ABEAM – directly to the side of the boat
ABOUT – on the opposite tack
AFT – at or near the stern
ALEE – to the leeward side
ALOFT – above the deck
APPARENT WIND – the direction and speed of the wind felt by the crew – a combination of the true wind and that created by the motion of the boat
ASTERN – behind the boat
BACKSTAY – any single wire supporting the mast from the stern
BATTEN – thin wooden strips fitted into pockets for stiffening the leech of a sail
BEAM – measurement of the width of a boat
BEAM REACH – sailing with the wind coming across the boat’s beam
BEAM WIND – a wind at right angles to a boat’s course
BEAR AWAY – to steer the boat away from the wind
BEAT – sailing against the wind by tacking (sailing a zigzag course towards the wind)
BEATING TO WINDWARD – sailing to windward close-hauled, tacking as you go, to reach an objective to windward
BEND – to connect two ropes with a knot
BLOCK – a pulley
BOLLARD – a short heavy post on a pier, or boat, used for fastening docking lines
BOOM – spar that takes the foot of a sail
BOW – the forward part of a boat
BROACH – turn sideways to wind and the surf
BROAD REACH – the point of sailing between a beam reach and a run, when the wind blows over the quarter
BUOY – floating navigational marker
CAPSIZE – to overturn
CENTER OF EFFORT (COE) – the point at which all the forces acting on the sails are concentrated
CENTRE OF LATERAL RESISTANCE (CLR) – the underwater centre of pressure about which a boat pivots when changing course
CENTERBOARD – retractable keel to stop a boat’s leeward drift
CHAIN PLATE – metal fitting bolted to the side of a boat to hold the ends of stays and shrouds
CLEAT – fitting to which a line is secured, without knotting
CLEW – aft bottom corner of a sail, where the foot and leech meet
CLOSE-HAULED – sailing close to the wind with sails pulled in
CLOSE REACH – the point of sailing between close-hauled and a beam reach, when the wind blows forward of the beam
COME ABOUT – to change course so as to be sailing at the same angle but with the wind on the other side
COURSE – the direction in which a vessel is steered, usually given in degrees
CUTTER – single-masted fore-and-aft boat having an inner staysail and outer jib
DAGGERBOARD – centreboard that does not pivot
DINGHY – a small boat used to ferry people to a yacht; also used for sailing or rowing; also called a tender
DOWNHAUL – rope used to set up downward tension or haul down a sail or spar
EYE OF THE WIND – direction from which the true wind is blowing
FALLING OFF – turn away from the direction of the wind
FOOT – a sail’s lower edge
FORE – at or toward the boat’s bow
FORE-AND-AFT – lengthwise, in the direction of the keel
FOREMAST – mast nearest to the bow
FORESTAY – the foremost stay, running from the masthead to the bow
FURL – tightly roll up a sail
GAFF – spar that secures the head of a fore-and-aft sail
GALLEY – a kitchen on a boat
GENOA – large headsail, which overlaps the mainsail
GROMMET – rope or brass ring in a sail or piece of canvas
GUNWALES – upper edges of a boat’s sides
GUY – adjustable steadying rope of a boat’s rig
GYBING – changing direction with the wind aft; to change from one tack to another by turning the stern through the wind; also spelled jibing
HALYARD – line used for hoisting sails
HANK – fitting used to attach the luff of a sail to a stay
HARD-A-LEE – to put the tiller all the way down toward the leeward side of the boat
HEAD – a sail’s top corner; also a boat’s toilet
HEADSAIL – sail forward of the foremast
HEADSTAY – a forward stay
HEADWAY – moving forward
HEEL – a boat’s angle to horizontal, to lean over to one side
HELM – tiller or wheel
HOIST – the length of the luff of a fore-and-aft sail
HULL – the body of boat
IN IRONS – to head into the wind and refuse to fall off
JIB – a triangular headsail set on a stay forward of the foremast
JIBSHEET – line that controls the jib
KEEL – centreline backbone at the bottom of a boat
LASHING – a rope used for securing any movable object in place
LATEEN – rig with a triangular sail secured to a yard hoisted to a low mast.
LEE – the side opposite that from which the wind blows; the opposite of weather
LEECH – outside edge of a sail
LEE HELM – the tendency of a boat to swing leeward unless held on course
LEEWARD – away from the wind; the direction to which the wind blows, down wind
LINE – any length of rope that has a specified use
LUFF – to get so close to the wind that the sail flaps; also the forward edge of a sail
LUFF UP – to turn the boat’s head right into the wind
MAINMAST – principal mast on a boat
MAINSAIL – boomed sail projecting aft from the mainmast
MAINSHEET – line that controls the main boom
MAKE FAST – secure a line
MAST – vertical spar to which the sails and rigging are attached
MASTHEAD – top of the mast
MIZZEN – the shorter, after-mast on a ketch or yawl
ON THE WIND – close-hauled
PAINTER – the bow line by which a dinghy, or tender is towed or made fast
POINT – to head close to the wind
POINT OF SAIL – the different angles from the wind on which a boat may sail; the boat’s course relative to the direction of the wind
PORT – the left-hand side of a boat, looking forward towards the bow (opposite of starboard)
PORT TACK – when a boat sails with the main boom to starboard and wind hits the port side first
PRIVILEGED VESSEL – a boat that has the right-of-way (ROW)
REACH – sailing on a tack with the wind roughly abeam, all sailing points between running and close- hauled
READY ABOUT – order to prepare for coming about
REEF – reduce the sail area by folding or rolling surplus material on the boom or forestay
RIG – arrangements of masts and sails
RIGGING – ropes and wire stays of a boat; securing masts and sails
RUDDER – vertical metal or wooden plate attached to the stern, whose movements steer the boat
RULES OF THE ROAD – right-of-way (ROW) regulations to prevent collisions between boats
RUN – to sail with the wind aft and the sheets eased out
RUNNING RIGGING – all of the moving lines, such as sheets and halyards, used in the setting and trimming of sails
SET – to hoist a sail
SHACKLE – a U-shaped piece of iron or steel with eyes in the ends, closed by a shackle pin
SHEAVE – a grooved wheel in a block or spar for a rope to run on
SHEET – line that controls a sail or the movement of a boom
SHIP SHAPE – neat, seamanlike
SHROUDS – transverse wires or ropes that support the mast laterally
SPAR – pole, mast, or boom, that supports a sail
SPINNAKER – a large, light, balloon-shaped sail set forward of the mainsail when running before the wind
SPLICE – to join ropes or wires by un-laying the strands and interweaving them
SPREADERS – horizontal spar attached to the mast, which extend the shrouds and stays and help to support the mast
STANDING RIGGING – the shrouds and stays which are permanently set up and support the masts
STARBOARD – right-hand side of a boat looking forward towards the bow (opposite of port)
STARBOARD TACK – tack on which the wind strikes the starboard side first and the boom is out to port
STAY – wire or rope which supports the mast in a fore-and-aft direction; part of the standing rigging
STAYSAIL – sail set on a stay inboard of the foremost sail
STEP – a recess into which the fell of the mast is placed
STERN – aft end of a boat
STRINGER – a fore-and-aft member, fitted to strengthen the frames
TACK – the lower forward corner of the sail, where the luff and the foot meet; also the diagonal made with the wind by a sailboat when close-hauled, (to change from one tack to another by coming about)
TACKING – working to windward by sailing close-hauled on alternate courses so that the wind is first on one side of the boat, then on the other
TELL-TALES – small lengths of wood sewn through a sail near the luff and leech to allow the air flow over the sail to be checked
TENDER – see dinghy
TILLER – short piece of wood by which the rudder is turned
TOPSIDES – the part of a boat’s hull which is above the waterline
TRANSOM – a flat surface at the back of the hull to which the rudder is attached
TRAVELLER – a slide which travels on a track and is used for altering sheet angles
TRIM – to adjust the angle of the sails
TRUE WIND – the direction and speed of the wind felt when stationary, at anchor or on land
WAKE – a boat’s track, behind
WATERLINE – the line along the hull at which a boat floats
WEATHER – windward, opposite of leeward
WEATHER HELM – boat with a tendency to swing into the wind unless held on course
WEATHER SIDE – the side of a boat on which the wind is blowing
WHISKER POLE – a light pole used to hold out the clew of a headsail when running
WINCH – a mechanical device, consisting usually of a metal drum turned by a handle, around which a line is wound to give the crew more “help” when tightening a line
WINDWARD – the direction from which the wind blows, towards the wind (opposite of leeward