Sailing & Nautical Terms

Front 1

boat

Back 1

a small vessel propelled on water by oars, sails or an engine

Front 2

ship

Back 2

historical: a vessel with at least three masts / modern: a medium or large vessel outfitted with smaller boats / also, a term given to a spaceship, aircraft or racing boat

Front 3

bow

Back 3

the front end of a vessel

Front 4

stem

Back 4

the forwardmost part of a vessel's bow

Front 5

prow

Back 5

the portion of a vessel's bow above the water / or, the pointed or projecting front part of something such as a car or building

Front 6

stern

Back 6

the rearmost part of a vessel

Front 7

transom

Back 7

the flat surface forming the stern of a vessel / or, a horizontal beam reinforcing the stern of a vessel

Front 8

abaft

Back 8

toward the rear of a vessel; in the direction of the stern

Front 9

astern

Back 9

behind the stern of a vessel / or, in a backward direction

Front 10

afore

Back 10

in front of a vessel

Front 11

starboard

Back 11

on the right side of a vessel when one is facing forward / at night, denoted with a green light

Front 12

port

Back 12

on the left side of a vessel when one is facing forward / at night, denoted with a red light

Front 13

larboard

Back 13

an archaic term for port

Front 14

aft

Back 14

at, near, or toward the stern of a vessel / after: nearer the stern

Front 15

fore

Back 15

the front part of something, especially a vessel / or, placed or situated in front

Front 16

fore-and-aft

Back 16

at the front and the rear (often used with reference to a vessel)

Front 17

amidships

Back 17

in the middle of a vessel

Front 18

bulkhead

Back 18

a dividing wall or barrier between compartments in a vessel

Front 19

hull

Back 19

the main body of a vessel, including the bottom, sides & deck, but not the masts, rigging, superstructure, engines & other fittings

Front 20

superstructure

Back 20

the parts of a vessel, other than masts & rigging, built above its hull & main deck

Front 21

timbers

Back 21

the framework of a vessel

Front 22

bulwark

Back 22

a defensive wall / or, an extension of a vessel's sides above the level of the deck / or, a person, institution, or principle that acts as a defense

Front 23

gunwale

Back 23

the upper edge of a vessel's sides

Front 24

wale

Back 24

a plank running along the side of a wooden vessel, thicker than usual planking, strengthening & protecting the hull

Front 25

poop deck

Back 25

the aftermost & highest deck of a ship, especially a sailing ship in which it typically forms the roof of a cabin in the stern

Front 26

sterncastle

Back 26

the stern structure on large sailing ships, usually housing the captain's cabin and crowned by the poop deck / also called the aftercastle or aftcastle

Front 27

forecastle
(pronounced FOKE-sull)

Back 27

a structure above the upper deck at the head of a vessel; traditionally the sailors' living quarters

Front 28

roundhouse

Back 28

a cabin or cabins on the after part of a quarterdeck of a sailing ship

Front 29

quarterdeck

Back 29

that part of the upper deck between the aftermost mast & the stern, used as a promenade by superior officers or passengers / originally, a smaller deck above the half deck, covering a quarter of the length of the vessel

Front 30

hurricane deck

Back 30

a covered deck at or near the top of a vessel's superstructure

Front 31

foredeck

Back 31

a deck at the forward part of a vessel

Front 32

hold

Back 32

on a vessel, a compartment below deck, used solely for carrying cargo

Front 33

orlop

Back 33

on a vessel, the lowest deck above the hold; usually the same level as the magazine

Front 34

steerage

Back 34

the part of a vessel providing accommodations for passengers with the cheapest tickets

Front 35

magazine (military)

Back 35

a store of arms, ammunition, explosives and provisions for use in military operations / origins in French, Italian & Arabic, meaning "to store up"

Front 36

rigging

Back 36

the system of ropes, cables or chains employed to support a vessel's masts (standing rigging) and to control or set the yards & sails (running rigging)

Front 37

shrouds (sailing)

Back 37

a set of ropes forming part of the standing rigging of a sailing vessel, supporting a mast from the sides

Front 38

spreader (sailing)

Back 38

a bar attached to the side a vessel's mast in order to spread the angle of the upper shrouds

Front 39

lines

Back 39

the term for ropes & cordage aboard a vessel / bow line: a docking line leading from the bow; stern line: a docking line leading from the stern

Front 40

painter (sailing)

Back 40

a term for a boat's bow line

Front 41

reeve

Back 41

to pass a rope through a ring, hole or block

Front 42

fairlead

Back 42

a ring mounted on a vessel to guide a rope, keeping it clear of obstructions and preventing it from being cut or chafed

Front 43

rig

Back 43

to put the ropes in their proper places / or, an apparatus, device or piece of equipment designed for a particular purpose

Front 44

fast

Back 44

so as to be hard to move; firmly or securely

Front 45

keel

Back 45

the longitudinal structure along the centerline at the bottom of a vessel's hull, in some vessels extended downward as a ridge or blade to increase stability

Front 46

even keel

Back 46

when a keel is parallel to the horizon

Front 47

skeg

Back 47

an arm extending to the rear of a vessel's keel to support the rudder and protect the propeller

Front 48

abeam

Back 48

at right angles to the keel of the vessel, but not on the vessel

Front 49

on the quarter

Back 49

a direction of 45-degress or less from a vessel's stern

Front 50

draft

Back 50

the depth of water needed to float a vessel

Front 51

sounding

Back 51

a measurement of the depth of water

Front 52

bilge

Back 52

the area on the outer surface of a vessel's hull where the bottom curves to meet the vertical sides

Front 53

bilges

Back 53

the lowest internal portion of a vessel's hull

Front 54

freeboard

Back 54

the height of a vessel's side between the waterline & the deck

Front 55

bridge

Back 55

the location from which a vessel is steered and its speed controlled

Front 56

helm

Back 56

a wheel or tiller and any associated equipment for steering a vessel

Front 57

tiller

Back 57

a horizontal bar fitted to the head of a vessel's rudder post and used as a lever for steering

Front 58

galley

Back 58

the kitchen area on a vessel / or, a low, flat vessel with one or more sails and up to three banks of oars, used especially in the Mediterranean from many centuries BC well into the 18th century for warfare, trade or piracy

Front 59

mess

Back 59

the eating area of a vessel

Front 60

gangway

Back 60

the area of a vessel's side where people board & disembark

Front 61

mainsail

Back 61

a vessel's largest and most important sail / on a sailboat: often appearing as a triangular sail just aft of the mast

Front 62

foremast

Back 62

the mast of a vessel nearest the bow

Front 63

foresail

Back 63

the principal sail on a vessel's foremast

Front 64

mizzenmast

Back 64

the mast aft of a vessel's main mast; (on a vessel with three or more masts) the third mast from the bow

Front 65

mizzensail

Back 65

the lowest sail on a ship's mizzenmast

Front 66

jigger mast

Back 66

the shortest & aft-most mast on a ship with more than three masts

Front 67

topmast

Back 67

the second section of a square-rigged sailing ship's mast immediately above the lower mast

Front 68

topgallant

Back 68

the section of a square-rigged sailing ship's mast immediately above the topmast

Front 69

rake (sailing)

Back 69

(of a ship's mast) incline from the perpendicular toward the stern

Front 70

gunter

Back 70

a type of rig in which a vessel's topmast slides on rings up & down the lower mast

Front 71

parrel

Back 71

a sliding ring of rope, wood, or metal that confines to a vessel's mast a yard or the jaws of a gaff, but allows vertical movement

Front 72

masthead

Back 72

the highest part of a vessel's mast

Front 73

tabernacle

Back 73

a large bracket attached firmly to a vessel's deck, to which the foot of the mast is fixed

Front 74

spar (sailing)

Back 74

a thick, strong pole such as is used for a mast or yard on a vessel

Front 75

yard (sailing)

Back 75

a cylindrical spar, tapering to each end, slung across a vessel's mast for a sail to hang from

Front 76

stay (noun)

Back 76

a large rope, wire or rod used to support a vessel's mast, leading from the masthead to another mast or spar or down to the deck / or, a guy or rope supporting a flagpole or other upright pole

Front 77

bowsprit
(pronounced BOW-sprit, not BOH-sprit)

Back 77

a spar extending forward from a vessel's bow, to which the forestays are fastened

Front 78

running bowsprit

Back 78

a vessel's bowsprit that can be run in or rigged in when headsails are taken off

Front 79

jib boom

Back 79

a spar run out forward as an extension of a vessel's bowsprit

Front 80

forestay

Back 80

a stay leading forward & down to support a vessel's foremast

Front 81

backstay

Back 81

a stay to support a vessel's mast, reaching from the stern to a masthead

Front 82

gaff (sailing)

Back 82

a spar attached at an angle to a vessel's mast, enabling a fore-and-aft sail to be four-sided, or quadrilateral, rather than triangular

Front 83

vang

Back 83

guy ropes from a gaff or boom of a vessel, exerting force in order to reduce twist in a sail, improving performance

Front 84

gaff-rigged

Back 84

a sail & rigging arrangement which is fore-and-aft oriented, four-sided, controlled at its peak by a gaff, and, as a result, typically carries 25% more sail than an equivalent triangular (or Bermuda-rigged) sail

Front 85

square-rigged

Back 85

a sail & rigging arrangement in which a vessel's primary driving sails are perpendicular, or square, to the keel & masts

Front 86

lateen-rigged

Back 86

a sail & rigging arrangement in which a triangular sail is set on a long yard mounted at an angle on a vessel's mast and running in a fore-and-aft direction

Front 87

headsail

Back 87

any sail of a vessel flown in front of the most forward mast; headsails are commonly staysails as well

Front 88

staysail

Back 88

a triangular, fore-and-aft sail extended on a vessel's stay

Front 89

jib

Back 89

a staysail at the front of a vessel and often the foremost sail of a vessel / or, the projecting arm of a crane / a large square-rigged ship typically has four jibs (from fore to aft: flying jib, outer jib, inner jib, and the fore or topmast staysail)

Front 90

lugsail

Back 90

an asymmetrical four-sided sail that is hoisted on a vessel's steeply inclined yard

Front 91

spanker (sailing)

Back 91

a fore-and-aft sail set on the after side of a vessel's mast, especially the mizzenmast

Front 92

jigger

Back 92

a small fore-and-aft sail set at the stern of a vessel

Front 93

boom (sailing)

Back 93

a pivoting spar attached to the foot of a vessel's fore-and-aft sail

Front 94

topping lift

Back 94

the line of a vessel running from a mast head to the boom, applying upward force on the boom to support it when a sail is lowered; also called an uphaul

Front 95

boom gallows

Back 95

a raised crossmember that supports a vessel's boom when a sail is lowered; eliminates the need for a topping lift

Front 96

weather clew of a course

Back 96

the lower forward corner of a vessel's fore-and-aft sail

Front 97

clew

Back 97

the lower after corner of a vessel's fore-and-aft sail

Front 98

outhaul

Back 98

a vessel's rope used to haul out the clew of a boom sail or the tack of a jib

Front 99

clew a sail up

Back 99

haul the clews of a sail up to a vessel's yard or into the mast ready for furling

Front 100

downhaul

Back 100

a vessel's rope used for hauling down a sail, spar, etc., especially in order to control a sail's shape

Front 101

head

Back 101

a sail's upper edge attached to a gaff / or, the upper corner of a triangular sail / or, the toilet or latrine of a vessel, which, in a sailing vessel projected from the bow and therefore was located in the "head" of a vessel

Front 102

throat (sailing)

Back 102

the upper, inner corner of a vessel's gaff-rigged sail

Front 103

peak (sailing)

Back 103

the upper, outer corner of a vessel's gaff-rigged sail

Front 104

luff

Back 104

the leading edge of a vessel's fore-and-aft sail

Front 105

leech (sailing)

Back 105

the afterside edge of a vessel's fore-and-aft sail or a vertical edge on a square sail

Front 106

foot (sailing)

Back 106

the bottom edge of a vessel's sail; runs roughly parallel to the deck and can be attached to a boom / if no boom is present, the sail is said to be "loose-footed"

Front 107

reefing

Back 107

to temporarily reduce the area of a sail exposed to the wind, usually to guard against adverse effects of strong wind or to slow the vessel

Front 108

strike (sailing)

Back 108

to lower or take down a vessel's sail, yard, mast, etc. / strike colors: to lower a flag in surrender

Front 109

halyard

Back 109

a vessel's rope to raise or lower a sail, flag or spar

Front 110

lazy jack

Back 110

a network of cordage rigged to a point on a vessel's mast and to a series of points on either side of the boom; cradles & guides the sail onto the boom when the sail is lowered

Front 111

belay

Back 111

to fasten a rope, by winding it several times backwards or forwards, on a cleat or pin

Front 112

cleat

Back 112

a fitting to which a vessel's lines are made fast; often anvil-shaped

Front 113

chock

Back 113

a fitting through which a vessel's anchor or mooring lines are led

Front 114

block (sailing)

Back 114

a pulley or set of pulleys

Front 115

anchorage

Back 115

a suitable place for a vessel to anchor / vessels display a white light while at anchor

Front 116

weigh anchors

Back 116

or anchors aweigh / to raise an anchor from the water so a vessel can move and store the anchor in its proper location / the opposite of drop anchors

Front 117

ballast

Back 117

heavy material, such as gravel, sand, iron or lead, placed low in a vessel to improve its stability

Front 118

windage

Back 118

wind resistance of a vessel

Front 119

telltale (sailing)

Back 119

a piece of string or fabric that shows the direction & force of the wind

Front 120

windward

Back 120

facing the wind / or, in the direction the wind is coming from

Front 121

leeward

Back 121

downwind / or, in the direction that the wind is blowing toward / or, the side sheltered from the wind

Front 122

tack

Back 122

change course by changing a vessel's head into & through the wind / or, a distance traveled by such changes in course / or, a rope for securing a sail's weather clew of a course / on the port (or starboard) tack: with the wind coming from the port (or starboard) side of the vessel

Front 123

wear

Back 123

bring (a vessel) about by turning its head away from the wind; a downwind tack

Front 124

ready about

Back 124

on a vessel, a command of the boatswain to the crew and implies that all hands are to be attentive and at their stations for tacking

Front 125

box-hauling

Back 125

a particular method of veering a vessel when the swell of the sea renders tacking impracticable

Front 126

over-reaching

Back 126

when a vessel is tacking, holding a course too long

Front 127

point of sail

Back 127

the course of a sailing vessel in relation to the direction of the wind, divided into six points

Front 128

in irons

Back 128

a vessel's point of sail pointed directly into the wind, typically stalling and unable to come about or tack either way

Front 129

close hauled

Back 129

a vessel's point of sail, sailing as close as possible into the wind without going "in irons"; lets the vessel travel diagonally to the wind direction or "upwind" / also called beating or working to winward

Front 130

jibe (also written: gybe)

Back 130

to change from one tack to the other away from the wind, with the stern of the vessel turning through the wind

Front 131

beam reach

Back 131

a vessel's point of sail when the wind is blowing straight over the side / sails are put out at roughly 45-degrees

Front 132

reach (sailing)

Back 132

when a vessel is traveling approximately perpendicular to the wind

Front 133

close reach

Back 133

a vessel's point of sale between close hauled and beam reach

Front 134

broad reach

Back 134

a point of sail when the wind is behind a vessel at an angle

Front 135

running (sailing)

Back 135

a point of sail when a vessel is traveling parallel with the wind; the sails are eased out away from the vessel (to catch as much wind as possible); also called running downwind or running before the wind

Front 136

spinnaker

Back 136

a special triangular sail that is large and is set forward of a vessel's mainsail when running before the wind; typically bulging when full

Front 137

trysail

Back 137

a small, strong fore-and-aft sail set on the mast of a sailing vessel in heavy weather

Front 138

veer

Back 138

a sudden change of direction / or, slacken or let out (a vessel's rope or cable) in a controlled way

Front 139

trim

Back 139

adjustment of a vessel's sails with reference to the wind direction and the vessel's course / or, the relationship of a vessel's hull to the waterline

Front 140

shorten sail

Back 140

to bring in some of a vessel's sail, usually due to weather or to slow down the vessel

Front 141

furl

Back 141

to roll or gather a vessel's sail against its mast or spar

Front 142

knot

Back 142

a unit of speed equivalent to one nautical mile per hour, used especially of ships, aircraft & wind

Front 143

fathom

Back 143

a unit of length equal to six feet (or 1.8 meters), chiefly used in reference to the depth of water; often measure by sailors by stretching out their arms and measuring from the tip of one hand to another

Front 144

nautical mile

Back 144

a unit used in measuring distances at sea, equal to approximately 2025 yards (or 1.15 land miles, a little over a mile-and-an-eighth) / also, equal to one minute of latitude

Front 145

league

Back 145

a former measure of distance by land, usually about three miles

Front 146

Beaufort Scale

Back 146

the scale devised by Admiral Beaufort in 1808, in which winds are graded by the effect of their force / scale originally read 1-to-12, but now extends to 17, with different levels of hurricane-force winds at 12-and-up

Front 147

swell

Back 147

a slow, regular movement of the sea in rolling waves that do not break

Front 148

gale

Back 148

the force of wind rated number-8 on the Beaufort Scale, resulting in winds at least 39 mph (34 knots) and capable of producing open-water waves at least 18 feet high

Front 149

heave

Back 149

a vessel's transient, up-and-down motion

Front 150

pitch

Back 150

a vessel's motion, rotating about the beam axis, causing the fore-and-aft ends to rise & fall repetitively

Front 151

roll

Back 151

a vessel's motion, rotating from side-to-side about the fore-aft axis

Front 152

yaw

Back 152

a vessel's movement to the left or right / or, a movement of deviation from the direct course, as from bad steering

Front 153

broach

Back 153

(of a vessel with wind on the quarter) veer and pitch forward because of bad steering or a sea hitting the stern, causing the vessel to present a side to the wind and sea, lose steerage, and possibly suffer serious damage

Front 154

heel

Back 154

be tilted temporarily by the pressure of wind or by an uneven distribution of weight on board

Front 155

list

Back 155

when a vessel leans to one side, typically because of a leak or unbalanced cargo

Front 156

jetsam

(pronounced JET-summ)

Back 156

goods deliberately cast overboard, as to lighten a vessel or improve its stability

Front 157

awash

Back 157

when a vessel is so low in the water that the water constantly washes across its surface

Front 158

capsize

Back 158

overturn in the water

Front 159

founder

Back 159

to sink at sea by filling with water

Front 160

flotsam

(pronounced FLOT-summ)

Back 160

the wreckage of a vessel or its cargo found floating on or washed up by the sea / or, people or things that have been rejected and are regarded as worthless

Front 161

reef

Back 161

rock or coral shallow enough for a vessel to touch

Front 162

shoals

Back 162

an area of shallow water, especially as a navigational hazard

Front 163

buoy

Back 163

an anchored float serving as a navigation mark for mooring, or to show reefs or other hazards

Front 164

mouth

Back 164

an opening or entrance to a structure that is hollow, concave or almost completely enclosed / or, the opening or entrance to a harbor or bay / or, the place where a river enters a large water body

Front 165

inlet

Back 165

a place or means of entry / or, a small arm of a river, lake, or sea

Front 166

strait

Back 166

a narrow passage of water connecting two seas or two large areas of water

Front 167

channel

Back 167

a narrow gap or passage / or, the navigable part of a waterway / or, a length of water wider than a strait, joining two larger areas of water, especially two seas

Front 168

fairway

Back 168

the channel of a river, haven or narrow bay, in which vessels usually advance up or down the passage

Front 169

sound

Back 169

a narrow stretch of water forming an inlet or connecting two wider areas of water such as two seas or lakes

Front 170

bank

Back 170

a large area of an elevated sea floor

Front 171

slack water

Back 171

the interval between the flux & the reflux of the tide, when motion in the water is imperceptible

Front 172

moor

Back 172

to secure (especially a vessel) in a particular place , as by cables or lines and anchor

Front 173

mooring

Back 173

a place where a vessel is moored / or, the ropes, chains, or anchors to which a vessel or buoy is moored

Front 174

warp

Back 174

move (a vessel) along by hauling on a rope attached to a stationary object on shore

Front 175

berth

Back 175

a vessel's allotted place at a wharf or dock / or, a fixed bed or bunk on a vessel, train, or other means of transport / or, safety margin of distance to be kept by a vessel from another vessel or an obstruction / (verb): moor (a vessel) in its allotted place / or, (verb): provide a sleeping place for (someone) / give a wide berth: steer (a vessel) well clear of something while passing it

Front 176

breakwater

Back 176

a barrier built out into a body of water to protect a coast or harbor from the force of waves

Front 177

jetty

Back 177

a landing stage or small pier at which vessels can dock or be moored / or, a breakwater constructed to protect or defend a harbor, stretch of coast, or riverbank

Front 178

quay

Back 178

a concrete, metal or stone platform lying alongside or projecting into water for loading & unloading vessels / quayside: refers to the dock or platform used to fasten a vessel to

Front 179

pile

Back 179

a heavy beam or post driven vertically into the bed of a river, sea, marsh, soft ground, etc. to support the foundation of a structure

Front 180

dry dock

Back 180

a dock that can be drained of water to allow the inspection & repair of a vessel's hull

Front 181

slip

Back 181

a slope built leading into water, used for launched & landing vessels or for building & repairing them / or, a space in which to dock a vessel, especially between two wharves or piers

Front 182

careen

Back 182

to heel over a vessel for cleaning, caulking or repairing her bottom

Front 183

ship's husband

Back 183

now-obselete term for the man at a dockyard in charge of a vessel's repairs

Front 184

shipwright

Back 184

a shipbuilder

Front 185

longshoreman

Back 185

a person employed in a port to load & unload vessels

Front 186

captain

Back 186

the person lawfully in command of a vessel / or, an informal title of respect given to the commander of a naval vessel regardless of his or her formal rank

Front 187

master

Back 187

a former naval rank / or, the captain of a commercial vessel / or, on a naval sailing vessel, a senior officer in charge of navigation & routine seamanship, but this is not a combat command

Front 188

first mate

Back 188

the deck officer second in command to the master (or captain) of a vessel; on pirate ships, this duty often fell to the quartermaster

Front 189

second mate

Back 189

depending on the vessel, a crew member third or fourth in command / duties vary; may include the vessel's navigator, the watchkeeping officer, the medical officer, and the one in charge of maintaining distress signaling equipment

Front 190

watch (noun)

Back 190

a period of four hours usually marked by 8 bells or 8 half-hour periods

Front 191

sea artist

Back 191

a vessel's navigator

Front 192

cross-staff

Back 192

an instrument predating the octant & sextant, taking the altitude of the sun or a star to find latitude

Front 193

octant

Back 193

an instrument for making measurements in astronomy & navigation; replaced with the sextant

Front 194

sextant

Back 194

navigational instrument used to measure a vessel's latitude

Front 195

latitude

Back 195

the distance in degrees north or south from the equator

Front 196

longitude

Back 196

the distance in degrees east or west of the meridian at Greenwich, England

Front 197

pilot

Back 197

the crew member at a vessel's helm; the one who steers the vessel; also called a helmsman

Front 198

conn

Back 198

to direct a vessel from a position of command / conning officer: the officer on a naval vessel who instructs the helmsman on the course to steer / conning tower: the control tower of an iron or steel warship from which the ship is navigated

Front 199

bearing

Back 199

the horizontal direction of a line of sight between two objects on the surface of the earth

Front 200

wash

Back 200

turbulence behind a vessel

Front 201

wake

Back 201

the waves created by a vessel

Front 202

master-at-arms

Back 202

a non-commissioned officer responsible for discipline on a naval vessel; stands between the officers & the crew

Front 203

boatswain
(pronounced BOE-sunn)

Back 203

a non-commissioned officer in charge of a vessel's crew and the equipment, including sails, rigging & anchors

Front 204

coxswain
(pronounced COCK-sunn)

Back 204

a servant on a vessel in charge of a boat kept on board for the captain / or, the helmsman of any boat (yes - boat, not ship)

Front 205

seaman

Back 205

a person who works as a sailor, especially one below the rank of officer

Front 206

midshipman

Back 206

an officer candidate in the US Navy / from the name of a lower-ranking officer in the Royal Navy stationed amidship but aspired to promotion

Front 207

ensign

Back 207

the rank given to newly commissioned officers in the US Navy / or, a flag, banner or standard, especially a military or naval one indicating nationality / Jolly Roger: a pirate flag

Front 208

marine

Back 208

originally an army soldier trained to serve on board a vessel

Front 209

purser

Back 209

a person who buys, stores & sells goods on board a vessel / or, a vessel's officer who keeps the accounts / or, the head steward on a passenger vessel

Front 210

merchant marine

Back 210

a sailor working on a merchant vessel / or, a country's shipping that is involved in commerce or trade, as opposed to military activity

Front 211

powder monkey

Back 211

a boy employed on a sailing warship to carry powder to the guns / or, a person who works with explosives

Front 212

steward

Back 212

a person who looks after the passengers on a ship, aircraft or train and brings them meals

Front 213

cabin boy

Back 213

a young boy of privileged birth who is sent to sea to learn the maritime trade; typically waits upon the officers and often acts as the captain's servant / often referred to by British sailors as a grommet

Front 214

shanghaied

Back 214

condition of a crewman involuntarily impressed into service on a vessel / or, coerce or trick (someone) into a place or position or into doing something

Front 215

ahoy

Back 215

a term used to hail a vessel / or, a cry to draw attention

Front 216

avast

Back 216

the command to stop or cease in any operation

Front 217

savvy

Back 217

when used as a one-word question or interjection, it means "Do you understand?"

Front 218

aye, aye

Back 218

the reply to an order or command to indicate that it, firstly, is heard; and, secondly, is understood and will be carried out / synonymous with yarr / also, the proper reply from a hailed vessel, to indicate that an officer is on board

Front 219

cuddy

Back 219

a small shelter cabin in a boat

Front 220

dory

Back 220

a small flat-bottomed rowboat with a high bow & stern, of a kind originally used for fishing in New England

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punt

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a long, narrow, flat-bottomed boat, square at both ends and propelled with a long pole, used on inland waters chiefly for recreation

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dinghy

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a small boat for recreation or racing, especially an open boat with a mast & sails / or, a small, inflatable rubber boat

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skiff

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a small, open, flat-bottomed boat that is usually for only one person; sharp bow with a square sternp

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pinnace

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a small boat, with oars or sails, forming part of the equipment of a warship or other large vessel

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tender

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a vessel attending to another vessel, in particular one that ferries supplies or personnel between ship & shore / or, a railcar coupled to a steam locomotive to carry fuel & water

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catamaran

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a vessel with two hulls

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outrigger

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a float or secondary hull fixed parallel to a canoe or other boat to stabilize it / or, a beam, spar, or framework projecting from or over the side of a vessel

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coaster

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a small coastal vessel, often a local merchant vessel or fishing boat

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trawler

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a fishing boat that uses a trawl net or dragnet to catch fish / naval trawler: a converted trawler used for naval purposes

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catboat

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a sailboat with a single mast placed well forward and carrying only one sail

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sloop

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a one-masted sailboat with a fore-and-aft mainsail and a jib / the most common & purest form of sailboat

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hoy

Back 232

a small vessel (often rigged as a sloop), employed in short distances off the coast

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tartan

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a small & nimble lateen-rigged, single-masted vessel originating in the Middle East

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shallop

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a large heavy boat with one or more masts often carrying lug sails and sometimes equipped with guns

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cog

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a broadly built medieval vessel characterized by high sides, a relatively flat bottom, rounded bilge, and a single square sail

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cutter

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(historical): a small fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel with one mast, more than one headsail, and a running bowsprit, used as a fast auxiliary (basically, a sloop with a second headsail) / or, a yacht with a gaff-rigged mainsail and two foresails / or, a light, fast, coastal patrol boat / or, a ship's boat used for carrying passengers or light stores

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ketch

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a two-masted fore-and-aft rigged sailboat with the aft-side mast stepped forward of the rudder and smaller than the foremast

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yawl

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a two-masted fore-and-aft rigged sailboat with the aft-side mast stepped far aft so that the boom overhangs the stern

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yacht

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a medium-sized sailboat equipped for cruising or racing / or, a powered boat or small ship equipped for cruising, typically for official or private use

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regatta

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a series of boat races, usually of sailboats or rowboats, but occasionally of powered boats

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junk

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a flat-bottomed sailing vessel typical in China and the East Indies, with a prominent stem, a high stern, and lugsails

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brig

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a two-masted, square-rigged vessel with an additional gaff sail on the mainmast / or, a prison, especially on a warship

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brigantine

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a two-masted sailing vessel with a square-rigged foremast and a fore-and-aft-rigged mainmast

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snow

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also called a snaw or snow-brig / a two-masted sailing vessel with square sails on both masts, but also having a small mast called a snowmast just aft of the mainmast

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schooner

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a sailing vessel with two or more masts, in which the aft-most mast is the same height or taller than the foremast

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cat ketch

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a ketch that lacks any standing rigging to support their pair of unstayed masts. If the after mast is taller than the foremast, then it's called a cat schooner.

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gaffer

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gaffed-rigged sailboats, or gaffers, have their mainsail supported by a spar (the gaff), which is hauled up mast by a separate halyard / often rigged with a topsail

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caravel

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a small, fast Spanish or Portuguese sailing vessel of the 15th to 17th centuries

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lugger

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a small sailing vessel with two or three masts and a lugsail on each

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polacre (pronounced poe-LOCK-err)

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a three-masted Mediterranean vessel, usually square-rigged on the mainmast, but lateen-rigged on the foremast & mizzenmast

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clipper

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a fast sailing ship, especially one of 19th-century design with a concave bow and raked masts

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sloop of war

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a small square-rigged sailing warship with two or three masts

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barque or bark

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a sailing vessel, typically with three masts, in which the foremast & mainmast are square-rigged and the mizzenmast is rigged fore-and-aft

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barkentine

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a sailing vessel, with three to five masts, of which only the foremast is square-rigged; the others being fore-and-aft rigged

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corsair

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a privateer, especially one operating along the southern coast of the Mediterranean in the 16th to 18th centuries; relatively small & narrow-hulled with lateen sails

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corvette

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a small warship designed for convoy escort duty / or, (historical): a sailing warship with one tier of guns

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galleon

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typically, a Spanish sailing ship in the 15th to 17th centuries, mainly square-rigged and with usually three or more masts & decks

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man-of-war

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a commissioned warship belonging to the recognized navy of a country

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rate

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a 17th-century classification system of sailing warships, based on their size, capability, and number of guns mounted; a first rate being the largest and most capable and sixth rate being the least; only the first four rates were considered fit for duty as "ships of the line", however, others joined in battle when required

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flotilla

Back 260

a fleet of ships or boats / from the Spanish word "flota", meaning fleet

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ship of the line

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a sailing warship of the largest size, used in the line of battle / or, one of many ships forming a fleet

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flagship

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the ship in a fleet that carries the commanding admiral and his flag; normally the most powerful ship in a squadron or fleet

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squadron

Back 263

a group of warships detached on a particular duty / or, a principle division of an armored or cavalry regiment, consisting of two or more troops / or, an operational unit in an air force consisting of two or more flights of aircraft

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interloper

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a ship that intrudes into another nation or company's trading arc / or, a person who becomes involved in a place or situation where they are not wanted or are considered not to belong

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tramp trade

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shipping on-the-spot in which the vessels involved do not have a fixed schedule or itinerary or published ports of call, contrasting with freight liner service, in which vessels make regular, scheduled runs between published ports / tramper: a vessel engaged in the tramp trade

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letter of marque

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a warrant granted to a privateer condoning specific acts of piracy against a target as a redress for grievances

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line astern

Back 267

in naval warfare, a line of battle formed behind a flagship

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no quarter given

Back 268

a warning that if you resist, you will be killed; if you do not resist then your life will be spared

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broadside

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a discharge of all the guns on one side of a ship

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chain shot

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pairs of cannon balls or half balls joined by a chain, fired from cannons in sea battles in order to damage masts & rigging

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chasers

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cannons mounted in the bow or stern of a ship, used in an attempt to slow down a ship either pursuing or being pursued

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long nines

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long-barreled cannons firing a nine-pound solid shot often used as chaser guns

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rake

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to send shot along a ship from stem-to-stern (fore-and-aft); to sweep or traverse with shot; to enfilade

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privateer

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a privately owned ship authorized by a national power (by means of a letter of marque) to conduct hostilities against an enemy

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frigate

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historical: a sailing warship / 1800s: a type of warship combining sail & steam propulsion, typically of ironclad timber construction / (modern): a warship with mixed armament, typically heavier than a destroyer

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S.S.

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prefix for steam ship; used before a ship's name

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packet

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a ship traveling at regular intervals between two ports, originally for the conveyance of mail

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windjammer

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a type of merchant sailing ship, often with an iron hull and between three and five masts