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Sailing terms, in plain English

Every word your skipper will use in the first two days, explained the way a crewmate would explain it — not the way an exam would. Search it, filter it by what you are trying to learn, or read it end to end in twenty minutes.

179 terms
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A

AbeamNavigation & tides
At right angles to the boat, off either side.
AftHull & deck
Toward the stern — the back of the boat.
AISNavigation & tides
A system where boats broadcast their identity, position and course to each other.
AmidshipsHull & deck
The middle of the boat.
AnchorAnchoring & mooring
The hook that holds you to the seabed. What actually holds is the chain lying along the bottom, not the anchor’s weight.
Apparent windWind & points of sail
The wind you actually feel on deck: the true wind combined with the wind of the boat’s own movement. Full guide →
AsternNavigation & tides
Behind the boat; also going backwards under engine.

B

BackstayRig & sails
The wire running from the masthead to the stern, holding the mast against forward pull.
BattenRig & sails
A stiffener in the sail that helps hold its shape.
BeamHull & deck
The width of the boat at its widest point. "On the beam" means off to the side, at right angles.
Beam reachWind & points of sail
Wind coming across the side at about 90°, sheets half out. Usually the fastest and always the most comfortable point of sail. Full guide →
BearingNavigation & tides
The direction to something, in degrees. Two of them crossing give you a position.
Bearing awayWind & points of sail
Turning the bow away from the wind. Full guide →
Beaufort scaleWeather
Wind strength from 0 to 12, each force matched to what the sea looks like. Force 4 is prime sailing; Force 6 means reef now.
BerthAnchoring & mooring
Your parking spot in a marina — and the bunk you sleep in. Context tells you which.
BightLines & ropework
A loop or bend in a line that does not cross itself. Full guide →
BilgeHull & deck
The lowest space inside the hull, where water collects. Check it daily: a rising bilge is the first sign of a leak.
Boat hookAnchoring & mooring
The pole with a hook, for grabbing buoys, lazy lines and dropped fenders.
BoomRig & sails
The horizontal spar along the foot of the mainsail. It swings across the cockpit at head height in every tack and gybe — the single most common injury on a charter.
BowHull & deck
The front of the boat. Everything is described relative to it — forward, aft, port and starboard all assume you are facing this way.
BowlineLines & ropework
A knot that ties a fixed loop that won't slip. Full guide →
BroachManoeuvres
When a boat running downwind is knocked sideways by a wave and slews out of control.
Broad reachWind & points of sail
Wind over the aft quarter, sheets well out. Fast, flat and easy miles. Full guide →
BungsSafety
Soft tapered wooden plugs tied near each through-hull, hammered into a failed skin fitting to stop a flood.
BuoyageNavigation & tides
The system of marks guiding boats along channels. In Europe (IALA A) you leave red to port coming in; in the Americas it is the other way round.

C

Cardinal markNavigation & tides
A buoy showing where safe water lies by compass direction.
Cat’s pawWeather
A dark ruffled patch on the water — a gust arriving a few seconds early.
ChartplotterNavigation & tides
The screen showing your position on an electronic chart.
CleatLines & ropework
A two-horned fitting a line is made fast to. Round the base, two figure-eights, one locking turn — no more. Full guide →
Cleat hitchLines & ropework
The knot for securing a line to a cleat. Full guide →
ClewRig & sails
The back lower corner of a sail.
Close-hauledWind & points of sail
Sailing as close to the wind as the boat will manage, about 45°. Sheets hard in, heeled over, spray flying. Full guide →
Close reachWind & points of sail
Sailing between close-hauled and a beam reach. Full guide →
Clove hitchLines & ropework
A knot for quickly securing a line to a post or rail. Full guide →
Clutch / jammerLines & ropework
A lever that grips and holds a rope under load.
CoachroofHull & deck
The raised cabin roof.
CoamingHull & deck
The raised edge around the cockpit that keeps water out.
CockpitHull & deck
The sunken area where the crew sits and steers. Also where the boom swings — know its arc before you settle in.
ColregsNavigation & tides
The international rules of the road at sea — who gives way to whom.
CompanionwayHull & deck
The steps and opening between cockpit and cabin. An emergency exit — never block it.
CourseNavigation & tides
The direction the boat is meant to travel.
CunninghamRig & sails
A control that tensions the front edge of the mainsail.

D

Dead reckoningNavigation & tides
Estimating position from course, speed and time.
Depth sounderNavigation & tides
The instrument showing water depth. Know whether it reads from the keel or the waterline.
DraftHull & deck
How deep the boat reaches below the waterline. Add a metre of comfort to it and you have your no-go depth on the chart.
DraggingAnchoring & mooring
When the anchor lets go and the boat moves. You notice it by the shore changing position, usually at 3am.
DSCSafety
Digital Selective Calling — a VHF distress button.

E

EaseManoeuvres
To let a sheet out, gently and under control — not to let it go.
EbbNavigation & tides
The outgoing, falling tide.
EPIRBSafety
An emergency beacon that signals your position to rescuers.

F

FairleadLines & ropework
A fitting that guides a rope in the right direction.
FenderAnchoring & mooring
The inflatable buffer hung over the side alongside. Position them before the approach, and bring them in the moment you leave.
FetchWeather
The distance wind travels over water, which builds wave size.
FiddlesLife aboard
The bars that hold pots on the stove when the boat is moving.
Figure-eightLines & ropework
A stopper knot that keeps a line from running out. Full guide →
FixNavigation & tides
A confirmed position from bearings or GPS.
FlareSafety
A pyrotechnic distress signal.
FloodNavigation & tides
The incoming, rising tide.
ForestayRig & sails
The wire from the masthead to the bow, which the headsail is set on.
ForwardHull & deck
Toward the bow. "Go forward" means up the deck — not down below.
FreeboardHull & deck
The height of hull between the waterline and the deck.
FrontWeather
The boundary between two air masses, bringing a weather change.
FurlerRig & sails
A system for rolling a sail away.

G

GalleyLife aboard
The boat’s kitchen.
GenoaRig & sails
A large headsail overlapping the mast. More power than a jib, and more work to tack.
GooseneckRig & sails
The hinge joining the boom to the mast.
Goose-wingManoeuvres
Running with mainsail and headsail set on opposite sides.
Grab bagSafety
The bag of essentials — water, flares, papers, phone, EPIRB — that leaves the boat with you.
GuardrailHull & deck
The wire and stanchions around the deck. Lean on it, never trust it with your weight.
GunwaleHull & deck
The top edge of the boat's side.
GustWeather
A brief spike in wind, often 30–50% above the average. You can see it coming as a dark patch on the water.
Gybe / jibeManoeuvres
Turning the stern through the wind so the boom crosses. Always announced, always controlled — a crash gybe breaks gear and heads.

H

HalyardLines & ropework
A rope that hoists a sail up the mast. Up and down is a halyard; in and out is a sheet.
HarnessSafety
A body harness that clips you to the boat.
HeadingNavigation & tides
The direction the boat is pointing.
Heading upWind & points of sail
Turning the bow toward the wind. Full guide →
Head (of a sail)Rig & sails
The top corner of a sail.
HeadsLife aboard
The boat’s toilet. Nothing goes down it but what came out of you and thin paper.
HeadsailRig & sails
Any sail set forward of the mast, such as a jib or genoa.
Heave toManoeuvres
Balancing a backed jib against the helm so the boat sits nearly still. The way to stop and take stock in heavy weather.
HeelWind & points of sail
The sideways lean of a sailing boat under wind. Normal. Uncomfortable, not dangerous.
HelmHull & deck
The steering position, wheel or tiller, and by extension the person steering. "Watch your helm" means look where you are going.
HullHull & deck
The main body of the boat that sits in the water. Charter boats are fibreglass, so anything that hits it — a quay, a fender-less neighbour — costs money.

I

IALANavigation & tides
The body that standardises buoyage into regions A and B.
In ironsWind & points of sail
Stuck head to wind with the sails flogging and no steering. Back the jib or motor out of it. Full guide →

J

JackstaySafety
The strong line running along the deck that you clip your tether to. Clip to this, never to the guardrail.
JibRig & sails
A headsail that does not overlap the mast. On a charter boat it usually rolls away on a furler.

K

KeelHull & deck
The heavy fin under the hull. It stops the boat sliding sideways and keeps it upright; it also sets your draft, which decides where you can and cannot go.
Kicker / vangRig & sails
A control that pulls the boom down to flatten the mainsail.
Knot (speed)Navigation & tides
One nautical mile per hour. Six knots is a normal charter cruising speed.

L

Lateral markNavigation & tides
A red or green buoy marking the side of a channel.
Lazy lineAnchoring & mooring
A line running from the quay to a mooring block, used instead of your own anchor in most Med marinas. Walk it forward outside everything and cleat it.
LeechRig & sails
The trailing (back) edge of a sail.
Lee shoreWeather
A shore downwind of you — the wind is pushing you onto it. The one to respect. Full guide →
LeewardWind & points of sail
The sheltered side, away from the wind. Said "loo-ard". Everything that goes over the side drifts this way — including people. Full guide →
LeewayNavigation & tides
The sideways drift a boat makes to leeward. Full guide →
LifelinesHull & deck
The wires around the deck edge. They stop a stumble becoming a swim — but they are not a backrest.
LiferaftSafety
The inflatable raft for abandoning ship. You step up into it, never down: only leave when the boat is definitely going.
LogNavigation & tides
The instrument measuring boat speed through the water.
LuffRig & sails
The leading edge of a sail; also the flutter that edge makes when the sail is let out too far. Full guide →

M

MainsailRig & sails
The main sail, set behind the mast. Hoisted head to wind, reefed early, and the last sail you drop.
MainsheetLines & ropework
The line controlling the boom, and so the mainsail.
Man overboard (MOB)Safety
The emergency when someone falls into the water. Shout, point and keep pointing, throw flotation, press the MOB button.
MARPOLLife aboard
The international regulations governing what may and may not be thrown overboard. Nothing that is not biodegradable.
MastRig & sails
The vertical spar holding the sails up. Never a handhold for hauling yourself about, and never something to bang the halyards against at anchor.
MaydaySafety
The distress call, said three times on channel 16, for grave and imminent danger to life or vessel.
Med mooringAnchoring & mooring
Stern-to a quay with your own anchor down forward, or on a lazy line. Standard across the Mediterranean, and the manoeuvre most crews dread.
MeltemiWeather
The strong summer northerly of the Aegean. It can blow hard for days, so Greek itineraries are planned around it.
MistralWeather
The cold, strong northwesterly of the Gulf of Lion. Arrives fast, blows hard, flattens plans.
Mooring buoyAnchoring & mooring
A floating buoy you tie to instead of anchoring.

N

Nautical mileNavigation & tides
About 1.85 km, and one minute of latitude — which is why charts are measured in it.
Neap tideNavigation & tides
A tide with the smallest range.
No-go zoneWind & points of sail
The wedge either side of the wind — roughly 45° — where the sails cannot work and the boat stops. Full guide →

O

OuthaulRig & sails
A control that tensions the bottom edge of the mainsail.

P

PainterLines & ropework
The bow rope of a dinghy.
Pan-panSafety
The urgency call: serious, but nobody is dying yet. Same format as a Mayday.
PFD / lifejacketSafety
Your personal flotation device. Worn on deck at night, in rough weather, when short-handed, and any time you feel like it — nobody will comment.
PinchWind & points of sail
Sailing too close to the wind, which slows the boat. Full guide →
Point of sailWind & points of sail
Your angle to the wind — from close-hauled through beam reach to running.
PontoonAnchoring & mooring
A floating dock.
PortHull & deck
The left side of the boat, facing the bow. Red — including its navigation light. Full guide →
Port tack / starboard tackWind & points of sail
Which side the wind comes over names your tack: wind over starboard is starboard tack, and it has right of way. Full guide →
PreventerLines & ropework
A line rigged forward from the boom to stop it crossing in an accidental gybe.
ProvisioningLife aboard
Buying and stowing the week’s food, water and drinks before you leave.
PulpitHull & deck
The guardrail structure at the bow.

R

Rafting upAnchoring & mooring
Tying alongside another boat when the quay is full.
ReefRig & sails
To reduce sail area in strong wind. The rule aboard: if you are wondering whether to reef, you should already be reefing.
Reef knotLines & ropework
A knot for joining two ropes of equal thickness. Full guide →
RodeAnchoring & mooring
The chain and/or rope connecting the boat to the anchor.
Round turn & two half hitchesLines & ropework
A secure knot for tying to a ring or post. Full guide →
RudderHull & deck
The underwater blade that steers. No water flowing past it means no steering — which is why the boat stops answering the helm when you stall head to wind.
RunningWind & points of sail
Sailing with the wind behind you, boom right out. Calm-feeling and slow, and where an accidental gybe waits. Full guide →
Running riggingLines & ropework
All the lines you pull: sheets, halyards, control lines.

S

SaloonLife aboard
The main cabin, where the crew eats and sits.
ScopeAnchoring & mooring
How much rode you let out compared with the depth. Four to five times the depth in settled weather, more if it blows.
SeacockSafety
The valve on a through-hull fitting that shuts the sea out. Find them all on day one.
Sea stateWeather
The size and roughness of the waves.
Set and driftNavigation & tides
The direction and speed of a current.
SheetLines & ropework
A rope that controls a sail’s angle — in for more power, out to spill it. Not the rope that hoists the sail; that is a halyard.
Sheet inManoeuvres
To pull a sail in tighter.
ShroudsRig & sails
The side wires that hold the mast up.
SkegHull & deck
A fixed fin ahead of or supporting the rudder, protecting it from lines and debris.
Skin fittingSafety
A hole through the hull with a fitting in it — for sinks, the heads and engine cooling.
SkipperLife aboard
The person in charge, legally and practically. The final word, always.
Slack waterNavigation & tides
The still period between tides.
SnubberLines & ropework
A stretchy line that absorbs shock loads on the anchor chain.
SoundingNavigation & tides
A measured water depth.
SpinnakerRig & sails
A large, lightweight sail for sailing downwind.
SpreadersRig & sails
Horizontal struts on the mast that spread the shrouds.
Spring lineLines & ropework
A dock line led forward or aft to stop the boat surging along the quay. Bow and stern lines hold you in; springs stop the movement.
Spring tideNavigation & tides
A tide with the largest range, near full or new moon.
SquallWeather
A sudden sharp increase in wind, usually with rain. Get sail down before it arrives, not during.
StanchionHull & deck
An upright post that supports the lifelines.
Standing partLines & ropework
The part of a line under load, as opposed to the working end in your hand. Full guide →
Standing riggingLines & ropework
The fixed wires holding the mast up: forestay, backstay, shrouds.
StarboardHull & deck
The right side, facing forward. Green. Starboard tack has right of way. Full guide →
SternHull & deck
The back of the boat, where the bathing platform and (on a charter boat) most of your swimming happens.
Stern-toAnchoring & mooring
Mooring with the back of the boat to the quay.
SwellWeather
Long, smooth waves rolling in from distant weather. A swell the local wind cannot explain is a storm’s calling card.

T

Tack (manoeuvre)Manoeuvres
Turning the bow through the wind so the sails cross to the other side. Bow through the wind is a tack; stern through the wind is a gybe.
Tack (of a sail)Rig & sails
The front lower corner of a sail.
TelltalesRig & sails
Short ribbons on the sail showing whether the air is flowing smoothly. Streaming aft on both sides means the trim is right — the trimmer’s only real instrument. Full guide →
TenderLife aboard
The dinghy that gets you ashore from an anchorage.
TetherSafety
The line clipping your harness to the boat. The danger is not falling in; it is the boat carrying on without you.
TillerHull & deck
The arm attached to the rudder. Push it one way, the bow goes the other — the opposite of a wheel, and worth thirty seconds of practice.
TransomHull & deck
The flat vertical surface across the stern.
TravellerRig & sails
The car and track that slides the mainsheet across the boat.
TrimManoeuvres
To adjust a sail until it is working properly. Watch the telltales, not the sail. Full guide →
True windWind & points of sail
The actual wind blowing over the water. Full guide →

V

VHFSafety
The marine radio. Channel 16 is always monitored, and everyone aboard should know how to use it before day two.

W

WarpLines & ropework
A heavy mooring or anchor rope.
WatchLife aboard
The stretch of time you are responsible for steering and lookout.
Weigh anchorAnchoring & mooring
To raise the anchor. Motor slowly up to it as the chain comes in, so the windlass is not dragging the boat.
White horsesWeather
Breaking white crests on the waves: the wind has reached about Force 4.
WinchLines & ropework
The drum that gives you the leverage to haul a loaded sheet. Three turns on, clockwise, and keep your fingers clear of the drum.
WindlassAnchoring & mooring
The deck winch that hauls up the anchor chain.
WindwardWind & points of sail
The side the wind hits first; upwind. The high side when the boat heels, and the side you walk forward on when it is rough. Full guide →
Working endLines & ropework
The free end of a rope you tie with. Full guide →

How to use this list

Do not try to memorise it. Filter to Lines & ropework the night before you fly, or to Anchoring & mooring on the drive to the marina, and read those twenty. Vocabulary sticks when it arrives just before you need it — which is exactly how the course sequences it.

The interactive tools cover the words beginners mix up most: port and starboard, windward and leeward and the points of sail — all on one draggable boat in the boat & wind explorer. The six knot guides are illustrated step by step, and the two-minute sailing test tells you which topics to read first.

Know the answer before the captain asks.

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