Sailing glossary for boating, yachting, chartering

[Poseidon]

Sailing glossary for boating yachting chartering

Aback :Behind. Of the Sails pressed against the mast when the wind is on the wrong, inefficient side. Deliberately sailing aback is useful in close quarters sailing, such as wehn leaving a jetty or mooring

Abaft : Bearing towards the back. It is more behind a vessel than in front of it. Bearing more than 90 degrees on either side from dead ahead

Abeam : At 90 degrees to the vessel's direction or for and aft line

Aclinic Line : The imaginary line where the compass needle does not dip due to the earth's magnetism

Admiralty anchor : An anchor which can be folded for easy stowage. The shank and arms do not move, but the stock moves up to the right angles to the arms.

Admiralty sweep : A large cautious turm made to approach a gangway or to come alongside a vessel or jetty in a boat

Aft : The back of the boat or twoards the back of the boat

Age of the Tide : The interval between full moon or change of the moon and the highest high tide

Agonic Line : Lines on the earth's surface joining points where there is no magnetic variation

Ahull : A technique for riding out storms where you sail beam-on to strong winds and being driven before them while under no sails

Altazimuth : An instrument for establishing the altitude and asimuth of the stars and planets.
An Altazimuth or alt-azimuth mount is a simple mount used for moving a telescope, camera, helostatic mirror, or solar panel along two perpendicular axes of motion, one vertical and one horizontal. The vertical movement is known as the altitude, while the horizontal motion is called the azimuth.

The biggest advantage of alt-azimuth mounts is their simplicity of their mechanical design. They are often used for beginner telescope mounts, or for spotting scopes, but are still widely in use for more advanced instruments. In the latter case, advanced electronics and motors are sometimes attached to compensate for the restrictions of the mount's simplicity.

In astronomy, alt-azimuth mounts were, for a time, surpassed in popularity by the more complex equatorial mount. The latter is more naturally suited for tracking astronomical objects in the night sky as the Earth spins on its axis, since its polar alignment means that only one axis need be adjusted rather than the two of an alt-azimuth mount. Being able to track such objects reliably is particularly important for astrophotography, as well as more advanced amateur astronomy, both of which became more accessible when equatorial mounts became affordable.

In recent decades, alt-azimuth mounts have once again become very popular for astronomical telescopes:

Telescopes built on the very popular Dobsonian design employ a variant of the alt-azimuth mount due to its ease of construction. Dobsonian style telescopes are optimized for visual astronomy, and the alt-azimuth mount is more suitable for this larger class of instrument since it doesn't add the unnecessary mass, complexity, and expense of an equatorial mount.
Affordability of modern electronics has been a further motivation for a return to alt-azimuth mounted telescopes, with their increased simplicity for manufacture and practical use. In particular, it has often proved more convenient to build a simple alt-azimuth mount and use a computer to manipulate both axes to track an object, than to build a more mechanically complex equatorial mount that employs only a single motor. When astrophotography is involved, a further motor may be used to rotate the camera to match the field of view.
For the largest telescopes, the mass and cost of an equatorial mount is prohibitive. The simple structure of an alt-azimuth mount is much better suited to such large heavy instruments.

Amplitude : In navigation, the arc of the horizon between east and a body when it is rising, and west and a body when it is setting

Anchor Bell : On large vessels a bell near the bows which is tolled at regular intervals during fog. The intervals denote the kind of vessel that is at anchor

Anchor Watch : When anchored in heavy weather, or where wind direction may change dangerously, it is advised to prepare an anchor watch of people who specifically check to see whether the anchor is dragging. They do this by taking bearingsor transits of objects on shore

Anemometer : A device of three or more cups on a spindle which measure the strength of the wind.
An anemometer is a device that is used for measuring wind speed, and is one instrument used in a weather station. The term is derived from the Greek word anemos, meaning wind. The first anemometer was invented by Leon Battista Alberti.

Anemometers can be divided into two classes: those that measure the wind's velocity, and those that measure the wind's pressure; but as there is a close connection between the pressure and the velocity, an anemometer designed for one will give information about both.

Angel on heel : The number of degrees of list a vesel has. The first indication that a sailing vessel may need to reef is too great an angle of the heel

Annual Varriation : The amount of by which variation changes up or down each year in a particular area. The annual increase or decrese is printed in the compass roses on each chart and may make a significant difference over a number of years

Anticlone : An area where the barometric pressure is high, usally indicating light, variable winds and fine weather

Antitrade : Wind that blows in the opposite direction from trade wind in an area where trade wind would normally be expected to occur

Apparent wind : The wind that results from the interaction of the true wind and the forward motion of the boat. When running at a speed of 8 knots with the wind blowing at 18knots, the apparent wind speed would be 10 knots

Arc of visibility : The sectors marked on a chart and showing where a light is visible from the sea

Aries : The star which for purposes of navigation is taken to be stationary in the sky.

Aspect ratio : The relationship between a sail's height and length along the foot. High aspect ration means a sail that is tall and nanrrow, low askpect ration is a short,squat sail. The phrase can also apply to centreboards and rudders

Astrolabe : An old navigational device for checking the angle of stars in the skies

Backstay : A mast support that runs from the top of the mast to the stern of the yacht; it may be adjustable in order to bend the mast backward or to increase tension on the forestay.

Ballast : Weight in the keel of a boat to add stability (righting moment).

Bareboat : A bareboat is a vessel one can charter and sail oneself. (The word has no connection whatsoever with the state of dress/undress of those aboard. Alas.) The \bare\ part just means \no crew\, although, if skills aren't such that one is qualified to operate said boat, a captain will need to be hired at additional cost.

Beam : A boat's greatest width.

Bear Away : To turn away from the wind

Beating : Sailing (or pointing) at an angle into the wind or upwind. Since sailboats cannot sail directly into the wind, \beating\"" is the closet course to the wind they can sail.""

Berth : a) The place where you but the boat on a dock.
b) bunk or sleeping quarters.

Bilge :The space in the hull under the cabin sole

Block :A deck or track-mounted pulley device through which ropes such as jib and genoa sheets are strung.

Boom : A spar to which a sail's lower edge or \foot\"" is attached. The boom is attached to the mast at the gooseneck.""

Bosun's Chair : A bosun's chair or boatswain's chair is a device used to suspend a person from a rope in order to perform work aloft. It is distinguished from a climbing harness by the inclusion of a more or less rigid seat, providing more comfort than even the best-padded straps for long-term use. In exchange, the bosun's chair does not allow the freedom of movement necessary for climbing, and the occupant is generally hoisted or lowered into place using the rope alone.

Some bosun's chairs consist of little more than a short plank and a suitable set of ropes to suspend it from; these are usually used with a separate harness in case the user should slip off the plank. Other bosun's chairs, particularly the type commonly carried on yachts for masthead repair, incorporate more straps so that the wearer cannot fall out, though they still include a rigid or semi-rigid seat.

As well as on ships and boats where they originated, bosun's chairs are also used for working at height on buildings and other structures.

Bow :The front of the boat.

Bowman :The crewmember in charge of sail changes and keeping a lookout on the bow at the start.

Broach : When a keelboat sailing on a run capsizes from a strong puff of wind or gets knocked down by a wave. Also called a Knockdown or a Wipeout.

Bulb :The lead-torpedo shape on the bottom of the keel.

Bulkhead :A partition to strengthen the frame of a yacht.

Buoy : A marker used for navigation, mooring, or racing around.

Cab : Abbreviation for Total Cabins

Cabin : A cabin is a \room\"" in a boat

Cam Cleat : A mechanical cleat used to hold a line automatically. It uses two spring-loaded cams (teeth) that come together to clamp the line, which is placed between them.

Capsize : To turn upside down.

Catamaran : A fast sailing vessel with two hulls of similar shape and length separated by beams. The hulls have very little wetted surface and so are faster than a monohull of similar length

Centreboard : A board or metal plate lowered through the bottom of the boat to prevent the wind forcing the boat sideways. It may also increase the size of the keel

Chainplates : The metal or composite attachments for shrouds and stays. Part of the hull, connecting the hull with the rig.

Chute : A spinnaker.

Cleat : A fitting, typically with projecting ends, that holds a line against the tension from the sails, rigging or mooring.

Clew : The lower corner of a mainsail, jib or genoa and either lower corner of a spinnaker attached to the sheet.

Clew of Sail : The aft lower corner of a triangular sail

Cockpit : The cockpit is the area usually aft of the main saloon, from which most sail controls are handled

Code 0 : A tight luff, upwind spinnaker developed by EF Language during the 1997-98 Whitbread race, also called \the Whomper\

Over the past few years a sail called a 'Code 0' has become fashionable.

The 'Code 0' is basically a cross between a spinnaker and a genoa. By technical definition, a genoa can have a mid girth no greater than 1/2 the foot; a spinnaker can have a mid girth no less than 3/4 the foot. Code 0's are in that no-man's-land between the two.

The original Code 0's were Volvo Ocean Race sails. The Volvo 60's were fractional rigs but we allowed masthead 'reachers' that could have a mid girth of no less than 65% of the foot. Paul Cayard's team developed a kind of cheater reacher they called 'Code 0' that measured at 65% mid-girth but actually flew with the luff folded back on itself so that the sail was effectively a light air masthead genoa (or very close reacher). The sail was so effective in its condition that by the third leg of that VOR pretty much all the teams had 'Code 0's'. Since then the sails have become fashionable. They can be quite effective for boats with fractional rigs, masthead halyards and sprits - especially those boats with non-overlapping jibs - because they can add so much horsepower for tight reaching, i.e., sailing too close to the wind for a spinnaker.

Compass : An instrument that uses the earth's magnetic field to point to the direction of the magnetic North Pole; used by navigators to determine the direction a yacht is heading and to set a course

Course : The direction a yacht is sailing.

Crew : The team of sailors that sails the yacht.

Dacron : white woven sailcloth made of polyester fiber. Brand name by DuPont.

Danforth : An anchor form in which the stock passes through the crown suitable for most types of sea bottoms

Davits : Two typically chrome poles that extend from the boat to hang the dinghy. They are most commonly found on catamarans and large yachts

Dead Downwind : Sailing straight with the wind.

Deck : Horizontal surface or platform of a yacht.

Delaminating : A failure of the bond between either of the hull's outer and inner skins, and the \sandwich\"" spacing material in between-allowing either of the two outer layers to become unstuck from the core.""

Dismast :To lose, through breakage, part or all of the mast.

Doldrums : An area between the weather systems of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres characterized by frustrating light winds, major shifts in wind direction and sudden violent squalls.

Downwind : The point of sail when the wind blows from aft of the yacht's beam.

Drogue : A drag device that is trailed to slow the catamaran's speed

Echo Sounder : A system where pulses are sent from a transducer in a vessel's hull to the sea bottom and returned. The time taken by the impulse is translated into depth.

EPIRB : Emergency position Indicating Radio Beacon. Can be a small floating radio transmitter for emergency use that can transmit a signal for up to 5 days

Equator : Line of latitude at 0 degrees -- equal distance from both poles.

Equinox : Two times per year typically around March 21st and September 23rd where the length of the day equals the length of the night. Hence it is the beginning of a change of season. The equinox is marked by gale force winds known as the equinoctial gales.

Escape Hatch : The escape hatch is usally a deck hatch that is set into the side of the catamarn hull to be used for emergency exit

Fair Wind : A wind that allows a straight course to be set for one's destination without course changes

Fairlead : A pulley or fixed block which changes the direction of a line so that it leads easily to a winch

Flare : A pyrotechnic used for safety purposes can be of different color and typically used to draw attention

Foot : The bottom edge of a sail.

Foredeck : The area of a yacht's deck that is in front of the mast; also a crew position aboard a racing yacht.

Foresail : Any sail used between the mast and the forestay.

Forestay : A mast support that runs from the top of the mast, or near the top of the mast, to the bow.

Fractional Rig : A rig where the headstay does not go to the bottom of the mast.

Furious Fifties : An area between 50 degrees and 60 degrees latitude noted for very strong winds and huge seas.

G.P.S : A G.P.S is the common terminology for a global positioning system

Gale : A wind averaging more than 30 knots. When it exceeds and avaerage of 50 knots it becomes a storm.

Galley : Kitchen.

Gel Coat : The gel coat is the terminology used for the pigmented outside coat of a GRP boat (fiberglass)

Gennaker : A cross between a genoa and a spinnaker, a foresail used for reaching.

Genoa : A headsail attached to the forstay, which is large enough to overlap the mast.

Gooseneck : The mechanical device connecting the boom and the mast.

GPS : Global Position System. Satellite navigation, which gives yachts exact latitude and longitude position. The update race is one second.

Guy : A rope used to adjust the position of a spinnaker pole.

Halyard : A wire or rope for hoisting sails, flags etc..

Head : The bow of a ship (2) A lavatory on the a boat or (3) the top part of a sail

Header : A wind shift during which the wind enters the boat more forward.

Headsail : A sail flown between the mast and the bow of the yacht.

Heel : The angle of list of a boat under sail

Heel brace : The iron support at the bottom of a rudder

Helm : The wheel or ship's steering

Helmsman : The crewmember who steers the yacht; usually also the skipper; also called the \driver.\""""

Hounds : The attachment points for the shrouds up the mast.

Hull : The body of a yacht.

In ballast : Carrying ballast, but no cargo

Inboard : In the ship away from the sides or ends of the ship

Inmarsat-C : A digital store and forward messaging service, using satellites for transmission.

Jackstay : Storng wires that follow the length of a vessel so that harnesses can be clipped to it in heavy weather. Protects passengers on cruising catamarans or monohulls from from falling overboard

Jib : A triangular sail, set to the forestay and not overlapping the mast

Jibe : The process of turning the yacht so the stern turns through the wind, thereby changing the side of the yacht on which the sails are carried (opposite of tacking); also spelled gybe.

Jury-rig : Emergency rigging with available gear, usually due to a broken mast.

Keel : The main strength of any vessel, the force and aft timber which is laid down first in building,a and which takes all the frames that shape the boat. In the case of the yacht, the weight protruding below the hull which counterbalances the force of the heeling of the boat and so produces forward motion

Ketch : A two-masted yacht with the the after mast stepped in front of the steering position

Kevlar : A Material used in the sails of racing yachts which has great stability and will hold its shape in changing wind conditions

Kite : A spinnaker.

Knot : a) One nautical mile per hour.
b) Connection of lines.

L.O.A : Stands for Length overall and usually can be found in the specifications of a yacht

Latitude : Angular distance north or south of the equator, measured from 0 to 90 degrees north or south.

Layline : An imaginary line projecting at an angle corresponding to the wind direction from either side of a racecourse marker buoy that defines the optimum sailing angle for a yacht to fetch the mark or the finish line. When a yacht reaches this point, it is said to be \on the layline.\"" Going beyond the layline means the yacht is sailing a greater distance to reach the mark or finish line.""

Lazyjacks : Lines rigged so that the mainsial will gather in them when geing dropped. They run from the mast to the boom

Leech : The trailing edge of a sail.

Leeward : Away from the wind, in the direction the wind blows on the sheltered side

Life Raft : An inflatable craft into which the crew of a yacht transfers if the yacht intends to sink.

Lifelines : Cables that are held in place by stanchions and go around the boat to prevent people from falling overboard. A \fence\"" around the boat on the edge of the deck.""

Lift : A wind shift during which the wind enters the boat from further back. It allows the helmsman to head up or alter course to windward, or the crew to ease the sheets.

Lines : A nautical term for ropes.

Longitude : Angular distance east or west of the Greenwich Meridian, measured from 0 t 180 degrees east or west.

Luff : a) To change course toward the wind.
b) The leading edge of a sail.

Magnetic bearing : A bearing taken without corrections made to it from a compass error

Main stay : The line supporting the mast

Mainsail : The sail that is aft of the mast and attached to it. It is typically the larget sail on a vessel

Mainsheet Trimmer : A device that controls the position and shape of the mainsail, the large triangular sail behind the mast.

Mast : The vertical spar that holds up the sails.

Masthead : The top of the mast, the area for electronic wind sensors, VHF and other equipment

Masthead Rig : A rigging scheme in which the forestay is attached near the top of the mast.

Mastman : The crewmember who works the lines on the mast when hoisting sails, and who assists the bowman with the work on the foredeck.

Match Racing : A racing format where only two yachts compete at a time, like a boxing match, as opposed to \fleet racing\"" where more yachts sail at once.""

Maxi : A boat designed to the maximum rating allowed under the International Offshore Rule, or more recently, the international measurement system.

Motor Sailer : The Motor Sailer is a term used to describe a vessel that is designed and equiped with rig and sails but which also has a large engine or engines that achieves good travel speeds by engine alone