Several hundred terms relating to nautical activity.
Just tap the first letter of the term of interest to see all terms beginning with that letter..
Tap 'Close' to return to the letter choice.
Tapping the red messge will show an explanation of nautical measurements (knot, fathom etc).
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Toward the stern relative to some object ("abaft the fore hatch")
At right angles to the keel of the boat (but not on the boat)
On or within the boat.
To change the course of a boat by tacking; 'ready about' is the order to prepare for tacking
On, not over, the deck (see also ALOFT)
The bearing of an object relative to North (true bearing using geographical north or magnetic bearing using magnetic north)
On or within the boat.
Loose, not on mooring or towline.
Toward the stern of the boat.
Touching or fast to the bottom of the river/lock.
In a forward direction.
Away from the direction of the wind; opposite of windward.
A term used in maritime law – to impact a stationary object (not submerged), such as a bridge abutment or dolphin, pier or wharf, or another vessel made fast to a pier or wharf.
Above, but not on, the deck of the boat; in the rigging.
By the side of a boat or jetty or pier.
In or toward the center of the boat.
A place suitable for anchoring (in relation to wind, water and bottom).
Round black shape hoisted in the forepart of a vessel to show that it is anchored.
Over to the port side of a vessel.
That part of the stern where the name of the vessel is shown.
Over to the starboard side of a vessel.
Behind or towards the rear of the boat; opposite of ahead.
At right angles to the centerline of the vessel (eg: rowboat seats are generally athwart).
The position of anchor as it is raised clear of the bottom.
Long lines reaching from the stern to the masthead and used to support the mast.
A soft covering to prevent sail chaffing.
Secure hatches and loose objects within the boat and on deck.
The greatest width of a vessel.
to steer a boat away from the wind.
to steer a boat into the wind.
The direction of an object expressed either as a true bearing (as shown on a chart) or as a bearing relative to the heading of the boat.
To make fast a line around a fitting, usually a cleat or belaying pin; An order to halt a current activity or countermand an order prior to execution.
Beneath the deck.
The part of the rope or line, between the end and the standing part, on which a knot is formed.
The interior of the hull below the floor boards.
Open front canvas top for the cockpit of a boat.
The stand on which a vessel's compass is mounted.
The last part of a rope or chain; the inboard end of the anchor rode.
A waterborne vehicle smaller than a ship; sometimes: a small craft carried aboard a ship.
A shaft with a fitting at one end shaped to facilitate use in putting a line over a piling, recovering an object dropped overboard, or in pushing or fending off.
A substantial vertical pillar to which lines may be made fast. Generally on the quayside rather than the vessel.
A painted line indicating the designed waterline.
The forward part of a boat.
A mooring line leading from the bow
A knot used to form a temporary loop in the end of a line.
A small propeller or water-jet at the bow, used for manoeuvring at slow speed; may be mounted externally or in a tunnel running through the bow from side to side.
The location from which a vessel is steered and its speed controlled; "Control Station" is a more appropriate term for small craft.
A line or wire secured at both ends in order to distribute a strain between two points.
Varnished woodwork and/or polished metal.
A vertical partition separating compartments.
An anchored float used for marking a position on the water or a hazard or a shoal and for mooring.
A compartment for passengers or crew.
To turn over.
To let go (of mooring lines).
A twin-hulled boat with hulls side by side
a plate lowered through the hull of a dinghy to resist leeway.
Tubing or cloth wrapping used to protect a line from chafing on a rough surface.
A (nautical) map.
The intersection of the bottom and sides of a flat or v-bottomed boat.
A fitting through which anchor or mooring lines are fed; usually U-shaped to reduce chafe.
A fitting to which lines are made fast; the classic cleat is approximately anvil-shaped.
A knot for temporarily fastening a line to a spar or piling.
A vertical piece around the edge of a cockpit, hatch, etc. to prevent water on deck from running below.
An opening in the deck from which the boat is handled.
To lay a line down in circular turns.
The direction in which a boat is steered.
A small shelter cabin in a boat.
The horizontal movement of water.
A small crane used to raise or lower objects (such as smaller boats) from or to the water.
A small crane used to raise or lower objects (such as smaller boats) from or to the water.
Directly ahead.
Directly aft.
A permanent covering over a compartment, hull or any part thereof.
A small open boat often used as a tender for a larger craft.
The weight of water displaced by a floating vessel (a boat's weight).
A type of hull that plows through the water displacing a weight of water equal to its own weight even when more power is added.
A protected water area in which vessels are moored; often used to denote a pier or a wharf.
A group of piles driven close together and bound with wire cables into a single structure.
The depth of water a boat draws. The depth of a water course.
A small line used to fasten the upper corners of a square sail to its yard
Referring to a receding current.
An electrical depth sounder or fish finder that uses sound echoes to locate the depth of objects in water. It does so by timing the sound pulses. Eddy - A small local current usually caused by tidal streams as they ebb and flow around or against obstructions.
A small local current usually caused by tidal streams as they ebb and flow around or against obstructions. Embargo - A temporary injunction against ships or cargo to prevent their arrival or departure in time of war.
A nautical version of the national flag of the country usually flown at the stern.
The shape of the fore-body of a ship as it thrusts through the sea. A vessel with a slim bow is said to have a fine entry.
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon.
When a boat is floating on its designed waterline, upright without any list to either side, it is said to be floating on an even keel.
A loop or hole which is spliced or tied on the end of a line.
Direction from which the wind is blowing.
A permanent loop spliced in the end of a line, sometimes around a thimble.
Metal bolt with an eye in the end.
Six feet.
A cushion placed between boats, or between a boat and a pier, to prevent damage.
A knot in the form of a figure eight, placed in the end of a line to prevent the line from passing through a grommet or a block.
The outward curve of a vessel's sides near the bow. A distress signal.
Referring to an incoming current.
The surface of the cockpit on which the crew stand.
The palm of an anchor
Of or relating to a river - as in 'fluvial flow'
A line parallel to the keel.
A compartment in the bow of a small boat.
Toward the bow of the boat
Any piece of equipment that is jammed or entangled or dirtied.
The minimum vertical distance from the surface of the water to the gunwale.
The kitchen (area) of a boat.
The area of a ship's side where people board and disembark.
A general term for ropes, blocks, tackle and other equipment.
Hand-hold fittings mounted on cabin tops and sides for personal safety when moving around the boat.
A collective term for the anchor and its associated gear.
The upper edge of a boat's sides.
A line used to raise the head of a sail.
An abrupt intersection between the hull side and the hull bottom of a boat so constructed.
An opening in a boat's deck usually fitted with a watertight cover.
A marine toilet. Also the upper corner of a triangular sail
The direction in which a vessel's bow points at any given time.
The forward motion of a boat; opposite of sternway.
The wheel or tiller controlling the rudder.
The person who steers the boat.
A knot used to secure a rope to another object or to another rope; to form a loop or a noose in a rope.
A compartment below deck in a large vessel and used solely for carrying cargo.
The main body of a vessel.
More toward the centre of a vessel; inside; referring to a motor fitted inside a boat.
A line running fore-and-aft on both sides of the boat to which safety harnesses are clipped.
A rope ladder lowered from the deck.
A structure, usually masonry, projecting out from the river edge; a jetty may protect a harbor or marina entrance.
A temporary device to replace lost or damaged gear.
The centerline of a boat running fore and aft; the backbone of a vessel.
A measure of speed equal to one nautical mile (6076 feet) per hour.
A fastening made by interweaving rope to form a stopper; to enclose or bind an object, to form a loop or a noose; to tie a small rope to an object; or to tie the ends of two small ropes together.
A short line attached to one object, such as a knife, with which it is secured to another.
A storage space in a boat's stern area.
The side sheltered from the wind.