Hunter Marine 146, Owner'S Manual

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GLOSSARY OF SAILING TERMS
PAGE 10
A
Aback
: describes a sail when the wind
strikes it on the lee side.
Abaft
: towards the boat’s stern.
Abeam
: at right angles to the
center-
line
of the boat.
Aft
: at or near the stern.
Amidships
: the center of the boat,
athwartships
and fore and aft.
Anti
-
fouling
: a poisonous paint com-
pound used to protect the underwater
part of a hull from marine growths.
Apparent wind
: The direction and
speed of the wind felt by the crew. It
is a combination of
true wind
and that
created by the movement of the boat.
Astern:
behind the boat; to go astern
is to drive the boat in reverse.
Athwartships:
at right angles to the
fore and aft line of the boat.
B
Back
: when a wind backs, it shifts an-
ticlockwise.
Back a sail
: to sheet it to windward
so that the wind fills on the side that
is normally to
leeward
.
Backstay
: a stay that supports the
mast from aft and prevents its forward
movement.
Ballast
: extra weight, usually lead or
iron, placed low in the boat or exter-
nally on the keel to provide stability.
Ballast keel
: a mass of ballast bolted
to the keel to increase stability and
prevent a keel boat from capsizing.
Batten
: a light, flexible strip fed into a
batten pocket at the
leech
of the sail
to support the
roach
.
Beam
: 1, the maximum breadth of a
boat; 2, a transverse member that
supports the deck; 3, on the beam
means that an object is at right an-
gles to the centerline.
Bear away
: to steer the boat away
from the wind.
Bearing
: the direction of an object
from an observer, measured in de-
grees true or magnetic.
Beat
: to sail a
zigzag course
towards
the wind,
close-hauled
on alternate
tacks.
Belay:
to make fast a rope around a
cleat
, usually with a figure-of-eight
knot.
Bend:
1, to secure a sail to a spar
before hoisting; 2, to moor a boat; 3,
a sleeping place on board.
Bight:
a
bend
or loop in a rope.
Bilge:
the lower, round part inside the
hull where the water collects.
Block:
a pulley in a wooden or plastic
case, consisting of a
sheave
around
which a rope runs. It is used to
change the direction of pull.
Boot-topping:
a narrow colored
stripe painted between the bottom
paint and the
topside
enamel.
Bottlescrew:
see Rigging screw.
Broach:
when a boat
running
down-
wind slews broadside to the wind and
heels
dangerously. It is caused by
heavy following seas or helmsman’s
error.
Broad reach:
the point of sailing be-
tween a beam
reach
and a
run
, when
the wind blows over a quarter.
Bulkhead:
a partition wall in a boat
normally fitted athwartships
C
Caulk:
to make the seams between
wooden planks watertight by filling
with cotton, oakum or a compound.
Cavitation:
the formation of a vacuum
around a propeller, causing a loss in
efficiency.
Center-board:
a board lowered
through a slot in the
keel
to reduce
leeway
.
Center-line:
center of the boat in a
fore and aft line.
Center of effort (COE):
the point at
which all the forces acting on the sails
are concentrated.
Center of lateral resistance (CLR):
the underwater center of pressure
about which a boat pivots when
changing
course
.
Chain pawl:
a short lug which drops
into a toothed rack to prevent the an-
chor chain running back.
Chain plate:
a metal plate bolted to
the boat to which the
shrouds
or
backstays
are attached.
Chart datum:
reference level on a
chart below which the tide is unlikely
to fall. Soundings are given below
chart datum. The datum level varies
according to country and area.
Chine:
the line where the bottom of
the hull meets the side at an angle.
Cleat:
a wooden, metal or plastic fit-
ting around which rope is secured.
Clevis pin:
a locking pin through
which a split ring is passed to prevent
accidental withdraw.
Clew:
the after, lower center of a sail
where the foot and
leech
meet.
Close-hauled:
the
point of sailing
closest to the wind; see also
beat
.
Close reach:
the
point of sailing
be-
tween
close-hauled
and a beam
reach, when the wind blows forward of
the
beam
.
Close-winded:
describes a boat able
to sail very close to the wind.
Coaming:
the raised structure sur-
rounding a hatch, cockpit, etc., which
prevents water entering.
Cotter pin:
soft, metal pin folded back
on itself to form an eye.
Course:
the direction in which a ves-
sel is steered, usually given in de-
grees; true, magnetic or compass.
Cringle:
1, a rope loop, found at ei-
ther end of a line of reef points; 2, an
eye in a sail.
D
Dead run:
running with the wind blow-
ing exactly aft, in line with the
center-
line
.
Deviation:
the difference between the
direction indicated by the compass
needle and the magnetic
meridian
;
caused by object aboard.
Displacement:
1, the weight of water
displaced by a boat is equal to the
weight of the boat; 2, a displacement
hull is one that displaces its own
weight in water and is only supported
by buoyancy, as opposed to a plan-
ning hull which can exceed its hull, or
displacement, speed.
Downhaul:
a rope fitted to pull down
a sail or spar.
Draft:
the vertical distance from the
waterline to the lowest point of the
keel.
Drag:
1, an anchor drags when it fails
to hole; 2, the force of wind on the
sails, or water on the hull, which im-
pedes the boat’s progress.
Drift:
1, to float with the current or
wind; 2, US the speed of a current
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