To venture on the ocean requires 'sea legs' ... the ability to anticipate the motion of a ship so as to be able to walk steadily without losing one's balance and/or the intestinal fortitude to stave off seasickness. Here we use the phrase to mean ... understanding and speaking the vast vocabulary of the sea, ships and seamen.
A
asea ... On the sea on a ship or boat.
ashore ... On the land, as opposed to being asea.
B
bilge ... The lowest level of a ship or boat, an area around the keel where water, bilge water, tends to collect, to be removed by baling or with a bilge pump. See: bilge pump, bilge water.
boat ... A small watercraft, suitable for inland or coastal waters as opposed to a ship, larger and capable of carrying cargo, passengers or fishing on the open sea or crossing oceans.
bolt rope ... A rope sewn around the edge of a sail to strengthen the fabric and prevent tearing or a large diameter rope running around the gunwales of a boat as a bumper.
C
chart ... A special scaled map of the coastal waters and/or open ocean with specific details needed for the successful navigation of vessels in the waters depicted. The word map is not used at sea.
coastal piloting ... the discipline of navigating a craft up and down a coast, usually within sight of land,as opposed to on an ocean passage.
cuddy ... A small cabin in the bows of a sailboat for sheltering in from the elements and storing supplies, possibly with a short berth for napping.
D
dinghy ... A small sailing or rowing watercraft, usually to mean under 10 feet long.
dory ... A rowing or sailing craft with two pointed ends used in the Atlantic fishery.
E
ebb (tide) ... The outgoing tide, period between high and low tides when the sea level is dropping or going out.
eddy ... A water current in opposition to the main current.
F
fathom ... Six feet, roughly the span of outstretched arms.
fetch ... The area of open ocean over which winds blow.
fiddles ... The rails around the edges of tables, counters and shelves to keep objects from falling off when the boat heels.
flood (tide) ... The incoming tide, period between low and high tides when the sea level is rising or coming in.
G
gaff ... A small spar at the top of a mast holding a gaff-rigged (rectilinear) sail.
galley ... The kitchen aboard a ship or boat.
glass ... The barometer aboard a ship or boat. Formerly also a telescope or hourglass. The glass might either be rising (air pressure increasing), falling (air pressure decreasing) or holding steady (not moving up or down).
H
halyard ... A line of 'running' rigging used to control the position or 'set' of a sail.
hard ... To put the wheel or tiller as far as possible to one side or the other to turn the vessel decisively. Example: hard-a-lee.
head ... The toilet and/or bathroom aboard a ship or boat.
heave-to ... To stop a seagoing vessel. Variations: hove-to.
(the) hook ... The anchor aboard a ship or boat.
I
in irons ... Said when a sailing vessel is headed directly into the wind, unable to make way or maneuver.
J
jibe ... A downwind turn where the stern passes through the eye of the wind and the sail crosses over onto the opposite tack.
jigger ... A small sail to the stern.
K
ketch ... A fore and aft rigged sailing vessel with two masts.
L
land breeze ... A breeze from the land onto the sea. See: offshore breeze.
latitude ... Lines on a chart, map or globe parallel to the equator.
leeward ... Away from the wind. The direction away from where the wind is blowing, or referring to a position further away, or downwind, of one's present position. See: windward, upwind.
lee shore ... A shoreline onto which the wind is blowing. See: windward shore.
longitude ... Lines on a chart, map or globe emanating from earth's two poles and perpendicular to the lines of latitude and the equator.
M
Mercator ... A standard chart or map projection, or way to represent the spherical earth on a flat two-dimensional surface.
mizzen ... The rear of two masts or sails in a two-masted or divided rig.
N
neap ... The lowest lunar tide, occurring with a new moon, also called the dark of the moon.
NOAA ... The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. The U.S. government group charged with creating marine weather forecasts and operating coastal radio stations disseminating them around the country for mariners.
O
oakum ... A sticky mixture of hemp and pine pitch used for caulking wooden ships and boats.
offshore breeze (wind) ... A breeze blowing from off the shore onto the sea. See: land breeze.
onshore breeze (wind) ... A breeze blowing from off the sea onto the shore. See: sea breeze.
orlop ... The lowest deck on board a ship.
P
pinching ... Sailing as close to the wind as possible, on the edge of luffing.
port ... The left side of a ship or boat looking forward toward the bow, or front, of the craft.
privateer ... A state-licensed pirate.
Q
Quarter ... Area of a ship or boat just to either side of the bow or stern.
R
ratlines ... Rigging in the shrouds to ascend them up the mast.
reach ... Sailing with the wind blowing from a direction generally over the beam of the boat. Close reach - from the bow quarter; beam reach - from the side; broad reach - from the stern quarter.
reef ... To decrease the area of a sail using rows of ties along a sail which wrap around its boom or with a roller-type rigging mounted on the forestay of that sail's mast. Variations.: reefing, to take a reef (or two), to reef down.
running ... Sailing with the wind blowing from directly behind the craft, the sail eased out perpendicular to the keel of the craft.
running rigging ... The movable, adjustable lines aboard a sailing ship or boat which haul (raise up and down) or set (adjust the trim or position of the the sails and booms. See: standing rigging.
S
saloon ... The main, general-purpose, cabin aboard a sail or power boat, often used for both living, dining and sometimes sleeping, usually outfitted fixed settees instead of chairs.
sea breeze ... A breeze blowing from the sea onto the land. See: onshore breeze.
spar ... Any object used to support a sail - mast, boom, yard, gaff, pole or sprit.
standing rigging ... The fixed, un-moving lines aboard a sailing ship or boat which support the mast(s). See: running rigging.
starboard ... The right side of a ship or boat looking forward toward the bow, or front, of the craft.
stays ... The standing or fixed rigging which supports a mast(s) aboard a ship or boat.
surfboat ... A type of boat used in surf lifesaving to go from shore out through the breaking waves, and back again.
... Launching a surfboat on Plum Island.
T
tack ... To change direction in relation to the wind or apparent wind.
telltale ... A length of light cloth or string tied to a shroud to help tell the (apparent) direction of the wind.
tideway ... A sea channel in which tides set, ebbing and flowing.
W
windward ... Toward the wind. The direction toward where the wind is blowing, or referring to a position closer to, or upwind, from one's present position. See: leeward, upwind.
windward shore ... A shoreline off which the wind is blowing. See: leeward shore.
U
upwind ... To be closer to where the wind is blowing from than another craft or objest.
V
veering ... A wind trending toward eastern point of the compass. See: backing.
W
Wash ... A large inlet bay on England's west coast.
wear ship ... 'To take three right turns hang make a left'.
westerly ... A wind or breeze blowing from the west. Winds are referred to from the direction in which they blow.
X
x-factor ... That unknown element in the equation of sailing skill or strategy.
Y
yawl ... A two-masted vessel with the mizzen stepped far to the stern.
Z
zulu ... Radio code for the letter 'Z'.
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