Sailing Terms

Sailing Terms

Here is some interesting schooner/sailing vocabulary

A

Abaft: toward or at the stern of a ship; further aft
Afterdeck: deck behind a ship’s bridge
Afterguard: men who work the aft sails on the quarterdeck and poop deck
Ahull: with sails furled and helm lashed to the lee-side
Amidships: midway between the bow and stern of a ship
Astern: at the stern of a ship

B

Backstay: stay extending from ship’s mastheads to the back (aft) of the ship
Baggywrinkle: clumps of frayed rope that protect the sails from chafing against the lines
Ballaster: one who supplies ships with ballast
Bargemaster: Owner of a barge
Bee: Hardwood on either side of bowsprit through which forestays are reeved
Belay: To secure a rope by winding on a pin or cleat
Bilge: Lowest point of inner hull of a ship where ship’s are drained from with a pump
Binnacle: Case in which a ship’s compass is kept
Bitts: Posts mounted on a ship for fastening ropes
Bluepeter: Blue flag with white square in centre used as ship’s signal
Boatsains Mate: Ship’s crewmember in charge of equipment and maintenance
Bobstay: A stay used on ships to steady the bowsprit
Bollard: A short post on a wharf or ship to which ropes are tied
Boltrope: A strong rope stitched to edges of a sail
Boom: Free-swinging spar attached to the bottom edge of a sail, riding on the mast
Bosun: Boatswain
Bottomry: Using the ship as collateral to finance a sea voyage
Bow: Front of ship
Bower: Anchor carried at bow of a ship
Bowline: Rope used to keep weather edge of a sail taut; also a common knot used by sailors
Bowsprit: A long spar attached to the bow; used to attach sails which hang out over the ocean
Brails: Ropes on edge of sail for hauling up
Bream: To clean a ship’s bottom by burning off seaweed
Bulwark: The side of a ship above the deck
Bumpkin: A spar projecting from stern of ship
Bunk: Sleeping berths on a ship
Bunt: Middle of the sail
Buntline: A rope attached to middle of square sail to haul it up to the yard
Burgee: Small ship’s flag used for identification or signalling

C

Camber: Slight arch or convexity to a beam or deck of a ship
Capstan: The drum-like part of the windlass, used for winding in rope, cables or chain connected to an anchor cargo
Careen: To turn a ship on its side in order to clean or repair it
Cathead: Projection near the bow of a ship to which anchor is secured
Chine: The intersection of the middle and sides of a boat
Chock: Metal casting with curved arms for passing ropes for mooring ship
Clew: The aft, bottom corner of sail with hole to attach ropes
Coaming: Raised edge around ship’s hatches to keep water out
Companionway: Stairs from upper deck of ship to lower deck
Cordage: Ropes in the rigging of a ship
Cringle: Loop at corner of sail to which a line is attached
Crosstrees: Horizontal pieces of wood that cross the mast up high, acting as spreaders for the shrouds

D

Davit: Small cranes, usually located aft, used to raise and lower smaller boats
Deadeye: Rounded wooden block with hole used to set up ship’s stays
Ditty bag: Small bag used by sailors for personal items
Dead-eyes: Blocks in the shroud rigging to adjust tension
Dogwatch: A short, evening period of watch duty on a ship
Downhaul: Rope for holding down or hauling down a sail or spar

E

Ensign: Large naval flag
Escutcheon: Part of a ship’s stern where the name is displayed

F

Fairlead: Ring through which rope is led to change its direction without friction
Fardage: Wood placed in bottom of ship to keep cargo dry
Figurehead: Ornament or (usually female) bust attached to the bow of a ship
Fo’c’sle: Contraction of “forecastle”; the living quarters inside the hull of a ship
Forecabin: Cabin in fore part of ship
Forecastle: Short raised deck at fore end of ship; fore of ship under main deck
Foremast: The mast in the forepart of a vessel, nearest the bow
Forepeak: The crew’s quarters, located in the bow
Foresail: The lowest square sail on the foremast
Forestay: Stay leading from the foremast to the bow of a ship
Frames: The wooden ribs that form the shape of the hull
Freeboard: Distance between waterline and main deck of a ship
Futtock: Rib of a ship

G

Gaff: A free-swinging spar attached to the top of the sail
Gaff-topsail: Triangular topsail with its foot extended upon the gaff
Galley: The kitchen of a ship
Gangway: Either of the sides of the upper deck of a ship
Garboard: Plank on a ship’s bottom next to the keel
Grapnel: Small anchor used for dragging or grappling
Groundage: A charge on a ship in port
Gudgeon: Metal socket into which the pintle of a boat’s rudder fits
Gunnage: Number of guns carried on a warship
Guwale: Upper edge of the side of a ship
Gybe: To pass the stern of the boat through the wind, opposite of tack

H

Halyards: Lines used to haul up the sail and the wooden poles (boom and gaff) that hold the sails in place
Hank: A series of rings or clips for attaching a jib or staysail to a stay
Hawse: Distance between ship’s bow and its anchor
Hawsehole: Hole for ship’s cable
Hawsepipe: Hole for ship’s cable
Hawser: Large rope for mooring or towing a ship
Hatch: An opening in the deck for entering below
Headsail: Sail set forward of the foremast of a ship
Helm: Ship’s steering wheel
Highliner: The best of its type of fishing boat
Hold: The space for cargo below the deck of the ship
Holystone: Sandstone material used to scrape ships’ decks

I

Inboard: Inside the line of a ship’s bulwarks or hull

J

Jack: Ship’s flag flown from jack-staff at bow of vessel
Jack-block: Pulley system for raising topgallant masts
Jettison: To throw overboard
Jib: A triangular foresail in front of the foremast
Jumbo: The larger of the headsails

K

Keel: The timber at the very bottom of the hull to which frames are attached
Knockabout: A type of schooner without a bowsprit

L

Lazyjacks: Lines from topping lifts to under boom which act as a net to catch the sails when lowered
Lines: Ropes used for various purposes aboard a boat

M

Mainmast: The tallest mast of the ship; on a schooner, the mast furthest aft
Mainsail: The lowest square sail on the mainmast
Mast: A large wooden pole used to hold up the sails

P

Pay out: To feed line over the side of the boat, hand over hand
Pilothouse: A small cabin on the deck of the ship that protects the steering wheel and the crewman steering
Planking: Wood boards that cover the frames outside the hull

Q

Queen topsail: Small stay sail located between the foremast and mainmast

R

Rigging: The lines that hold up the masts and move the sails (standing and running rigging)
Rudder: A fin or blade attached under the hull’s stern used for steering

S

Scuppers: Holes through the ship sides which drain water at deck level over the side
Sail: A piece of cloth that catches the wind and so powers a vessel
Sailing rig: The equipment used to sail a boat, including sails, booms and gaffs, lines and blocks
Schooner: Sailing ships with at least 2 masts (foremast and mainmast) with the mainmast being the taller
Sheet: Piece of line fastened to the sail and used to position relative to the wind
Shroud: A line or wire running from the top of the mast to the spreaders, then attaching to the side of the vessel
Sole: The inside deck of the ship
Spar: A pole or a beam
Stay: A line or wire from the mast to the bow or stern of a ship, for support of the mast
Stay sail: Any sail attached to a stay
Stem: The timber at the very front of the bow

T

Topmast: A second spar carried at the top of the fore or main mast, used to fly more sail
Transom: The planking that forms the stern and closes off the sides

W

Wheel: Device used for steering a boat
Widow-maker: A term for the bowsprit (many sailors lost their lives falling off the bowsprit while tending sails)

Y

Yankee: A fore-sail flying above and forward of the jib, usually seen on bowsprit vessels
Yawl boat: Smaller powered boat used to provide steerage-way when not under sail