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7. GLOSSARY
A
Aft
At the back
Anchor Line
Rope that attaches the anchor to the boat
Astern
Behind the boat
Asymmetric
Spinnaker flown from a retractable pole at the bow
B
Back
To ‘back the sail’; allowing the wind to fill the back
of the sail
Bailer
A bucket or other container used for bailing water
Batten
A thin strip of wood/plastic inserted in the sail to
keep it flat
Batten Key
A key used to adjust the batten
Batten Pocket
A pocket on the sail that holds the batten
Beam
Width of the boat at the widest point of the side of
the boat. The phrase ‘wind on the beam’ means
that the wind is coming from the side.
Bear away
To turn downwind
Beat
To sail a zig-zag course to make progress upwind
Beaufort Scale
A measure of wind strength, from Force 1 to Force
12
Bilge Rail
The moulded line that marks the transition from the
side to the bottom of the hull
Block
A pulley used for sail control lines
Boom
The spar at the bottom edge of sail
Boom Pad
The pad that fits onto the boom
Bow
The front of the boat
Bow Lifting Handle
The handle at the front of the boat, used for lifting
