Sailor Lingo

A glossary of nautical terminology

A companion guide to Berth of the Cool, a Windjammer Journal

• about (coming about)— the process of turning the boat through the wind from one tack to another.
• beating— sailing upwind on a series of tacks. (Also known as sailing close-hauled.)
• berth— a place to sleep on a ship.
• bow— the front end of the ship.
• bowsprit — a large spar that projects from the bow of the ship.
• cabin sole— belowdecks flooring. The sole can be removed to expose the bilge.
• close-hauled— sailing into the wind with the sails trimmed in as close as possible
• coastal navigation— using two or more shoreline landmarks to chart the ship's location.
• companionway— a doorway and stairs leading from the deck to below.
• crew berths— bunks in the bow of the vessel. These are typically quite small.
• downwind run— sailing with the wind directly astern.
• fisherman anchor (yachtsman's anchor)— a type of anchor. Fisheman anchors are more traditional in design and used primarily for heavy-duty applications.
• fit-out— spring maintenance of a ship. Includes painting, varnishing, replacing planks, re-caulking seams, rigging, and bending-on sails.
• following sea— waves that are moving in the same direction as the boat’s course.
• forepeak— the forward-most portion of the deck.
• foresail— the sail attached to the forward mast of a two-masted ship.
• galley— a boat’s kitchen and belowdecks gathering place for passengers and crew
• halyard— a line that hoists a sail.
• haul-out — towing the boat out of the water so hull work can be done.
• heeling— when the boat leans to one side from wind pressure
• headsail— any number of sails that are forward of the foremast (includes the jib, staysail, and jib staysail)
• holding tank — tank that holds either freshwater, wastewater, or, in some cases, fuel.
• hook— anchor.
• jib— the forward-most headsail.
• jibe— the act of swinging the sails from one side of the boat to the other while sailing off the wind.
• lee (in the lee of)— a flat calm area of sea where the wind has been buffeted of blocked by a large object such as an island
• mainsail— the sail attached to the mainmast (aft mast) of a two-masted ship.
• NOAA— National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A scientific agency that provides detailed forecasts on weather and sea states.
• peak— the upper part of a four-sided sail that resembles a peak when full hoisted.
• quarterdeck— aft portion of a tall ship (typically the upper deck). The helm is located here.
• raft— a collection of two or more boats tied together at an anchorage or mooring
• ratlines— ropes that form a ladder leading from the side of the boat to the top of the mast.
• "reading from both pages"— idiom for sailing "wing and wing." When sailing on a downwind run, the foresail is "wung out" such that it is trimmed on the opposite side of the mainsail. From the helm, the two sails resemble pages of an open book, hence "reading from both pages."
• rigging — (noun) ropes or cables that are broken into two general categories: 1. standing rigging supports masts; 2. running rigging allows crew to hoist or trim sails. (verb) Setting ropes, cables, spars, and masts into place.
• schooner— typically a two-masted ship where the mainmast (aft mast) is taller than the foremast.
• staysail— a headsail that is rigged directly forward of the foresail
• spar — a hefty length of rounded wood that serves to support rigging
  
• stern— the rear end of the boat.
• tack— (noun) a leg of a journey in which there are no significant changes to the boat’s course or its sails. Once the course has been changed and the sails trimmed, a new tack has begun. (verb) Sailing a zigzag course to windward.
• throat— the forward part of a four-sided sail; the part that is attached to the mast.
• transom— the ship’s rear-most panel as viewed from behind. Stern describes the general rear-end portion of the ship, while transom describes this particular area. (Typically, a boat’s name is painted on the transom).
• topsail— a sail that is set above the foresail on a schooner- or square-rigged vessel.
• trimming sail— adjusting the position of the sail for the best presentation to the wind.
• windlass— a winch that raises the anchor.
• yawlboat— a small motorboat that’s used to push a tall ship during calms or anytime sailing in untenable (such as in tight harbors).