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GLOSSARY OF SAILING TERMS

PAGE 4

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.

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.

Delay:

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:

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

’

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

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:

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

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.

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: