Aft
At, near or towards the stern or rear of a vessel.
Anchor,
Hook
A metal device that is lowered from the boat on rope or chain (anchor
rode) and that digs into or lies on the water’s bottom and so
holds the boat. To set the anchor is to help it dig in by pulling
hard on the rode. When the anchor drags, it springs loose from the
bottom, leaving the boat adrift. All anchors have flukes (points that
dig into the bottom or grab rocks) and a shank (a vertical bar). Many
also have a stock (a horizontal bar that prevents rolling over) and
a crown (where the stock, flukes, and/or shank meet). Anchor types
include those listed below.
Beam
The maximum width or breadth of a boat; a transverse structural member
of the frame of a ship.
Boom
Poles used to support the sails and runs parallel to the deck.
Bow
The front end of a vessel.
Displacement
Technically the amount and weight of water that a hull pushes aside,
but generally a boat's weight. It is measured in pounds or in cubic
feet, determined by dividing the displacement in pounds by 64. Light
displacement describes a boat that is relatively lightweight for her
length, heavy displacement describes a relatively heavy boat, and
moderate displacement is in the middle. The displacement/length ratio
(D/L ratio) is a number that indicates a sailboat's displacement relative
to her size. The larger the number, the heavier she is. See sail area/displacement
ratio.
Deck
The lid on a boat on which the crew walks and sits. A decked boat
(deck boat) has a deck, unlike an open boat. The foredeck is forward
of the cockpit in a powerboat, of the mast in a sailboat. A deck beam
is a length of wood, fiberglass, or wood supporting the deck. The
side decks are on both sides. The afterdeck is near the stern. A deck
box is a locker on deck. Deck gear consists of cleats, winches, blocks,
and other equipment used on deck. A deck shower is a freshwater shower
installed on deck or in the cockpit. A deck-house is a small cabin
on deck. Deck shoes have special soles (nonskid soles) that grip a
wet, pitching deck. A deck filler is an opening in the deck through
which a fuel or water tank is filled. A deck plate is a small removable
hatch in the deck.
Depth/fish
finder
A SONAR device for detecting underwater terrain and
fish.
Draft
The boat's extreme depth, from her waterline to her lowest point.
A boat has 3 feet of draft or draws 3 feet; alternatively, her draft
is 3 feet. 2) The fullness or camber of a sail.
Gooseneck
The joint between the mast and the boom.
Halyard
The line used to hoist a sail, generally attached to the head and
running down the mast to where it can be used to tension the luff.
Helm
1) The steering wheel or tiller. 2) the steerer or helmsman. 3) The
pull on the wheel or tiller. Weather helm (sometimes simply helm)
is the tendency to round up into the wind when the tiller or wheel
is released. Lee helm is the tendency to head off. See balance.
Hull
The area of a boat that lies between the deck and the keel. The hull-to-deck
joint is the connection between the hull's sides and the deck at the
rail. Hull speed is the theoretical high speed that a displacement
hull (nonplanning hull) can reach because it must plow through the
water. See speed. A boat that is hull-down is far enough away so her
hull is hidden behind the earth's curvature.
Keel
A fin under a sailboat's hull providing weight for stability and lateral
resistance to leeway. It consists largely of ballast. Unlike centerboards,
most keels are fixed in place and not retractable (the exception is
the lifting keel). A keel boat is any boat with a keel. A keel-centerboarder
is a keel boat that also has a centerboard.
Knots - Used
in boating
There are several rope knots used in boating today.
They are used to secure mooring lines, dock post or ring, as well
as others.
LOA
Length Over All
LWL
Length on the waterline
Mast
The mast of a sailing ship is a tall vertical pole which supports
the sails. Larger ships have several masts, with the size and configuration
depending on the style of ship.
Port
Port is the nautical term that refers to the left side of a ship,
as perceived by a person facing towards the bow (front of ship).
Starboard
Starboard is the nautical term that refers to the right side of a
ship, as perceived by a person facing towards the bow (front of ship).
Transom Height
A flat surface running across the stern. A boat without a transom
is double-ended and has a pointed stern. A transom stern is raked
aft, a reverse transom is raked forward. An open transom has large
holes to save weight and allow water to drain aft. A notched transom
has a recess in the hull near the stern to improve water flow near
the propeller and allow the propeller to be raised slightly. See counter,
rake, stern.
Stern
The back (after) end of a boat, including the after underbody, the
counter, the afterdeck, and the transom. If cut off flat across in
a transom it is a transom stern, if pointed it is a canoe stern and
the boat is a double-ender. To moor or anchor stern-to is to put the
stern nearest the wharf or drop the anchor over the stern.
