Sailing isn’t the carefree and work-free life that many movies make it out to be, and it’s not for everyone. You have to learn to be more independent. You get to live a freer life, away from the madness of the modern world, one that most would never even ponder, you can travel the world if you want and be surrounded by beautiful natural scenery, but if you want it, you gotta work hard for it, and it can be very gratifying work.
This section is for those who aren’t familiar with sailboats and seamanship and who want to understand what I’m talking about in this blog! Here’s a diagram of basic sailboat parts, followed by a glossary (from National Geographic).
A
aft: toward the rear of the boat
after guy: the sheet that controls the spinnaker
anchor hitch: a knot attaching a line to a ring or small-diameter object
apparent wind angle: the angle at which the wind is perceived to be hitting a vehicle in motion; as a boat picks up speed the wind angle appears to move toward the front of the boat (think of a speeding car; the wind generally seems to be coming from directly in front of it); see “true wind angle”
B
backstay: the standing rigging running from the mast to the stern
ballast: weight used to increase boat stability (righting moment); ballast may be stationary (as in lead found in a keel bulb) or mobile (as in a sailor switching position to better balance the boat or water being strategically pumped into specific tanks in the hull)
battens: thin strips or tubes of stiff material inserted into pockets in a sail to maintain proper sail shape, particularly the curved leech, or rear edge, of a mainsail
beam: A ship’s width at the widest point, or at the mid-point of its length.
beam reach, on a: with the boat at a 90° angle to the wind—generally the fastest, simplest point of sail
beating: sailing upwind at an angle; also called pointing
berth: bunk
bilge: the lowest part of a boat’s hull
blanketing: a tactical maneuver in which one boat uses its sails to block a competitor’s wind, thus slowing the competitor
boom: the spar to which a sail’s lower edge, or foot, is attached
boom vang: tackle running between the boom and the deck that holds the boom down; also referred to as the kicking strap or kicker
bosun’s chair: a seat, usually made of canvas, used to hoist a person up the mast
bow: the front of the boat
bowline: a basic knot used to secure lines on a vessel
bowman or bow-woman: crewmember in charge of sail changes and keeping a lookout on the bow at the start
broach: when a boat sailing downwind turns uncontrollably and is pushed by the wind onto its side, lying with its mast(s) parallel to the water; generally, boat will right itself, due to ballast
broad reach, on a: with the wind coming diagonally from behind
bullet: a patch of wind
C
carrick bend: a knot used to join the ends of two lines
cleat: a fitting, typically with projecting ends, that holds a line against the tension from the sails, rigging, or mooring
clew: the corner of a mainsail or headsail where the leech meets the foot; either lower corner of a spinnaker
close-hauled, sailing: sailing as directly into the wind as possible (sailing straight into the wind is impossible)
close reach, sailing on a: sailing upwind at about a 45° angle to the wind
cockpit: the recessed area aft of the companionway
coiling: looping a line clockwise to secure it while not in use
coming about: turning a sailboat so that the bow crosses through the eye of the wind, thereby changing the side of the boat on which the sails are carried; opposite of jibing; also known as tacking
companionway: a stairway leading from the deck down into the cabin
computational fluid dynamics (CFD): a computer process boat designers and engineers use to simulate the flow of water or air around a hull or sails and to calculate the pressure and drag forces
D
death roll: when sailing downwind, an uncontrollable side-to-side rocking that ends in a broach
dismasted: to be without part or all of a mast due to breakage
doldrums: equatorial area between weather systems of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres characterized by frustratingly light winds, major shifts in wind direction, and squalls
E
elapsed time: time measured from the gunshot signaling the start of the race to when your boat crosses the finish line
F
fall off: turn away from the wind
Fantasyland: everywhere on the boat that is not the bow, but particularly the aft area
feeding the fish: vomiting
fid: a tapered pin, usually made of wood, used to work or undo knots and lines
finite element analysis (FEA): used by designers to determine how a hull, mast, sail, or other physical structure will change shape under load or pressure
flossing: dropping a looped line over the side and dragging it underwater along the hull in hopes of dislodging kelp, garbage bags, and other irritants hooked by the keel or rudder while sailing
foot: the bottom edge of a sail
foredeck: on a sailboat, the area of the deck that is in front of the mast
foresail: any sail used between the mast and the forestay; also called a headsail
forestay: the standing rigging running from the bow of the boat to the upper part of a mast; sometimes called the headstay
furious fifties: area between 50° and 60° latitude, noted for very strong winds and huge seas
G
galley: kitchen or cooking apparatus, including stove and sink
getting your knitting in a tangle: getting your lines tangled; also known as pasta
ghost along: sail slowly
going down the mine: hurtling down a wave with no way out at the bottom
going over the handlebars: hitting something or stopping very suddenly
gooseneck: the point at which the boom connects to the mast
GPS (global positioning system): a navigation system that uses satellites to determine the locations of GPS receivers, with readings expressed in degrees latitude and longitude
grinding: turning the handles that power the winches used to hoist and trim the sails
H
halyard: a line used to hoist and hold up a sail
haulin’ the mail, haulin’ the chili: sailing fast; sailing a boat at its optimum
head: toilet
headsail: any sail used between the mast and the forestay; also called a foresail
heel: lean temporarily to one side
helm: the steering station on a boat; also, the tiller or wheel by which the rudder is controlled
helmsman or helmswoman: a crewmember who is steering a boat; also called a driver
hull: the frame or body of a ship or boat, exclusive of masts, sails, and rigging
I
in irons: when a boat is pointed into the wind, causing the sail or sails to flap like flags and the boat to lose speed or even stop
in the pipe: in the groove; sailing at a boat’s optimum; see “haulin’ the mail”
ISAF (International Sailing Federation): the world body governing sailboat racing
J
jack lines: lines running the length of a boat to which a sailor hooks himself or herself via a safety harness
jammer: a fitting on a deck or mast that secures a line
jib: a headsail used for upwind sailing
jibe: turn a sailboat so that the stern crosses through the eye of the wind, thereby changing the side of the boat on which the sails are carried; opposite of tacking; sometimes spelled “gybe”
jury-rig: construct something with available gear; usually involves a broken mast
K
keel: an appendage projecting below the boat that keeps it from capsizing and supplies the hydrodynamic lateral force that enables the boat to sail upwind; sometimes includes a bulb, an oblong weight attached to the bottom of the keel fin as added ballast
Kevlar: synthetic fiber often used to make sails and hulls; in sails, retains shape better and is lighter, but more expensive, than Dacron
knockdown: when a boat heels 90° or more, usually as a result of heavy winds or wave action or a combination thereof; see also “broach”
knot: unit of measurement of speed equal to one nautical mile (1.15 miles/1.85 kilometers) an hour
L
lee: the side facing away from the wind
leech: the trailing edge of a sail
leeward: used as an adjective to mean away from the wind; in racing, a leeward sailboat has another boat between it and the wind; opposite of windward; pronounced “LOO-erd” by sailors
lifelines: cables that are held in place by stanchions and go around the boat to prevent people and equipment from falling overboard
lines: ropes
luff: forward edge of a mainsail or jib; the windward edge of a spinnaker
luffing: flapping of a sail when it is not trimmed enough or when it is being back-winded by another sail or when the course sailed is too close to the wind
M
mainsail: the principal sail, extends aft of the mast
mainsheet: the line used to adjust the mainsail’s angle to the wind
Marlboro Country: the bow, because you have to be very tough and a real cowboy to go there
mast: the vertical spar that holds up the sails
mastman or mastwoman: crewmember who hoists sails up the mast
mooring: device (such as a line or chain) by which a boat is secured in place
motherwatch: the cooking and cleaning watch onboard a yacht
mushrooms: what the crewmembers forward of the companionway refer to themselves as, because they are kept in the dark until the last minute
N
nautical mile: the unit of distance used on saltwater charts; equal to 1.15 statute miles or 1.85 kilometers
navigator: in a race, the crewmember who monitors the boat’s location and progress relative to the racecourse and any opposing boat
Neptune’s feast: the traditional mariners’ initiation ritual carried out when a person crosses the Equator for the first time; usually a messy affair where leftover food and drink are poured over the individual
nipper: someone small or young
O
off the wind: away from the wind
on the pace: sailing well in relation to the rest of the boats in a group
P
pitch: rock from end to end (rather than from side to side)
pitman or pitwoman: crewmember who controls the halyards (ropes used to hoist sails) and mast winches; assists the mastman or mastwoman
plane: sail with much of the boat projecting over your own bow wave, so that only a small section of the hull is in the water; allows the boat to go faster than the theoretical maximum hull speed
pointing: sailing at an angle into the wind; also called beating
polars, or polar table: a database that holds all the information on what speed a boat will sail at different angles to the wind; crucial for predicting and evaluating performance when no other boats are in sight
port: the left side of a boat, from the vantage point of a person facing forward
port tack: sailing with the wind blowing onto the port side and with the mainsail on the starboard side
preventer: a line used to secure the boom from swinging unexpectedly across a sailboat
R
reaching: sailing with the apparent wind at an angle of 45° to 135° to the boat
reaching strut: removable spar that extends from the mast out sideways over the water to keep the after guy from getting tangled in the shrouds and to introduce an angle into the after guy, allowing a trimmer better leverage on the spinnaker
real estate: your current area of ocean
reefing: decreasing a sail’s size
riding shotgun: taking the second steering position on a boat with two steering positions; usually only necessary in the strongest currents and/or winds
rigging: the wires, lines, rods, and other items used to attach the sails and the spars, including the mast, to the boat; standing rigging generally is stationary and helps hold the mast in place; running rigging is adjusted often, to raise, lower, and trim the sails
roaring forties: area between 40° and 50° latitude, noted for strong winds and large seas
running: sailing with the wind at your back; sailing downwind
running rigging: all moving rods and lines that support and control the boom and sails
S
sat phone: satellite phone; standard on each Volvo Ocean Race Yacht; significantly more expensive than a cellular phone but able to operate from almost anywhere on Earth
screaming sixties: area between 60° and 70° latitude, noted for exceptionally strong winds and huge seas
sheets: lines that control sails
shrouds: the standing rigging running from the sides of a boat to the mast
skipper: captain
southern ocean: sometimes used to designate the areas of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans surrounding Antarctica; also called the Antarctic Ocean or circumpolar sea
spar: a basic term for a mast, a boom, a spinnaker pole, or a yard
spinnaker: a large, light, ballooning sail that is only attached to spars at the sail’s corners; used when running or reaching; sometimes called the kite or parachute
spinnaker pole: a pole that is attached to the lower front of the mast to hold one corner of a spinnaker out from the sailboat; tethered to the deck when spinnaker is not in use
squall: a sudden fierce wind, often accompanied by rain or snow
standing rigging: the generally nonmoving rods and lines that support the mast and sails
stanchions: vertical poles that hold lifelines in place
starboard: the right side of a boat, from the vantage point of a person facing forward
starboard tack: sailing with the wind blowing onto the starboard side and with the mainsail on the port side
stern: the rear of a boat
T
tacking: turning so that the bow crosses through the eye of the wind, thereby changing the side of the boat on which the sails are carried; often used to move the boat in a zigzag pattern when sailing into the wind, since it is impossible to sail straight into the wind; opposite of jibing; also known as coming about
tender: small boat used to ferry people and gear to a boat at anchor
trade winds: winds blowing almost continuously toward the Equator from the northeast in the belt just north of the doldrums, from the southeast in the belt just south of the doldrums
transom: the flat rear end of a boat, the upper part of which tends to lean forward on modern racers
trim: to adjust sail shapes and angles to better harness the wind
true wind angle: the actual direction of the wind; can only be directly measured onboard when the boat is stationary; calculated electronically when a boat is in motion; see “apparent wind angle”
trysail: a triangular, loose-footed sail fitted aft of the mast; often used in place of the mainsail in heavy weather
U
under motor: using an engine as a means of propulsion
upwind: toward the direction from which the wind is blowing
W
watches: teams within which Volvo Ocean Race crews operate, taking turns to work, sleep, and eat
watch leader/captain: the person in charge of a watch
watertight hatch: watertight doors that can be used to seal off bulkheads that are being flooded, thereby helping to save the boat from sinking
way: speed
wind hawk: instrument at the top of the mast that indicates the direction of the wind; also called a wind vane or weather vane
wrap in the kite, a: a twist in the spinnaker causing it to form an hourglass shape and rendering it temporarily useless
Y
yaw: move from side to side, failing to hold a straight course; typically caused by rough sea conditions
I’ll update this section more when I have more time. Feel free to inquire about anything that you’re unsure of.
Hello,
Sorry, we just sold it. Thanks for your interest though.
By: Kate on August 29, 2009
at 9:36 am