Glossary
15.6
Heaving
to:
To slow or stop the forward motion of the
boat, such as when in heavy seas.
Heavy
seas:
When the water has large or breaking
waves in stormy conditions.
Heavy
weather:
Stormy conditions, including rough, high
seas and strong winds.
Heel: To lean over to one side.
High tide: The point of a tide when the water is the
highest. The opposite of low tide.
Hitch: A knot used to attach a line to a cleat or
other object.
Horizon: Where the water and sky or ground and
sky appear to intersect.
Hull: The main structural body of the boat, not
including the deck, keel, mast, or cabin.
The part that keeps the water out of the
boat.
Hurri-
cane:
A strong tropical revolving storm of force
12 or higher. In the northern hemisphere;
hurricanes revolve in a clockwise direc-
tion. In the southern hemisphere they
revolve counterclockwise and are known
as typhoons.
Inboard: (1) toward the center of the boat. (2) an
engine that is mounted inside the boat.
Inflatable: A dinghy or raft that can be inflated for use
or deflated for easy stowage.
Isobars: Lines on a weather map joining places of
equal atmospheric pressure.
Jackstay: A line running fore and aft, on both sides
of the boat, to which safety harnesses are
clipped.
Jury: A temporary device to replace lost or
damaged gear.
Keel: A flat surface built into the bottom of the
boat to reduce the leeway caused by the
wind pushing against the side of the boat.
A keel also usually has some ballast to
help keep the boat upright and prevent it
from heeling too much.
Kicking
strap:
A line used to pull the boom down, to
keep it horizontal, particularly on a reach
or run.
Knot: (1) a speed of one nautical mile per hour.
(2) a method of attaching a rope or line to
itself, another line or a fitting.
Land
breeze:
A wind moving from the land to the water
due to temperature changes in the eve-
ning.
Lanyard: A short line attached to one object, such
as a knife, with which it is secured to
another.
Lash: To tie something with a line.
Launch: (1) to put a boat in the water. (2) a small
boat used to ferry people to and from a
larger vessel.
Lead line: A line with a weight on the end used to
measure depth. The lead is dropped into
the water and marks on the line are read
to determine the current water depth. The
lead usually has a cavity to return a sam
-
ple of the bottom type (mud, sand, etc.).
League: Three nautical miles.
Lee
shore:
A shore on to which the wind blows.
Leech: 1, the after edge of a triangle sail; 2, both
side edges of a square sail.
Leehelm: The tendency of a boat to bear away from
the wind.
Leeward: The direction away from the wind. Opposite
of windward.
Leeway: The sideways movement of a boat away
from the wind, usually unwanted. Keels
and other devices help prevent a boat
from having excessive leeway.
Life jack-
et:
A device used to keep a person afloat.
Also called a life preserver, life vest, PFD
or personal flotation device.
Life raft: An emergency raft used in case of seri-
ous problems to the parent vessel, such
as sinking.
Lifeline: A wire or rope rigged around the deck to
prevent the crew falling overboard.
Limber
holes:
Gaps left at the lower end of frames
above the keel to allow water to drain to
the lowest point of the bilges.
List: A boat’s more or less permanent lean to
one side, owing to the improper distribu-
tion of weight, e.g., ballast or water.
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