A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Abaft – close to the rear (stern) of the boat.
Abeam – at right angles to the fore-and-aft line: the vessel was sailing with the wind directly abeam.
Aboard – on or within the boat.
Above deck – on the deck (not over the deck – see aloft)
Abreast – side by side; by the side of.
Adrift – floating without any means of propulsion or without moorings or towline.
Aerate – to oxygenate livewells to keep bait and fish alive. tto force air under the running surface of a hull.
Aft – the rear of the boat.
Aground – The bottom of the boat stuck or touching the ground / bottom.
Aft cabin – sleeping quarters beneath the aft or rear of a boat
Ahead – when the boat is moving in a forward direction.
Aids to navigation – artificial objects to supplement natural landmarks indicating safe and unsafe waters.
Alee the side of a boat or an object away from the direction of the wind.
Aloft – above the level of the dec.
Aluminum fishing boat - small trailer boat made from aluminium. Usualy riveted or welded construction.
Amidships – the center section of a boat.
Anchor - a heavy metal object, attached to a chain or line used to hold a vessel in position.
Anchorage – a location intended or well suited for anchoring.
Anti-fouling paint – a marine paint applied to a boat’s hull to prevent marine growth and water damage.
Apparent wind – the direction and velocity of wind felt whilst in a moving boat.
Astern – the direction toward or beyond the stern of a boat.
Athwart – perpendicular to a boat’s centreline
Aweigh – an anchor that does not sit on the bottom.
B
Backing down – manoeuvring of a boat in reverse when attempting to land a fish.
Backstay – a support for the mast to keep it from falling forward.
Bail – to remove water from a boat by hand with a bucket or with a pump.
Bait station – area to preparing bait.
Baitwell - compartment for holding fishing bait.
Ballast – weight added to the bottom of a boat to improve stability.
Batten down – to 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’s surface. (lights and daybeacons both constitute “beacons.”)
Beam – measurement of a boat at its widest point. Can also be used to describe a transmitted radio, sonar or radar signal.
Bearing – direction to an object.
Bear off - to turn away from the wind.
Beating – to sailing upwind.
Below – beneath the deck.
Berth – a place to sleep aboard a boat. How many people can sleep onboard.
Bight – the part of the rope or line, between the end and the standing part, on which a knot is formed.
Bilge – the interior of the hull below the floor boards where water collects.
Bimini top – a canvas cover over the helm or cockpit area.
Bitt – vertical post to secure docking lines.
Bitter end – the last part of a rope or chain. The inboard end of the anchor rope.
Block- a wooden or metal case enclosing pulleys and having a hook, eye, or strap by which it may be attached. Part of a boats rigging
Boat – a waterborne vehicle smaller than 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 – a spar attached to a sail at its foot.
Boot top – a painted line on the outside of the hull that indicates the designed waterline.
Bow – forward portion of a boat.
Bow eye – a stainless steel u-bolt on a boat’s bow stem used to secure tow lines or trailer winch hooks.
Bow line – a docking line coming from the bow.
Bowline – a knot used to form a loop at the end of a line.
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.
Bowsprit – a spar extending forward of the bow on a sailboat.
Bow stop – rubber blocks on a boat trailer into which the boat’s stem rests.
Bridge – the area onboard from which a vessel is steered and its speed controlled.
Bridge clearance – distance from waterline to a boat’s highest point.
Bridle – a line or wire secured at both ends to distribute a strain between two points.
Brightwork – varnished woodwork and/or polished metal.
Bulkhead – transverse wall in a boat that usually bears weight and supplies hull support.
Bulwark – a raised portion of the deck designed to serve as a barrier.
Buoy – an anchored floating object that serves as a navigation aid. Also used to mark a mooring spot.
Bunks – long carpeted sections of a boat trailer that support the boat’s weight.
Burdened vessel – that vessel which, according to the applicable navigation rules, must give way to the privileged vessel.
Burgee – small flag that bears a yacht club’s symbol.
C
Cabin – a compartment for passengers or crew.
Camber – curvature of a sail.
Can buoy – cylindrical navigation buoy with a flat top.
Capsize – to flip a boat over.
Capstan – a winch used for hauling heavy objects.
Cast off – to unfasten all mooring lines in ready for departure.
Catamaran – a twin hulled boat.
Centerboard – a keel-like board that can be lowered or raised to act as a keel.
Center console boat – fishing boat with the helm located amidships for maximum space.
Chafing gear – tubing or cloth wrapping used to protect a line from rubbing on a surface.
Channel – the navigable portion of a waterway. 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.
Chart plotter – electronic navigation device that displays charts for use in plotting a course.
Chine - portion of the hull where the bottom and sides intersect.
Chock – a fitting through which anchor or mooring lines are led. usually u-shaped to reduce chafe.
CID - referring to the cubic inch displacement of an engine, e.g., 454-cid gas engine.
Chumming – adding dead fish or fish blood in the water to attract larger predatory gamefish.
Cleat – hardware piece on a boat or a dock to which lines are attached.
Clew - the after-most corner of a sail.
Close-hauled – sailing as close to the wind as possible.
Clove hitch – a knot for temporarily fastening a line to a spar or piling.
Coaming – a raised edge, as around the cockpit or around a hatchway, to keep water out.
Coast guard safety package - safety gear required by law
Cockpit – deck space for the crew of a boat, typically recessed.
Coil – to lay a line down in circular turns.
Come about - to tack or change heading relative to the wind.
Companionway - entryway from the deck to the below deck cabin area.
Compass – navigation instrument, either magnetic (showing magnetic north) or gyro (showing true north).
Compass card – part of a compass, the card is graduated in degrees, to conform with the magnetic meridian-referenced direction system inscribed with direction which remains constant; 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, and with the 000° indicated as true north.
Corinthian – amateur yachtsman.
Counter rotation – the act of two propellers on a single shaft spinning in opposite directions.
Coupler - component on a boat trailer that connects to the hitchball.
Course - direction in which a boat is steered.
Cruiser – a boat with overnight accommodation.
Cuddy – a small shelter cabin in a boat.
Current – the movement of water.
Curtains - attachable front and side enclosures to protect the helm.
D
Daggerboard - a keel-like device that is manually raised and lowered vertically without using a hinge.
Daybeacon – a fixed navigation aid structure used in shallow waters upon which is placed one or more daymarks.
Davit – a small crane used to hoist a boat or dinghy or other object.
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).
Daysailer – small, open sailboat sometimes raced or short-distanced cruised, primarily used for recreational sailing.
Day sailing – to go sailing for a few hours on a small, open sailboat.
Dead ahead – directly ahead of the bow.
Dead astern – directly aft.
Dead reckoning – a plot of courses steered and distances travelled through the water.
Deadrise -degrees of v-shape hull angle measured at the transom of planing powerboats.
Deck – a permanent covering over a compartment an or hull.
Deep-v – a hull shape characterized by a sharp deadrise.
Depth sounder - marine electronic device that displays the depth of water.
Deviation - the amount of error from displaying magnetic north in a boat’s compass caused by the boat’s own magnetic interference.
Differential GPS (DGPS) – a highly accurate global positioning system (gps) that utilizes a differential radio beacon and receiver to correct errors of all visible satellites sending data to a marine GPS.
Dinghy - a small sailboat often raced that can be sailed on and off a beach. also a tender, either rowed or equipped with power, used to go to and from a larger vessel.
Direct drive – an engine configuration in which the drive shaft runs through the hull.
Displacement – the weight of water displaced by a hull.
Displacement hull – hull shape designed to run through water rather than on top.
Dock – a protected water area in whichboats are moored, also used to describe a pier or a jetty.
Dolphin – a group of piles driven close together and bound with wire cables into a single structure.
Draft – vertical distance a boat penetrates the water.
Drogue – a parachute-like sea anchor.
Dry weight – weight of the boat without fuel and water.
E
Ease – to slacken or relieve tension on a line.
Ebb – a receding current.
Ebb tide – a receding tide.
Epirb - acronym for emergency positioning indicating radio beacon.
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.
F
Fast – an object that is secured to another.
Fathom – nautical depth measurement equalling six feet.
Fender – a cylindrical or round cushion used to protect the sides of a boat.
Fetch – to clear a buoy, point of land or object without having to make a tack.
Fiberglass - glass fibers used in the construction of boats.
Fighting chair – a fixed chair used to help land large fish usually comprising of a footrest, gimbal-mounted rod holder and safety harness.
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.
Fishfinder - marine electronic device that uses sonar to locate and display fish.
Fix – the position of a boat recorded in coordinates or bearings.
Flare – a device used to indicate distress and alert rescuers to your position.
Flood – an incoming current.
Floorboards – the surface of the cockpit on which the crew stand.
Fluke – the palm of an anchor.
Flying bridge – raised, second-story helm station, often located above the primary helm.
Following sea – wave pattern running in the same direction as the boat.
Foot – the bottom edge of a sail.
Fore – located at the front of a boat.
Fore-and-aft – in a line parallel to the keel.
Foredeck – forward part of the main deck.
Forefoot – the underwater shape of the hull at the bow.
Forepeak – a compartment in the bow of a small boat.
Forward – toward the bow of the boat.
Fouled – any piece of equipment that is broken, jammed, entangled, or dirtied.
Foul-weather gear – jacket, pants and hat used during bad weather.
Founder – to sink, when a vessel fills with water and sinks..
Freeboard - the vertical distance between the waterline and the top of the hull.
Furling – rolling or folding a sail.
G
Gaff – a metal pole with a hooked end used to help bring fish onboard.
Galley – the kitchen area on a boat.
Gangway – the area where people get on and off a boat.
Gear – a general term equipment including ropes and rigging.
Genoa - overlapping jib.
Genset – a name for a fuel (das / diesel) powered electric generator.
Give way – yield to other traffic.
Give way vessel – a vessel which must yield in meeting, crossing, or overtaking situations.
GPH – gallons per hour of fuel consumption.
GPS – short for global positioning system, a satellite-based navigation system use to triangulation and pinpoint location.
Gunwale – upper edge of the side of a boat.
Grab rails – hand-hold fittings mounted on cabin tops and sides for personal safety when moving around the boat.
Ground tackle – a collective term for the anchor and its associated gear.
Gunnel – the upper edge of the sheerline (also gunwale).
Gunwale – the upper edge of a boat’s sides.
Gybe – also spelled jibe. to change the course of a boat so that the boom swings over to the opposite side.
H
Halyard – line used to hoist a spar or sail.
Harbor – a safe anchorage, protected from most storms; may be natural or man-made, with breakwaters and jetties; a place for docking and loading.
Harbor master – the person in charge of anchoring at a harbor, berths and harbor traffic.
Hard chine – a sharp-angle at the intersection of the hull’s side and bottom.
Hard over – turning the steering wheel or tiller all the way in one direction.
Hard-top – a large fiberglass roof over the helm.
Hatch – a deck opening.
Hauling – to lift a boat from the water.
Hawse pipe – fittings in the deck or gunwale through which the anchor rope or dock lines run.
Head – toilet facilities.
Heading – the direction a boat is pointed.
Headsail – a sail set forward of the mast.
Head seas – waves coming from the direction a boat is heading.
Headway – forward motion of a boat.
Heave – to pull a line.
Heaving to – setting the sails so the boat makes little headway.
Heel – to lean to one side.
Helm – area where boat controls are located.
Hike – to lean out on the windward side of a sailboat to offset heeling.
Hitch – part of a tow vehicle used to hook up a trailer.
Hitch ball – the ball-shaped part of the hitch that fits into the trailer coupler.
Hold – a compartment below deck used for carrying cargo.
Holding tank – storage tank for gray water.
Hull – the structural body of the boat that rests in the water.
Hull speed – the maximum practical speed of a displacement hull. to calculate, take the square root of the lwl (waterline hull length) and multiply by 1.34.
I
Inboard engine – an internal combustion engine that runs a drive shaft through the hull.
Inflatable – capable of being inflated with air such as a life raft or life vest.
Inner liner – molded fiberglass structure adjacent to the inside portion of the hull.
Intracoastal waterway – bays, rivers, and canals along the coasts (such as the atlantic and gulf of mexico coasts), connected so that vessels may travel without going into the sea.
Inverter – device that changes 12-, 24- or 32-volt direct current (dc) from a battery to 120-volt alternating current (ac).
J
Jack plate – a mounting device for an outboard motor that enabling user to control propeller depth by raising or lowering the motor.
Jacobs ladder – a rope ladder, lowered from the deck.
Jet boat – a boat powered by an engine with a water-pump.
Jetty – a structure projecting out from the shore.
Jib – triangular sail projecting ahead of the mast.
Jibe – see gybe.
K
Kedge – to use an anchor to move a boat by hauling on the anchor rope.
Keel – the bottom centerline of a hull.
Kicker motor – a small outboard motor.
Kill switch – a switch with lanyard that automatically shuts off the engine if disconnected.
Knot – speed measured in nautical miles per hour.
knot – a fastening made by interweaving rope to form a stopper, to enclose or bind an object, to form a loop or a noose, to tie a small rope to an object, or to tie the ends of two small ropes together.
L
Laminate – a single layer of material used in multi-layered fiberglass construction.
Latitude – geographic distance north or south of the equator expressed in degrees and minutes.
Lazarette – a storage space in a boat’s stern area.
leaning post – used instead of conventional seats.
Lee – direction toward which the wind blows.
Lee side – the side of an object that is sheltered from the wind.
Leeward – the direction away from the wind.
Leeway – to slip sideways downwind while moving forward.
Lifeline – safety lines on deck that can be grabbed.
Line – rope and cordage used aboard a boat.
List – a continuous lean to one side due to improper weight distribution.
Livewell – compartment on a fishing boat designed to keep fish or bait alive.
Log – a record of courses or operation.
Locker – a stowage compartment.
Longitude – geographic distance east or west of the prime meridian expressed in degrees and minutes.
Lubber’s line – a mark or permanent line on a compass indicating the direction forward parallel to the keel.
Luff – the leading edge of a sail.
M
Mainsail – the largest regular sail on a sailboat.
Make fast – to secure a line.
Marlinspike - a tool for opening the strands of a rope while splicing.
Mast – vertical spar that supports sails.
Mayday – radio distress call.
Megayacht – a large yacht, normally longer than 100 feet
Midship – location near the center of a boat.
Monohull – a boat with a single hull.
Mooring – permanent fixing that boats can tie to.
Mooring buoy – a buoy secured to a permanent anchor sunk deeply into the bottom.
Motorsailer – a hybrid boat that has sails and engines.
Motoryacht – a large powerboat greater than 40 feet .
Multihull – a boat with more than one hull.
N
Nautical mile – a distance of 6,076.12 feet or 1,852 meters, roughly 15% longer than a statute mile. The equivalent to one minute of latitude on a navigation chart.
Navigation – the movement of a boat safely from one point to another.
navigation rules – the regulations governing the movement of vessels in relation to each other, generally called steering and sailing rules.
Nun buoy – conical navigation buoy that is usually red.
O
Outboard – toward or beyond the boat’s sides. Also a detachable engine mounted on a boat’s stern.
Outboard bracket – device for mounting outboard engines.
Outboard motor – internal combustion engine mounted at the transom that incorporates motor, driveshaft and propeller.
Outdrive – the lower unit of a stern-drive motor that houses the drive gears and to which the propeller fastens.
Outrigger – poles designed to spread out fishing lines to stop tangling.
Overboard – over the side of a boat and into the water.
P
Pay out – to ease out a line, or let it run in a controlled manner.
Pennant – the line by which a boat is made fast to a mooring buoy.
Personal Watercraft (PWC) – a small, lightweight craft usually jet-propelled.
Personal Flotation Device (PFD) – a safety vest designed to keep an individual afloat.
Pier – a platform extending at an angle from the shore.
Pile – a wood, metal or concrete pole driven into the bottom.
Piling – a post driven into the ground below the waterline to support a pier, dock, etc.
Piloting – navigation by use of visible references.
Pilot house – an enclosed helm compartment.
Pitch – theoretical distance a propeller would travel in one revolution. also, the rise and fall of a boat’s bow and stern. 1. the alternate rise and fall of the bow of a vessel proceeding through waves; 2. the theoretical distance advanced by a propeller in one revolution; 3. tar and resin used for caulking between the planks of a wooden vessel.
Pitchpoling – a small boat being thrown end-over-end in rough seas.
Planing – a boat is said to be planing when it is essentially moving over the top of the water rather than through the water.
Planing hull – a boat hull designed to ride on top of the water.
Planing speed – the point at which an accelerating hull rises onto the top of the water.
Pleasure boating – recreational day boating.
Plot – to plan a navigation course using a chart.
Port – the left side of a boat when facing the bow. Also used to describe a dock.
Priveleged vessel – a vessel which, according to the applicable navigation rule, has right-of-way.
Propeller – a rotating bladed device that propels a boat through the water.
Pulpit – forward deck and railing structure at the bow of a boat.
PWC – see personal watercraft.
Q
Quarter – the after side of a boat from amidships to stern.
Quarters – the living and sleeping areas onboard a boat.
Quartering – the practice of aiming the boat’s bow at a 45-degree angle to oncoming waves.
Quartering sea – sea coming on a boat’s quarter.
R
Racer – a boat designed for speed and competition.
Radar – marine electronic device using radio waves to detect objects and display their positions.
Range – distance a boat can travel at on a tank of fuel.
Reach – to sail across the wind.
Ready about – last warning given by a helmsman before tacking and turning the bow into the wind.
Reef – to reduce the sail area.
Reverse chine – a chine that angles downward from the hull designed to direct spray out and awayfrom the boat.
RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) – an inflatable boat fitted with a rigid bottom.
Rigging – ropes, lines, hardware and other equipment that support and control the mast and spars.
Rode – line, chain, cable used to connect the anchor to the boat.
Rod holder – device designed hold fishing rods
Roll - the alternating motion of a boat about its fore-and-aft axis.horizontally.
Roller trailer – a trailer with rollers instead of bunks.
Rope – in general, cordage as it is purchased at the store. When it aboard a vessel and in use it becomes line.
Rubrail – protective outer bumper around a boat where the top deck meets the hull.
Rudder – underwater fin that controls boat steering.
Run – to allow a line to feed freely.
Running lights – navigation lights used at night to indicate position and status.
Running rigging – lines used in the setting and trimming of sails
S
Safety harness- a harness worn by a boater attached to the boat with a tether .
Sag – to slide or drift off course.
Sailboat – a boat that is powered by capturing the force of wind in sails.
Sail plan – the arrangement of sails on a boat.
Satellite Navigation – position finding using radio transmissions from satellites.
Schooner – a large sailboat with two or more masts where the foremast is shorter than aft mainmast.
Scope – the ratio of anchor rope to vertical depth.
Screw – a propeller.
Scud – to run before the wind in bad weather.
Scuppers – gravity fed drains to allow water to drain overboard.
Scuttle – to purposely let water in to make a boat sink.
Scuttlebutt – gossip, named after a water cask around which sailors used to gather and drink.
Sea anchor – cone-shaped device used to keep the bow headed into the wind.
Sea cock – through-hull fitting with a valve between the interior and the exterior of the boat.
Seamanship – all the arts and skills of boat handling, ranging from maintenence and repairs to piloting, sail handling, marlinespike work, and rigging.
Sea room – a safe distance from the shore or other hazards.
Seaworthy – ability to handle rough weather.
Secure – to make fast.
Self-bailing – drains water overboard automatically.
semi-displacement hull – a hull shape with soft chines or a rounded bottom that enables the boat to achieve minimal planing characteristics.
Set – direction toward which the current is flowing.
Shackle – a “u” shaped connector with a pin or bolt across the open end.
Sheer – line of the deck or gunwale from bow to stern as viewed from outside the boat.
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.
Sheerline – the fore-and-aft line along the top edge of the hull.
Sheet – line used to trim a sail.
Sheet bend – a knot used to join two ropes.
Ship – a larger vessel usually thought of as being used for ocean travel.
Side console – a dash-panel unit affixed to the side of a boat. if only one, helm controls are affixed to it.
Shoal – an offshore hazard to navigation at a depth of 16 fathoms (30 meters or 96 feet) or less
Shroud – mast support rigging, usually a wire, that runs from the mast to the side of the boat.
Skeg – a fin or vertical projection below the hull that provides directional stability. also, a fin-like projection at the bottom of an outboard.
Skiff – a small, simple, shallow-draft boat.
Slack – not fastened; loose. also, to loosen.
Slip – a boat berth between two piers or floats
Sloop – a single-masted sailboat in which the mast is set forward of midships.
Sole – the deck floor.
Sonar – a method to locate objects and determine distance using sound waves and measuring the time it takes the echo to bounce back, used in depth and fish finders.
Sounding – charted water depth. Used to measure the depth of the water
Spar – masts, booms, gaffs and poles used in sailboat rigging.
Spinnaker – a large, light sail used in downward sailing
Splice – to permanently join two ropes by tucking their strands alternately over and under each other.
Spring line – a docking line attached amidships to control fore and aft movement.
Squall – a sudden, violent wind often accompanied by rain.
Square knot – a knot used to join two lines of similar size.
Stand by – an order to crewmen to be ready.
Standing part – that part of a line which is made fast.
Standing rigging – the shrouds and stays that support the mast but are not adjusted while working a boat.
Stand on – maintain course and speed.
Stand-on vessel – a vessel which has right-of-way during a meeting, crossing, or overtaking situation.
Starboard – the right side of the boat looking toward the bow.
Stateroom – a room with sleeping quarters, a cabin.
statute mile – distance of 5,280 feet, the standard measure of distance on land and most inland waterways.
Stay – wire, rod or other rigging that runs fore and aft of the mast.
Stem – the forward most part of the bow
Step – socket that holds the base of the mast.
Stepped hull – a high-performance hull design with lateral notches, or steps, in the keel.
Stern – aft portion of a boat.
Stern drive – propulsion system composed of an inboard engine connected to a steerable drive unit extending through a cut-out in the transom.
Stern line – docking line leading from the stern.
Stop water – a soft wooden dowel that is inserted into a hole drilled athwart ship, inside the rabbit, (which is there to accept the front edge of planking), where the keel and stem are joined. the dowel swells when wet and prevents water from migrating into the hull through the joint created by the keel / stem connection and found in all wooden boats, if properly constructed.
Stow – to put an object away.
Strakes – small linear protrusions that run longitudinally on both sides of the keel to give a planing hull lift and lateral stability.
Stringers – internal beams and braces that give a fiberglass hull structural support.
Swamp – to fill a boat with water.
Swim platform – a wide platform at the transom with a ladder to help getting in and out of the water.
T
Tack – the lower corner of a sail. Also used to describe each leg of a zigzag course.
Tackle – a combination of blocks and line to increase mechanical advantage.
Tender – see dinghy.
Through-hull – fitting or object that goes through a hull.
Thwartships – at right angles to the centerline of the boat.
Tide – the rise and fall of water level in the oceans.
Tiller – a bar connected to the rudder, used to steer the boat.
tiller handle outboard – an outboard motor that uses a handle fitted with engine controls to steer.
Tongue weight – trailer weight when loaded with a boat on the hitch ball.
Topsides – the hull above the waterline.
Transducer – an electronic sensor used to provide data for a depth sounder.
Transom – the rear section of the hull connecting the two sides.
Trim – the way a boat floats in relation to the horizon.
Trim tabs – hydraulically adjusted horizontal plates located on the bottom of the transom that control the trim angle of a boat at speed.
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.
Trolling – to fish by towing an array of baited lines or lures behind the boat.
True North Pole – the north end of the earth’s axis, the direction indicated by 000° (or 360°) on the true compass rose.
True wind – direction and velocity of wind as measured on land, distinct from apparent wind.
T-top – aluminum tower with overhead canvas to protect the helm.
Tuna tower – aluminum tower used for spotting fish in the distance.
Turnbuckle – a threaded, adjustable rigging fitting, used for stays, lifelines and sometimes other rigging.
U
Underway – a boat in motion.
V
Variation – compass variable that accounts for the difference in degrees between true north and magnetic north.
Ventilation – air introduced into a spinning propeller from the water’s surface.
VHF – Very High Frequency; a bandwidth designation commonly used by marine radios.
V-berth – a bed or berth located in the bow that has a v-shape.
V bottom – a hull with the bottom section in the shape of a “v”.
V-drive – propulsion system where the drive shaft initially runs forward into a gear box and then runs aft and down through the hull. the driveline forms a v-shape with the gear box at the pivot point.
W
Wake – waves created by a moving boat.
Walkaround – a type of offshore fishing boat with a small to mid-size cabin and a perimeter deck that allows easy passage around the entire boat.
Waterline - the intersection of the hull and the surface of the water.
Way – movement of a vessel through the water such as headway, sternway or leeway.
Waypoint – the coordinates of a specific location.
Weigh – to raise anchor.
Wharf – a man-made 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.
Windlass – rotating drum device used for hauling line or chain to raise and lower an anchor.
Windward – toward the direction from which the wind is coming.
Working sails – sails used in normal winds.
X
Y
Yacht – a pleasure vessel, a pleasure boat; in american usage the idea of size and luxury is conveyed, either sail or power.
Yachting – to cruise in a motoryacht that typically ranges from 40- to 89- feet long.
Yaw – to veer off course.
Yawl – a two-masted sailboat with the small mizzen mast stepped abaft the rudder post.
Z
Zinc Anodes – small pieces of zinc that attach to metal boat and engine components to help protect them from corrosion due to electrolysis, an effect caused when dissimilar metals are placed in a saltwater solution.
