Vocabulary Flashcards
Rhumb line
A straight course between two points
Fairway
A channel
Knockdown
A boat heeled so far that one of its spreaders touches the water
Mainsheet
The controlling line for the mainsail
Lazy sheet
The windward side jib sheet that is not under strain
Mast
The large aluminum or wooden pole in the middle of a boat from which the mainsail is set
Bearing
The direction from one object to another expressed in compass degrees
Bolt rope
The rope sewn into the foot and luff of some mainsails and the luff of some jibs by which the sails are attached to the boat
Masthead
The top of the mast
Coaming
The short protective wall surrounding the cockpit
Compass rose
The twin circles on a chart which indicate the direction of true north and magnetic north
Offshore
Away from or out of sight of land
“Ready to jibe”
The command given to the crew to prepare to jibe
By the lee
Sailing on a run with the wind coming over the same side of the boat as the boom
Below
The area of a boat beneath the deck
Shroud
Standing rigging at the side of the mast
Waterline
The horizontal line on the hull of a boat where the water surface should be
Hull speed
The theoretical maximum speed of a sailboat determined by the length of is waterline
Forepeak
A storage area in the bow (below the deck)
Give-way vessel
The vessel required to give way to another boat when they may be on a collision course
Magnetic
In reference to magnetic north rather than true north
Downhaul
A line used to pull down the movable gooseneck on some boats to tighten the luff of the mainsail. the Cunningham has the same function on other boats.
Charter
To rent a boat
Working sheet
Leeward jib sheet that is being used to trim the jib
Mizzen
The small aftermost sail on ketch or yawl hoisted on the mizzen mast
Rudder
The underwater fin that is controlled by the tiller to deflect water and steer the boat
Freeboard
The height of the hull above the water’s surface
Schooner
A two-masted boat whose foremast is usually shorter than its mainmast
Chop
Rough, short, steep waves
Companionway
The steps leading from the cockpit or deck to the cabin below
Luff groove
The slot into which the luff of a sail is inserted
Head
1) The top corner of a sail
2) The bathroom on a boat
3) The toilet on a boat
Sheave
The rotating wheel inside a block or fitting
Following sea
Waves hitting the boat from astern
Telltales
1) Pieces of yarn or sailcloth material attached to sails which indicate when the sail is properly trimmed
2) Wind direction indicators attached to the standing rigging
Course
The direction in which the boat is steered
Tune
To adjust a boat’s standing rigging
Furl
To fold or roll up a sail
“Hard a-lee”
The command given to the crew just prior to tacking
Secure
Make safe or cleat
Compass
The magnetic instrument which indicates the direction in which the boat is headed
Outhaul
The controlling line attached to the clew of a mainsail used to tension the foot of the sail
Hove-to
A boat that has completed the process of heaving-to, with its jib aback, its main loosely trimmed, and its rudder securely positioned to steer it close to the wind
Topping lift
A line used to hold the boom up when the mainsail is lowered or stowed
Centerline
The midline of a boat running from bow to stern
Point
To steer close to the wind
Splice
The joining of two lines together by interweaving their strands
Cast off
To release a line when leaving a dock of mooring
Roach
The sail area aft of a straight line running from the head to the clew of a sail
Full
Not luffing
Displacement
The weight of a boat; therefore the amount of water it displaces
Keel
The heavy vertical fin beneath a boat that helps keep it upright and prevents it from slipping sideways in the water
Broad Reach
Point of Sail: Sailing in a direction with the wind at the rear corner of the boat (~135 degrees from the bow)
Lead
(LEED): To pass a line through a fitting or a block
Fathom
A measurement of the depth of water. One fathom = 6’
Fast
Secured
Tide
The rise and fall of water level due to the gravitational pull of the sun and moon
Dead downwind
Sailing in a direction straight downwind
Rail
The outer edges of the deck
Lubber’s line
A small post in a compass used to help determine a course or a bearing
Toe rail
A short aluminum or wooden rail around the outer edges of the deck
Come about
Another phrase for “tack”
Overpowered
A boat that is heeling too far because it has too much sail up to the amount of wind
Lash
To tie down
Seacock
A valve which opens and closes a hole through the hull or saltwater needed on board or discharge
Leeward
(LEW-erd): The direction away from the wind (where the wind (where the wind is blowing to)
Pushpit
A stainless steel guardrail at the stern of some boats
Low side
The leeward side of the boat
Gudgeon
A fitting attached to the stern of a boat into which the pintles of a rudder are inserted
Beam
The width of a boat at its widest point
“Ready about”
The command given to the crew to prepare to tack
Nun
A red, even-numbered, cone-shaped buoy marking the right side of a channel as you return to port. Nuns are usually paired with cans.
Can
An odd-numbered, green, flat-topped buoy marking the left side of a channel as you return to port
Boat speed
The speed of a boat through the water
Grommet
A reinforcing metal ring set in a sail
Working sails
The mainsail and standard jib
Helm
The tiller
Snub
To hold a line under tension by wrapping it on a winch or cleat
Windward
Toward the wind
Spring line
A dockline running forward or aft from the boat to the dock to keep the boat from moving forward or aft
Mainsail
(MAIN-sil): The sail hoisted on the mast of a sloop or cutter of the sail hoisted on the mainmast of a ketch or yawl
Kedge off
To use an anchor to pull a boat into deeper water it has run aground
Holding ground
The bottom ground in an anchorage used to hold the anchor
Boom vang
A block and tackle system which pulls the boom down to assist sail control
Foot
The bottom edge of a sail
Cabin
The interior of a boat
Daysailer
A small sailboat
Vang
Short for “boom vang”
Bilge
The lowest part of the boat’s interior, where water on board will collect
Fend off
Push off
Stanchions
Stainless steel supports at the edge of the deck which hold the lifelines
Sole
The floor in a cockpit or cabin
Blanket
To use a sail or object to block the wind from filling a sail
Rake
The angle of the mast
Slow
To store properly
Bight
A loop in a line
Stay
A wire support for a mast, part of the standing rigging
Fender
A rubber bumper used to protect a boat by keeping it from hitting a dock.
Sail ties
Pieces of line or webbing used to tie the mainsail to the boom when reefing or storing the sail
Luff
1) The forward edge of a sail
2) The fluttering of a sail caused by aiming too close to the wind
Dockline
A line used to secure the boat to the dock
Whip
To bind together the strands at the end of a line
Push-pull principle
The explanation of how sails generate power
Outboard
1) Outside the rail of boat
2) A portable engine
Lee shore
Land which is on the leeward side of the boat. Because the wind is blowing in that direction, a lee shore could pose a danger.
Pulpit
A stainless steel guardrail at the bow and stern of some boats
Fairlead
A fitting that guides a jib sheet or other lines back to the cockpit or along the deck
Figure-8 knot
A knot designed to act as a stopper in the end of a line that takes the form of an 8
Stern
The aft part of the boat
Trimaran
A three-hulled sailing vessel
Knot
One nautical mile per hour
Windward side
The side of a boat or a sail closest to the wind
Roller furling
A mechanical system to roll up a headsail (jib) around the headstay
Jibe
To change direction of a boat by steering the stern through the wind
Standing rigging
The permanent rigging (usually wire) of a boat, including the forestay, backstay, and shrouds
Sea breeze
A wind that blows over the sea and onto the land
Cockpit
The lower area in which the steering controls and sails controls are located
Buckhead
A wall the runs athwartships on a boat, usually providing structural support to the hull
Rode
Line and chain attached from the boat to the anchor
Coil
To loop a line neatly so it can be stored
Sail cover
The protective cover used to preserve sails when they are not in use
Head down
To fall off or bear away, changing course away from the wind
“Jibe-ho”
The command given to the crew when starting a jibe
True wind
The actual speed and direction of the wind when standing still
No-Go Zone
An area into the wind in which a boat cannot produce power to sail
Tiller extension
A handle attached to the tiller which allows the helmsman to sit further out to the side
Staysail
(STAY-sil): On a cutter, a second small “inner jib”, attached between the bow and the mast
Reef
To reduce the size of a sail
Swamped
Filled with water
Tiller
A long handle, extending into the cockpit, which directly controls the rudder
Gunwale
(GUN-el): The edge of the deck where it meets the topsides
Line
A nautical rope
Capsize
To tip of turn a boat over
S-Jibe
The controlled method of joining with the mainsail crossing the boat under control and the boat’s path making an “S” shaped course
Centerboard
A pivoting board that can be lowered and used like a keel to keep a boat from slipping to leeward
Lay
To sail a course that will clear an obstacle without tacking
Header
A wind shift which makes your boat head down or sails to be sheeted in
Hank
A snap hook that is used to connect the luff of a jib onto the forestay
Broach
An uncontrolled rounding up in to the wind, usually from a downwind point of sail
Reach
One of several points of sail across the wind
Helmsman
The person responsible for steering the boat
Siegel
A vertical fin in front of the rudder
Mooring
A permanently anchored ball or buoy to which a boat can be tied
Luff tape
An attachment to the luff of a sail consisting of a small, internal boltrope inserted in the luff groove on a roller furling system.
Lull
A decrease in wind speed for a short duration
Stem
The forward tip of the bow
Hike
To position crew members out over the windward rail to help balance the boat
Rig
1) The design of a boat’s mast(s), standing rigging, and sail plan
2) To prepare a boat to go sailing
Shoal
Shallow water that may be dangerous
Skipper
The person in charge of the boat
Lazarette
A storage compartment built into the cockpit or deck
Tail
To hold and pull a line from behind a winch
Heel
The lean of a boat caused by the wind
Scupper
Cockpit or deck drain
Mainmast
The taller of two masts on a boat
Whisker pole
A pole, temporarily mounted between the mast and the clew of a jib, used to hold the jib out and keep it full when sailing downwind.
Amidships
Toward the center of the boat
Lee helm
The boat’s tendency to turn away from the wind
Batten
A thin slat that slides into a pocket in the leech of a sail, helping it hold its shape
Headstay
The standing rigging running from the bow to the mast
Heave
To throw
Dodger
A canvas protection in front of the cockpit of some boats that is designed to keep spray off the skipper and crew
Aft
At or toward the stern or behind the boat
Flood
An incoming current
Beating
A course sailed upwind
Cunningham
A line running through a grommet about 8” up from the tack of a mainsail that is used to tighten the luff of the sail
Backstay
The standing rigging running from the stern to the top of the mast, keeping the mast from falling forward
Leech
The after edge of a sail
Overtaking
A boat that is catching up to another boat and about to pass it
Head up
To come up, changing course toward the wind
Dock
1) The wooden structure where a boat may be tied up.
2) The act of bringing the boat to rest alongside the structure.
Traveler
A track or bridle that controls sideways (athwartships) movement of the mainsail
Channel
A (usually narrow) path in the water, marked by bouys, in which the water is deep enough to sail
Chafe
Wear on a line caused by rubbing
Cutter
A single-masted boat with the mast near the middle that is capable of flying both a jib and a staysail
Hard over
To turn the tiller as far as possible in one direction
Tack
1) A course on which the wind comes over one side of the boat, i.e., port tack, starboard tack
2) To change direction by turning the bow through the wind
3) The lower forward corner of a sail
Stability
A boat’s ability to resist tipping (heeling)
Back
To stop or to propel a boat backward by holding the clew of a sail out to windward
Scull
To propel a boat by swinging the rudder back and forth
Trim
1) To pull in on a sheet
2) How a sail is set relative to the wind
Bouy
A floating marker
Transom
The vertical surface of the stern
Headsail
A jib, genoa, or staysail
Reeve
To pass a line thorough a cringe or block
Underway
To be under the power of sail or engine
Ballast
Weight in the keel of a boat that provides stability
Heave-to
To hold one’s position in the water by using the force of the sails and rudder to counter one another
Astern
Behind the stern of the boat
Step
The area in which the base of the mast fits
Hatch
A large covered opening in the deck
Offshore wind
Wind blowing off (away from) the land
Chart
A nautical map
Deck
The mostly flat surface area on top of the boat
Pintle
Small metal extensions on a rudder that slides into grudges on the transform. The gudgeon/pintle fitting allows the rudder to swing back and forth.
Scope
The ratio of the amount of anchor rode deployed to the distance from the bow to the bottom
Off the wind
Sailing downwind
Adrift
A boat drifting without control
Unrig
To stow sails and rigging when the boat is not in use
Crew
Besides the skipper, anyone on board who helps sail the boat
Gear
Generic term for sailing equipment
Wind-and-wing
Sailing downwind with the jib set on the opposite side of the mainsail
Bowline
(BOE-lin): A knot designed to make a loop that will not slip and can be easily untied
Spreader
A support strut extending athwartships from the mast used to support the mast and guide the shrouds from the top of the mast to the chainplates
Fitting
A piece of nautical hardware
Right-of-way
The right of the stand-on vessel to hold its course
Clew
The lower, aft corner of a sail. The clew of the mainsail is held taught by the outhaul. The jib sheets are attached to the clew of the jib.
Masthead fly
A wind direction indicator on top of the mast
Leeway
Sideways slippage of the boat in a direction away from the wind
Fake
To lay out a line on deck using large loops to keep it from becoming tangled
Quarter
The sides of the boat near the stern
Hiking strap
A strap used by people hiking out that holds their feet
Fall off
Another phrase for “head down”
High side
The windward side of the boat
Navigation Rules
Laws established to prevent collisions on the water
Port tack
Sailing on any point of sail with the wind coming over the port side of the boat
Catboat
A boat with only a mainsail and the mast located at the bow
Pay out
To ease a line
Current
The horizontal movement of water caused by tides, wind, and other forces
Spar
A pole used to attach a sail on a boat, for example, the mast, the boom, a gaff
Bottom
1) The underside of the boat
2) The land under the water
Hull
The body of the boat, excluding rig and sails
Turnbuckle
A mechanical fitting attached to the lower ends of stays, allowing for the standing rigging to be adjusted
Range
The alignment of two objects that indicate the middle of a channel
Jury rig
An improvised, temporary repair
Gooseneck
The strong fitting that connects the boom to the mast
Weather side
Another phrase for “windward side”
Sheave
The rotating wheel inside a block or fitting
Jib
The small forward sail of a boat attached to the forestry
Shake out
To remove a reef and restore the full sail
Hiking stick
Another phrase for “tiller extension”
Foresail
A jib or a genoa
Aboard
On the boat
Head-to-wind
The course of the boat when the bow is dead into the wind
Weather helm
The boat’s tendency to head up toward the ins, which occurs when a sailboat is overpowered
Headboard
The reinforcing small board affixed to the head of a sail
Gust
Another word for “puff”
Beam reach
Point of Sail: Sailing in a direction at ~90 degrees to the wind
Block
A pulley on a boat
Draft
The depth of a boat’s keel from the water’s surface
Forestay
The standing rigging running from the bow to the mast to which, the jib is handed on
Athwartships
Across the boat from side to side
Boat hook
A pole with a hook on the end used for grabbing hold of a mooring of retrieving something that has fallen overboard
Set
1) The direction of a current
2) To trim they sails
Jiffy reef
A quick reefing system allowing a section of the mainsail to be tied to the boom
Bend
To attach a sail to a spar or a headstay, or to attach a line to a sail
Life Jacket
Piece of equipment designed to assist a wearer, who may be either conscious or unconscious, to keep afloat.
Sheet
1) [noun] The line which is used to control the sail by easing it out or trimming it in
2) [verb] To trim a sail
Inboard
Inside of the rail of a boat
Depower
To release the power from the sails by allowing them to luff or making them flatter. This is done to reduce heel.
Foul-weather gear
Water resistant clothing
Chainplates
Strong metal plates which connect the shrouds to the boat
Winch
A deck-mounted drum with a handle offering mechanical advantage used to trim sheets. Winches may also be mounted on the mast to assist in raising sails
Haul in
To tighten a line
In irons
A boat that is head-to-wind, making no forward headway
Spinnaker
A large billowing headsail used when sailing downwind
Lifeline
Wire supported by stanchions, around the outside of the deck to help prevent crew members from falling overboard
Bear away
To fall off, head away from the wind
USCG
Abbreviation for United States Coast Guard
Mast step
The structure that the bottom of the mast sits on
Heading
The direction of the boat expressed in compass degrees
Apparent wind
The wind aboard a moving boat
Sloop
A single-masted sailboat with mainsail and headsail
On the wind
Sailing upwind, close-hauled
Bow
The forward part of the boat
Prevailing wind
Typical of consistent wind conditions
Run
(Point of Sail): Sailing with the wind coming directly behind the boat
Wake
Waves caused by a boat moving through the water
Land breeze
A wind that blows over land and out to sea
Fore
Forward
Lift
1) The force that results from air passing by a sail, or water past a keel, that moves the boat forward and sideways.
2) A change in wind direction which lets the boat head up.
Ebb
An outgoing current
Dinghy
A small sailboat or rowboat
Fetch
A course on which a boat can make its destination without having to tack.
Yawl
A two-masted boat with its mizzen (after) mast shorter than its mainmast and located aft of the rudder post
Painter
The line attached to the bow of a dinghy
Head off
Another phrase for “head down”
Points of sail
Boat directions in relation to wind direction, i.e., close-hauled, beam reaching broad reaching, and running.
Breast line
A short dockline leading off the beam of the boat directly to the dock
Squall
A short intense storm with little warning
Bitter end
The end of a line
Close-hauled
Point of Sail: Sailing in a direction with the wind forward of the beam (~70 degrees from the bow)
Aground
A boat whose keel is touching the bottom
Cleat
A nautical fitting that is used to secure a line
Chock
A guide mounted on the deck through which docklines and anchor rode are run
Starboard
When looking from the stern toward the bow, the right side of the boat
Abeam
Off the side of (at right angle to) the boat
Ease
To let out a line or sail
Figure-8 rescue
A maneuver used to return to a person or object in the water
Bail
To empty a boat of water
Catamaran
A twin-hulled sailing vessel with a deck or trampoline between the hulls
Genoa
A large jib whose clew extends aft of the mast
Vessel
Any sailboat, power boat or ship
Stand-on vessel
The vessel or boat with the right-of-way
Fouled
Tangled
Barometer
A weather forecasting instrument that measures air pressure
Pinching
Sailing too close to the wind
Starboard tack
Sailing on any point of sail with the wind coming over the starboard side of the boat
Rigging
The wires and lines used to support and control sails
Gaff
On some boats, a spar along the top edge of a four-sided sail
Port
1) The left side of a boat when facing forward
2) A harbor
3) A window in a cabin on a boat
Slip
A parking area for a boat between 2 docks in a marina
Nautical mile
A distance of 6,076 feet, equaling one minute of the earth’s latitude
Forward
Toward the bow
Flooding
A vessel taking on water
Bow line
(BOW - line): A line running from the bow of the boat to the dock or mooring
Singlehanded
Sailing alone
Halyard
A line used to hoist or lower a sail
Bouyancy
The ability of an object to float
Boom
The spar extending directly aft from the mast to which the foot of the mainsail is attached
Glide zone
The distance a sailboat takes to coast to a stop
Downwind
Away from the direction of the wind
Running rigging
Lines and hardware used to control the sails
Ground tackle
The anchor and rode (chain and line)
Marlinspike
A pointed tool used to loosen knots
Upwind
Toward the direction of the wind
Puff
An increase in wind speed for a short duration
Heavy weather
Strong winds and large waves
Topsides
The sides of the boat between the waterline and the desk
Balance
The capability of a boat to sail straight without changing tiller position
Leeward side
The side of the boat of sail that is away from the wind
Headway
Progress made forward
Shackle
A metal fitting at the end of a line used to attach the line to a sail or another fitting
Steer
To control the direction of a boat, using the tiller or wheel, in order to maintain the desired course
Tackle
A sequence of blocks and line that provides a mechanical advantage
Quick stop rescue
A maneuver used to return to a person or object in the water
