Mariner's Lexicon
Each term is a brushstroke upon the canvas of the sea, conveying the myriad concepts and commands that guide the vessel and her crew through the liquid expanse. These nautical expressions are the very currency of communication aboard a sailing ship.
We shall now navigate through this specialized vocabulary, deciphering the language of the waves. Each one is a key that unlocks the mysteries of seamanship, revealing the intricate dance between ship and sea, and the unwavering bond that unites the sailor to the eternal ocean.
A
Abaft: A location towards the stern (rear) of the vessel.
Abeam: At a right angle off the widest part of the vessel, on either the starboard or port side.
Aboard: On or inside the vessel.
Above deck: On the deck itself, not in the cabin below.
Abrest: When two vessels are facing in the same direction, side by side, at the same speed and position.
Act of Pardon, Act of Grace - A letter from a nation or legal representative authorizing action by a privateer. AKA "Letter of marque".
Adrift: A vessel floating loose, without moorings, tow rope, or using power.
Aft: The stern part of the vessel, or when you are to the rear of the vessel.
Aground: When a vessel is touching the bottom in water too shallow for its draft.
Ahead: An area in front of the vessel, and to go ahead is to go forwards.
Aloft: The area above a vessel's deck – usually in the rigging or on the mast.
Anchorage: An area suitable (e.g., harbor or island cove) suitable for a vessel to stay and deploy an anchor.
Apparent Wind: The apparent wind is a combination of the true wind and the wind caused by the vessel's movement through the water.
Astern: The area behind the vessel, and to go astern is to go backwards.
B
Backing Wind: Refers to the wind shifting direction in an anti-clockwise direction.
Backstay: Part of the rigging running from the top of the mast to the stern of the vessel. The backstay stops the mast from falling forward and, when tuning a vessel's rig, it also helps to control the degree of mast bend.
Batten: A wood, fiberglass, or plastic strip slid into a pocket on the leech of the sail. Battens help to shape and strengthen the sail to increase overall performance.
Batten down: Fasten hatches and loose objects on deck and down below to prevent things from moving or becoming damaged.
Beam: The widest point of the vessel.
Beam Reaching: A point of sail when sailing directly sideways to the wind on either a port or starboard tack.
Bearing Away: Steering the vessel away from the wind or turning downwind.
Beating: Sailing towards the wind by tacking back and forth across the wind.
Belayed: Secured, tied to, made fast to.
Below: Below the deck, inside the cabin.
Bend on: To secure one thing to another. Tying two lines together.
Bight: A loop or bend in a rope or line.
Bilge: The lowest area inside a vessel's hull, below the floor.
Bilge pump: A pump to remove any water in the bilge.
Bitter end: The free end of a line – it's where the term, 'until the bitter end' comes from. (The other end is referred to as the 'Standing Line').
Boat Wind: The wind created by the vessel moving through the water.
Boat fall: Rigging used to raise or lower a ship's boat.
Boat hook: A pole with a hook on the end for picking up mooring buoys or recovering items dropped over the side.
Bollard: A wooden or iron post on a dock to secure the vessel to.
Boom: The horizontal pole or spar running aft at a right angle from the mast to which the foot of the mainsail is attached.
Bow: Front of the vessel.
Bow line: The mooring line leading from the front of the vessel.
Bowline Knot: A strong, but easy to untie knot that creates a loop in the end of a line.
Bridge: The room/platform onboard a ship where the vessel is controlled from.
Bridle: A V-shaped line attached to the vessel's mooring system.
Broad Reach: A point of sail when sailing downwind off to the port or starboard side.
Bulkhead: An often watertight, interior wall on the vessel.
Buoy: An anchored navigation float to mark hazards or for mooring to.
C
Cabin: The below deck living quarters, designed for crew and passengers.
Capsize: When the vessel turns over in the water and is no longer upright.
Cast Off: Releasing the vessel's lines allowing it to leave its mooring.
Catamaran: A vessel with two hulls, side by side.
Centreboard: A pivoting board lowered through a slot in the hull or keel to prevent the vessel moving sideways.
Chainplates: Strong metal plates fixed to the hull which the forestay, backstay, and shrouds are attached to.
Chart: A nautical map used for navigation.
Chart datum: Depths on a chart are shown from a low-water surface or a low-water datum called chart datum. Chart datum is selected so that the water level will rarely, if ever, fall below that depth.
Cleat: A small wooden, metal, or plastic deck fitting with horns to secure a line or rope to.
Clew: The lower rear corner of a sail.
Close Reach: A point of sail when sailing against the wind at an angle somewhere between a beam reach and close-hauled.
Close-hauled: A point of sail when sailing as close to the wind as possible without the sails luffing (fluttering).
Clove hitch: A type of knot used to secure a rope twice around another rope or a spar.
Cockpit: The open area, usually towards the stern of the vessel, where the vessel is steered from.
Companionway: Stairs or ladder on a vessel usually leading down to the cabin.
Cunningham: A line used to adjust the forward edge of the mainsail. Usually runs from the tack of the sail to the front area of the boom.
Current: The horizontal movement of a body of water. (Tide is the vertical movement of water.)
Cutter: A cutter has one mast but sails with two foresails.
D
Deck: The roof or permanent covering over the vessel's hull.
Deck hand: A member of the ship's crew responsible for maintaining, cleaning, and mooring the vessel.
Dinghy: A small open boat, often used as a tender for a larger vessel – can be rowed, sailed, or driven by a motor/outboard.
Downhaul: A line attached to the tack of the sail and used to pull down or tighten the mainsail to increase sail efficiency.
Draft: The depth of a vessel measured from the deepest point to the waterline.
Drogue: A piece of equipment attached to the stern of a vessel that is trailed behind on a long line to slow them down in bad weather/poor sea conditions.
E
Ease: To let out a line.
Ebb: The tide going out and moving away from the land.
Ensign: The flag or standard denoting the boat's home country.
F
Fairleads: A metal fitting through which lines are run in order to change the direction of the lines, while reducing friction on the lines.
Fairway: When sailing on inland waters, a fairway refers to an open channel or being in midchannel.
Fast: To make fast, meaning to secure a line to something.
Fathoms: A unit of measurement, where one fathom equals six feet.
Fetch: The distance over open water that the wind has blown.
Figure eight knot: A stopper knot shaped in a figure eight.
Fix: The point at which two or three position lines intersect, indicating the vessel's location.
Flaked: A sail is flaked when it is lowered. Flaking a sail involves the process of folding the sail back and forth on itself, which helps to prolong the sail's life.
Following sea: A wave direction that matches the direction the boat's bow is pointing.
Foot (Sail): The foot of a sail refers to the lower part of the sail. In the case of a mainsail, this is the part of the sail that runs along the boom.
Forepeak: The most forward cabin located in the bow of the boat.
Forestay: The forestay is a wire that runs from the top of the mast (or near the top of the mast) to the bow of the boat. The forestay supports the mast from falling backwards. The luff (front) of the foresails (jib, genoa) are also generally attached to the forestay, depending on the rigging system.
Forward: When on a boat, forward means towards the bow.
Fouled: When equipment becomes entangled or damaged.
Freeboard: The distance from the waterline to the top of the boat's sides or deck.
G
Galley: The boat's kitchen.
Gangway: A narrow walkway used for boarding or disembarking a boat.
Genoa: The Genoa is a foresail that is larger than a jib. The clew (lower corner at the foot of the sail) extends aft of the mast, unlike a jib.
Give-way: When a vessel slows down, changes course, or stops to allow another to pass.
Give-way vessel: According to navigational rules, the boat which does not have the right-of-way.
Gooseneck: A metal fitting that attaches the boom to the mast.
Goosewinging: To sail downwind with the mainsail set on one side and the headsail set on the other.
Ground tackle: Equipment used to anchor or moor a boat.
Gunwale: The uppermost edge of a ship's side.
H
Halyards: Lines used to lower and raise sails and flags.
Hanks: Metal hooks used to attach sails to stays.
Hard over: Turning the wheel or pushing the tiller all the way over.
Hatch: An opening in the deck, providing access to the boat's interior.
Heading: The direction in which the vessel is facing.
Head to wind: The bow of the boat is pointed directly into the wind.
Head up: Steer more into the wind.
Heave-to: To come to a stop while out at sea by steering into the wind.
Heeling: Leaning or heeling over, caused by wind pressure on the sails.
Helm: The helm is the steering mechanism of the boat, which can be a wheel or a tiller.
Helmsperson: The person at the helm, steering the boat.
Hitch: A type of knot used for attaching a rope to an object.
Hold: A place or compartment below deck, reserved for carrying goods and cargo.
I
In Irons: This occurs when the boat has been turned directly into the wind and has lost all forward momentum. Without forward momentum, the boat loses its ability to steer.
Inlet: A recess, such as a cove or bay, along a coastline.
J
Jackstay: A strong line which runs fore and aft alongside the boat, that can be used to attach a safety harness to.
Jacob's ladder: A portable ladder made of rope or chain with metal or wooden rungs, used over the side to help passengers onboard.
Jib: The jib is a foresail (smaller than a genoa). The jib is about the same size as the triangular area between the forestay, mast, and foredeck.
Jury rig: A makeshift replacement rig.
K
Kedge: A secondary, smaller anchor onboard a boat.
Keel: The large, heavily weighted fin-like structure secured to the bottom of the boat. The keel helps to keep the boat upright and also reduces leeway (side slipping across the wind).
Ketch: A two-masted boat, where the second and smaller mast (mizzen) is positioned just forward of the rudder post.
Kicker: A mechanism to pull the boom down, to control the shape of the sail.
Knot: Unit of speed for vessels at sea. One knot is just a bit faster than one mph.
L
Latitude: Measured distance in degrees, north or south of the equator.
Lazarette: A storage area in the stern section of a boat.
League: Approximately three nautical miles.
Lee: The side of the boat sheltered from the wind.
Leeway: The sideways movement of a boat, caused by wind and currents.
Lee shore: The shore downwind from the boat.
Leech: The rear edge of the foresail or the mainsail, running from the head (top) to the clew (rear corner) of the sail.
Leeward: Downwind.
Length overall (LOA): The boat's overall length, from the bow to the stern.
Length Water Line (LWL): The length of the boat when it's in the water.
Lifelines: The lines running around the outside of the deck, creating a railing. The lines are attached to stanchions (upright metal posts).
Log: An instrument used to measure the speed of the boat, as well as a record of the ship's passage/operations.
Longitude: Measured distance in degrees from the Greenwich Meridian.
Lubber Line: Navigational line on a compass that indicates the heading.
Luff: The forward edge of a sail, running from head to tack (front corner of the sail).
Luffing: A sail is luffing when it starts to flutter in the wind. The term Luff is also used to describe the same situation. "The sail is starting to luff."
Luff Up: To turn into the wind, to cause the sails to start luffing.
M
Mainsheet: The line used to control the mainsail.
Making way: When the boat is moving through the water, powered by motor or sail.
Marlinspike: A sharp metal tool used to open or splice a rope, or untie knots.
Mast: The upright pole supported by the shrouds, forestay, and backstay to which the sails are attached.
Midship: A boat's middle section, located directly between the bow and the stern.
Mooring: The process of securing a boat to a buoy, pier, or post. The post, pier, or buoy can also be described as a mooring.
N
Nautical mile: A unit of distance on the water, equal to 1,852 meters.
Neap tide: When during the four-week tidal cycle, the tide rises and drops the least.
O
Outhaul: The line used to tension the foot of the sail, to better control the curvature of the sail.
Overboard: Over the side of the boat in the water.
P
Painter: The bow line of a dinghy.
Pitch: The rising and falling of the bow and stern of a vessel.
Port: When on a boat and facing forward, the left-hand side of the boat.
Port tack: Sailing across the wind so that the wind hits the port (left) side of the boat first.
Pulpit – The sturdy rail around the deck right at the bow.
Q
Quarter: Either side of the stern/rear of a vessel.
R
Reefing: Temporarily reducing the sail area, usually during poor weather.
Rig: The system of ropes, chains, and cables that support a boat's mast, sails, and spars.
Rope: Woven cordage used for lines onboard a boat.
Roll: Motion of a ship caused by wind and waves pushing against it.
Rudder: Part of the underwater steering apparatus of a boat. Located outside the hull and near the stern.
Run: The point of sail with the wind aft (traveling with the wind instead of against it).
Running: When a boat sails directly downwind.
S
Schooner: A sailing boat that has two masts, both the same height or the aft mast slightly higher than the forward one.
Scope: The length of the anchor rode let out, expressed in terms of a ratio, compared to height above the seabed.
Scuppers: An opening in the side walls of a ship that allows water to drain away, rather than collecting within the gunwhales or bulwarks.
Seamanship: The skills and techniques of navigating and maintaining a boat at sea.
Seaworthy: A boat that is fit to be out at sea.
Sextant: A navigational instrument used in Celestial Navigation.
Shackles: Metal fittings (often U-shaped) that open and close with a pin across the top of the 'U'.
Sheave: A roller/wheel to guide a line or wire.
Sheets: Lines that are used to adjust sails by either pulling them in or by letting them out.
Shroud: The wires that hold the mast up.
Slack water: The period between the flood (incoming tide) and the ebb (outgoing tide) where the water has little or no movement.
Sloop: A sailboat that has one mast and sails with the mainsail and one foresail.
Sounding: Process of measuring the depth of water.
Spar: A spar can refer to any of the following: mast, boom, or a pole.
Spinnaker: A large balloon-like foresail used for sailing downwind.
Spinnaker pole: A boom-like pole to support and control head sails, including the spinnaker.
Spreaders: Bars extending sideways from the mast which hold out the shrouds so that they do not interfere with the rigging.
Springlines: Lines used to secure a boat to a dock and stop the boat from moving forward or backward.
Squall: A sudden isolated storm associated with potentially high wind gusts.
Stanchions: Upright metal posts running around the outside of the deck supporting the lifelines/railings.
Stand: This refers to the short period of time where the tide is neither rising nor falling.
Standing rigging: Standing rigging includes the forestay, backstay, and the shrouds.
Stand-on boat: The boat that retains a course and rate of speed to avoid a potential collision with an approaching give-way boat.
Starboard: As you face towards the bow on a boat, starboard is the right-hand side of the boat.
Starboard tack: Sailing across the wind with the wind hitting the starboard (right) side of the boat first.
Steerage: The ability of the boat to be steered. A rudder is only effective when steering a boat if there is movement.
Stern: The most aft part of a boat (the very back of the boat).
Storm jib: Same as a jib but not as big and used in high wind conditions.
T
Tack: The front lower corner of a sail. It also means to sail back and forth across the wind in either a port or starboard tack.
Tacking: Also called "Coming About". Tacking is when the bow of the boat is turned through the wind onto the opposite tack.
Tail: The bitter end of a sheet tailing out from a winch.
Tang: A metal fitting used to attach the stays to the mast.
Telltails: Small strings (wool, plastic) attached to both sides of the luff of the sail to indicate when the sail is properly trimmed.
Tender: A small boat or dinghy used to transport crew between the boat and shore.
Tide: The vertical rise and fall of the oceans.
Topping lift: A line running from the top of the mast to the end of the boom. The topping lift supports the boom when the sail has been lowered.
Topside: The portion of the hull above the water line.
Transom: The flat area across the stern of the boat.
Trim: To trim or adjust the sail to make it more effective.
True wind: The actual wind felt when the boat is not moving.
Turnbuckles: Adjustable fittings usually attached at the end of shrouds and stays. Turning the turnbuckle one way or the other tightens or loosens the wire.
U
Underway: When a boat is not moored and moving through the water.
Unfurl: To unroll a sail.
Uphaul: A rope used for raising a boat's sail or centreboard.
Upstream: Moving from seaward into harbour or moving up river toward the headwaters.
V
Veering: A wind shift in the clockwise direction.
W
Wake/Wash: The waves created behind a boat as a result of the boat moving through the water.
Way: Movement of the boat.
Waterline: The point/level where the hull of a vessel meets the water's surface.
Weather helm: The tendency of the boat to turn upwind after heeling (leaning over).
Wheel: Controls the rudder. Taking control of the wheel is taking the helm.
Windward: Towards the wind.
Wing to wing: Running (sail directly downwind) with the mainsail out one side of the boat and the foresail out the other side of the boat.
Y
Yawing: The side-to-side movement of a boat on an uneven course.
Yawl: A sailing boat with has two masts where the aft mast (mizzen) is shorter than the foremast, and the mizzen mast is located aft of the rudder post.
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