Sailing terms

While sailors probably know the most of the vernacular in Sailing the Pink Sea, confirmed landlubbers may have some trouble sorting out a boom from a bow. It was suggested by the editors that Sailing the Pink Sea (someday) have a glossary of terms. When it goes into a new printing I will include enough of the terms to help with understanding the sailing language. This is a start, but the number of terms is huge and it will take me a while to grow the list to a satisfactory completion. If I use a reference to define the term, I will make an effort to link to the referenced book or website so you can easily read more. Please feel free to comment and add alternate meanings, clarify or correct any definitions.

aft: toward, near at at the back (stern) of a boat

apparent wind: Wind that is felt or sensed which may be influenced by the movement of the boat. The sum of the true and  movement created wind.

auto pilot: An electro-mechanical steering device using a compass in tandem with the boat’s steering system to constantly maintain a set course.

aground: With the keel or bottom fast on the sea bottom. —Chapman Piloting

beam reach: Point of sail where the boat is 90 degrees to the wind.

bearing away: turning away from the wind.

berth: Sleeping quarters.

bilge: The lowest part of the inner hulls, where water settles.

bimini: One thing Bliss is lacking. An over-the-cockpit canvass shade named for the westernmost district of the Bahamas.

boatswain’s chair: A line secured rigid seat for going aloft or over the side.

boat hook: A strong, sometimes expandable, pole used to fend off, pick up or reach objects when it is impossible or dangerous to do so with squishable crew body parts.

boom: Spar that holds and extends the foot of a sail.

boom vang: A tackle or mechanical device secured to the boom to keep it from lifting.

bottom paint: Preparation painted on the hull below a boat’s waterline which historically used leaching, heavy metals, toxicants or ablative biocides in order to ward off unwanted organisms.

broad reach: Point of sail where the wind is coming from behind the boat at an angle. The sails are eased away from the boat.

bulkhead: Wall or partition dividing the hull and adding strength.

burgee: A small triangular flag flown from the mast to identify the owner, a club or other affiliation the boat has.

cat’s paws: A light breeze causing small wavelets or ruffled water on an otherwise calm surface.

center board: A slat of wood or steel that may be raised above or lowered below the keel of a sailing boat to reduce leeway, or sideways slippage.

chine: Angle(s) where the bottom of the boat joins the the sides.

chute: An opening in the deck near the bow from which a spinnaker is hoisted. —The Handbook of Sailing.

cleat: A small, metal deck fitting with horns used for securing lines.

clew: The lower aft corner of a fore and aft sail.

close hauled: highest point of sail where the boat is pointing as closely to the wind as possible with out luffing the sails.

close reach: point of sail where the boat is pointing to windward.

compass: An instrument used to indicated direction, either true or magnetic.

cringle: A ring sewn into a sail through which a line may be passed.

cunningham: Adjusts the tension of the luff (forward edge) of a sail.

change of watch: Nautical shift or command change.

clean sweep: Term given to the effect of a monstrous sea which sweeps everything off the deck, frequently including the superstructure. —Salty Dog Talk

cockpit: The well compartment from where the helmsman usually controls the boat.

companionway: A ladder leading to the cabin or salon from the deck.

confused sea: Douglas scale reading of 9, indicating a state of maximum wave disturbance. —The Sailor’s Illustrated Dictionary

dinghy: Small boat often carried or towed by a larger boat.

disembark: To go or put ashore from a ship. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary

dodger: A screen of heavy cloth or other material covering the cockpit to protect the crew from wind, sun and spray.

Edison: Jacob Edison patented rack and pinion steering system for sailboats in 1887. His company later designed centralized boat controls with pedestal mounted, instruments, throttle and transmission. These all in one pedestals are sometimes referred to an Edison.

focsle:

forenoon:

forepeak:

fruit cake burgee: The Lake Pleasant Sailing Clubs way of singling out sailors who goof up. The fruitcake burgee is awarded to a sailor who makes an egregious error that does not result in serious injury or loss. The holder is obliged to pass the flag off to another hapless sailor as soon as possible.

gelcoat: an epoxy or unsaturated polyester resin material used to provide a high quality finish on the visible surface of a fiber-reinforced composite material such as fiberglass.

halyard: a line used to lift and hold sails up.

head: The toilet aboard ship (fixture only or entire compartment). —Chapman Piloting

heave to: To make the sails work against each other in order to hold the boat in place, bow toward the wind. —The Complete Sailor Learning the Art of Sailing

helms alee: The helmsman’s announcement that the tiller or wheel has be turned to leeward. The bow will cross the wind and the boat’s sails must be trimmed to sail on a new tack.

horse latitudes: The regions of calms and variable winds coinciding with the subtropical high pressure belts on the poleward sides of the trade winds. —The American Practical Navigator

hull: the watertight body of a boat or ship.

jackline: (also Jackstay) A safety line leading usually to the foredeck to which a harness may be clipped.

keel: The fixed underwater part of a sailboat designed to prevent sideways drift and provide stability.

keel haul:

landfall: First sighting of land at the end of a sea voyage —The Coast Guardsman’s Manual

lee:

lee cloth:

leeway:

luff: The flapping of a sail caused by the boat being head to the wind. —Sailing Fundamentals

master of the ship: Captain, commander, skipper. Having moral responsibility towards all shipmates’ health, safety as well as well being.

Mexian Train:

Mola mola:

nav station:

navigation rules:

offshore: Out of sight of land; from the land; toward the water. —Chapman Piloting

Oscar: Traditionally, the name given to the dummy employed for ship’s “man overboard” drills;
the flag hoisted by a ship to indicate a man/woman overboard. —The Coast Guardsman’s Manual

pitch:

pitchpole: Boat’s stern-over-bow somersault when heaved by an outsized wave from astern.
—The Boat Book Nautical Terms & Abbreviations

port:

quarter berth: A sleeping area which runs under each side of the cockpit.

raftup: Two or more boats tied together.

ready about:

reef: A chain or ridge of rocks, coral or sand in shallow water. —The Coast Guardsman’s Manual

rounding the mark: Changing a boat’s course to come around a buoy or obstruction.

RPMs:

sallying ship: Producing rolling motion of a ship by having the crew run in unison from side to side. This is usually done to help float a ship which is aground or to assist it to make way when it is beset by ice. —The American Practical Navigator

scuppers: Openings in the bulwarks of a ship or boat designed to drain off deck water.

seasickness:

scrimshaw: Handwork that uses bone for an etching medium for artistic endeavors. Long practiced by sailors and natives of the arctic Circle. —The Sailor’s Illustrated Dictionary

sheer:

shroud: Standing rigging wires which support the mast on either side.

skiff:

sole:

spinnaker: A lightweight three corned sail. Hoisted by a halyard and set flying from a spinnaker pole. A Spinnaker sail is trimmed with sheets attached to clues at each bottom corner.

standing rigging: Rigging set up in a fixed position to support the mast and sails, such as shrouds and stays. —The Sailor’s Illustrated Dictionary

starboard:

stay: The standing rigging which supports the mast in a fore and aft direction.

stern: Back portion or afterpart of a boat.

through-hull fitting: A fitting that breaches a boats hull usually to accommodate plumbing or instruments. They are designed to keeps water from entering the boat. Their failure is a common way for boats to sink.

topping lift:

turnbuckle:

vang:

washboards:

waterline:

waypoint:

weather:

weather helm: The tendency of a sailing vessel to turn to windward. —The Sailor’s Illustrated Dictionary

winch:

wing on wing: Running downwind with the foresail and main sail set on opposite sides of the boat, with the mainsail is eased out as far as it will go. Also know as gull wing, goose wing, butterflying.

yard:

yaw:

yawl: