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Glossary
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- Abaft (Aft)
Near or toward the stern of the boat.
- Adrift
Floating without mooring or direction, at a loss.
- Alee
On or toward the side of a ship that is away from the wind (opp. windward).
- Aloft
High above the deck of a ship.
- Amidships
- Anchor
Shaped piece of iron attached to a chain or rope, and used to grip the sea bottom in order to hold a ship in place.
- Anchorage
A place suitable for anchoring, considering the wind and sea bottom. It is usually an harbor area in which the ship may anchor.
- Astern
At or toward the rear of a boat.
- Athwart
Crosswise. Anything running across a ship, from side to side.
- Aweigh
Raised off the bottom (for an anchor).
- Backstay
Rope extending from the top of the mast to the ship’s side.
- Beam
It’s the largest width of the boat (amidships).
- Bimini
A rectangular shelter that protects the bridge and the helm area of an open boat, from sun and rain.
- Binnacle
Box or stand that contains the ship’s compass. It is placed near the man who is steering.
- Bobstay
Rope or chain to hold a bowsprit down.
- Boom
Long spar used to extend the bottom of a sail. It’s linked and pivoting on the mast.
- Bow
It’s the forward part of a boat.
- Bowline
Rope to hold a sail steady when sailing into the wind.
- Bowsprit
Spar projecting forward from the bow of a ship. Ropes from it help to steady sails and masts.
- Bridge
The location from which a vessel is steered and controlled.
- Bulwark
A ship’s side above the deck that prevent the crew or equipment from going overboard.
- Bunk
Narrow bed set against a wall like e shelf.
- Buoy
Floating object anchored in a certain place on the water to warn or guide. It marks positions on the water, hidden rocks or shallows, shows the safe part of the channel.
- Catamaran
Boat with two hulls side by side.
- Chart
The map used by navigators.
- Companion-way
The stairway from the deck of a ship down to the rooms below.
- Coxswain
Person in charge of steering the boat.
- Current
The horizontal movement of the water.
- Cutter
Boat with a single mast and two foresails (a jib and a staysail).
- Dead ahead
Exactly ahead.
- Dead astern
Exactly aft.
- Deck
Floor extending from side to side of a ship.
- Dog-house
The low housing on the deck of a boat, to protect the companion-way
- Draft (or draught)
Depth of water that a ship needs for floating.
- Fender
A buoy placed between boats, or between a boat and a pier, to prevent damage.
- Fisherman
It is the staysail between the tow masts of a ketch or a schooner.
- Fore and aft
Lengthwise on a ship, from bow to stern. At or toward both bow and stern.
- Forecastle
- Foremast
It’s the vertical spar located forward, nearest the bow of a ship.
- Foresail
The main sail on the foremast of a schooner. It’s also the lowest sail on the foremast of a square-rigged ship.
- Forestay
Rope or cable reaching from the the top of the foremast to the bowsprit or foredeck.
- Forward
Towards the bow of the boat.
- Freeboard
The height of the deck above the water.
- Galley
The kitchen arera of the ship.
- Genoa
A large jib.
- Gunwale (or Gunnel)
The upper edge of a ship’s side.
- Harbor
Place or shelter for ships.
- Hatch
An opening in a ship’s deck through which a cargo is put in.
- Hawsehole
Hole in a ship’s bow for a hawser to pass through.
- Heel (to)
To lean over, when beating into the wind or with the wind abeam.
- Helm
The wheel by which a ship is steered. By extension, it is also the position of control or guidance.
- High tide
The normal level of the water.
- Hull
The main structural body of a ship. This does not include the superstructure, the masts, sails and rigging.
- Jib
A triangular sail in front of the foremast.
- Jib boom
- Jigger
Small set of ropes and pulleys used on a ship. Small sail.
- Jigger mast
- Ketch
A fore-and-aft-rigged ship, with a large mainmast toward the bow and a smaller mast toward the stern. The type of mainsail defines if the ketch is Bermudan, gaff-rigged or marconi-rigged.
- Knot
A unit of speed used on ships; one nautical mile per hour. One nautical mile = 6080.27 feet.
- Latitude
Geographic distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees.
- Leeway
Side movement of a ship.
- Longitude
Geographic distance east or west of the prime meridian (Greenwich),
measured in degrees.
- Mainmast
The tallest mast of the ship; on a schooner, the mast furthest aft.
- Mast
Main vertical spar used to support sails and their running rigging.
- Midships
see Amidships
- Mizzen
A fore-and-aft sail on the mizzen mast.
- Mizzen mast
- Nautical mile
Distance equal to 1852 meters.
- Pier
Structure extending into the water, used as a walk or a landing place.
- Port
The left side of the boat when you are facing the bow (opp. Starboard).
- Rigging
Ropes , chains, etc.used to support and work the masts, yards and sails on a ship.
- Schooner
Ship with two or more masts and fore-and-aft sails.
- Scupper
An opening in the side of a ship to let water run off the deck.
- Scuttle
An opening in the deck or side of a ship, with a movable cover (that can be tightly closed if needed),
to let light and air run in. - Sheet
Rope that controls the angle at which a sail is set.
- Sheets
- Shrouds
Ropes from a mast to the side of a ship, to help support the mast.
- Sloop
Sailboat having one mast, a mainsail, a jib, and sometimes other sails.
- Spar
A stout pole used to support or extend the sails of a ship; mast, gaff, yard, boom, bowsprit, etc.
- Standing rigging
Permanent rigging used to support the spars.
- Starboard
The right side of the boat when you are facing the bow (opp. Port).
- Stern
The hind part of the boat.
- Swamp
Be overhelmed by water coming in over the deck and gunwales.
- Tender
A small boat which attends a large yacht, used to transport people between the yacht and the pier.
- Tide
The periodic rise and fall of the ocean, caused by the attraction of the moon and the sun.
- Tiller
A bar or handle used to turn the rudder in a steering boat.
- Topside
The upper part of a ship’s side, esp. the part above the waterline.
- Trim
Adjustment of sails with reference to the wind and direction. It’s also the arrangement of weights in the ship, in order to get a correct draft at bow and stern. By extension, it is a set of equipment at the back of the boat controling of the lift-off.
- Vessel
A large boat.