nt
r 
 • Glossar
1
.
Aback
 
ri
 
 
il wh
n th
 win
 
trik
 it 
n th
 
l
 
i
.
Abaft
 t
w
r
 th
 
t
 
t
rn.
A
m
at ri
ht an
les to the center-line o
 the boat.
Aft
t 
r n
r t
 
t
rn.
Amidships: the center o
 the boat, athwartships and 
ore 
n
 
t
Anti-foulin
 a po
sonous pa
nt compoun
 use
 to pro-
tect the underwater part o
 a hull 
rom marine 
rowths.
Apparent wind: The direction and speed o
 the wind 
elt 
b
 the crew. It is a combination of true wind and that
reated b
 the movement o
 the boat.
Astern: behind the boat; to 
o astern is to drive the
t 
n r
v
r
.
Athwartshi
s
at ri
ht an
les to the 
ore and a
t line o
 
th
 
t.
ac
 when a wind backs, it shifts anticlockwise.
B
k 
 
il: t
 
h
t it t
 win
w
r
 
 th
t th
 win
 
ill
 
on the side that is normall
 to leeward
Backsta
: a sta
 that supports the mast from aft and
revents its 
orward movement.
Ballast: extra wei
ht, usuall
 lead or iron, placed low in 
t
e 
oat or externa
 on t
e 
ee
 to prov
e sta
t
a
ast 
ee
 m
 
 
ll
t 
lt
 t
 th
 k
l t
 
increase stabilit
 and prevent a keel boat 
rom capsiz-
n
.
atten
 a li
ht, flexible strip fed into a batten pocket at
the leech o
 the sail to support the roach.
Beam
 1, the maximum breadth of a boat; 2, a trans-
verse member that su
orts the deck; 3, on the beam
means that an ob
ect is at ri
ht an
les to the centerline.
Bear awa
: to steer the boat awa
 from the wind
 the direction of an ob
ect from an observer, measured 
in de
rees true or ma
netic.
Beat: to sail a zi
za
 course towards the wind, close-
 
n 
t
rn
t
 t
.
Bela
 to make 
ast a rope around a cleat, usuall
 with
a fi
ure-of-ei
ht knot.
en
1, to secure a sail to a spar before hoistin
; 2, to 
moor a boat; 3, a sleepin
 place on board
Bi
ht
a bend or loop in a rope.
e: t
e 
ower, roun
 
art 
ns
e t
e 
u
 w
ere t
e
w
t
r 
ll
t
.
Block: a pulle
 in a wooden or plastic case, consist-
in
 of a sheave around which a rope runs. It is used to 
han
e the direction o
 pull.
Boot-toppin
:
 narrow colored stripe painted between
t
e 
ottom 
a
nt an
 t
e to
s
e ename
Bottlescrew
 see Ri
in
 screw.
Broach
 when a boat runnin
 downwind slews broad-
side to the wind and heels dan
erousl
. It is caused b
 
heav
 followin
 seas or helmsman’s error.
Broad reach
the point o
 sailin
 between a beam reach 
and a run, when the wind blows over a quarter
u
ea
 a partition wall in a boat normall
 fitted
athwartships
Caulk
to ma
e t
e seams 
etween woo
en 
an
s
waterti
ht b
 
illin
 with cotton, oakum or a compound.
Cavitation
 the 
ormation o
 a vacuum around a propel-
ler, causin
 a loss in efficienc
.
Center-board
a board lowered throu
h a slot in the
eel to reduce leewa
Center-line:
nt
r 
f th
 
t in 
 f
r
 
n
 
ft lin
.
Center of effort 
COE
the point at which all the 
orces
actin
 on the sails are concentrated
Center of lateral resistance 
CLR
 t
 
n
rw
t
r 
enter o
 pressure about which a boat pivots when 
han
in
 course.
Chain 
awl
a s
ort 
u
 w
c
 
rops 
nto a toot
e
 rac
to prevent the anchor chain runnin
 back
Chain 
late
 a metal plate bolted to the boat to which
t
e s
rou
s or 
ac
sta
s are attac
e
Chart datum
 r
r
n
 l
v
l 
n 
 
h
rt 
l
w whi
h
the tide is unlikel
 to 
all. 
oundin
s are 
iven below
art 
atum. 
e 
atum 
eve
 var
es accor
n
 to coun-
tr
 and area
Chine: th
 lin
 wh
r
 th
 
tt
m 
 th
 h
ll m
t
 th
s
e at an an
e
Cleat
 a wooden, metal or plastic 
ittin
 around which 
rope is secured.
Clevis 
in
 a 
oc
n
 p
n t
rou
 w
c
 a sp
t r
n
 
s
passed to prevent accidental withdraw
Clew
 the a
ter, lower center o
 a sail where the 
oot and
 m
t
Close-hauled: the point o
 sailin
 closest to the wind; 
 
l
 
t.
Close reach
 the point of sailin
 between close-hauled 
and a beam reach, when the wind blows 
orward o
 the 
m.
Close-winded
escr
es a 
oat a
e to sa
 ver
 c
ose 
t
 th
 win
.
Coamin
 the raised structure surroundin
 a hatch, 
oc
p
t, etc., w
c
 prevents water enter
n
Cotter 
in
 so
t, metal pin 
olded back on itsel
 to 
orm
 
Course
 t
e 
rect
on 
n w
c
 a vesse
 
s steere
, usu-
all
 
iven in de
rees; true, ma
netic or compass
Crin
le
1, a rope loop, 
ound at either end o
 a line o
 
reef points; 2, an e
e in a sail