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ABAFT
- extra super salty talk for "aft of", as in "abaft the
mast"
AFT-
toward the stern of the boat or behind it
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
BACKWIND
- hold a sail so the wind pushes its backside
BEAM
REACH -sailing at 90 degrees to the wind's direction
BEATING
- zigzagging upwind, sailing close hauled and coming about
BLOCK
- nautical term for a pulley
BOOM
- horizontal pole that holds the bottom of the mainsail
BOOM
VANG -line that keeps the boom at right angles to the mast
BOW
- the front (pointy) end of the boat
BOW
LINE - a docking line leading from the bow
BOW
PAINTER -line attached to the bow; used to tie the boat to the
dock
BROACH
- to round up uncontrollably from a run to a beam reach, heeling over
"If broaching sideway to the sea, our dropsied ship may founder by
the lee"
BROACH
REACH - sailing at 90 to 135 degrees to the wind direction
CAPSIZE
- when a boat tips over
CENTERBOARD
- fin under boat to prevent sideways sailing; swings up for storage
CENTERBOARD
DOWNHAUL - stretchy cord, pull to make centerboard go down
CENTERBOARD
UPHAUL - regular line, pull and cleat it to hold centerboard in
up or partially up position
CHAINPLATE
- metal piece on boat that attaches shrouds (wires that hold mast up)
CLEAT
- a fitting, usually with two horn-shaped ends, to which lines are made
fast. The classic cleat is almost anvil-shaped. Also, to fasten a line
using a cleat
CLEW
- aft corner of a sail (where the outhaul pulls it out, "without
a clew")
CLOSE
HAULED - sailing at about 45 degrees to the wind direction
COME
ABOUT - to turn the boat up into the wind and over to change the
side the sails are on (also called "tack")
CUNNINGHAM
- line used to pull down on the luff (front edge) of the sail
DINGHY
- a little open boat
FAIRLEAD
- ring used to guide lines
FALL OFF
- turn the boat more downwind
FOOT
- bottom edge of a sail
FORESTAY - the wire between the bow and mast,
which keeps the mast from falling backwards when the jib is off
GOOSENECK
- fitting that attaches the boom to the mast with a flexible joint
HALYARD
- line used to lift the sails; from "haul yard" since square-rigged
boats had yards that were hauled up to lift their sails
HANK - plastic or metal clip or snap to hold
jib on forestay
HEAD
- the upper corner of a triangular sail
HEAD
UP - turn the boat more upwind
HEEL - a boat's leaning over to one side,
usually because of the wind
HIKE OUT
- move your weight out to balance the sails' force, by sitting out on
the rail above the seat
HIKING
STICK - extension on the tiller for steering while hiked out
HULL - the main body of a vessel
IN
IRONS - a sailboat
with its bow pointed directly into the wind, preventing the sails from
filling properly so that the boat can move
JIB
- a triangular foresail in front of the foremast
JIB BOOM -spar forward of bowsprit to which
the the tack of the jib is lashed
JIB SHEET
- line that controls the trim (angle to the wind) of the jib
JIBE
- turn away from the wind to cause the sails to flip over to the other
side of the boat
KEDGE
- to use an anchor to move a boat by hauling on the anchor rode; a basic
anchor type
KNOT
- 1) a measure of speed equal to one nautical mile (6076 feet) per hour
2) a fastening made by interweaving rope to form a stopper 3) to enclose
or bind an object 4) to form a loop or a noose 5) to tie a small rope
to an object, or to tie the ends of two small ropes together
LEECH
- aft (rear) edge of a sail
LEEWARD - the direction away from the wind;
opposite of windward
LUFF
- 1) when sails flap because they're not pulled in 2) to turn the boat
into the wind or let out the sails so that the sails luff 3) forward edge
of the sail
MAINMAST
- the tallest mast of the ship; on a schooner, the mast furthest aft
MAINSAIL
- the sail set on the mainmast-the lowest square sail on the mainmast
MAST
- a spar set upright to support rigging and sails
OUTHAUL
- line that pulls on the clew of the mainsail
PINCHING
- sailing at less than 45 degrees to the wind, with the sails partly luffing
PORT - the left side of a boat looking forward;
a harbor
PORT TACK - sailing with the mainsail on the starboard side of
the boat
REACH
- sailing with the wind coming over the side of the boat
REEFING
- tying up the bottom of the sail to avoid being overpowered
RIGGING - the general term for all the lines of a vessel
RUDDER - a vertical plate or board for steering a boat
RUN - opposite of reach ;sailing with the wind coming over the
stern
SCULLING
- rowing the boat, ie by swinging the tiller back and forth
SHACKLE
- a"U" shaped connector with a pin or bolt across the open end
SHROUDS
- run from the top of the mast to the port (left) and starboard (right)
side of the hull to give sideways support
STARBOARD - the right side of a boat when looking forward
STARBOARD TACK - Sailing with the mainsail on the port side of
the boat
STERN - the back end of a boat, usually the square end
TACK
- 1) the forward and lower corner of a sail, ("tack it down")
2) a boat's heading as determined by the side that its sails are on 3)
change tacks, usually by coming about
TILLER
- a bar or handle for turning a boat's rudder or an outboard motor
TRAVELER
- metal bar or other fitting that holds mainsheet block
TRIM
- fore and aft balance of a boat
TRUE
WIND - the actual direction from which the wind is blowing
WAKE
- Moving waves, track or path that a boat leaves behind when moving across
the waters
WHITECAPS
- White foamy tops on the waves caused by high winds
WINDWARD
- Toward the direction from which the wind is coming; opposite of leeward
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sailing dictionary
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