack.
|
| Goose-neck | |
A metal fitting for securing a boom to a mast. Allows for swing and topping.
|
| Goose-winged | |
When running and the after mast sail is out on the side opposite to the fore sail. (wing on wing)
|
| GPS | |
Global Positioning System
|
| Ground | |
1) A ship touching bottom is said to ground. 2) Ground swell is the long coastal swell.
|
| Gunter | |
A sliding gunter rig is when the gaff is hoisted vertically, reducing the necessity for a tall mast.
|
| Gunwale | |
The heavy top rail of a boat.
|
| Guy | |
A rope of wire used to control a spar or derrick
|
| H |
|
Return to top of Glossary
|
| Halyards | |
Ropes or tackle used to hoist sails or flags.
|
| Hanks | |
Strong clip hooks which attach head sails to the mast stays.
|
| Harden up | |
To bring the vessel closer to the wind.
|
| Hawse pipes | |
Pipes leading down through the bows through which anchor cables are led.
|
| Hawser | |
A heavy rope used for mooring, kedging, lineing, towing or as a temporary anchor line.
|
| Head | |
Forward in a ship, headsails are forward of the foremast.
|
| Head board | |
A triangular board sewn into the top of a sail, to which the halyard is attached.
|
| Head sea | |
Sea from ahead, beam sea is caused by wind blowing abeam.
|
| Head (the) or Heads | |
The Toilets in a ship.
|
| Heave the lead | |
To take soundings with a lead line.
|
| Heave to | |
A sailing vessel is hove to when a headsail is backed thus reducing the way through the water.
|
| Heaving line | |
Light line, knotted on end to throw ashore when berthing, as a messenger for a larger mooring line.
|
| Heel | |
A list from the upright; the foot of a mast.
|
| Helm | |
The tiller or wheel.
|
| Hitch | |
To make a rope fast to a spar or stay, but not to another rope.
|
| Holding Ground | |
The type of bottom for anchor, i.e. good or bad holding ground.
|
| Holiday | |
An unpainted or unvarnished spot in a vessel.
|
| Hounds band | |
A band around the mast with securing eyes for attaching the lower stays.
|
| Hull | |
Structure of a vessel below deck level.
|
| I |
|
|
| Inshore | |
Towards the shore.
|
| Irons | |
A vessel is in irons when caught head to wind and unable to pay off on either tack.
|
| Isophase | |
Navigation light where duration of light and dark are equal.
|
| J |
|
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|
| Jack-stay | |
A bar or rope on which anything travels e.g. a rope leading along the deck, to which safety harnesses may be clipped.
|
| Jack staff | |
Small staff in the bows from which the jack is flown.
|
| Jib | |
The triangular sail set as the forward headsail.
|
| Jibe | |
To allow a fore and aft sail to swing from one side to the other when running.
|
| Jury | |
After losing mast or rudder, makeshift rig to get the vessel to safety.
|
| K |
|
Return to top of Glossary
|
| Kedge | |
A lightweight anchor for kedging or moving the vessel by pulling up to it.
|
| Keel | |
The fore and aft backbone of a vessel.
|
| King spoke | |
The spoke of the steering wheel which is upright when the rudder is amidships.
|
| Knot | |
One nautical mile per hour.
|
| L |
|
Return to top of Glossary
|
| Lacing | |
The long line that secures the sail to a spar through eyelets.
|
| Lapstrake | |
Planking when one edge overlaps the other lower plank.
|
| Launch | |
To slide a vessel into the water. A small motor tender.
|
| Lay | |
To go, i.e. lay aft or lay aloft, lay to ( i.e. heave to) lay up, lay a course. The twisting of strands in a rope.
|
| Lazy | |
An extra such as a lazy painter, i.e. an extra painter.
|
| Leech | |
The after side of a fore and aft sail, and the outer sides of a square sail.
|
| Lead | |
The lead weight at the end of the lead line used to find depth of water.
|
| Lee side | |
The side away from the wind direction.
|
| Lee tide | |
Tidal stream running with the wind.
|
| Leeward (loo'ard) | |
Direction away from the wind.
|
| Leeway | |
The sideways drift of a vessel from her course to leeward, due to wind pressure.
|
| Life line | |
Line stretched fore and aft for crew to hold on to.
|
| Lift | |
A rope or wire to support a spar, as a topping lift.
|
| List | |
When a vessel heels through having greater weight on one side.
|
| Log | |
An instrument for recording the distance run.
|
| Log book | |
The record of events on board a ship, especially navigational.
|
| Loom | |
The reflection on the clouds when light is still below the horizon; also an oar handle.
|
| LOP | |
Line of position, evolved from celestial observations.
|
| Lubber line | |
Line on the inside of a compass bowl indicating the ships heading.
|
| Luff | |
To keep closer to the wind; forward edge of a sail.
|
| M |
|
Return to top of Glossary
|
| Make | |
To attain, i.e. to make harbor. Make fast is to secure. Tides that make, increase. Make sail is to set sail.
|
| Mark | |
A position imputed onto an electronic chart plotter.
|
| Marline spike | |
Pointed steel tool for opening strand of rope when splicing.
|
| Marry | |
To fasten two ropes together end to end temporarily, so one can pull the other through the block.
|
| Mast head rig | |
The headstay is rigged to the top of the mast.
|
| Messenger | |
Line run through a single block, used to carry an object, such as another line, aloft.
|
| Midships | |
Order to the helmsman to put the rudder fore and aft.
|
| Miss stays | |
To stay up in the wind when tacking.
|
| Moor | |
To moor is to lie with two anchors down. Vessels are said to moor to a dock when well made fast with several mooring lines.
|
| N |
|
Return to top of Glossary
|
| Neap Tides | |
Minimum range of tide, when the moon is in quadrature.
|
| Neaped | |
Of a grounded ship when the tide does not rise high enough to float her.
|
| O |
|
|
| Occulting | |
Navigational light with duration of light more than dark and total eclipse at regular intervals.
|
| Offing | |
Distance from land.
|
| Overhaul | |
To pull slack into a tackle so there is no strain on any of its parts.
|
| P |
|
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|
| Pay Out | |
To ease a chain or rope.
|
| Pintle | |
A vertical pin on which the rudder is shipped.
|
| Pitching | |
A ship's movement in a seaway in a fore and aft direction.
|
| Pooped | |
A term to indicate that a heavy sea has come inboard over the stern.
|
| Port | |
The left hand side of a ship looking forward.
|
| Port tack | |
To sail with the wind on the port side.
|
| Porthole | |
Watertight window in the ships side or superstructure for ventilation and light.
|
| R |
|
Return to top of Glossary
|
| Racon | |
Beacon giving characteristic signal when triggered by ship's radar set.
|
| Radar Screen | |
A radar screen in either monochrome (green), or in color is a series of blips representing the radar signal reflected off of objects and land masses. The way a "blip," appears on the screen is determined by a number of variables including what material the signal is reflecting off of, the angle the signal is reflected at and the size of the object, to name a few of the possibilities.
|
| Rake | |
The inclination of the mast in the fore and aft line from the vertical.
|
| Range | |
A line formed when two distant objects are in line, one behind the other.
|
| Ratlines | |
Horizontal ropes as steps affixed to the shrouds to facilitate climbing.
|
| Reach | |
The course of a sailing vessel between being sailed close hauled and running.
|
| Reefing | |
To reduce sail area by taking in at the reef points.
|
| Rode | |
A combination of rope and chain used with an anchor.
|
| Round turn | |
To put a turn around a bollard to hold the strain on a rope under tension.
|
| Rules of the Road | |
USCG navigational rules for all vessels.
|
| Running rigging | |
Rigging that moves on runs, generally used to control spars and sails.
|
| S |
|
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|
| Samson post | |
Used to secure anchor or tow line.
|
| Scantlings | |
The dimensions of a ship's timbers.
|
| Scuttle | |
Deliberately sink a ship. A cask lashed in a convenient part of the ship to hold water for daily use.
|
| Sheer | |
The rise of a ship's deck towards the bow or stern from amidships.
|
| Sheer strake | |
The upper line of plating or planking on the hull.
|
| Sheet | |
Rope or chain at lower corner of sail for regulating its tension.
|
| Shroud | |
Standing rigging that supports a mast Athwartships.
|
| Skeg | |
A fixed vertical fin on the after side of which the rudder is attached.
|
| Slack water | |
Stationary tidal stream.
|
| Slack in stays | |
When vessel is slow in coming about.
|
| Sole | |
The floor of a cabin or cockpit.
|
| Sound | |
To measure the depth of water by lead line or electronic means.
|
| Spring | |
A mooring rope to prevent a vessel moving fore and aft when tied up alongside a dock , e.g. after spring is attached to the stern of the vessel and led to a bollard on the dock forward of the vessel to prevent it moving astern.
|
| Spring tides | |
Tides when moon is full or new, when range of tide is greatest.
|
| Stand on | |
Maintain course.
|
| Standing rigging | |
Stationary rigging that supports a spar.
|
| Starboard | |
The right hand side of a ship facing forward.
|
| Starboard tack | |
With the wind on the starboard side.
|
| Stem | |
The forward continuation of the keel to which the planking at the fore end of the boat is affixed.
|
| Stern Sheets | |
The platform extending aft from the aftermost thwart.
|
| Stern post | |
The after continuation of the keel to which the planking at the after end is affixed, or in the case of boats with a transom, the transom.
|
| Stiff | |
Said of a vessel that is not easily heeled and when heeled returns quickly to the vertical.
|
| Surge | |
To allow a rope to slip on a power windlass while it is revolving; to allow a rope under tension to slip while on a cleat or bollard.
|
| T |
|
Return to top of Glossary
|
| Tabernacle | |
A box-like structure on deck to hold the foot of the mast when this does not run through the deck. Usually opening aft to allow mast to be lowered.
|
| Tackle | |
A purchase of ropes and blocks.
|
| Taff-rail | |
A rail around stern of vessel.
|
| Take up | |
To tighten.
|
| Thwarts | |
Planks placed across the boat to form seats.
|
| Tiller | |
Lever for turning the rudder.
|
| Tide rode | |
Said of an anchored vessel that is lying to the tide rather than the wind.
|
| Toggle | |
A wooden pin with one end of a line seized to its middle to make fast to an eye.
|
| Transom | |
The flat stern of a yacht, originally a board to which the after ends of planking was secured.
|
| Traveller | |
A metal bar parallel to the deck, running Athwartship to allow a sail sheet to be trimmed on either side.
|
| Trick | |
A period at the wheel.
|
| Tumble home | |
Where a ship's sides are inclined inwards above the water line.
|
| Turnbuckle | |
A screw fitting for adjusting the tension of shrouds and stays.
|
| U |
|
Return to top of Glossary
|
| Under Way | |
When a vessel is not made fast.
|
| Up and down | |
Vertical, said of the anchor cable.
|
| V |
|
|
| Vang | |
A guy for steadying a gaff.
|
| Veer | |
To ease out a cable. A clockwise shift of the wind.
|
| W |
|
Return to top of Glossary
|
| Warping | |
Moving a vessel by means of a hawser.
|
| Weather helm | |
A boat has weather helm when it has a tendency to turn up into the wind.
|
| Weather side | |
The side upon which the wind is blowing.
|
| Weather tide | |
Where the tide is making against the wind.
|
| Wear ship | |
Changing tacks by turning a ship around before the wind, keeping the sails full (the opposite to tacking).
|
| Weigh | |
To lift the anchor off the bottom.
|
| Wind rode | |
Where an anchored vessel is lying to the wind rather than the tide.
|
| Windward | |
Direction toward the wind.
|
| Y |
|
Return to top of Glossary
|
| Yard | |
A spar suspended from a mast, to spread a sail.
|
| Yaw | |
When the ship's head is swung by the action of the waves.
|
| Young flood | |
The first movements in a flood tide.
|
