Glossary of Nautical Terms
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Click a letter below to find a specific nautical
term:
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| ABAFT: Toward the rear (stern) of the boat. Aft. |
| ABEAM: At right angle or off to the side of the keel of
the boat; at right angle to the middle of the ship. |
| ABOARD: On or within the boat. |
| ABOVE DECK: On the deck (not over it: see ALOFT). |
| AFT: Toward the stern of the boat. |
| AGROUND: Touching or fast to the bottom of any body of
water; on or onto the shore. |
| AHEAD: In a forward direction. |
| AIDS TO NAVIGATION (AtoN): Artificial objects to supplement
natural landmarks to indicate safe and unsafe waters. |
| ALOFT: Above or on top of the deck of the boat. |
| AMIDSHIP(S): In or toward the part of a boat or ship midway
between the bow and the stern; toward the middle of the ship or
boat. |
| ANCHOR: A heavy metal device, fastened to a chain or line,
to hold a vessel in position, partly because of its weight, but
mainly because the designed shape digs into the bottom. |
| ANCHORAGE: A place suitable for anchoring in relation to
the wind, seas and bottom. |
| ASTERN: In back of the boat, opposite of ahead. |
| ATHWARTSHIPS: At right angles to the centerline of the
boat; across the ship or boatfrom side to side. Rowboat seats are
generally athwartships. |
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| BAGGYWRINKLE: A bunch of twine worked into a wire to form
a fuzzy coating around the wire so it won't chafe through a sail
which may rub against the wire.
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| BATTEN DOWN: Secure hatches and loose objects both within
the hull and on deck. |
| BEACON: A lighted or unlighted fixed aid to navigation
attached directly to the earth'ssurface. (Lights and daybeacons;
both constitute "beacons.") |
| BEAM: The greatest width of the boat. |
| BEARING: The direction of an object expressed either as
a true bearing as shown on thechart, 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, on which a knot is ormed; a slack part or loop
in a rope; shallow bay or bend in a coast forming an open bay. |
| BILGE: The interior of the hull below the floorboards. |
| BITTER END: The last part of a rope or chain; the inboard
end of the anchor rope. |
| BLOCK: A wooden or metal case enclosing one or more pulleys
and having a hook, eye, or strap by which it may be attached. |
| BOAT: A fairly indefinite term. A waterborne vehicle smaller
than a ship; a small craft carried aboard a ship. |
| BOAT HOOK: A short shaft with a fitting at one end shaped
to facilitate use in putting a line over a piling, recovering an
object dropped overboard, or in pushing or fending off. |
| BOOM: Poles used to support the sails. |
| BOW: The forward part of a boat. |
| BOW LINE: A docking line leading from the bow. |
| BOW SPRING LINE: A bow pivot line used in docking (and
undocking), or to prevent the boat from moving forward or astern
while made fast to a pier. |
| BOWLINE KNOT: A knot used to form a temporary loop in the
end of a line. |
| BOWSPRIT: A spar extending forward from the bow. |
| BRIDGE: The location from which a vessel is steered and
its speed controlled. |
| BROACH: Sudden, unplanned, and uncontrolled turning of
a vessel so that the hull is broadside to the seas or to the wind. |
| BULKHEAD: A vertical partition separating compartments. |
| BUOY: An anchored float used for marking a position on
the water or a hazardor a shoal and for mooring. |
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| CABIN: A compartment for passengers or crew. |
| CAPSIZE: To turn over. |
| CAST OFF : To let go. |
| CATAMARAN: A twin:hulled boat, with hulls side:by-side. |
| CENTERBOARD: Used to keep the boat from moving sideways
under certain wind conditions. It also increases the boat's stability
and aids in steering it. |
| CHAFING GEAR: Tubing or cloth wrapping used to protect
a line from chafing on a rough surface. |
| CHANNEL: 1.That part of a body of water deep enough for
navigation through an area otherwise not suitable. It is usually
marked by a single or double line of buoys and sometimes by range
markers. 2. The deepest part of a stream, bay, or strait,
through which the main current flows. 3. A name given to
a large strait, for example, the English Channel. |
| 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 anchor or mooring lines
are led. UsuallyU-shaped to reduce chafe. |
| CLEAT: A fitting, usually with two horn-shaped ends, to
which lines are made fast. The classic cleat is almost anvil-shaped. |
| CLOVE HITCH: A knot for temporarily fastening a line to
a spar or piling. |
| COAMING: A vertical raised frame or piece around the edge
of a cockpit, hatch, etc. to prevent water on deck from running
below. |
| COCKPIT: An opening in the deck from which the boat is
handled. |
| COIL: To lay a line down in circular turns. |
| COMPASS: Navigation instrument, either magnetic (showing
magnetic north) or gyro (showing true north). |
| COMPASS CARD: Part of a compass; the circular card graduated
in degrees. It is attached to the compass needles and conforms with
the magnet meridian-referenced direction system inscribed with direction.
The vessel turns not the card. |
| COMPASS ROSE: The resulting figure when the complete 360°
directional system is developed as a circle with each degree graduated
upon it. True North is indicated as 000° and is also called
true rose. This is printed on nautical charts for determining
direction. |
| CUNNINGHAM: A control line attached near the tack of the
mainsail which pulls down on the luff of the sail to increase tension.
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| CURRENT: The horizontal movement of water. |
| CUTTER: Similar to a sloop except sails are arranged so
that many combinations of areas may be obtained. |
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| DAYBEACON: A fixed navigation aid structure used in shallow
waters upon which is placed one or more daymarks. |
| DAYMARK: A signboard attached to a daybeacon to convey
navigational information presenting one of several standard shapes
(square, triangle, rectangle) and colors (red, green, orange, yellow,
or black). Daymarks usually have reflective material indicating
the shape, but may also be lighted. |
| DEAD AHEAD: Directly ahead. |
| DEAD ASTERN: Directly aft or behind. |
| DEAD RECKONING: A plot of courses steered and distances
traveled through the water. |
| DECK : A permanent covering over a compartment, hull or
any part of a ship serving as a floor. |
| DISPLACEMENT: The weight of water displaced by a floating
vessel. |
| DISPLACEMENT HULL: A type of hull that plows through the
water, displacing a weight of water equal to its own weight, even
when more power is added. |
| DOCK: A protected water area in which vessels are moored.
The term is often used to denote a pier or a wharf. |
| DRAFT: The depth of water a boat draws. |
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| EASE: To slacken or relieve tension on a line. |
| EBB TIDE: A receding tide; a period or state of decline. |
| EVEN KEEL: When a boat is floating on its designed waterline,
it is said to be floating on an even keel. |
| EYE OF THE WIND: The direction from which the wind is blowing. |
| EYE SPLICE: A permanent loop spliced in the end of a line. |
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| FAST: Said of an object that is secured to another. |
| FATHOM : A unit of length equal to 6 feet used in measuring
water depth. |
| FENDER : A cushion 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 grommet or a block. |
| FLAME ARRESTER : A safety device, such as a metal mesh
protector, to prevent an exhaust backfire from causing an explosion;
operates by absorbing heat. |
| FLARE : The outward curve of a vessel's sides near the
bow; a distress signal. |
| FLOTSAM: Wreckage or cargo that remains afloat after a
ship has sunk. Floating refuse or debris. |
| FLYING BRIDGE : An added set of controls above the level
of the normal control station for better visibility. Usually open,
but may have a collapsible top for shade. |
| FOLLOWING SEA : An overtaking sea that comes from astern. |
| FORE AND AFT : In a line parallel to the keel. |
| FORWARD : Toward the bow of the boat. |
| FOULED : Any piece of equipment that is jammed or entangled,
or dirtied. |
| FOUNDER : When a vessel fills with water and sinks. |
| FREEBOARD : The minimum vertical distance from the surface
of the water to the gunwale. |
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| GAFF : A spar to support the head of a gaff sail. |
| GAFF RIG : Four-sided mainsail defined by two booms, one
located on the bottom, perpendicular to the mast, and another, located
on top, at an angle from the mast. |
| GALLEY: The kitchen area of a boat. |
| GANGWAY: The area of a ship's side where people board and
disembark. |
| GEAR: A general term for ropes, blocks, tackle and other
equipment. |
| GIVE WAY VESSEL: A term, from the Navigational Rules, used
to describe the vessel which must yield in meeting,crossing, or
overtaking situations. |
| GRAB RAILS: Hand-held fittings mounted on cabin tops and
side for personal safety when moving around the boat. |
| GROUND TACKLE: Anchor, anchor rode (line or chain), and
all the shackles and other gear used for attachment. |
| GUNWALE: The upper edge of a boat's sides. |
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| HALYARD: Pulls up the sail. |
| HARBOR: A safe anchorage, protected from most storms; may
be natural or manmade, with breakwaters and jetties; a place for
docking and loading. |
| HATCH: An opening in a boat's deck fitted with a watertight
cover. |
| HEAD: A marine toilet; also 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 sternway. |
| HEAVE TO: To bring a vessel up in a position where it will
maintain little or no headway, usually with the bow into the wind
or nearly so. |
| HEEL: To tip to one side. |
| HELM: The wheel or tiller controlling the rudder. |
| HITCH: A knot used to secure a rope to another object or
to another rope, or to form a loop or a noose in a rope. |
| HOLD : A compartment below deck in a large vessel, used
solely for carrying cargo. |
| HULL: The main body of a vessel. |
| HYPOLIMNION: The layer of water in a thermally stratified
lake that lies below the thermocline, is noncirculating, and remains
perpetually cold. |
| HYPOTHERMIA: A life:threatening condition in which the
body's temperature are subnormal and the entire body cools. |
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| INBOARD: More toward the center of a vessel; inside; a
motor fitted inside the boat. |
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| JACKSTAY: A strong line or wire stay running from bow to
stern along the sides of a boat. |
| JETTISON: To cast overboard or off. Informal. To discard
(something) as unwanted or burdensome. |
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| KEDGE : To use an anchor to move a boat by hauling on the
anchor rode; a basic anchor type. |
| KEEL: The centerline of a boat running fore and aft; the
backbone of a vessel. |
| KETCH: A two-masted sailboat with the smaller after mast
stepped ahead of the rudderpost. |
| KNOT: A measure of speed equal to one nautical mile (6076
feet) per hour. A fastening made by interweaving rope to form a
stopper; to enclose or bind an object; to form a loop or a noose;
to tie a small rope to an object, or to tie the ends of two small
ropes together. |
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| LACUSTRINE: Of or relating to lakes; Living or growing
in or along the edges of lakes. |
| 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 and cordage used aboard a vessel. |
| LOG: A record of courses or operation. Also, a device to
measure speed. |
| LUBBER'S LINE : A mark or permanent line on a compass
indicating the direction forward; parallel to the keel when properly
installed. |
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| MARCONI RIG : The most common type of sail used today,
a triangle-shaped mainsail defined by the mast and one horizontal
beam perpendicular to the mast called a boom. |
| MARLINESPIKE: A tool for weaving and splicing rope. |
| MAST: A spar set upright to support rigging and sails. |
| MONOHULL: A boat with one hull. |
| MOONCUSSER: Legendary opportunists who lured vessels onto
shoals during nights when there was no moonlight to illuminate the
coastline. |
| MOORING: An arrangement for securing a boat to a mooring
buoy or a pier. |
| MOORING BUOY: A buoy secured to a permanent anchor sunk
deeply into the bottom. |
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| NAUTICAL MILE: According to Webster’s: any of various
units of distance used for sea and air navigation; an international
unit equal to 6076.115 feet (1852 meters); about 1/8 longer than
the statute mile of 5280 feet. |
| NAVIGATION: The art and science of conducting a boat safely
from one point to another. |
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| OUTBOARD: Toward or beyond the boat's sides. A detachable
engine mounted on a boat's stern. |
| OUTDRIVE: A propulsion system for boats with an inboard
engine operating an exterior drive, with drive shaft, gears, and
propeller; also called stern drive and inboard/outboard. |
| OVERBOARD: Over the side or out of the boat. |
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| PERSONAL WATERCRAFT (PWC): Official terminology for jetskis. |
| PAINTER: A line attached to the bow of a boat for use in
towing or making fast. |
| PAY OUT: To ease out a line, or let it run in a controlled
manner. |
| PENDANT: The line by which a boat is connected to a mooring
buoy; a short rope hanging from a spar having at its free end a
spliced thimble or a block. |
| PENNANT: Any nautical flags that taper to a point and used
for identification. |
| PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICE (PFD): Official terminology for
life jacket. When properly used a PFD will support a person in the
water. Available in several sizes and types. |
| PIER : A loading/landing platform extending at an angle
from the shore. |
| PILOTING: Navigation by using visible references. |
| PITCH: The alternating rise and fall of the
bow of a vessel proceeding through waves; the theoretical distance
advanced by a propeller in one revolution; tar and resin used for
caulking between the planks of a wooden vessel. |
| PITCHPOLE: To turn end over end in very rough seas. |
| PLANING HULL : A type of hull shaped to glide easily across
the water at high speed. |
| PORT: The left side of a boat looking forward; a harbor. |
| PROPELLER: A rotating device, with two or more blades,
that acts as a screw in propelling a vessel. |
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| QUARTER: The sides of a boat aft of amidships. |
| QUARTERING SEA : Sea coming on a boat's quarter. |
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| REEF: To reduce the sail area. |
| RIGGING: The general term for all the lines of a vessel. |
| RODE: The anchor line and/or chain. |
| ROLL: The alternating motion of a boat, leaning alternately
to port and starboard; the motion of a boat about its fore-and-aft
axis. |
| ROPE: In general, cordage as it is purchased at the store.
When it comes aboard a vessel and is put to use, it becomes a line. |
| ROPE CUTTER: 1. A tool used to cut rope. 2. A
device attached to the prop shaft which cuts through ropes, plastic
bags, nets, and other materials that may get tangled in the prop. |
| RUDDER: A vertical plate or board for steering a boat. |
| RUNNING LIGHTS: Lights required to be shown on boats underway
between sundown and sunup. |
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| SCHOONER: First seen among 19th-century ships. It is multimasted
and furls triangular sails. The foremost mast is always shorter
than the others. |
| SCOPE: The ratio of the length of an anchor line, from
a vessel's bow to the anchor, to the depth of the water. |
| SCREW: A boat's propeller. |
| SCUPPER: An opening in the side of a ship at deck level
to allow water to run off. An opening for draining off water, as
from a floor or the roof of a building. |
| SEA ANCHOR: Any device used to reduce a boat's drift before
the wind. |
| SECURE: To make fast. |
| SHACKLE: A "U" shaped connector with a pin or
bolt across the open end. |
| SHEAR PIN: A safety device, used to fasten a propeller
to its shaft; it breaks when the propeller hits a solid object,
thus preventing further damage. |
| SHEET: adjusts a sail's angle to the wind. |
| SHEET BEND: A knot used to join two ropes. Functionally
different from a square knot in that it can be used between lines
of different diameters. |
| SHIP: A larger vessel usually used for ocean travel. According
to Webster’s, a sailing vessel usually having a bowsprit and
three masts each composed of a lower mast, a top mast, and a topgallant
mast. Also, a vessel that is able to carry a "boat" on
board. |
| SHOAL: An offshore hazard to navigation at a depth of 16
fathoms (30 meters or 96 feet) or less, composed of unconsolidated
material. |
| SHROUDS: Run from the top of the mast to the port (left)
and starboard (right) side of the hull to give sideways support. |
| SLACK: Not fastened; loose; to loosen. |
| SLOOP: A single-masted vessel with working sails (main
and jib) set fore and aft. |
| SPLICE: To permanently join two ropes by tucking their
strands alternately over and under each other. |
| SPRING LINE: A pivot line used in docking, undocking, or
to prevent the boat from moving forward or astern while made fast
to a dock. |
| SQUALL: A sudden, violent wind often accompanied by rain. |
| SQUARE KNOT: A knot used to join two lines of similar size.
Also called a reef knot. |
| SQUARE - RIGGER: Large ships dating back to the 17th century
typically with three masts carrying rectangular sails mounted on
horizontal beems called yards. |
| STANDING PART: That part of a line which is made fast.
The main part of a line as distinguished from the bight and the
end. |
| STAND-ON VESSEL: That vessel which continues its course
in the same direction at the same speed during a crossing or overtaking
situation, unless a collision appears imminent. (Was formerly called
"the privileged vessel.") |
| STARBOARD: The right side of a boat when looking forward. |
| STERN: The after part (back) of the boat. |
| STERN LINE: A docking line leading away from the stern. |
| STOW: To pack or store away; especially, to pack in an
orderly, compact manner. |
| SWAMP: To fill with water, but not settle to the bottom. |
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| TACKLE: A combination of blocks and line used to increase
mechanical advantage. |
| THWART: A seat or brace running laterally across a boat;
also, a rower’s seat extending across the boat. |
| TIDE: The periodic rise and fall of water level in the
oceans. |
| TILLER: A bar or handle for turning a boat's rudder or
an outboard motor. |
| TOE RAIL: A small rail around the deck of a boat. The toe
rail may have holes in it to attach lines or blocks. |
| TOPGALLANT: Relating to the part next above the topmast
and below the royal mast. |
| TOPSAIL: The sail above the lowermost sail on a square-rigged
ship; also, the sail set above and sometimes on the gaff in a fore-and-aft
rigged ship. |
| TOPSIDES: The sides of a vessel between the waterline and
the deck; sometimes referring to onto or above the deck. |
| TRANSOM: The stern cross-section of a square-sterned boat;
any transverse beams secured to the sternpost. |
| TRIM: Fore and aft balance of a boat. |
| TRIMARAN: A boat with three hulls. |
| TRIPLINE: A line fast to the crown of an anchor by means
of which it can be hauled out when dug too deeply or fouled; a similar
line used on a sea anchor to bring it aboard. |
| TRUE NORTH POLE: The north end of the earth's axis and
also called North Geographic Pole. The direction indicated by 000°
(or 360°) on the true compass rose. |
| TRUE WIND: The actual direction from which the wind is
blowing. |
| TUMBLE HOME: Refers to a cabin or hull with a width that
becomes narrower as height increases. |
| TURNBUCKLE: A threaded, adjustable rigging fitting, used
for stays, lifelines, and sometimes other rigging. |
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| UNDERWAY: Vessel in motion, i.e., when not moored, at anchor,
or aground. |
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| V-BOTTOM: A hull with the bottom section in the shape of
a "V." |
| VANG: A control line used to pull the boom in a downward
direction. In England this line is called a 'kicking strap'. |
| VARIATION: The angular difference between the magnetic
meridian and the geographic meridian at a particular location. |
| VHF RADIO: A very high frequency electronic communications
and direction finding system. |
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| WAKE: Moving waves, track or path that a boat leaves behind
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: Movement of a vessel through the water, such as headway,
sternway, or leeway. |
| WHARF: A manmade structure bonding the edge of a dock and
built along or at an angle to the shoreline, used for loading, unloading,
or tying up vessels. |
| WINCH: A device used to increase hauling power when raising
or trimming sails. |
| WINDEX: Windex is the brand name of a wind direction indicator
which mounts on the top of a mast. It has a rotating arrow which
points in the direction the wind is coming from. This brand name
has become generic like 'Kleenex' to the point where people refer
to a masthead wind direction indicator as a Windex regardless of
manufacture.
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| WINDWARD: Toward the direction from which the wind is coming;
opposite of leeward. |
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| YAW: To swing off course, as when due to the impact of
a following or quartering sea. |
| YAWL: A two-masted sailboat with the small mizzen mast
stepped abaft the rudder post. |
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Related Links: Vessel
Anatomy | Vessel ID
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