| Term |
Definition |
| Abaft
|
Behind
you when you are facing forward. |
| ABYC
|
American
Boat and Yacht Council, Inc. |
| Admiralty
law |
The
law of the sea; maritime law according to the British Admiralty.
|
| Adrift
|
Floating
without mooring or direction. |
| Afloat |
On
the water. |
| Aft
|
Describing
the after section of a vessel, or things to the rear of amidships
and near the stern. |
| Aground |
Touching
bottom. |
| Amidships
|
In
the center, the center portion of a vessel. |
| Anchor
|
A
forging or casting shaped to grip the sea bottom and, by means
of a cable or rope, hold a boat in a desired position. |
| Anchorage |
A
customary, suitable and (usually) designated harbor area in
which vessels may anchor. |
| Astern
|
The
direction toward the stern, or the back end, of the vessel.
|
| Athwart
|
Anything
running across the boat from side to side. An aft bench seat
across the stern is athwartships. |
| Aweigh
|
What
an anchor is when it is off the bottom. |
| Bail |
To
remove water from a boat by pump or bailer. |
| Bar
|
A
shoal of sand or mud on which you can run aground. |
| Beacon |
A
post or buoy placed over a shoal or bank to warn vessels, also
a signal mark on land. |
| Beam
|
Imaginary
line amidships at right angles to keel of vessel. Also vessel's
width amidships. |
| Bearing
|
The
direction or point of the compass in which an object is seen. |
| Bilge
|
The
lower internal part of a boat's hull. |
| Bimini
|
A
rectangular canopy, usually of canvas, on a light frame that
protects the bridge and/or control console from sun and rain.
|
| Bow |
The
forward part or front of the boat. |
| Bridge
|
The
control station from which a large boat is navigated. |
| Bulkhead |
Vertical
partition in a boat. |
| Buoy
|
A
floating object showing navigation channels or marking prohibited
areas on the water. |
| Burdened
vessel |
Former
term for the vessel which must stay clear of vessels with the
right-of-way. |
| Capsize
|
To
turn over, bottom side up. |
| Carburetor
Backfire Flame Arrestor |
Required
equipment on all motorboats except outboards and diesels. Reduces
chance of fire caused by backfires in internal combustion engines. |
| Cast
off |
To
undo all mooring lines in preparation for departure. |
| Chart |
A
map of a body of water that contains piloting information. |
| Chine |
The
intersection of sides and bottom of a boat. |
| Chop
|
Short,
steep waves in an abrupt motion. |
| Cleat
|
A
piece of wood or metal with projecting ends to which lines are
made fast. |
| Cockpit
|
A
well or sunken space in the afterdeck of a small boat for the
use of the helmsman and crew. |
| Cockpit
sole |
The
floor of the cockpit. |
| Companionway
|
A
hatch or entrance from the deck to the cabin. |
| Compass |
The
instrument which shows the heading of a vessel. |
| Current
|
The
movement of the water in a horizontal direction. |
| Davit
|
A
crane that projects over the side or stern of a ship and is
used as a hoist. |
| Dead
ahead |
In
a direction exactly ahead. |
| Deadrise |
The
rise on the bottom of a midships frame from the keel to the
bilge. |
| Depth
Sounder |
An
electronic depth-finding instrument, measuring the time a sound
wave takes to go from the vessel to the bottom and return, then
displaying the result in feet, fathoms, or meters. |
| Dinghy
|
A
small boat used as a tender. |
| Displacement
Hull |
Type
of hull that plows through the water even when more power is
added. |
| Downwind
|
A
direction to leeward, with the wind. |
| Draft
|
The
depth of the vessel below the water line, measured vertically
to the lowest part of the hull. |
| Dunnage |
Mats,
boughs, pieces of wood, or other loose materials placed under
or among goods carried as cargo in the hold of a ship to keep
them dry and to prevent their motion and chafing; cushioning
or padding used in a shipping container to protect fragile articles
against shock and breakage; baggage or personal effects. |
| Ebb
|
An
outgoing tide. |
| Fathom
|
A
nautical linear measurement equal to 6 feet, used for measuring
water depth. |
| Fenders |
Objects
placed along the side of the boat to protect the hull from damage. |
| Flare |
The
outward spread of the boat's sides from the waterline to the
rail at the bow. Also, a pyrotechnic signaling device that can
indicate distress. |
| Following
sea |
Waves
from astern. |
| Fore
|
Located
at the front of the vessel; forecabin is toward the bow, the
opposite of aft cabin; foredeck is the forward part of the main
deck. |
| Forward |
Toward
the bow. |
| Founder
|
To
sink below the surface of the water. |
| Freeboard
|
The
vertical distance measured on a boat's side from the waterline
to the gunwafe. |
| Galley
|
The
kitchen area of a boat. |
| Give-way
vessel |
The
one which must stay clear of vessels which have the right-of-way. |
| Gunwale
|
The
upper edge of a boat's side - pronounced "gunnel." |
| Hail
|
A
call to another vessel. |
| Harbor
|
A
safe, protected anchorage for docking and loading. |
| Hatch
|
An
opening in the boat's deck for persons or cargo to go below. |
| Head
|
A
marine toilet. |
| Head
sea |
Waves
coming from the direction in which a vessel is heading. |
| Heading
|
The
compass direction in which a vessel is pointed at any given
moment. |
| Helm
|
The
wheel or tiller by which a ship is steered. |
| High
tide |
High
water, the highest normal level reached. |
| Holding
Tank |
Storage
tank for sewage, so that it will not be pumped overboard into
the water. |
| Hull
|
The
main structural body of a vessel, excluding superstructure,
masts, sails or rigging. |
| Inboard
|
More
toward the center of a vessel; inside; a motor fitted inside
the boat. |
| Inland
Rules |
Rules
of the road that apply to vessel operation in harbors and certain
rivers, lakes, and inland waterways. |
| Intracoastal
Waterways |
ICW:
bays, rivers and canals along the coasts (such as Atlantic and
Gulf of Mexico coasts), connected so that vessels may travel
without going into the open sea. |
| Jetty
|
A
structure projecting out from the shore to influence the current
or tide or protect a harbor. |
| Keel
|
The
main structural member of a vessel, the backbone; the lateral
area beneath the hull to provide steering stability and reduce
leeway. |
| Knot
|
To
bend a line. Also, a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile
(6,076.10 feet) an hour. |
| Latitude
|
Geographic
distance north or south of the equator. |
| Launch
|
(1)
To put a vessel into the water; (2) a small open powerboat,
mainly used for transportation between a vessel and shore. |
| Lee |
The
side opposite to that from which the wind blows. |
| Leeward |
Situated
on the side turned away from the wind. (Opposite of windward.) |
| Limber
Holes |
Drainage
holes in the bilge timbers of a vessel, allowing water to run
to a low point for pumping out. |
| Line
|
A
rope used aboard a ship. |
| List
|
A
continuous leaning to one side, often caused by imbalance in
stowage or wind. |
| LOA |
Length
over all; the maximum length of a vessel's hull, excluding projecting
spars or rudder. |
| Locker |
A
storage place, a closet. |
| Locker
|
A
compartment for onboard stowage of articles. |
| Log |
A
record or diary of a vessel's journey. |
| Longitude
|
Geographic
distance east or west of the prime meridian. |
| Lubber's
Line |
A
mark or permanent line on a compass that shows the course of
the boat. |
| Making
Way |
Making
progress through the water. |
| Marina
|
A
place providing secure moorings for pleasure boats and usually
offering service facilities, such as fuel docks and showers.
|
| Mayday
|
A
radio distress call, from the French m'aidez (help me); SOS
in Morse Code. |
| Midships
|
The
center of the boat. |
| Moored
|
Anchored
or made fast to a pier or wharf. |
| Mooring
|
Permanent
ground tackle; a place where vessels are kept at anchor. |
| Nautical
Mile |
6076.12
feet, or 1852 meters, an international standard; the geographical
mile, the length of one minute of latitude at the equator, is
6087.20 feet. |
| Navigation
Rules |
The
U.S. "Rules of the Road" governing navigation lights,
vessels meeting or passing, sound signals, distress signals
and practical boating etiquette. |
| Offshore
|
Out
of sight of land. |
| Outboard
|
Powerboat
having an engine outside the hull. |
| Outdrive |
A
propulsion system for boats, with an inboard motor operating
an exterior drive, with drive shaft, gears, and propeller; also
called stern-drive and inboard/outboard. |
| PFD
|
Personal
Flotation Device; a life preserver. |
| Pier
|
A
structure extending into navigable water, used as a landing
place or promenade. |
| Pitch |
(1)
The up and down movement as the bow and stern rise and fall
due to wave action; (2) The theoretical distance advanced by
a propeller in one revolution. |
| Planing
Hull |
Type
of hull that is shaped to lift out of the water at high speed
and ride on the surface. |
| Port
|
The
left side of the boat when you are facing the bow, also a destination
or harbor. |
| Privileged
vessel |
Former
term for the vessel with the right-of-way. |
| Propeller |
Wheel
or screw. Mechanism that pushes water aft to propel the boat. |
| Pulpit
|
The
forward railing structure at the bow. |
| Relative
bearing |
A
direction in relation to the fore-and-aft line of a vessel.
|
| Rules
of the Road |
The
nautical traffic rules for preventing collisions on the water. |
| Scope |
The
length of the anchor rope or chain. 6 to 1 scope means that
the length of the anchor rope from the boat to the anchor is
6 times the depth of the water. |
| Scupper
|
A
hole allowing water to run off the deck. |
| Seacock |
A
through-hull valve, a shut-off on a plumbing or drain pipe between
the vessel's interior and the sea. |
| Seakindly
|
Comfortable
in rough seas. |
| Seaworthy
|
Fit
or safe for a sea voyage. |
| Slip
|
A
berth for a boat, usually between two piers. |
| Stand-on
vessel |
The
vessel with the right-of-way. |
| Starboard
|
The
right side of the boat when you are facing the bow; a direction
to the right. It is said that when navigation was guided by
the stars, the constellations were displayed on "star boards" which were always placed on the right side of the pilothouse.
|
| Stern
|
The
after end or back of the bow. |
| Stow
|
To
put in the proper place. |
| Swamp
|
To
fill with water coming in over the deck and gunwales. |
| Tender
|
A
dinghy or other small boat which accompanies or attends a larger
vessel, such as a yacht, and is used to transport persons and
provisions. |
| Transom
|
The
transverse planking which forms the afterend of a small, square-ended
boat. (Outboard motors are usually attached to a transom.) |
| Trim |
To
arrange weights in a vessel in such a manner as to obtain a
desired draft at bow and stern. |
| Trim
tabs |
Adjustable
rectangular control flaps that project along the water's surface
at the transom when the hull is planing. |
| Underway |
Vessel
in motion, for example, when not moored, at anchor or aground. |
| USCG
|
United
States Coast Guard. |
| USPS |
United
States Power Squadron, a private membership organization that
specializes in boating education and good boating practices. |
| Vessel |
Every
kind of watercraft, other than a seaplane on the water, capable
of being used as a means of transportation on the water. |
| VHF
Radio |
A
Very High Frequency electronic communications and direction
finding system. |
| Wake
|
Moving
waves, created by vessel motion. Track or path that a boat leaves
behind it, when moving across the water. |
| Wash
|
The
broken water left behind a speeding vessel. The surging action
of the waves in the wash of a large boat can be very powerful. |
| Way
or Underway |
Movement
of a vessel through the water. Technically it is underway when
not at anchor, aground, or made fast to the shore. The common
usage is interpreted as progress through the water. Headway
when going forward and Sternway when going backwards. |
| Weigh
|
To
raise the anchor in preparation for departure. |
| Whistle
Signal |
A
standard communication signal between boats, to indicate change
of course, danger, or other situations. |
| Windward |
Situated
on the side closest to the wind. (Opposite of leeward.) |
| Yaw
|
To
swing erratically off course. |
