103 Vocab Flashcards
Off the boat at right angle to centerline
Abeam
The angle at which the apparent wind strikes the chord of the sail
Angle of attack
Behind the stern
Astern
Across the boat from side to side
Athwardships
A wire support from the top of the mast to the stern
Back stay
A slat inserted in the leech of a sail to support the sail cloth
Batten
A pocket sewn into the sail to hold a batten
Batten pocket
A navigation aid that is fixed in place
Beacon
The width of the boat at its widest point
Beam
To turn the boat away from the wind or fall off
Bear away
Lowest interior region of the hull
Bilge
The stand on which the boats main compass is mounted
Binnacle
Another name for pulley
Block
The spar that supports the foot of the sail
Boom
Running rigging, block and tackle that holds down the boom
Boom vang
A knot that forms a loop in the end of a line
Bow Line
Upright partition in the interior of the boat
Bulkhead
A floating object anchored to the bottom
Buoy
Sailing on a run with the wind on the same side of the mainsail
By the Lee
A fitting with a spring loaded jaws used to secure a line
Cam cleat
A cylindrical buoy used as a nav aid
Can buoy
Any of the 4 principal points on a compass
N E S W
Cardinal point
A boat with 2 hulls
Catamaran
Metal fabrication attached to the hull and to which a stay or shroud is connected
Chain plate
A fitting used to secure a line under load
Cleat
Aft lower corner of a sail
Clew
Low wall that deflects running water on the deck
Coaming
The area of the boat usually recessed into the deck where to boat is steered and sailed
Cockpit
Entrance from the cockpit or deck to the cabin
Companionway
The direction the boat is being steered
Course
An eye formed by sewing a rope or metal ring into a sail
Cringle
A line used to tension the luff of a sail
Cunningham
A board that lowers vertically down from the bottom of the boat to provide sideways resistance
Daggerboard
A fixed window
Dead light
The horizontal surface that encloses the top of the hull
Deck
Compass error caused by magnetic influences on the boat
Deviation
A line used to tension the luff of a sail by pulling down the boom at the gooseneck
Downhaul
In the direction the wind is blowing
Downwind
Depth of boat below the water
Draft
The curvature of a sail
Draft
To let out a line that has a load on it
Ease
Outgoing tide
Ebb
Fitting used to lead a line fair and at the correct angle to a winch or cleat
Fair lead
To lay out a line in parallel lengths so it can run freely
Fake
An inflatable cushion placed between the boat and dock
Fender
The distance over which the wind has blown uninterrupted
Fetch
Raised edge around a shelf
Fiddle rail
To lay in even loose folds
Like a sail
Flake
Incoming tide
Flood tide
Bottom edge of a sail
Foot
A sail set forward of the mainsail often a jib or headsail
Fore sail
A stay that supports the mast from forward
Forestay
Height of boat above the waterline
Freeboard
To stow a sail on a spar or stay
Furl
Kitchen on a boat
Galley
A large jib that extends aft of the mast
Genoa
To be moving backward
Going Astern
Articulated fitting that connects a boom to a mast
Gooseneck
A metal ring set into a sail
Grommet
Top edge of deck where it joins the hull
Gunwale
A line used to raise and lower a sail
Halyard
Metal clip or tab used to attach a sails luff to a stay
Hank
Covered opening in the deck
Hatch
Top of sail
Head
Toilet on boat
Head
Reinforcement at the head of sail
Head board
Metal or plastic cover that fits over a forestay to accept the luff tape of jib when its hoisted
Headfoil
The stay between the top of the mast and the bow
Head stay
To hold a boat almost stationary by setting the sails and rudder in opposition
Heave to
The tiller or wheel from which the boat is steered
Tiller
The person steering the boat
Helmsman
Watertight structure of a boat
Hull
A line attached to the deck as a place to attach safety tethers
Jack line
A rope clutch
Jammer
Triangular sail set forward of the mainmast
Jib
To turn the boat so it’s stern passes through the wind
Jibe
Line attached to the clew of a jib used to adjust its angle to the wind
Jibsheet
Appendix fin shaped structure filled with ballast attached to bottom of boat
Keel
Aft edge of sail
Leech
Tendacy of boat to turn downwind
Lee’s helm
A wire supported by stanchions around the perimeter of the deck to keep crew from falling overboard
Lifeline
Fixed mark on a compass that indicates the boats heading
Lubber line
Forward edge of Sail
Luff
Fluttering of a sail when the boat is too close to the wind for the sails trim
Luffing
Direction toward the earths magnetic pole
Magnetic north
Boom that supports the main sail
Main boom
Principal mast on a sail boat
Main mast
Sail attached to the aft side of main mast
Mainsail
Line used to control the main boom and thereby trim the mainsail
Mainsheet
To secure to a cleat
Make fast
Fixed spar that holds up a sail or sails
Mast
A wind vane attached to top of mast head
Masthead fly
To tie up a boat
Moor
Permanently set anchor
Mooring
Cone shaped buoy top used for navigation
Nun buoy
Line used to tension the foot of the mainsail
Out haul
Direction a boat is sailing relative to the wind
Point of sail
To the left of boat
Port
A window that can be opened
Port light
The effect of a prop that pushes the stern of the boat sideways
Prop walk
Flow of water off a propeller
Prop wash
Guard rail at bow or stern which lifelines are connected to
Pulpit
Device that enhances boats visibility to radar
Radar reflector
To reduce the size of a sail
Reef
Line and or chain attached to anchor
Rode
Mechanism for furling a sail by rolling it around its stay
Roller furling
Movable appendage attached under the boat to steer it
Rudder
Adjustable rigging used to raise , lower or trim sails
Running rigging
Length of webbing used to secure sails
Sail tie
Material from which sail is made
Sail cloth
Sailing on a run with the wind on the same side of the boat as the mainsail
Sailing by the Lee
The area in the cabin used for dining and lounging
Saloon
Ratio of the length of anchor rode deployed to the vertical distance from bow to bottom
Scope
A drain
Scupper
Wind that blows from the sea towards land
Sea breeze
Marine valve often fitted to a thru hull fitting
Seacock
Device on a winch that enables it to grasp and gather the rail of a line as its wound on the winch
Self tailer
Closable metal connector used in rigging
Shackle
Line used to control the alignment of a sail to the wind
Sheet
Electricity from shore
Shore power
Temporary sheet used take load of a working sheet
Short sheet
Wire that provides athwartships support to the mast
Shroud
System of reefing a sail by lowering it partway to remove a slab from exposure to the wind
Slab reefing
Period of tide where the tide is neither ebbing or flooding
Slack water
Sailboat with one mast, a mainsail and one headsail
Sloop
Block that opens to fit around the middle of a line
Snatch block
Large lightweight rounded sail used when sailing downwind
Spinnaker
An athwartships strut on a mast that holds the shroud away from the mast
Spreader
Metal post that supports lifelines
Stanchion
Shrouds and stays that support spare but stay in place when not sailing
Standing rigging
Vessel that must maintain its course and speed when two vessels converge
Stand on vessel
Right side of the boat
Starboard
Any course where the wind is blowing on the starboard side of the boat
Starboard tack
Any course where the wind is blowing on the port side of boat
Port tack
Standing rigging that supports mast in fore and aft direction
Stay
Fitting on the bow to which the forestay and jib tack are attached
Stem head fitting
Aft part of boat
Stern
Forward Lower corner of sail
Tack
To change course of boat by turning to the bow through the wind
Tack
