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AUTICAL
ICTIONARY
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Click a 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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| BACK AND FILL: Denotes a mode of tacking
when the tide is with the vessel and the wind is against it. Metaphorically,
to be irresolute. |
| 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. |
| BEAUFORT SCALE: A measure of the force of
wind at sea. A force of 0 means seas like a mirror. A force of 6
on the Beaufort scale means winds blowing at a speed of between
25 and 31 miles per hour; a strong breeze accompanied by large waves
topped with white foamy crests. |
| 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 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. |
| COMPANION: A wooden covering over the staircase to a cabin. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| DOUBLE BOTTOM: Portion of
a boat that extends from the flat keel to the tank top. It is strongly
constructed and water tight so that in case of accident causing
an inrush of water into the double bottom, the ship will still be
able to keep afloat. The principal parts of the double bottom are
the flat keel, vertical keel, floors, intercostal girders, bilge,
brackets, tank top, longitudinals, bounding bars and angle clips. |
| DOUSE: To drop a sail quickly. |
| DRIFT: A vessels leeway. |
| 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. |
| EPIRB: Emergency Position
Indicating Radio Beacon. An emergency device that uses a radio signal
to alert satellites or passing airplanes to a vessel's position. |
| ESCUTCHEON: The part
of a vessel's stern where her name is written. |
| 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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| FAGGED: Said of a rope with an untwisted
end. |
| FAST: Said of an object that is secured to
another. |
| FATHOM: A unit of length equal to 6 feet
used in measuring water depth. |
| FEATHER: To turn the blade of an oar horizontally with the top aft as it comes
out of the water. |
| FENDER: A cushion placed between boats, or
between a boat and a pier, to prevent damage. |
| FID: A block of wood or
iron, placed through the hole in the heel of a mast, and resting
on the trestletrees of the mast below. This supports the mast. Also,
a wooden pin, tapered, used in splicing large ropes, in opening
eyes. |
| 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. |
| FORECASTLE (or FO'C'SLE): The
extreme forward compartment of a vessel. |
| 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. |
| GALLOWS: A frame used to
rest the boom when the sail is down. |
| 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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| HAIL: To speak or call to
another vessel or to persons in a different part of a ship. |
| HALYARD: Pulls up the sail and
the wooden poles (boom and gaff) that hold the sails in place. |
| 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: 1. A marine toilet; also the upper
corner of a triangular sail. 2. The work at the
prow of a vessel. If it is a carved figure, it is called a figure-head;
if simple carved work, bending over and out, a billet-head; and
if bending in, like the head of a violin, a fiddle-head. 3. The
upper end of a mast, called a masthead |
| 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: 1. To tip to one side. 2. The
after part of the keel. 3. The lower end of a mast or boom. 4. The
lower end of the sternpost. |
| 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. |
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| IN IRONS: A sailboat with
its bow pointed directly into the wind, preventing the sails from
filling properly so that the boat can move. |
| 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. |
| JACOBS LADDER: A
rope ladder with wooden steps. |
| JETTISON: To cast overboard or off. Informal.
To discard something as unwanted or burdensome. |
| 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. |
| JIGGER: Aft sail on the mizzenmast of a yawl
or a ketch. After mast (4th mast) on schooner or sailing ship
carrying a spanker. |
| JOLLY BOAT: A small boat, usually hoisted
at the stern. |
| JURY MAST: A temporary mast, rigged at sea, in place of one lost. |
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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. |
| KEEL HAUL: To pass a person
backwards and forwards under a ship's keel for certain offenses. |
| KEELSON: A timber placed
over the keel on the floor-timbers, and running parallel with it.. |
| KENTLEDGE: Pig-iron ballast, laid each side of the keelson. |
| KETCH: A two-masted sailboat with the smaller
after mast stepped ahead of the rudderpost. |
| 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. |
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| LABOR: A vessel is said
to labor when she rolls or pitches heavily. |
| LACUSTRINE: Of or relating to lakes; Living
or growing in or along the edges of lakes. |
| LANYARD: A shot line used
for making anything fast or used as a handle. or ropes
rove through dead-eyes for setting up rigging. |
| LARBOARD: The left side of a vessel, looking forward. |
| LARBOWLINES: The familiar term for the men in the larboard watch. |
| LARGE: A vessel is said
to be going large, when she has the wind free. |
| LATCHINGS: Loops on the head rope of a bonnet, by which it is laced to the foot
of the sail. |
| LATITUDE: The
distance north or south of the equator measured and expressed in
degrees. |
| LAY: To come or to go; as in "Lay aloft",
"Lay forward", or "Lay aft". |
| LAZARETTE: A storage compartment
in the stern. |
| 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. |
| LONGITUDE: The distance
in degrees east or west of the meridian at Greenwich, England. |
| LONGITUDINALS: Beams that
run fore and aft from bulkhead to bulkhead, except in the shelter
and upper decks, where some are broken by hatch interference. They
give strength and rigidity to the framework and shell. They are
connected and welded at the flange of the channel to the shell or
deck. |
| 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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| 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. |
| 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. |
| MATE: An officer under the master. |
| 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: 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. |
| NEAP TIDES: Low tides, coming at the middle of the moon's second and fourth quarters. |
| NET TONNAGE: A vessel's
measurement of cargo carrying capacity. |
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| OAR: A long wooden instrument
with a flat blade at one end, used for propelling a variety of different
types of vessels. |
| ORLOP: The lower
deck of a ship of the line; or that on which the cables are stowed. |
| OUTBOARD: Toward or beyond the boat's sides.
Also 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 of 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. |
| PAWL: A short bar of iron which prevents
the capstan or windlass from turning back. |
| 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. |
| PILOT HOUSE: A small cabin
on the deck of the ship that protects the steering wheel and the
crewman steering. |
| 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. |
| PLIMSOLL MARK: A mark on a vessel to show
its maximum draft, or the depth to which a hull could be safely
submersed in the water. There are actually three marks; one indicating
the safe loading depth in fresh water which as swimmers know is
less buoyant than salt water, one in the calmer seas of summer and
one to be referenced during the rougher seas of winter months. |
| POOP: A deck raised over
the after part of the spar deck. |
| 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. |
| QUARTERDECK: That part of the upper deck abaft the main-mast. |
| QUARTERING SEA: Sea coming on a boat's quarter. |
| QUARTERMASTER: A petty officer in a man-of-war
who attends the helm and binnacle at sea, and watches for signals,
etc., when in port. |
| QUAY: wharf used to discharge
cargo. |
| QUEEN TOPSAIL: small stay
sail located between the foremast and mainmast. |
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| RACE: A strong, rippling tide. |
| RACK: To seize two ropes
together, with cross-turns. Also, a fair-leader for running rigging. |
| RAKE: The inclination of
a mast from the perpendicular. |
| RAMLINE: A line
used in mast-making to get a straight middle line on a spar. |
| 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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| SCARF: To join two pieces
of timber at their ends by shaving them down and placing them over-lapping. |
| 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. |
| TAUT: Tight. |
| TAUNT: High or tall. Commonly
applied to a vessel's masts. |
| 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. |
| TOPMAST: A second spar carried
at the top of the fore or main mast, used to fly more sail. |
| 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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| UNBEDN: To cast off or untie. |
| UNDERWAY: Vessel in motion - one not moored,
at anchor, or aground. |
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| V-BOTTOM: A hull with the bottom section
in the shape of a "V." |
| 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. |
| WATCH: A period of time used to organize
the working day aboard ship. Each 24 hour day is broken down into
six watches of 4 hours, beginning with the midwatch from midnight
to 4am, followed by the morning, forenoon, and afternoon watches.
The first of the 2 'dog' watches begin at 4pm, the second just 2
hours later at 6pm. This 'exception' allowed the crew to rotate
working periods so they would not be working the same shifts (watches)
throughout the voyage. |
| 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. |
| WINDWARD: Toward the direction from which
the wind is coming; opposite of leeward. |
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| YACHT: A vessel of pleasure or state. |
| YARD: A long piece of timber
or spar, tapering slightly toward the ends, and hung by the centre
to a mast, to spread the square sails upon. |
| YARDARM: The extremities
of a yard. |
| 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. |
| YOEMAN: A man employed in a vessel of war
to take charge of a storeroom, therefore a boatswain's yeoman the
man that has charge of the stores, of rigging, etc. |
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| ZEBECK: A small three-masted Mediterranean
vessel with lanteen and som square sails. |
| ZULU TIME: GMT- Greenwich
Meridian Time, also known as Universal Time. |
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