Common Nautical Terms

A Aft. Near, or towards the stern, or behind example "aft of the mast" of abaft of the mast".

B Ballast. Heavy material, such as sand, stone, water, placed at the bottom of a ship to give her stabiliity. Particularly important when no cargo is carried.
Bilge. The curved part of a ship's hull where the sides and bottom meet. Also the inside of the hull below the cabin sole where the bilge water collects.
Boom. A spar holding the foot of a fore-and-aft sail.
Bow. The forward end of the hull.
Braces. Ropes made fast to the yard-arms by which the angle of square-sails to the fore-and-aft line can be changed.
Brig. A two-masted vessel in which both masts are square-rigged.
Brigantine. A two-masted vessel in which the foremast is square-rigged, the mainmast fore-and-aft rigged. The correct name for this type is hermaphrodite brig, but it is just as often referred to as brigantine. The true brigantine sets a square topsail and topgallant on the mainmast.
Bulwarks. Woodwork around a vessel above deck level.
Buntlines. Ropes used for hauling up (brailing) the body of a sail.

C
Cap. A fitting of wood or iron with two holes in it used to connect the head of one mast with the lower part of the next mast above it.
Catheads. Short horizontal beams on either side of ship's bow for raising and stowing anchor.
Chafe. Rubbing of the surface, particularly of sails against shrouds stays, etc.
Chain plates. Plates of iron bolted to a ship's sides against shrouds stays etc.
Channels. Pieces of plank bolted to the outside of the hull, below the shrouds, across which the shrouds are led to the chain-plates.
Clewline. Rope which hauls up the clew, i.e. either of the lower corners of a square-sail.
Clipper. Swift sailing ships with sharp bows and fine lines that originated in the United States. The term was later used for fast sailing ships, even four-masted barks.
Coamings. Raised works round hatches to prevent water from getting in.
Composite construction. Wooden planking on a metal frame and keel.
Corvette. Type of warship smaller than a frigate. Usually rigged as a ship, with guns mounted on the upper deck. Mainly used for scouting, convoying and privateering.
Courses. The square sails that hang from ship's lower yards, i.e. forecourse, maincourse, mizzen course.
Cross-trees. Pieces of timber or metal at the masth4ead to spread the shrouds and backstays.
Crowsnest. Barrel-like look out post high up on the mast.
Cutter. A naval pulling boat. Also a single masted sailing boat.

D
Davits. Cranes fitted in pairs in which a ship's boats are carried. Can be swiveled for lowering and hoisting.
Deadeye. A circular block of wood with a groove round it and three holes in it. Used in pairs, with lanyards through them to make a tackle, for setting up rigging.
Deck beams. Lateral beams, spanning the hull over the heads of the frames, on which the deck rests.
Dhow. Arabian sailing vessel with two or more masts rigged with lateen sails.
Dinghy. Small open boat which can be handled by one man.
Displacement. The weight of water displaced by a vessel.
Dromon. Byzantine warship with two banks of oars on each side.

F
Fiddlehead. Carvings at a ships' bow in the absence of a figurehead.
Figurehead. A carved figure, or head, under the ship's bowsprit, which is usually connected in some way to the name of the ship.
Floors. Transverse timbers, placed across the keel, which reinforce the frames.
Flush deck. An upper deck without any superstructure.
Foot. The bottom edge of a sail.
Fore-and-aft. Lengthwise with the ship, parallel to her centerline.
Forecastle. That part of the upper deck forward of the foremast, also the accommodation of the crew beneath this deck.
Foremast. First mast in all two- and more-masted vessels, except yawls and ketches.
Foremast. In square-riggers the lower sail on the first mast. In schooners the lower sail set above the foremast.
Foremast. Full-rigged ship. Originally a three-Amsted ship in which all masts were fully square-rigged. Later also square-rigged ships with more than three masts.
Full sail. To carry full sail means to have all available sails set.

G
Gaff. Spar to which the head of a fore-and-aft sail is bent. Its lower end seizes the mast in a kind of fork.
Galeas. Two-masted gaff-rigged Baltic trader.
Gig. Light, narrow ship's boat.

H
Halyards. Topes for hoisting and lowering yards, gaffs and sails, often with the help of halyard winches.
Hawse-hole. Hole or pipe in ship's bows, or on deck, through which the anchor cable runs.
Headsails. All sails set on stays before the foremast.
Hoop. Iron or wooden rings sliding along masts, gaffs, booms, etc. to which the sails are bent.
Hoop. Hulk. Hull of dismantled ship, frequently used as store vessel.

J
Jacob's ladder. A tope ladder with wooden rungs used for climbing aloft.
Jib-boom. Boom-rigged out beyond the bowsprit.
Jigger. Fourth mast in square-rigged vessels or schooners. It is always fore-and-aft rigged.
Jollyboat. Small, light ship's boat with transom stern.

K

Keel. The spine of the hull, running fore-and-aft its entire length and supporting the frames.
Knot. Same as nautical mile

L

Lateen sail. A triangular sail bent to a long yard set at an angle of 45 degrees to the mast.
Leach or leech. The after edge of a sail.
Lee. Downwind, the side opposite to that from which the wind blows.
Log. To measure the speed of a vessel from on board or the ship's diary.
Long-boat. The largest of a ship's boat, which is always carried on board.
Luff. The forward edge of a sail. This is also the action of bringing the vessel up into the wind.

M

Mainmast. Second mast in vessels with two or more masts, except yawls and ketches.
Mainsail. The lower sail set on that mast. In square-riggers this is also called the main course.
Mess. Living and dining room on cargo- and warships.
Mizzen mast. The third mast in vessels with three or more masts In a yawl or ketch, the shorter after mast.
Mizzel sail. The lower sail set on that mast. In square-riggers also called the mizzen course or the crossjack.
Moonsail. A triangular sail set above the sky sail in square-riggers.

N

Nautical mile. One nautical mile is a sixtieth of a degree of latitude measured at the equator. It equals 6080 feet or 1852 meters. A speed of one nautical mile is one knot.

P
Pole mast. A mast which is made in one piece not having a separate topmast.
Port. The left hand side of a vessel with facing forward.

Q
Quarter. Either side of the ship aft of main shrouds, meaning between a beam and a sterm.
Quarterdeck. The part of the upper deck aft of the mainmast.

R
Rabbet. A groove on either side of the keel and stem to receive the edges of the planks.
Reef. To shorten sail.
Reef points. Rows of small ropes on a sail, parallel to the yard or gaff, with which the sail is tied up when it is reefed.
Rig. The whole of a ship's masts and sails and the way they are arranged.

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Rigging A general term for all the topes and wires used to work and stay a vessel's spars and sails.
Royal. A square sail set above a topgallant sail.
Running rigging. All ropes and wires used to work sails, yards, gaffs, booms.
Running square-sail. A large deep-cut square sail set on the fore lower yard by many topsail schooners when running before the wind.

S
Schooner. A sailing vessel with two or more masts none of which is fully square-rigged.
Shrouds. Standing rigging supporting the mast on either side.
Sheathing. Covering of a ships bottom against copper or damage from ice in Arctic waters.
Sheet. A rope made fast to the clew of a fore-and-aft wail to control the way it sets.
Skysail. S square sail set above a royal.
Sloop. A small fore-and-aft rigged vessel with one mast.
Snowmast. A light mast, immediately aft of the mainmast on which a gaff sail is set.
Sound. To measure the depth of the water.
Spanker. Gaff sail set on the afternoon mast or a ship or bark.
Spars. General term for masts, booms, yards and gaffs.
Spinnaker. A light-deep cut sail set on yachts which was set on a yard below the bowsprit.
Spritsail topsail. Square sail set above the spritsail on a yard from the spritsail topmast, a small mast mounted on the bowsprit, usually found in old warships.
Stability. The ability of a vessel to counteract heeling.
Standing rigging. All ropes and wires which support the masts and are not moved.
Starboard. The right side of a vessel when facing forwards.
Stays. Ropes of the standing rigging which support the mast, leading forward (forestays) and to the sides (backstays).
Stem. Continuation of keel forward, sweeping upwards of the bowsprit.
Stern. After end of a vessel .
Stern post. Continuation of the keel aft, sweeping upwards to the deck.
Studding sails. Additional panels of cloth set on either side of a square-sail on booms rigged out beyond the yard. Set when running in light winds.

T

Tack. The forward lower corner of a sail. Also to alter course by putting the ship's bow through the eye of the wind.
Tackle. Purchase formed by a rope wove through one or more blocks.
Tiller. A horizontal bar fitted into the head of the rudder by which the vessel is steered.
Top. Platform at the head of a mast, resting on the trestle-trees
Topgallant sail. Single or double square-sail set above the topsail(s) on a square-rigged mast.
Topmast. The second mast above the deck, next above the lower mast.
Topsail. In square-riggers, the single or double square sails set above each course.
Transom stern. A flat stern.
Trim. To arrange cargo and gear so that the vessel floats as she should. Also to set the sails at the most favorable angle to the wind.
Trireme. A Greek galley with three banks of oars.

W

Wales. Strong, raised planks along the length of a ship's sides. They contribute to the stiffness of the ship and protect the sides from damage by ships coming alongside.
Warp. To move a vessel from one place to another by means of a rope.
Windlass. A revolving machine with a horizontal spindle used to weight anchor.
Winch. A cranked revolving spindle, vertical or horizontal, to provide extra power in sweating up halyards, sheeting in sails, etc.
Windward. The side from which the wind blows.