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Sailing and Sailmaking Glossary

A

  • Aft: Toward the rear of the boat
  • Anchor: Device used to secure a boat to the seabed
  • Apparent wind: The wind experienced by a moving boat
  • Aspect ratio: The ratio of a sail’s height to its width

B

  • Backstay: Wire supporting the mast from the stern
  • Batten: Flexible strip inserted into sail to maintain shape
  • Beam: Width of a boat at its widest point
  • Bearing: Direction to an object or destination
  • Becket: Loop of rope or eye splice
  • Berth: Sleeping area or docking space
  • Bight: Curve or bend in a rope
  • Bilge: Lowest inner part of a boat’s hull
  • Block: Pulley used in sailing
  • Boom: Spar at bottom of mainsail
  • Bow: Front of the boat
  • Bowline: Essential knot used in sailing
  • Bowsprit: Spar extending from bow
  • Broach: Accidental turning into the wind

C

  • Camber: Curve of a sail
  • Capsize: To overturn
  • Catamaran: Double-hulled vessel
  • Centerboard: Retractable keel
  • Chainplate: Metal plates securing rigging to hull
  • Chafe: Wear from friction
  • Cleat: Fitting for securing lines
  • Clew: Lower aft corner of a sail
  • Close-hauled: Sailing almost directly into the wind
  • Companionway: Entrance to cabin
  • Compass: Navigation instrument
  • Cruising: Recreational sailing
  • Cunningham: Control to tension sail luff

D

  • Deck: Upper surface of boat
  • Draft: Depth of hull below waterline
  • Drift: Movement caused by wind/current
  • Drogue: Sea anchor

E

  • Ease: To loosen a line
  • Eye splice: Permanent loop in rope end
  • Eyelet: Reinforced hole in sail

F

  • Fairlead: Fitting guiding a line
  • Fall off: Turn away from wind
  • Fathom: Unit of depth (6 feet)
  • Fender: Cushion protecting hull
  • Fictitious luff: Imaginary line for sail design
  • Foot: Bottom edge of sail
  • Forestay: Wire supporting mast from bow
  • Foredeck: Forward part of deck
  • Furling: Rolling up a sail

G

  • Gaff: Spar supporting sail top
  • Genoa: Large headsail
  • Gooseneck: Boom attachment to mast
  • Gore: Vertical panel in sail
  • Grommets: Metal rings in sail
  • Gunwale: Upper edge of boat’s side
  • Gybe: Change course with wind aft

H

  • Halyard: Line for raising sails
  • Hand: To furl or take in sail
  • Heading: Direction boat points
  • Headstay: Forestay
  • Head up: Turn toward wind
  • Headsail: Any sail forward of mast
  • Heel: Boat’s lateral incline
  • Helm: Steering control
  • Hull: Main body of boat

I-J

  • Irons: In stays, head to wind
  • Jib: Forward triangular sail
  • Jibing: Same as gybing
  • Jury rig: Temporary repair

K

  • Keel: Fixed underwater fin
  • Kevlar: Sail fabric material
  • Knot: Speed measurement (1 nautical mile/hour)

L

  • Laminate: Multi-layer sail material
  • Lanyard: Short line for securing items
  • Latitude: North-south position
  • Lazyjacks: Lines supporting lowered sail
  • Leach: Aft edge of sail
  • Lee: Side sheltered from wind
  • Leeward: Away from wind
  • Life jacket: PFD (personal flotation device)
  • Lifeline: Safety wire around deck
  • Lines: Ropes used on boats
  • Longitude: East-west position
  • Luff: Forward edge of sail
  • Luffing: Fluttering of sail

M

  • Mainsail: Principal sail
  • Mainsheet: Line controlling mainsail
  • Mast: Vertical spar supporting sails
  • Mooring: Permanent anchoring spot
  • Mylar: Sail material

N

  • Nautical mile: 6,076 feet
  • Navigation: Determining position/course
  • Noon sight: Sun observation at midday

O

  • Outhaul: Control for sail foot tension
  • Overboard: Off the boat
  • Overlap: Sail extending past mast

P

  • Painter: Bow line
  • Peak: Upper corner of sail
  • Pennant: Small flag
  • Pinch: Sail too close to wind
  • Port: Left side of boat
  • Port tack: Wind from port side

Q-R

  • Quarter: Aft section of side
  • Rake: Mast’s fore/aft angle
  • Reach: Sailing across wind
  • Reef: Reduce sail area
  • Rigging: Boat’s line/wire system
  • Roach: Curved sail section
  • Rudder: Steering blade
  • Running: Sailing away from wind

S

  • Sail plan: Arrangement of sails
  • Schooner: Two-masted vessel
  • Seam: Join between sail panels
  • Sheet: Line controlling sail
  • Shrouds: Side support wires
  • Skeg: Rudder support
  • Slack: Loose, not tight
  • Sloop: Single-masted vessel
  • Spinnaker: Large downwind sail
  • Spreaders: Horizontal mast supports
  • Stanchion: Lifeline support
  • Starboard: Right side of boat
  • Stay: Support wire for mast
  • Stern: Rear of boat
  • Swage: Metal fitting on wire

T

  • Tack: Lower forward corner of sail
  • Tackle: Block and line system
  • Telltales: Wind indicators
  • Thimble: Protective metal eye
  • Tiller: Steering lever
  • Topping lift: Supports boom
  • Track: Rail for sail hardware
  • Transom: Stern cross-section
  • Trim: Adjust sails
  • True wind: Actual wind direction

U-V

  • Under way: Boat in motion
  • UV cover: Sail protection strip
  • Vang: Control for boom

W

  • Wake: Trail behind boat
  • Waterline: Where hull meets water
  • Weather helm: Tendency to turn windward
  • Windage: Wind resistance
  • Windlass: Anchor handling machine
  • Windward: Toward the wind
  • Winch: Line handling drum

Sailmaking Specific Terms

  • Aspect ratio: Sail height to width ratio
  • Bias: Diagonal orientation of fabric
  • Broadseaming: Curved seam shaping
  • Corner patch: Reinforcement area
  • Cross cut: Horizontal panel layout
  • Dacron: Polyester sail fabric
  • Draft stripe: Reference line on sail
  • Edge curve: Sail edge shape
  • Fill: Across-fabric threads
  • Finish: Fabric treatment
  • Flutter: Edge vibration
  • Hollow: Concave edge curve
  • Leech cord: Tension line in leech
  • Luff curve: Forward edge shape
  • Modulus: Fabric stiffness measure
  • Panel layout: Cut arrangement
  • Radial: Panel arrangement style
  • Reef point: Reinforced reduction point
  • Ripstop: Reinforced fabric type
  • Sailcloth: Sail material
  • Scrim: Reinforcement layer
  • Seam allowance: Extra material at join
  • Shape: Three-dimensional form
  • Sleeve: Mast attachment method
  • Stretch: Fabric elongation
  • Tape: Reinforcement strip
  • Tabling: Edge reinforcement
  • Tentering: Fabric stabilization
  • Thread: Sewing material
  • Triradial: Panel arrangement
  • Warp: Length-wise threads
  • Weave: Fabric construction

Weather Terms

  • Barometer: Air pressure gauge
  • Beaufort scale: Wind force scale
  • Depression: Low pressure area
  • Fetch: Wind-water distance
  • Front: Weather system boundary
  • Gale: Strong wind
  • Gradient: Pressure difference
  • Isobar: Equal pressure line
  • Knots: Wind speed measure
  • Sea state: Wave condition

Navigation Terms

  • Almanac: Navigation reference
  • Bearing: Direction to object
  • Chart: Marine map
  • Course: Intended direction
  • Dead reckoning: Position estimate
  • Deviation: Compass error
  • Fix: Position determination
  • Heading: Current direction
  • Log: Speed/distance record
  • Piloting: Coastal navigation
  • Plot: Mark position
  • Range: Navigation markers
  • Track: Course made good
  • Transit: Alignment marks
  • Variation: Magnetic deviation

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