Definitions here come from Discover Boating, Sail Newport and a nautical glossary published by Cleveland State University, with Wikipedia used as a secondary source for keel, sail and rig types. For anything not covered, see the glossary.
Directions on board
Port and starboard are defined while facing forward, so they name the boat's sides rather than your own left and right.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bow | The front of the boat |
| Stern | The back of the boat |
| Forward / aft | Toward the bow / toward the stern |
| Astern | Behind the boat |
| Port | The left side when facing forward |
| Starboard | The right side when facing forward |
| Abeam | Off either side, at 90 degrees to the centerline |
| Midships | About halfway between bow and stern |
| Centerline | The imaginary line from bow to stern down the middle of the boat |
| Windward | The side the wind is blowing from |
| Leeward | The side away from the wind, pronounced "loo-ard"; also the low side when the boat heels |
Source: Discover Boating, with the leeward note also from Sail Newport.
The hull and what hangs below it
- Keel
- The backbone of the hull. On a sailboat the word also covers the added underwater area that resists leeway, the sideways slip of the boat (Wikipedia).
- Centerboard
- A fin-like appendage that pivots down out of, and back up into, a slot in the hull (Discover Boating).
- Rudder
- A movable fin, usually at the stern, that steers the boat by redirecting the water flowing past it (Discover Boating).
- Tiller
- A bar attached to the top of the rudder, used to turn it (Discover Boating; Tinkerbelle glossary).
- Freeboard
- The height from the water to the top of the hull (Tinkerbelle glossary).
- Beam
- The boat's width at its widest point (Tinkerbelle glossary; Wikipedia).
- Painter
- A line at the bow of a small boat, used to tie it to a dock or a larger vessel, including for towing (Wikipedia).
Keel types
Wikipedia describes several:
- Fin keel. Deep but short compared with the hull's length. Most modern monohulls use one.
- Full keel. The traditional type, running half or more of the boat's length.
- Winged keel. Short and shallow, with weighted wings.
- Canting keel. Swings its weight out to windward so the boat can carry more sail.
- Twin keels. Give a shallower draft and let the boat stand on dry land.
- Retractable centreboards and daggerboards. Can be raised and lowered.
More on how keels and hulls differ between boat types is on keelboats and dinghies.
Spars and rigging
- Mast
- The tall vertical spar that supports the sails (Discover Boating).
- Boom
- The horizontal spar running aft from the base of the mast, holding the bottom edge of the mainsail (Discover Boating).
- Standing rigging
- The rigging that holds the mast up. Shrouds give side-to-side support and stays give fore-and-aft support (Discover Boating). The Tinkerbelle glossary notes shrouds are usually stainless steel wire running from the mast to the sides of the boat.
- Running rigging
- Includes the halyard, which raises or lowers a sail, and the sheet, which sets the sail's angle to the wind (its trim) (Discover Boating). The mainsheet mainly controls the angle of the boom and so the trim of the mainsail (Wikipedia).
- Winch
- A drum that lines are wrapped around to multiply pulling force (Discover Boating).
The hardware itself is covered on rigging and hardware.
The parts of a sail
A triangular sail has three corners and three edges, each with its own name.
| Part | What it is |
|---|---|
| Head | The top corner (Discover Boating) |
| Tack | The bottom forward corner, near the mast (Discover Boating) |
| Clew | The bottom aft corner, where the sheet or the boom attaches (Discover Boating) |
| Foot | The bottom edge (Discover Boating) |
| Luff | The forward, leading edge, attached along a mast or stay (Wikipedia) |
| Leech | The aft, trailing edge (Wikipedia) |
| Battens | Stiff inserts, usually fiberglass, that help the sail hold its shape, most often in the mainsail's roach (Wikipedia) |
| Cunningham | A downhaul used to flatten the mainsail (Wikipedia) |
| Outhaul | The control line at the clew (Wikipedia) |
| Reef points | Fittings that reefing lines pass through to reduce sail area (Wikipedia) |
Note that "tack" has two meanings: the corner of a sail, and the maneuver of turning the bow through the wind.
Types of sail
- Mainsail. A fore-and-aft sail whose foot is usually attached to a boom.
- Jib. A triangular headsail, sheeted from its clew. Jibs that do not roll up on a furler are usually hanked onto the forestay.
- Spinnaker. A sail for sailing off the wind. Symmetric spinnakers are symmetrical triangles; asymmetric ones generally work better closer to the wind.
Wikipedia notes that a dinghy carries up to three sails: mainsail, jib and spinnaker. Sail materials and cuts are on sails.
Rig types
Wikipedia (a secondary source) describes these rig types:
| Rig | How it is set up |
|---|---|
| Sloop | One mast and two sails, usually a mainsail and a headsail. The most common modern rig. |
| Fractional sloop | The forestay attaches below the top of the mast, so tensioning the backstay can flatten the mainsail. The smaller headsail suits short-handed crews. |
| Cutter | Like a sloop with the mast set farther aft, leaving room for two headsails (a jib and a staysail). |
| Ketch | A second, shorter mast (the mizzen) stands aft of the mainmast and forward of the rudder post. |
| Yawl | Like a ketch, but the mizzen stands aft of the rudder post and mainly helps balance the helm. |
| Schooner | The mainmast is taller than the foremast, and there may be more than two masts. |
| Catboat | A single mast set far forward and no jib. |
To see how these parts come together in different kinds of boat, go to boats.
Sources
- Discover Boating, sailing directional terms
- Discover Boating, parts of a sailboat
- Sail Newport, sailing terms
- Cleveland State University Pressbooks, Tinkerbelle glossary
- Sailboat (Wikipedia, secondary)
- Sail components (Wikipedia, secondary)
- Glossary of nautical terms A-L (Wikipedia, secondary)
- Glossary of nautical terms M-Z (Wikipedia, secondary)