Here is a handy page of terms you will come across in the world of yachting. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, but a good place to get started.
| abaft | Toward the rear (stern) of the boat, behind, or anything located aft of something else. |
| abeam | At a right angle to the length of the boat. |
| amidships | In the center of the boat. |
| astern | Toward the stern of a vessel, or behind the boat. |
| beam | The widest part of a boat. Wooden struts running acorss the width of the boat to support the deck. |
| bow | The front of the boat. |
| bridge | The room from which a ship is controlled. On a smaller boat this is usually not a room, is outside, and is known as a cockpit. |
| berth | A place for a person to sleep. Also, a place where a ship can be secured. |
| boatswain | The crewmember in charge of equipment and maintenance. |
| bosun | Another name for the boatswain. |
| cabin | A room inside a boat. |
| captain | The person who is in charge of a vessel and legally responsible for it and its occupants. |
| centerline | The center of the boat: from the stern to the bow. |
| chief mate | The officer second in command of a ship. |
| cockpit | The location from which the boat is steered, usually in the middle or the rear of the boat. |
| companionway | The entryway into the cabin from the deck. |
| deck | The surface on the top of the boat that people can stand on. |
| deckhand | A crew member responsible for cleaning the deck, and an overall boat maintenance. |
| engineer | A crew member responsible for keeping all of the mechanical and electronic aspects of the vessel running problem free. |
| ensign | The national flag of a boat’s home nation. |
| fender | A cushion hung from the sides of a boat to protect it from rubbing against a dock or another boat. |
| First mate | Often called chief mate or chief officer, reports to the captain and is in charge of the deck crew and cargo. |
| fore | Toward the bow (front) of the vessel. |
| forecabin | The cabin towards the front of the vessel. |
| foredeck | The forward part of the deck. |
| forepeak | The compartment farthest forward in the bow of the boat. Often used for anchor or sail stowage. In larger ships, the crew’s quarters. |
| forward | Toward the bow (front) of the boat. |
| galley | The kitchen area on a boat. |
| gangway | The area of a ship’s side where people board and disembark. |
| give-way | To yield the right of way to another boat. |
| grab rails | Hand-hold fittings mounted on cabin tops and sides for personal safety when moving around the boat. |
| hail | To attempt to contact another boat or shore, either by voice or radio. |
| handsomely | To do something carefully and in the proper manner, such as when stowing a line. |
| harbourmaster | The individual who is in charge of a harbor. |
| hatch | A small opening with a “door” on deck, allowing entry under the deck. |
| head | The front of a vessel. The upper corner or edge of a sail. The toilet and toilet room on a ship. |
| heading | The actual course of the vessel at any given time. |
| heave | To throw or pull strongly on a line. |
| heel | the lean of a sailboat when sailing; the extent of the tilt of the boat. |
| helm | The wheel or tiller of a boat. |
| helmsman | The person who is steering the boat. |
| hook | Anchor. |
| hull | The body of a boat. |
| inboard | Toward the center of the boat. Also an engine mounted inside the boat. |
| jettison | To throw overboard. |
| jury rig | A temporary or emergency repair using improvised materials and parts. |
| keel | A weighted extension of a boat running below it that prevents the boat from sliding sideways. |
| knot | A speed of one nautical mile per hour. A method of attaching a rope or line to itself, another line or a fitting. |
| labour | Heavy rolling or pitching while underway. |
| lanyard | A short rope or cord that attaches to an item onboard a boat , usually for keeping it attached to the boat. |
| lazaret, lazarette | A storage space below the deck in the cockpit. |
| league | Three nautical miles. |
| lee | The side sheltered from the wind. |
| length over all (LOA) | Length of a boat at the longest measurement. |
| line | Any rope used on a boat. |
| list | Incline of a boat due to excess weight on one side or the other |
| logbook | A boat’s record of activity. |
| master | The person in charge of a vessel. The captain. |
| mate | An assistant to the captain. |
| midship | Center of the vessel, middle between bow and stern. |
| nautical | Having to do with boats, ships, or sailing. |
| nautical mile | One minute of latitude; approximately 6076 feet – about 1/8 longer than the statute mile of 5280 feet. |
| navigation | The act of determining the position of a boat and the course needed to safely move the boat from place to place. |
| navigator | The person responsible for navigating a boat. |
| offshore | Away from land, toward the water. See inland. |
| offshore wind | Wind that is blowing away from the land, towards the water. |
| onshore wind | A wind blowing onto the land. |
| owner’s flag | A boat owner’s private pennant.. |
| passage | A route between points or ports. |
| pilot | An individual with specific knowledge of a harbor, canal, river or other waterway, qualified to guide vessels through the region. Some areas require that boats and ships be piloted by a licensed pilot. |
| pitch | A fore and aft rocking motion of a boat. Also see roll and yaw. How much a propeelor is curved. A substance used to seal cracks in wooden planks. |
| planing | A boat rising slightly out of the water so that it is gliding over the water rather than plowing through it. |
| poop deck | A boat’s aft deck. |
| port | The left side of the boat from the perspective of a person at the stern of the boat and looking toward the bow. The opposite of starboard. A place where ships go to dock. A porthole. |
| prevailing winds | The typical winds for a particular region and time of year. |
| prop | Slang for propeller. |
| put in | To enter a port or harbor. |
| quarter | The side of a boat aft of the beam. There are both a port quarter and a starboard quarter. |
| quarters | Sleeping areas on the boat. |
| rail | The edge of a boat’s deck. |
| regatta | A series of boat races. |
| roll | A side to side motion of the boat, usually caused by waves. Also see pitching and yawing. |
| roller | A wave |
| rudder | A flat surface attached behind or underneath the stern used to control the direction that the boat is traveling. |
| safe course | A determined safe route acrossdangerous water. |
| salon | Also saloon; main social cabin of a boat |
| scale | Climb. |
| screw | A propeller. |
| seat locker | A storage locker located under a cockpit seat. |
| secure | To make fast. To stow an object or tie it in place. |
| side lights | Green and red lights on the starboard and port sides of the boat required for navigation at night. |
| skipper | The person in charge of a vessel. |
| sky lounge | Also called the second salon, located on the upper deck. |
| slip | A space between two docks or piers where a boat can be moored. |
| snub | To suddenly stop or secure a line. |
| sole | A floor on a boat. |
| stateroom | A private cabin or compartment with sleeping accommodations on a boat or ship; a captain’s or superior officer’s room on a ship. |
| starboard | The right side of a boat, from the perspective of a person at the stern of the boat and looking toward the bow. The opposite of port. |
| statute mile | A mile as measured on land, 5280 feet or 1.6 kilometers. Distances at sea are measured as nautical miles. |
| stern | The aft part of a boat. The back of the boat. |
| steward(ess) | An unlicensed crew member who reports to the captain and does stocking, cleaning and assisting with preparation and serving of meals. |
| stores | Supplies on a boat. |
| strike | To lower. |
| swell | Large smooth waves that do not crest. Swells are formed by wind action over a long distance. |
| swim platform | A platform, usually on the transom, allowing swimmers to easily climb back onto a boat. |
| taffrail | A rail around the stern of a boat. |
| thwart | A transverse structural member in the cockpit. In small boats, often used as a seat. |
| tiller | A spar attached to the rudder by the rudder head, used to control the direction of the boat. Another possibility for steering mechanism is a steering wheel. |
| transom | The flat area of the hull, at the stern of a boat. |
| trough | The bottom of a wave, the valley between the crests. |
| under the lee | On the lee side of an object, protected from the wind. |
| undertow | Strong offshore current extending to the shore. |
| union jack | A small flag representing the nationality of the boat. |
| v-berth | Usually the forward berth of the boat, located in the bow |
| vessel | Any kind of boat, ship or yacht. |
| VMG | Velocity made good. Actual boat speed after adjusting for such factors as current and leeway. |
| wake | Moving waves, that a boat leaves behind it, when moving through water. |
| watch | A division of crew into shifts. |
| waterline | A line painted on a hull which shows the point to which a boat sinks when it is properly trimmed. |
| waterline length | The length of the boat at the waterline. |
| way | The progress of a boat. If a boat is moving it is considered to be “making way.” |
| weigh | To raise, as in to weigh anchor. |
| wet locker | A locker equiped with a drain so that wet clothes can be stored in it without damaging other objects in the boat. |
| wetted surface | The amount of area of the hull, keel, rudder, and other objects that is under water. |
| wide berth | To avoid something by a large distance. |
| yacht | A vessel larger than a boat and smaller than a ship. A sailboat used for pleasure, not a working boat. From the Dutch word “Jaghd” |
| yar | Fit and beautiful (boat). |
| yaw, yawing | To turn from side to side in an uneven course |
| zenith | The point when the celestial sphere is directly overhead |
| zephyr | A gentle breeze. |
| zulu | Coordinated universal time. |
