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Glossary of Terms Used in Sailing

aback
A square sail is aback with the wind on the forward side. The sails are pressed toward the mast forcing the vessel astern.

abaft
A shipboard object being further aft than another.

abaft the beam
Abaft of the beam; bearing of object between beam and stern.

abeam
A term denoting position on the side of a vessel, amidships, or at right angles.

ablock
or
two block
Tackle taken in until both blocks come together.

aboard
On or within the ship.

about
A ship is said to be going about, while tacking, as it changes the wind over the bow to the opposing tack.

abox
A square-rigger hove to while maintaining position.

abreast
A term describing position "opposite to", side by side, alongside, or abeam.

accommodation ladder
Portable steps or ladder for climbing aboard a vessel.

a-cockbill
The square-rigger yards dockside is topped up at an angle to lower overhead clearance.

to go on the account
A phrase for a sailor turned pilot.

Admiralty knot
A unit for tracking distance, approximately 6080 feet.

adrift
A vessel having broken loose from its moorings whilst untended, unoccupied, or otherwise without the knowledge of the crew.

advance
The distance a vessel maintains the original course after the rudder is put over.

afloat
Swimming while not touching or unable to touch the bottom or sea-floor.

afore
Term denoting a location or direction forward. Afore is the opposite of abaft.

afoul
Tangled or fouled in any way.

aft
Position at, near, or towards the stern.

after body
The stern or rear section of a vessel.

after bow spring
A bow spring line (rope) leading aft on a vessel to secure whilst docking.

after brow
An aft portable gangplank.

after quarter spring
A spring line (rope) leading aft from a vessel's bow to secure whilst docking.

after waist spring
A spring line (rope) coming from the amidship and going aft is used to secure a docking vessel.

after yards
A unit of distance, denoting yards aft (behind) of the foremast.

aground
A term denoting a stranded vessel's keel or hull resting on the sea-floor or bottom.

ahead
A direction or position toward or in front of the bow of a vessel.

ahoy
A colloquial greeting that is used in the hailing of a vessel or boat.

a-hull
A vessel 'hove to' under bare poles with the helm alee.

air or flotation tank
A sealed air tank for buoyancy that is used in the event of a capsized vessel.

albatross
The largest sea bird, with a wing span of up to 13 feet, lives in the Southern Hemisphere.

all aback
A condition whereby wind is pressing against the forward (front) side of square sails.

all-a-taunt-O
"ship shape", all gear hauled in tight, items secured.

all hands
Term for the entire crew.

all in the wind
Pointing too high with all sails shaking.

all night in
Not maintaining a night watch.

all standing
fully equipped

aloft
Up above; up the mast or in the rigging.

alongside
Positioned side by side, by the side of a vessel, or pier.

alow
Located below the deck or low in the rigging near the deck.

alow and aloft
All sails are set.

altar
Steps of a drydock.

amain
On the run, all at once.

ambergris
Sperm whale intestinal secretion is gathered and used to blend perfume.

anchor
A hook that digs into the bottom or sea floor to prevent a vessel from drifting.

anchorage
A suitable location for anchoring.

anchor aweigh
Anchor that is broken out of the bottom or coming to the surface.

anchor hoy
Lighter with a derrick for handling heavy anchors.

anchor lights
Signal lights, illuminated on anchored vessels.

anchor watch
The term for crew deck detail is to watch over an anchored vessel at night.

anemometer
An instrument mounted or hand-held, used to measure wind velocity.

aneroid barometer
An instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure, usually consisting of an enclosed container whose height changes with air pressure changes. The change is indicated by a connected dial or arm, which moves in concert with the changing height. This more rugged design is contrasted with the traditional barometer, which uses a glass column of liquid mercury.

anti-cyclone
A spiral eddy of wind with an outward flow.

antifouling paint
A poisonous boat bottom paint intended to slow or prevent underwater growth of barnacles and other nuisance growth on a submerged hull.

anvil top
A shape specific to a cloud: cirrus top or peak of thunderhead.

apeak
Anchor cable in a vertical line with vessel over anchor; the position of square rig yards or oars when vertical or nearly so.

aport
To the left or port side of a vessel when looking forward.

apparent wind
Wind direction felt on sailboat underway.

apron
Timber behind the lower part of the stem above the fore end of keel.

arm
The lower part of the sheet and kedge anchors.

ash breeze
A flat calm requiring engine power or other non-wind propulsion.

astern
A term for position or location in the direction of stern or bearing behind a vessel.

athwartship
A term describing position or location across the keel of a vessel.

atoll
A small, typically circular coral island enclosing a lagoon.

atrip
A term describing when an anchor has broken free from the bottom.

a-try
A sailboat underway in a gale with no sails set.

autopilot
A device that automatically maintains steering to a compass heading while underway.

auxiliary
An engine used as secondary propulsion in a sailboat.

aweather
To windward, towards the weather side.

awning
The tarp that covers a boat or deck for protection from sun, rain, or snow.

aye
Yes, A response that a superior's orders are/were understood.

backing
The wind changes counterclockwise.

backstay
Mast support leading aft to deck or to another-mast.

running backstays
Temporary or shifting backstays.

backwater
Stop rowboat movement by reversing the direction of the oars.

back wind
A sail backwinds another with the wind funneling on the wrong side.

bag
a sail bags when the leach is taut yet the center of the sail is slack

baggy wrinkle
chafing gear made from old rope.

balanced rudder
part of rudder area is forward of rudder post.

baldheaded schooner
schooner without topsails

ballast
heavy material stowed inside a sailing vessel to provide stability.

ballast tanks
double bottom water tanks pumped out or flooded at will.

bar
shoal or bank

capstan bars
heavy timbers that work the capstan.

bare poles
sailing vessel in a gale with no sails set.

sailing bare
sailing with the sheets set too tight

barge
ship's boat used by flag officers.

Thames Barge
roomy, flat bottom English cargo vessel.

bark (barque)
A 3-masted, square rigged fore and main.

barkentine
A 3-masted, square rigged only on foremast.

barnacle
A small shell fish often found on the bottom of boats and other submerged surfaces.

barney post
A short Star class cockpit post with a jam cleat for the main sheet.

barometer
A meteorological instrument that measures changes atmosphere pressure.

barratry
A dishonest action

barrier reef
Exposed corral reef along a coast.

batten
Thin rigid strip inserted in a pocket on a sail to keep its shape.

beachcomber
Term for an unemployed seaman on the beach.

beacon
Used to indicate hazards or other types of navigation information.

beak-head grating
Another word for the bathroom on a boat, term originally specific to naval vessel.

beam
The maximum width of a vessel.

beam reach
Wind at right angles to keel.

bear
An object bears in the direction a person is looking.

bear down
To approach a vessel from the windward direction.

bearing
The apparent direction of an object as related to a vessels heading or compass reading.

bear off
To steer away from the wind, shore, or object.

bear up
Steering towards the eye of the wind, shore, or object.

beat
Advancing windward on alternate tacks.

becalmed
When a boat's sails hang limp and lifeless without wind.

becket
An eye or loop made out of fibre or rope wire.

bees
Pieces bolted to outer bowsprit end to reeve foretopmast stays thru.

belay
A change in a spoken order or directive, e.g. "Belay that order!". Also to secure a line to a cleat or pin.

belaying pin
A iron or wooden pin fitted into railing to secure lines.

bell buoy
A navigational buoy with a bell warning rang by wave motion.

belly
The fullness of a sail when it is filled with wind.

belly strap
Passing rope beneath a boat when carrying out a kedge anchor.

below
beneath or under the deck (seldom called downstairs).

bench hook
A hook with swivel in cloth counteracting pull of sailors needle.

bend
A knot where one rope is secured to another.

to bend
to make fast a sail to a spar or stay

to bend a cable
To secure a cable to an anchor.

bending shackle
Hardware that connects a chain or cable to an anchor ring.

beneaped
or
neaped
A term for a boat ran aground at high tide where the following the high tide, can't float.

bermudian sail
British term for marconi or jib-headed sail.

berth
A boat dock or anchorage. Also a place where a person sleeps aboard a boat.

berth deck
Lower complete deck used for berthing near waterline.

between decks
The space between decks.

bight
A bend in a rope. Alternatively, a bend in shore making a cove, bay, or inlet.

bilge
A curve of a hull between keel and gunwale. Alternatively, the largest diameter of a cask.

bilge blocks
Blocks in a dry dock upon which a ships bilge rests.

bilged
Term for the situation which arises when a ship's bilge is broken.

bilge keel
Keels at the turn of the bilge to reduce vessel rolling motion.

bilge water
The water that drains into and collects in a vessels bilge.

bilge ways
Timbers bolted together and propped under a keel for launching.

bill
The point at the end of an anchor fluke.

bill board
An inclined metal plate for the anchor to rest on without marring deck.

bill of health
A port health certificate obtained as a vessel clears port.

bill of lading
A receipt from a vessel for cargo received.

binnacle
A compass stand containing compensating magnets.

bite
The anchor takes hold of the sea bottom.

bitter end
The last inboard link of the anchor chain or the end of the anchor line.

bitts
Deck posts are used to secure mooring or towing lines.

black gang
An old term for an engine crew when coal was the principal fuel.

blade
The back side of an anchor palm is also the flat part of an oar or propeller.

blanket
A windward sailboat takes the wind out of the sails of a sailboat that is too leeward. A bridge, building, or headland can also blanket sails.

blocks
Frames to support pulleys, to increase rope pull, or change line pull.

bluff
A steep shore or a full-bowed vessel.

board
A windward tack or leg when sailing closehauled.

boat hook
A pole with a hook is used to retrieve a mooring buoy or ring.

bosun's chair
A canvas or wood seat or sling is used to lift a man needing to work high above deck e.g., in the rigging or on the mast.

boatswain's chest
A chest containing bosun's tools.

boatswain
An officer or crewman in charge of lines, boats, rigging, etc.

bobstay
Rod, chain, or wire from stem to cutwater securing bowsprit.

bollard
Vertical posts on the dock to secure hawsers.

bolsters
Chafing gear for trestle tree rigging.

bolts
Early round iron bolts without threads were peened over with a hammer.

bolt rope
A rope is sewn around along the edge of a sail to increase sail-cloth strength.