A

ABAFT - Toward the rear of the boat. Behind. Stern

ABEAM - At right angles to the keel of the boat Casually, beside the boat

ABOARD - On or in the boat.

ABOVE DECK - On the top deck

ABREAST - Side by side; by the side of.

ADRIFT - Loose, not on moorings or towline. Sometimes,

AFT - Toward the stern of the boat.

AGROUND - Touching or fast to the bottom.

AHEAD - In a forward direction. On the bow side in relation to other objects.

AIDS TO NAVIGATION - Artificial objects to supplement natural landmarks indicating safe and unsafe waters.

ALEE - Away from the direction of the wind. Opposite of windward.

ALOFT - Above the deck of the boat.

AMIDSHIPS - In or toward the center of the boat.

ANCHOR - If you do not know what an anchor is you may be at the wrong site, check

ANCHORAGE - A place suitable for anchoring in relation to the wind, seas and bottom.

APPARENT WIND - The direction of the wind as it is relative to the speed and direction of the boat.

ASTERN - In back of the boat, opposite of ahead.

ATHWART SHIPS - At right angles to the centerline of the boat; rowboat seats are generally athwart ships. (Even in Melville your not likely to hear this one)

AWEIGH - Position of anchor as it is being raised clear of the bottom.

B

BAIL -To remove water from the boat.

BALLAST - Weight added or in the lowest/deepest part to give the vessel stability

BATTEN DOWN - Secure hatches & loose objects both inside the hull and on deck.

BATTENS - Stiff plastic (sometimes but rarely these days wooden strip) inserts in the leech of the sail to aid keeping its form

BEAM - The greatest width of the boat.

BEARING - The direction of an object expressed either as a true bearing as shown on the chart, or as a bearing relative to the heading of the boat.

BELOW - Beneath the deck.

BIGHT - The part of the rope or line, between the end and the standing part where the knot is/maybe formed.

BILGE - The interior of the hull below the floor boards and included the deepest part of the boat designed to collect water..

BITTER END - The last part of a rope or chain. The inboard end of the anchor rode.

BOAT - Vehicle on the water, more specific a

BLOCK - A more nautically appropriate name for a pulley.

BOAT HOOK - A pole used in putting a line over or retrieving a line on a piling, recovering an object dropped overboard, or in pushing or fending off.

BOLT ROPE - Rope that is sewn into the luff of the sail that slides into a track on the mast there by attaching it to the mast.

BOOM - The horizontal spar that at the foot of the where ( Main) sail attaches. The horrifying sound made when that very spar contacts a crewman’s head during a jibe.

BOOM VANG - Lines that adjust the downward tension on the boom.

BOOT TOP - A painted line that indicates the designed waterline.

BOW - The forward part of a boat.

BOW LINE - A dock line leading from the bow.

BOWLINE - A knot used to form a temporary loop at the end of a line. (known as the king of knots, easy to break and untie but secure and trust worthy.)

BOWSPRIT - The spar that extends forward from the bow.

BREAST LINE - a dock line that secures at about 90 degrees from the boat to the dock.

BROACH - To spin out of control usually causing a capsize.

BOARD REACH - Point of sail where the sail is away from the wind but not completely downwind.

BRIDGE - The area from where a vessel is controlled, steered and its speed controlled.

BRIDLE - A line secured at both ends to distribute the rope’s strain between two points.

BRIGHT WORK - Varnished woodwork and/or polished metal.

BULKHEAD - A vertical partition separating compartments and Most usually providing structural strength to hull & deck.

BUOY - An anchored float used for marking a position, hazard, shoal, or for a mooring.

BURDENED VESSEL - The vessel which must give way to the privileged vessel. The term has been superseded by the term "give-way".

BY THE LEE - Sailing downwind with the wind behind and slightly opposite of the sails.
C

CABIN - Interior area for passengers or crew.

CAN - A type of Navigation Buoy.

CAPSIZE - To turn over.

CAST OFF - Release the securing lines between the boat and its mooring.

CATAMARAN - A twin-hulled boat, with hulls side by side.

CATBOAT - One sail sailboat with the mast positioned far forward on deck.

CENTERBOARD - a moveable board that extends down from the keel

CHAFE- damage to a line caused by rubbing.

CHAFING GEAR - Tubing or wrapped section of rope used to protect a line from chafing on a rough surface.

CHART - A map for use by navigators.

CHINE - The intersection of the bottom and sides of a flat or V-bottomed boat.

CHOCK - A fitting through which lines are led, usually anchor or mooring.

CLEAT - A fitting were lines are made fastened.

CLOVE HITCH - A knot for temporarily fastening a line to a spar or piling.

COAMING - A vertical piece around the edge of a cockpit, hatch, etc. to prevent water on deck from getting below.

COCKPIT - Area on deck from which the boat is handled.

COIL - To lay a line down in circular turns.

COURSE - The direction the boat is steered.

CUDDY - A small shelter cabin in a boat.

CURRENT - The movement of water.

D

DEAD AHEAD - Directly ahead.

DEAD ASTERN - Directly aft.

DECK - A permanent covering over a compartment, hull or any part thereof.

DINGHY - A small open boat. Often a tender for a larger craft.

DISPLACEMENT - The weight of water displaced by a floating vessel, also a boat's weight.

DISPLACEMENT HULL - A type of hull that move through the water displacing its weight of water equal to its own weight.

DIVE WORKS - A boater’s best defense against hull neglect. Dive Works is a professional hull cleaning in S. Houston Texas

DOCK - A protected water area in which vessels are moored. Pier or wharf.

DOLPHIN - A group of piles driven close together and bound with wire cables into a single structure.

DRAFT - The depth of water a boat draws.

E

EBB - A receding current.

EASE - Loosen or let out.

F

FATHOM - Six feet.

FENDER - A soft material placed between boats, or between a boat and a pier, to prevent damage.

FIGURE EIGHT KNOT - A knot in the form of a figure eight, placed in the end of a line to prevent the line from passing through a block.

FLARE - A distress signal. The outward curve of a vessel's sides near the bow.

FLOOD - A very large incoming current.

FLOORBOARDS - The surface of the cockpit on which the crew stand.

FLUKE - The palm of an anchor. Name given to the instance that my wife actually correctly refers to part of the boat by its true nautical name.

FOLLOWING SEA - An overtaking sea that comes from astern.

FORE-AND-AFT - In a line parallel to the keel.

FOREPEAK - A compartment in the bow of a small boat.

FORWARD - Toward the bow of the boat.

FOULED - Any piece of equipment that is jammed or entangled, or that has not been serviced by Dive Works.

FREEBOARD - The vertical distance from the surface of the water to the gunwale.

G

GALLEY - The kitchen area of a boat.

GANGWAY - Area/ structure where people board a vessel.

GEAR - A general term for ropes, blocks, tackle and other equipment.

GIVE-WAY VESSEL - A term used to describe the vessel which must yield in meeting, crossing, or overtaking situations.

GRAB RAILS - Hand-hold fittings mounted on cabin tops and sides for personal safety when moving around the boat.

GROUND TACKLE - A collective term for the anchor and related gear.

GUNWALE - The upper edge of a boat's sides.

H

HARD CHINE - An abrupt intersection between the side and bottom of the hull.

HATCH - An opening in a boat's deck fitted with cover.

HEAD - A marine toilet. The upper corner of a triangular sail.

HEADING - The direction in which a vessel's bow points at any given time.

HEADWAY - The forward motion of a boat. Opposite of reverse -sternway.

HELM - The wheel or tiller controlling the rudder.

HELMSMAN- The person who steers the boat.

HELSPERSON - The term for helmsman used by people with little understanding or care for tradition.

HITCH - A knot used to secure a rope to another object or to another rope

HOLD - A compartment below deck in a large vessel, for carrying cargo.

HULL - The main body of a vessel.

I

INBOARD - Inside; a motor fitted inside a boat.

INTERCOSTAL WATERWAY - ICW: bays, rivers, and canals along the coasts connected so that vessels may travel without going to open sea.

J

JACOBS LADDER - A rope ladder, lowered from the deck.

JETTY - A structure, usually of rock, projecting out from the shore.

K

KEEL - The centerline of a boat running fore and aft; the backbone of a vessel.

KNOT - A measure of speed equal to one nautical mile (6076 feet) different from speed over land, it applies to speed through water or in a plane wind.

KNOT - A fastening of any type and purpose that evolves the weaving of a rope to suit a purpose

L

LATITUDE - The distance north or south of the equator measured and expressed in degrees.

LAZARETTE - A storage space in a boat's stern area.

LEE - The side away from the wind.

LEEWARD - The direction away from the wind. Opposite of windward.

LEEWAY - The sideways movement of the boat caused by either wind or current.

LINE - Rope in use with a purpose aboard a vessel.

LOG - A record of courses or operation.

LONGITUDE - The distance in degrees east or west of the meridian at Greenwich.

LUBBER'S LINE - A mark or permanent line on a compass indicating the direction forward parallel.

M

MARLINSPIKE - A tool for opening the strands of a rope while splicing or freeing a bound knot.

MIDSHIP - Equally distant from the bow and stern.

MOORING - A permanently secure structure or float used for vessel attachment.

N

NAUTICAL MILE - One minute of latitude; about 6076 feet or 1/8 longer than the statute mile of 5280 feet.

NAVIGATION - The art moving a boat safely from one point to another.

NAVIGATION RULES - The regulations governing the movement of vessels in relation to each other.

O

OUTBOARD - A detachable engine(s) mounted on a boat's stern.

OVERBOARD - Over the side or out of the boat.

P

PIER - A dock extending from the shore.

PILE - A wood, metal or concrete pole driven into the bottom. Craft may be made secured to a pile; it may be used to support a pier or a float.

PILING - Upright thick poles that support or protect piers. constructed of piles PILOTING - Navigation by use of visible references, the depth of the water, etc.

PLANNING - A boat moving over the top of the water rather than through the water.

PLANNING HULL - A type of hull shape that does not displace water underway instead it moves along the surface.

PORT - The left side of a boat looking forward. A harbor.

PRIVILEGED VESSEL - A vessel which has right-of-way the "stand-on" vessel.

Q

QUARTER - The sides of a boat aft of amidships.

QUARTERING SEA - Sea coming on a boat's quarter.

R

RODE - The anchor line and/or chain.

ROPE - When it is taken aboard a vessel and is put to use it becomes line.

RUDDER - A vertical board for steering a boat.

RUN - To allow a line to feed freely.

RUNNING LIGHTS - Lights on boats underway between sundown and sunup.

S

SCOPE - The ratio of length of anchor rode in use to the vertical distance from the bow of the vessel to the bottom of the water. Usually seven to one for calm weather and more scope in storm conditions.

SCREW - The propeller.

SCUPPERS - Drain holes on deck, toe rail, or bulwarks in the deck itself.

SEA COCK - A through hull valve, a shut off on a plumbing on between the vessel's interior and the sea.

SEAMANSHIP - Ability in boat handling, ranging from maintenance and repairs to piloting, sail handling, marlinespike work, rigging, and choosing the best dive company.

SEA ROOM - A safe distance from the shore or other hazards.

SEAWORTHY - Able to meet the normal sea conditions.

SECURE - To fasten .

SET - Direction toward which a current is flowing.

SHIP - A larger vessel usually thought of as being used for ocean travel. A vessel able to carry a "boat" on board.

SLACK - Not fastened; loose. To loosen.

SOLE - Cabin or saloon floor. Timber extensions on the bottom of the rudder. SOUNDING - A measurement of the depth of water.

SPRING LINE - A pivot line used in docking, undocking, or to prevent the boat from moving forward or astern at a dock.

SQUALL - A sudden, violent wind.

SQUARE KNOT - A knot used to join two lines of similar size. Also called a reef knot.

STANDING PART - The main part of a line from the bight and the bitter end.

STAND-ON VESSEL - That vessel which has right-of-way during a meeting, crossing, or overtaking another vessel.

STARBOARD - The right side of a boat when looking forward.

STEM - The forward most part of the bow.

STERN - The after part of the boat.

STERN LINE - A docking line leading from the stern.

STOW - To put an item in its proper place on a boat.

SWAMP - To fill with water.

T

THWART SHIPS - At right angles to the centerline of the boat.

TIDE - The rise and fall of water level in the oceans.

TILLER - A bar or handle for turning a boat's rudder or an outboard motor.

TOPSIDES - The sides of a vessel between the waterline and the deck; sometimes referring to onto or above the deck.

TRANSOM - The rear, or the stern most section of a boat.

TRIM - Fore and aft balance of a boat.

U

UNDERWAY - An under control Vessel in motion.

V

V BOTTOM - A hull with the bottom section in the shape of a "V".

W

WAKE - Waves a boat leaves behind it, when moving across the waters.

WATERLINE - A line painted on a hull which shows the point to which a boat sinks when it is properly trimmed.

WAY - Directional movement of a vessel i.e. headway, sternway or leeway.

WINDWARD - Toward the direction of the wind.

Y

YACHT - A pleasure vessel, a pleasure boat; The notion of size and luxury is conveyed, can be either sail or power.

YAW - To swing or steer off course, as when running with a quartering sea.

Yawl - Sail rig where the aft mast, usually a lot smaller, is aft of the rudder post.

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