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AILING
ICTIONARY
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Click a below to find a specific sailing term
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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. |
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| 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 closehauled
and coming about. |
| BLOCK: Nautical term for a pulley. |
| BOOM: Horizontal pole that holds the bottom
of the mainsail; named after the sound it makes when hitting your
head. |
| 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, etc. |
| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| DINGHY: A little open boat. |
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| 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. |
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| GOOSENECK: Fitting that attaches
the boom to the mast with a flexible joint. |
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| 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. |
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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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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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. |
| MAST: A spar set upright to support rigging
and sails. |
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| OUTHAUL: Line that pulls on the clew of the
mainsail. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| SCULLING: Rowing the boat, i.e. 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. |
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| 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 blockt. |
| TRIM: Fore and aft balance of a boat. |
| TRUE WIND: The actual direction from which
the wind is blowing. |
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| 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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