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Nautical
Glossary
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Galley-Area
where food is stored and cooked; nautical kitchen.
Gear-General
name for all non-permanent nautical equipment, including crew's
clothing and personal effects.
Give-Way
Boat-One that does not have the right-of-way and should avoid the
stand-on boat.
Global Positioning
System (GPS)-A satellite-based world-wide navigation system
using simultaneous signals from three or more satellites to
establish highly accurate positioning.
Gunwale-Upper
edge or rail of a boat. (Pronounced "gun'el")
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Halyard - Line
for hoisting sails or flags.
Hatch -
Closable opening in the deck.
Head - Marine
toilet and its compartment. Also, upper corner of a triangular
sail or upper edge of a four-sided sail. Also, upper end of mast,
masthead. Also, foremost part of boat, bow.
Heading -
Direction in which a boat is pointing at a given moment.
Headsail - Any
sail flown forward of the mast.
Heel - Incline
to one side due to force of wind or waves.
Helm - The
tiller or wheel and related steering gear.
Helmsman - The
one who steers the boat with the tiller or wheel.
Hull - Basic
structure and shell of a boat.
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Inboard -
Toward the centerline of the boat; inside the boat.
Inboard/Ouboard
(I/0) - Propulsion system consisting of an inboard engine
connected through the transom to an outboard drive unit. Also see
stern drive.
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Jib -
Triangular sail set on a stay forward of the mast.
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Keel - Main
centerline structural member (backbone) of a boat. Also, downward
extension of hull to increase lateral resistance and stability.
Knot - General
term for securing a line to an object, another line, or itself.
Also, unit of speed of one nautical mile per hour.
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Latitude - An angular measurement, in degrees, north or
south of the equator.
Launch - To place a boat in the water. Also, a boat used
to carry people between shore and a moored vessel.
Life Jacket - A form of Personal Flotation Device.
Life Preserver - See Personal Flotation Device (PFD).
Longitude - An angular measurement, in degrees, east or
west of the prime meridian.
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Mainsail (mains'el) - Boat's principal sail, set aft of
mainmast.
Marina - A place where small boats are kept. Frequently
services are available.
Mark - Any object required by sailing instructions to be
passed by a boat on a specific side. Its anchor line and objects
attached temporarily or accidentally are not part of it.
Mast - A vertical spar on which sails are set.
May Day - The international radiotelephone procedural
word for distress. It indicates immediate danger to a vessel or to
someone on board and is the highest priority transmission.
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Nautical Mile - A unit of distance equal to one minute
of latitude and equal to approximately 6,076.1 feet or 1.15
statute miles.
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Outboard - Toward the outside of a boat.
Outboard Motor - An engine with propeller attached,
designed to be fastened to the transom of a boat.
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Pan-Pan (pon-pon) - The international radiotelephone
procedural word for urgent communications. It indicates the second
highest priority transmission in which the safety of the vessel or
someone on board is involved, but the need for assistance is not
immediate.
Pay Out - Slacken or let out a line gradually.
Pendant - Short rope serving as an extension of a line,
chain, or cable with descriptive name based on use; e. g.,mooring
pendant. (Usually pronounced "pen'ant.")
Personal Floation Device (PFD) - Can be any of several
items such as life jacket or vest, float coat, buoyant cushion or
life ring.
Personal Watercraft (PWC) - The U.S. Coast Guard
considers personal watercraft to be Class A Inboard Boats. The
PWIA defines personal watercraft as vessels which use an inboard
motor powering a water jet pump as their primary source of motive
power and which are designed to be operated by a person sitting,
standing, or kneeling on the vessel, rather than the conventional
manner of sitting or standing inside the vessel.
Pier - Structure extending into the water from shoreline
to provide dockage.
Pile - A pole or post driven vertically into the bottom,
usually to support a pier or float or to moor a boat.
Piling - A structure of piles often used to protect
wharves and piers.
Piloting - A means to navigate using reference points
that may be seen visually or determined from information on charts
such as depths, heights or ranges.
Planing Hull - A hull designed to climb towards the
surface of the water as sufficient power is applied and to skim
along the water at a greatly reduced displacement attitude.
Port - Left side of a boat when facing the bow. Also,
toward the boat's left. Also, opening in a boat's side (e. g.,port
lite). Also, harbor.
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Quarter - After part of a boat's side; e.g., port
quarter. Also, direction 45 degrees abaft the beam. |
