abaft Toward the stern.

abeam At right angles to the centerline of a boat.

aboard On or in a boat; close to a boat.

aft, after Toward the stern.

aground With the hull or keel of a boat touching the bottom.

airflow Movement of air across the sails

aloft Overhead.

amidships Between fore and aft; the middle of the boat.

anchor A device shaped so as to grip the bottom. It is secured to a line from the boat to hold it in the desired position.

anchor windlass Mechanism to lift the anchor and wind its chain around a drum.

anemometer Instrument to measure wind speed.

Angle of Vanishing Stability (AVS) The heeling Angle at which the boats ability to right itself reached zero.

anodes Zinc buttons fastened near underwater metal fittings to protect from electrolysis corrosion.

apparent wind True wind plus the wind produced by motion.

astern Behind the stern of a boat.

athwartships Across the beam of a boat.

awash Immersed in water.

backing the jib To sheet the jib to windward during a tack or bearing away.

backwind Mainsail is let out too far, or jib is sheeted too tight; the mainsail flutters near the leech.

backstay A wire support from the mast to the stern of the boat.

bail To remove water from the boat.

ballast Weight in the bottom of the boat to give it stability.

bare poles With all sails down.

barometer Instrument to measure air pressure. A barograph records the result.

battens Thin wooden or plastic strips placed in pockets in the leech of a sail to help hold its form.

beam The width of a boat at its widest point.

beam reach Point of sail with the wind across the beam.

beam wind A wind that blows across the boat from side to side.

bearing The magnetic compass direction from one object to another.

beat To sail to windward, close hauled.

belay To make secure.

bend To secure (for example, a sail to a spar or a line to a sail).

bight Loop or bend; refers to either rope or shoreline.

bilge The very lowest part of a boat's interior, where water is most likely to collect.

bimini A removeable cockpit sunscreen.

binnacle The pedestal where the compass and wheel are mounted.

blanket To take wind from a sail

block A nautical pulley.

boat hook A device for catching hold of a ring bolt or line when coming alongside a pier or picking up a mooring.

bolt rope Rope secured to the edge of a sail to give it strength and to facilitate adjusting foot and luff tension.

boom The spar to which the foot of the sail is attached with lacing, slides, or a groove.

boom vang A line to steady the boom when off the wind.

bottlescrew Turnbuckle fitting used to adjust tension in standing rigging.

bow Forward part of the boat.

bow-fitting Fitting to attach the forestay and jib tack to the bow.

bow line or head rope The mooring warp at the bow.

bower anchor The Main anchor.

bowsprit A spar extending forward from the bow.

breast line Docking line leading roughly at right angles from the boat's sides.

bridge deck A raised area that seperates the cockpit from the cabin.

bridle Rope span with ends secured for the sheet block to ride on.

broach To spin out of control and capsize or come close to a capsize; loss of steering.

broad reach Point of sail with the wind over a rear quarter of the boat.

bulkhead Below deck partition.

buoy Any floating object anchored in one place to mark a position or provide a mooring.

buoyancy bags Bags, tanks or compartments providing buoyancy to a capsized boat.

burgee A small triangular flag flown at the mast head as a true wind indicator.

by the lee On a run, having the wind coming slightly from the side on which the sails are trimmed.

can A buoy, used to mark a channel, colored green or black and given an odd number.

capsize To tip over.

careen To place a boat on her side so that work may be carried out on her underwater parts.

carry away To break or tear loose.

cast off To let go of a line when leaving the dock or mooring; to ease sheets.

catboat A sailboat with a single sail.

centerboard A shaped blade attached to the underside of the hull to give the boat lateral resistance when it is sailing to windward.

chafe To damage a line by rubbing.

chainplates Metal plates bolted to theside of a boat to which shrouds are attached to support the rigging.

chock A device affixed to the deck and used as a guide for an anchor or mooring line.

claw off To clear a lee shore.

cleat A fitting used to secure a line under strain.

clew The outer corner of a sail.

close-hauled The most windward point of sail, on which the wind is at about 45 degrees.

close-winded Describes a craft capable of sailing very close to the wind.

coaming The raised protection around a cockpit.

cockpit The space at a lower level than the deck in which the tiller or wheel is located; a cockpit may be center or aft.

cringle A metal ring worked into the sail.

crutch Support for the boom when the sails are furled.

lanyard A line fastened to an object or tool  for purposes of securing it.

latitude Navigational distance north or south of the equator.

lay The twisting of a rope's strands.

lazarette A small space below deck, usually aft, where spare parts are kept or an outboard motor is mounted.

lead line A weighted line used to determine water depth.

leech The after edge of a sail.

lee helm Unbalanced helm, boat turns out of the wind.

leeward Away from the wind (also lee).

lifeline or Jackstays A wire that encircles the deck to prevent crew members from falling overboard.

light sails Sails made of a lightweight material for use in light winds.

list A leaning sideways due to excess weight on one side.

locker A storage compartment on a boat.

lubber's line A short post inside a compass used as a reference point when steering or taking bearings.

luff 1) The forward vertical edge of a sail. 2) To alter course toward the wind until the boat is head to wind. 3) The flapping of a sail caused by the boat being head to wind.

fairlead A bolt, ring or loop fitting used to change the angle from a sail or block to a winch or cleat.

fall The part of a tackle to which the power is applied in hoisting.

fathom A nautical depth of water measurement. One fathom = six feet.

fetch A windward course set to a destination without having to tack.

fin keel A single, central, fixed and ballasted keel.

float A floating platform used to tie a docked boat.

foot The bottom edge of a sail.

fore-and-aft In the direction of the keel, from front to back.

foredeck Deck closest to the bow.

forefoot The forward part of the keel, adjoining the lower part of the stem.

foremast The most forward mast of a sailboat having two or more masts. foresail A jib.

fouled Entangled or clogged.

frames The skeleton of the ship, which holds the hull together and gives support.

fractional sloop Sloop rigged with the forestay fastened below the masthead.

free Sailing on any point of sail except close-hauled.

freeboard The distance from the top of the hull to the water.

full-and-by Sailing as close to the wind as possible with all the sails full.

furl To fold or roll a sail on a boom and then secure it with sail ties.

inboard Toward the centerline of the boat; mounted inside the hull.

in irons In the wind's eye and having lost all headway. Also called in stays.

jib A triangular sail set forward of the mainmast.

jibe Turning the boat stern through the wind to a new tack.

jib stay A wire supporting the mast to which the luff of the jib is attached.

jumper A stay on the upper forward part of the mast.

rail The outer edge of the deck.

rake The angle of a boat's mast from the vertical.

reach Sailing with a beam wind.

ready about The command given to prepare for coming about.

reef  To reduce the area of a sail using reef knots and reef points.

rhumb line The straight-line compass course between two points; hence the shortest course, except over long distances, where the great circle course is shorter.

rig 1) In general, a boat's upper works. 2) To set up the spars and standing and running rigging of a sailboat.

rigging The wire or lines used to adjust sails and keep the mast in place.

roach The curve of the edge of the sail.

rode The line and chain that secure the anchor to the boat.

rudder A flat wooden shape fitted on the sternpost by pintles and gudgeons.

run Point of sail with the wind aft.

running rigging Moving lines; sheets and halyards, used to set and trim sails.

sailmakers palm Used for pushing needles through sails or rope.

sail ties Lengths of webbing used to secure a furled sail to a boom.

schooner Sailboat with 2 or more masts.

scull To move the rudder back and forth to propel the boat forward.

seacock A valve to close a through hull fitting.

seaway An area with rough or moderate waves.

secure To make safe.

set The direction of the leeway of a vessel or of tide or current.

shackle A U-shaped piece of iron or steel with eyes in the ends, closed by a shackle pin.

shake out To let out a reef and hoist the sail.

sheave The wheel of a block pulley.

sheet The rope to control the movement of a boom and sail trim.

shrouds Vertical wires that hold the mast upright.

skeg A projection from the keel protecting the rudder.

slip line A doubled line with both ends on board, looped around a docking.

sloop A single masted boat with one headsail.

slot The gap between the main's luff and the jib's leech.

spade rudder A rudder supported by it's stock rudder tube, not by a skeg.

spinnaker A balloonlike sail used on a downwind course.

splice To join rope by tucking the strands together.

spreader An athwartships support that holds the shrouds away from the mast.

spring line A line used when the boat is docked to keep her from moving forward and aft.

squall A brief storm that arrives suddenly.

stand-on vessel A vessel that maintains her course and speed.

standing rigging That part of a ship's rigging that is permanently secured and not movable (stays, shrouds, and spreaders.

starboard The right side of a boat as one faces forward

starboard tack A course with the wind coming from the starboard and the sails trimmed on the port side.

stay A rope of hemp, wire, or iron used for supporting a mast fore-and-aft.

staysail A small triangular sail used forward of the mast on a reaching course.

stem The timber at the extreme forward part of a boat, secured to the forward end of the keel and supporting the bow planks.

step The frame into which the heel of a mast fits or stops.

stern The after section of the boat.

stow To put away.

strake A row of planks in the hull.

swamp To fill with water.

tack 1) The forward lower comer of a sail, where the luff and foot meet. 2) Any course on which the wind comes from either side of the boat. 3) To change course by passing into the wind.

tackle An arrangement of ropes and blocks to give a mechanical advantage.

telltales Strips of fabric affixed to the sails to show wind flow and aid in sail trimming.

tender 1) A small boat employed to go back and forth to the shore from a larger boat. 2) Heeling easily when close-hauled.

thimble An iron ring grooved on the outside for a rope grommet.

thwart The athwartships seat in a boat.

tiller Steering rod that controls the rudder.

topping lift 1) A line or wire to hold the boom off the deck when not in use (also called a boom lift). 2) A line from the mast to the spinnaker pole, controlling spinnaker pole height.

topside Sides of the hull above water.

training run Sailing downwind, 5-10 degrees off a run.

transom The stern facing of the hull.

traveler A slide and track used to adjust the sails, or the position of the sails relative to the wind.

trim To adjust a sail.

trysail A severe weather mainsail replacement.

tuning The adjustment of rigging, sails, and hull for the best sailing performance.

turnbuckle A threaded link that pulls two eyes together, used for setting up standing rigging.

veer A change of direction, as in the wind.

wake The waves from a boat.

warp Any rope used to move or secure a boat.

washboards Shutters to close off the companionway.

waterline An line around the hull at the water surface when the boat is at even keel.

weather helm Unbalanced helm, the boat turns to windward.

weather shore Wind blowing off land.

well found Well equipped.

whip To bind the end strands of a line with yam or cord.

whisker pole A light spar extending from the mast, used to hold the jib out sailing off the wind; Wing & Wing.

winch A device to aid in trimming a line. Basically a coil on which the line is wound and a crank for winding.

windward Toward the wind, the opposite of leeward.

wing-and-wing Running before the wind with the sails set on both sides.

working sails The regular sails on a boat.

yacht General term for a pleasure boat.

yawl A two-masted boat with a small after mast located abaft the steering gear.

magnetic north The variable point to which a magnetic compass points. Not True North

magnetic variation The difference between magnetic north and True North.

mainmast The principal mast of a sailboat.

mainsail The largest regular sail on a modem sailboat.

mainsheet The line for controlling the main boom.

mainsheet tackle The system of blocks through which the mainsheet is run.

marconi or Burmuda A tall mast with a mainsail and jibheaded rig.

mast step A recessed wood block or metal frame for resting the heel of the mast.

mean direction The term describing average wind direction.

meridian A longitudinal navigation line.

mizzen The shorter mast aft on a yawl or ketch.

mooring A heavy anchor or weight permanently in position.

mooring buoy A buoy fitted with a ring and used for mooring a boat.

halyard A line used to haul sails up and down the mast. hank Metal or plastic hooks that secure a sail to a stay.

hard alee The command used in coming about to inform the crew that the helm is being pushed hard to leeward, turning the boat into the wind.

head The top or top corner of a sail; Toilet. headfoil a grooved aluminum tube slid over the forestay to hold the headsail luff.

head to wind With the bow headed into the wind and the sails luffing. headsail Any sail used forward of the mast, a foresail.

headstay A forward mast supporting stay.

headway Motion forward.

heave to To stop a boat by turning the bow to the wind and holding it there. A boat stopped this way is hove to.

helm The tiller or wheel mechanism by which the boat is steered .

hike To lean over the side of a boat to help counterbalance heeling.

hoist The vertical edge of a sail; to haul aloft. hounds Fastening point of the shrouds and forestay on the mainmast if not at the masthead.

hull The main body of the boat.

daggerboard A through the hull plate that resists leeway under sail.davit A crane and tackle device for lowering a tender.

direction An angle measured clockwise relative to northdisplacement The weight of water displaced by a hull.

dock The body of water in which a boat sits while tied up; also the float or pier itself). downhaul A line attached to the tack of the sail, used to trim the draft forward.

draft 1) The depth or fullness of a sail. 2) The depth of the keel or centerboard in the water.

drift The leeway or sideways movement  of a boat. drogue A object towed at the boat stern to reduce speed in havy weather.

dry sailing Keeping a boat out of water when not in use.

ease To let out.

gaff A pole extending from a mast to support the head of a sail. gaff rig A four sided mainsail rig.

gasket A piece of rope or canvas used to secure a furled sail.

gear Any sailboat equipment.

genoa A large, overlapping foresail.

gimbal Fittings used to keep device upright in a heeled boat.

give-way vessel A boat required to keep out of the way of another vessel. gooseneck Device to secure the boom to the mast. grommet A metal ring in a sail orcloth. ground tackle Anchor, rode, etc., used to secure a boat to her mooring.

gudgeon A fitting attached to the hull into which the rudder's pintles are inserted. gunwale The rail of the boat at deck level.

guy A line or wire used to adjust and position the spinnaker pole.

keel A heavy fin filled with lead ballast under the hull. It prevents the boat from sideslipping by resisting the lateral force of the wind, and it gives the boat stability. kedge anchor A light, secondary anchor.

ketch A two-masted sailing vessel with a small after mast stepped forward of the rudderpost.

knot A nautical unit of speed: 6,076 feet or one nautical mile per hour.

painter A short piece of rope secured to the bow of a small boat and used to make fast to a dock.

pan pan International distress signal.

partner or mast gate Hole where the mast passes through the deck.

passage Journey between two ports.

payoff To turn the bow away from the wind.

peak The upper after corner of a gaff sail. pennant A three-sided flag.

pinch To sail so close to the wind as to allow the sails to luff.

pintle A bolt of metal secured to the rudder and fitting into the gudgeon. The pintle gives a swinging support to the rudder.

planing A boat lifted partly out of the water to reduce drag.

point To head close to the wind.

port The left side of a boat as one faces forward.

port tack A course with the wind coming from the port and the sails trimmed on the starboard side.

propwalk The propeller rotation turning the boat to its rotational direction

.pulpit Metal rail around the bow.

pushpit Metal rail around the stern.

quarter That portion of a vessel's side near the stern.