It is important to understand the Terminology used in Sailing.

• Anchor terms;
  • Bow Roller – A roller block at the front of the boat that the anchor rope roles over to lead and protect both the rope and the boat.
  • Shank – The straight part of an anchor that the rode (rope or chain) attaches.
  • Fluke – the pointed part of the anchor that digs in and sets the anchor.
  • Rode – the chain or rope attached to the anchor.
  • Holding ground – Holding the bottom when anchoring; for example, “poor holding ground” means the anchor may be dragging.
  • Mooring – A permanent anchorage point, typically in a harbour, bay or river.
  • Scope – a ratio of anchor rope let out to depth of the water, eg; a scope of 7:1 in 20 meters of water is 140 meters of anchor rode (rope or chain).
• Navigation Terms;
  • Bearing – A compass bearing directing to a certain point on a map or landscape.
  • Chart – A nautical map showing underwater characteristics and depths.
  • Course – Steering the boat in a compass direction. A series of buoys or way-points in a journey or race.
  • Dead reckoning – Navigation and determination of the boat’s position based on its direction, speed, and time.
  • Draft – The depth of the boat in the water, measured from the waterline to the bottom of the keel.
  • Fix – The boat’s position on a chart. Position may be determined by GPS position or by taking compass bearing on two or more fixed objects.
  • Heading – The course being steered on a compass bearing.
  • Knot – A nautical unit of speed.
  • Leg – A straight section of a boat’s course in a race or journey.
  • Plot – To to draw in the boat’s position and course on a nautical map or electronic chart.
• Sail Terms:
  • Apparent wind – The wind felt when on a boat underway.
  • Backstay – A wire or metal rod that runs from the top of the mast to the rear to support the mast.
  • Beat – To have the point of the sail close to the wind.
  • Bend on – To attach a sail to the Forestay or Boom.
  • Beam reach – The point of sail with the wind coming straight across from the side (the beam).
  • Broad reach – The point of sail mostly downwind.
  • Close-hauled – The point of sail as close to the wind as possible.
  • Ease – To let out a mainsheet or jibsheet when adjusting a sail.
  • Forestay – A wire or metal rod that runs from the top of the mast to the bow to support the mast.
  • Furl – To roll up a sail.
  • Give way – Just like the rule of the road, marine vessels must give way to other vessels that have the right of way.
  • Gybe (or jibe) – To turn the boat downwind across the wind, with the sails moving from one side to the other.
  • Head off – To turn farther away from the wind.
  • Head up – To turn closer to the wind.
  • Heave-to – To position the boat moving only slowly with the jib backwinded.
  • Heel – The sideways tipping of the boat due to the effect of the wind.
  • Hike – To lean far out with one’s own weight from the cockpit to balance the boat when it heels over.
  • Hull speed – The theoretical fastest speed of a keelboat.
  • Jibsheet – The control lines that pull the Jib sail in or out.
  • Keel – The deep V section of the bottom of the boats hull.
  • Lee (or leeward) – A direction term referring to downwind.
  • Luffing – The flapping of the front edge of a sail when it is let-out too far.
  • Mainsheet – The control lines that pull in and let out the mainsail.
  • Pinching – Sailing too close to the wind.
  • Pitchpole – A type of capsizing when the boat’s bow digs into a wave and the boat is flipped forward and over by the next wave, like a forward somersault.
  • Plane – The hull lifts and sails fast over the surface of the water.
  • Point of sail – The direction the boat is pointing relative to wind direction.
  • Reach – A course sailed across the wind.
  • Shrouds – A wire or metal rod that runs from the top of the mast to the sides to support the mast.
  • Spreader – A strut that holds the Shrouds out from the mast, providing a better angle.
• Environment
  • Ebb tide – The falling or outgoing tide.
  • Flood tide – A rising tide or incoming tide.
  • Jury rig – To fix damaged boat equipment by improvising a way using materials on hand.
  • Make fast – To  tie off a line.
  • Offshore – Direction of wind from land toward the water.
  • Onshore – Direction of wind from the water toward the land.
• Equipment:
• Halyard – A rope or wire with a rope tail that hoists the head of the sail, running over a block at the top of the mast and running back down to the deck.
• Sheave – The center of a pulley block that the rope rolls over.
• Shackle – A metal clasp of hook that attaches lines or fitting to one another, often a screw or bolt secures the shackle.
• Sail slug – An attachment that moves up and down the mast sail groove, used for hoisting and lowering the mainsail.
• Tiller – A long handle that turns the rudder to steer the boat.