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278 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
boat |
a small vessel propelled on water by oars, sails or an engine |
|
ship |
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 |
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bow |
the front end of a vessel |
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stem |
the forwardmost part of a vessel's bow |
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prow |
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 |
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stern |
the rearmost part of a vessel |
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transom |
the flat surface forming the stern of a vessel / or, a horizontal beam reinforcing the stern of a vessel |
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abaft |
toward the rear of a vessel; in the direction of the stern |
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astern |
behind the stern of a vessel / or, in a backward direction |
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afore |
in front of a vessel |
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starboard |
on the right side of a vessel when one is facing forward / at night, denoted with a green light |
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port |
on the left side of a vessel when one is facing forward / at night, denoted with a red light |
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larboard |
an archaic term for port |
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aft |
at, near, or toward the stern of a vessel / after: nearer the stern |
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fore |
the front part of something, especially a vessel / or, placed or situated in front |
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fore-and-aft |
at the front and the rear (often used with reference to a vessel) |
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amidships |
in the middle of a vessel |
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bulkhead |
a dividing wall or barrier between compartments in a vessel |
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hull |
the main body of a vessel, including the bottom, sides & deck, but not the masts, rigging, superstructure, engines & other fittings |
|
superstructure |
the parts of a vessel, other than masts & rigging, built above its hull & main deck |
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timbers |
the framework of a vessel |
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bulwark |
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 |
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gunwale |
the upper edge of a vessel's sides |
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wale |
a plank running along the side of a wooden vessel, thicker than usual planking, strengthening & protecting the hull |
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poop deck |
the aftermost & highest deck of a ship, especially a sailing ship in which it typically forms the roof of a cabin in the stern |
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sterncastle |
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 |
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forecastle |
a structure above the upper deck at the head of a vessel; traditionally the sailors' living quarters |
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roundhouse |
a cabin or cabins on the after part of a quarterdeck of a sailing ship |
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quarterdeck |
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 |
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hurricane deck |
a covered deck at or near the top of a vessel's superstructure |
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foredeck |
a deck at the forward part of a vessel |
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hold |
on a vessel, a compartment below deck, used solely for carrying cargo |
|
orlop |
on a vessel, the lowest deck above the hold; usually the same level as the magazine |
|
steerage |
the part of a vessel providing accommodations for passengers with the cheapest tickets |
|
magazine (military) |
a store of arms, ammunition, explosives and provisions for use in military operations / origins in French, Italian & Arabic, meaning "to store up" |
|
rigging |
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) |
|
shrouds (sailing) |
a set of ropes forming part of the standing rigging of a sailing vessel, supporting a mast from the sides |
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spreader (sailing) |
a bar attached to the side a vessel's mast in order to spread the angle of the upper shrouds |
|
lines |
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 |
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painter (sailing) |
a term for a boat's bow line |
|
reeve |
to pass a rope through a ring, hole or block |
|
fairlead |
a ring mounted on a vessel to guide a rope, keeping it clear of obstructions and preventing it from being cut or chafed |
|
rig |
to put the ropes in their proper places / or, an apparatus, device or piece of equipment designed for a particular purpose |
|
fast |
so as to be hard to move; firmly or securely |
|
keel |
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 |
|
even keel |
when a keel is parallel to the horizon |
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skeg |
an arm extending to the rear of a vessel's keel to support the rudder and protect the propeller |
|
abeam |
at right angles to the keel of the vessel, but not on the vessel |
|
on the quarter |
a direction of 45-degress or less from a vessel's stern |
|
draft |
the depth of water needed to float a vessel |
|
sounding |
a measurement of the depth of water |
|
bilge |
the area on the outer surface of a vessel's hull where the bottom curves to meet the vertical sides |
|
bilges |
the lowest internal portion of a vessel's hull |
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freeboard |
the height of a vessel's side between the waterline & the deck |
|
bridge |
the location from which a vessel is steered and its speed controlled |
|
helm |
a wheel or tiller and any associated equipment for steering a vessel |
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tiller |
a horizontal bar fitted to the head of a vessel's rudder post and used as a lever for steering |
|
galley |
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 |
|
mess |
the eating area of a vessel |
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gangway |
the area of a vessel's side where people board & disembark |
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mainsail |
a vessel's largest and most important sail / on a sailboat: often appearing as a triangular sail just aft of the mast |
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foremast |
the mast of a vessel nearest the bow |
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foresail |
the principal sail on a vessel's foremast |
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mizzenmast |
the mast aft of a vessel's main mast; (on a vessel with three or more masts) the third mast from the bow |
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mizzensail |
the lowest sail on a ship's mizzenmast |
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jigger mast |
the shortest & aft-most mast on a ship with more than three masts |
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topmast |
the second section of a square-rigged sailing ship's mast immediately above the lower mast |
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topgallant |
the section of a square-rigged sailing ship's mast immediately above the topmast |
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rake (sailing) |
(of a ship's mast) incline from the perpendicular toward the stern |
|
gunter |
a type of rig in which a vessel's topmast slides on rings up & down the lower mast |
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parrel |
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 |
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masthead |
the highest part of a vessel's mast |
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tabernacle |
a large bracket attached firmly to a vessel's deck, to which the foot of the mast is fixed |
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spar (sailing) |
a thick, strong pole such as is used for a mast or yard on a vessel |
|
yard (sailing) |
a cylindrical spar, tapering to each end, slung across a vessel's mast for a sail to hang from |
|
stay (noun) |
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 |
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bowsprit |
a spar extending forward from a vessel's bow, to which the forestays are fastened |
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running bowsprit |
a vessel's bowsprit that can be run in or rigged in when headsails are taken off |
|
jib boom |
a spar run out forward as an extension of a vessel's bowsprit |
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forestay |
a stay leading forward & down to support a vessel's foremast |
|
backstay |
a stay to support a vessel's mast, reaching from the stern to a masthead |
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gaff (sailing) |
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 |
|
vang |
guy ropes from a gaff or boom of a vessel, exerting force in order to reduce twist in a sail, improving performance |
|
gaff-rigged |
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 |
|
square-rigged |
a sail & rigging arrangement in which a vessel's primary driving sails are perpendicular, or square, to the keel & masts |
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lateen-rigged |
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 |
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headsail |
any sail of a vessel flown in front of the most forward mast; headsails are commonly staysails as well |
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staysail |
a triangular, fore-and-aft sail extended on a vessel's stay |
|
jib |
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) |
|
lugsail |
an asymmetrical four-sided sail that is hoisted on a vessel's steeply inclined yard |
|
spanker (sailing) |
a fore-and-aft sail set on the after side of a vessel's mast, especially the mizzenmast |
|
jigger |
a small fore-and-aft sail set at the stern of a vessel |
|
boom (sailing) |
a pivoting spar attached to the foot of a vessel's fore-and-aft sail |
|
topping lift |
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 |
|
boom gallows |
a raised crossmember that supports a vessel's boom when a sail is lowered; eliminates the need for a topping lift |
|
weather clew of a course |
the lower forward corner of a vessel's fore-and-aft sail |
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clew |
the lower after corner of a vessel's fore-and-aft sail |
|
outhaul |
a vessel's rope used to haul out the clew of a boom sail or the tack of a jib |
|
clew a sail up |
haul the clews of a sail up to a vessel's yard or into the mast ready for furling |
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downhaul |
a vessel's rope used for hauling down a sail, spar, etc., especially in order to control a sail's shape |
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head |
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 |
|
throat (sailing) |
the upper, inner corner of a vessel's gaff-rigged sail |
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peak (sailing) |
the upper, outer corner of a vessel's gaff-rigged sail |
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luff |
the leading edge of a vessel's fore-and-aft sail |
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leech (sailing) |
the afterside edge of a vessel's fore-and-aft sail or a vertical edge on a square sail |
|
foot (sailing) |
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" |
|
reefing |
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 |
|
strike (sailing) |
to lower or take down a vessel's sail, yard, mast, etc. / strike colors: to lower a flag in surrender |
|
halyard |
a vessel's rope to raise or lower a sail, flag or spar |
|
lazy jack |
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 |
|
belay |
to fasten a rope, by winding it several times backwards or forwards, on a cleat or pin |
|
cleat |
a fitting to which a vessel's lines are made fast; often anvil-shaped |
|
chock |
a fitting through which a vessel's anchor or mooring lines are led |
|
block (sailing) |
a pulley or set of pulleys |
|
anchorage |
a suitable place for a vessel to anchor / vessels display a white light while at anchor |
|
weigh anchors |
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 |
|
ballast |
heavy material, such as gravel, sand, iron or lead, placed low in a vessel to improve its stability |
|
windage |
wind resistance of a vessel |
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telltale (sailing) |
a piece of string or fabric that shows the direction & force of the wind |
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windward |
facing the wind / or, in the direction the wind is coming from |
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leeward |
downwind / or, in the direction that the wind is blowing toward / or, the side sheltered from the wind |
|
tack |
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 |
|
wear |
bring (a vessel) about by turning its head away from the wind; a downwind tack |
|
ready about |
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 |
|
box-hauling |
a particular method of veering a vessel when the swell of the sea renders tacking impracticable |
|
over-reaching |
when a vessel is tacking, holding a course too long |
|
point of sail |
the course of a sailing vessel in relation to the direction of the wind, divided into six points |
|
in irons |
a vessel's point of sail pointed directly into the wind, typically stalling and unable to come about or tack either way |
|
close hauled |
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 |
|
jibe (also written: gybe) |
to change from one tack to the other away from the wind, with the stern of the vessel turning through the wind |
|
beam reach |
a vessel's point of sail when the wind is blowing straight over the side / sails are put out at roughly 45-degrees |
|
reach (sailing) |
when a vessel is traveling approximately perpendicular to the wind |
|
close reach |
a vessel's point of sale between close hauled and beam reach |
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broad reach |
a point of sail when the wind is behind a vessel at an angle |
|
running (sailing) |
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 |
|
spinnaker |
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 |
|
trysail |
a small, strong fore-and-aft sail set on the mast of a sailing vessel in heavy weather |
|
veer |
a sudden change of direction / or, slacken or let out (a vessel's rope or cable) in a controlled way |
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trim |
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 |
|
shorten sail |
to bring in some of a vessel's sail, usually due to weather or to slow down the vessel |
|
furl |
to roll or gather a vessel's sail against its mast or spar |
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knot |
a unit of speed equivalent to one nautical mile per hour, used especially of ships, aircraft & wind |
|
fathom |
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 |
|
nautical mile |
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 |
|
league |
a former measure of distance by land, usually about three miles |
|
Beaufort Scale |
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 |
|
swell |
a slow, regular movement of the sea in rolling waves that do not break |
|
gale |
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 |
|
heave |
a vessel's transient, up-and-down motion |
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pitch |
a vessel's motion, rotating about the beam axis, causing the fore-and-aft ends to rise & fall repetitively |
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roll |
a vessel's motion, rotating from side-to-side about the fore-aft axis |
|
yaw |
a vessel's movement to the left or right / or, a movement of deviation from the direct course, as from bad steering |
|
broach |
(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 |
|
heel |
be tilted temporarily by the pressure of wind or by an uneven distribution of weight on board |
|
list |
when a vessel leans to one side, typically because of a leak or unbalanced cargo |
|
jetsam (pronounced JET-summ) |
goods deliberately cast overboard, as to lighten a vessel or improve its stability |
|
awash |
when a vessel is so low in the water that the water constantly washes across its surface |
|
capsize |
overturn in the water |
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founder |
to sink at sea by filling with water |
|
flotsam (pronounced FLOT-summ) |
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 |
|
reef |
rock or coral shallow enough for a vessel to touch |
|
shoals |
an area of shallow water, especially as a navigational hazard |
|
buoy |
an anchored float serving as a navigation mark for mooring, or to show reefs or other hazards |
|
mouth |
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 |
|
inlet |
a place or means of entry / or, a small arm of a river, lake, or sea |
|
strait |
a narrow passage of water connecting two seas or two large areas of water |
|
channel |
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 |
|
fairway |
the channel of a river, haven or narrow bay, in which vessels usually advance up or down the passage |
|
sound |
a narrow stretch of water forming an inlet or connecting two wider areas of water such as two seas or lakes |
|
bank |
a large area of an elevated sea floor |
|
slack water |
the interval between the flux & the reflux of the tide, when motion in the water is imperceptible |
|
moor |
to secure (especially a vessel) in a particular place , as by cables or lines and anchor |
|
mooring |
a place where a vessel is moored / or, the ropes, chains, or anchors to which a vessel or buoy is moored |
|
warp |
move (a vessel) along by hauling on a rope attached to a stationary object on shore |
|
berth |
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 |
|
breakwater |
a barrier built out into a body of water to protect a coast or harbor from the force of waves |
|
jetty |
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 |
|
quay |
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 |
|
pile |
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 |
|
dry dock |
a dock that can be drained of water to allow the inspection & repair of a vessel's hull |
|
slip |
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 |
|
careen |
to heel over a vessel for cleaning, caulking or repairing her bottom |
|
ship's husband |
now-obselete term for the man at a dockyard in charge of a vessel's repairs |
|
shipwright |
a shipbuilder |
|
longshoreman |
a person employed in a port to load & unload vessels |
|
captain |
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 |
|
master |
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 |
|
first mate |
the deck officer second in command to the master (or captain) of a vessel; on pirate ships, this duty often fell to the quartermaster |
|
second mate |
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 |
|
watch (noun) |
a period of four hours usually marked by 8 bells or 8 half-hour periods |
|
sea artist |
a vessel's navigator |
|
cross-staff |
an instrument predating the octant & sextant, taking the altitude of the sun or a star to find latitude |
|
octant |
an instrument for making measurements in astronomy & navigation; replaced with the sextant |
|
sextant |
navigational instrument used to measure a vessel's latitude |
|
latitude |
the distance in degrees north or south from the equator |
|
longitude |
the distance in degrees east or west of the meridian at Greenwich, England |
|
pilot |
the crew member at a vessel's helm; the one who steers the vessel; also called a helmsman |
|
conn |
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 |
|
bearing |
the horizontal direction of a line of sight between two objects on the surface of the earth |
|
wash |
turbulence behind a vessel |
|
wake |
the waves created by a vessel |
|
master-at-arms |
a non-commissioned officer responsible for discipline on a naval vessel; stands between the officers & the crew |
|
boatswain |
a non-commissioned officer in charge of a vessel's crew and the equipment, including sails, rigging & anchors |
|
coxswain |
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) |
|
seaman |
a person who works as a sailor, especially one below the rank of officer |
|
midshipman |
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 |
|
ensign |
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 |
|
marine |
originally an army soldier trained to serve on board a vessel |
|
purser |
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 |
|
merchant marine |
a sailor working on a merchant vessel / or, a country's shipping that is involved in commerce or trade, as opposed to military activity |
|
powder monkey |
a boy employed on a sailing warship to carry powder to the guns / or, a person who works with explosives |
|
steward |
a person who looks after the passengers on a ship, aircraft or train and brings them meals |
|
cabin boy |
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 |
|
shanghaied |
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 |
|
ahoy |
a term used to hail a vessel / or, a cry to draw attention |
|
avast |
the command to stop or cease in any operation |
|
savvy |
when used as a one-word question or interjection, it means "Do you understand?" |
|
aye, aye |
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 |
|
cuddy |
a small shelter cabin in a boat |
|
dory |
a small flat-bottomed rowboat with a high bow & stern, of a kind originally used for fishing in New England |
|
punt |
a long, narrow, flat-bottomed boat, square at both ends and propelled with a long pole, used on inland waters chiefly for recreation |
|
dinghy |
a small boat for recreation or racing, especially an open boat with a mast & sails / or, a small, inflatable rubber boat |
|
skiff |
a small, open, flat-bottomed boat that is usually for only one person; sharp bow with a square sternp |
|
pinnace |
a small boat, with oars or sails, forming part of the equipment of a warship or other large vessel |
|
tender |
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 |
|
catamaran |
a vessel with two hulls |
|
outrigger |
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 |
|
coaster |
a small coastal vessel, often a local merchant vessel or fishing boat |
|
trawler |
a fishing boat that uses a trawl net or dragnet to catch fish / naval trawler: a converted trawler used for naval purposes |
|
catboat |
a sailboat with a single mast placed well forward and carrying only one sail |
|
sloop |
a one-masted sailboat with a fore-and-aft mainsail and a jib / the most common & purest form of sailboat |
|
hoy |
a small vessel (often rigged as a sloop), employed in short distances off the coast |
|
tartan |
a small & nimble lateen-rigged, single-masted vessel originating in the Middle East |
|
shallop |
a large heavy boat with one or more masts often carrying lug sails and sometimes equipped with guns |
|
cog |
a broadly built medieval vessel characterized by high sides, a relatively flat bottom, rounded bilge, and a single square sail |
|
cutter |
(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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
a series of boat races, usually of sailboats or rowboats, but occasionally of powered boats |
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junk |
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 |
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 |
a two-masted sailing vessel with a square-rigged foremast and a fore-and-aft-rigged mainmast |
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snow |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
a small, fast Spanish or Portuguese sailing vessel of the 15th to 17th centuries |
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lugger |
a small sailing vessel with two or three masts and a lugsail on each |
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polacre (pronounced poe-LOCK-err) |
a three-masted Mediterranean vessel, usually square-rigged on the mainmast, but lateen-rigged on the foremast & mizzenmast |
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clipper |
a fast sailing ship, especially one of 19th-century design with a concave bow and raked masts |
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sloop of war |
a small square-rigged sailing warship with two or three masts |
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barque or bark |
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 |
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 |
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 |
a small warship designed for convoy escort duty / or, (historical): a sailing warship with one tier of guns |
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galleon |
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 |
a commissioned warship belonging to the recognized navy of a country |
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rate |
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 |
a fleet of ships or boats / from the Spanish word "flota", meaning fleet |
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ship of the line |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
in naval warfare, a line of battle formed behind a flagship |
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no quarter given |
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 |
a discharge of all the guns on one side of a ship |
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chain shot |
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 |
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 |
long-barreled cannons firing a nine-pound solid shot often used as chaser guns |
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rake |
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 |
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 |
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. |
prefix for steam ship; used before a ship's name |
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packet |
a ship traveling at regular intervals between two ports, originally for the conveyance of mail |
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windjammer |
a type of merchant sailing ship, often with an iron hull and between three and five masts |