Glossary
15.11
Uphaul: A line used to raise something vertically,
e.g., the spinnaker pole.
Upwind: To windward, in the direction of the eye
of the wind.
Veer: 1, the wind veers when it shifts in clock-
wise direction; 2, to pay out anchor cable
or rope in a gradual, controlled way.
Wake: Waves generated in the water by a mov-
ing vessel.
Watch: (1) a division of crew into shifts. (2) The
time each watch has duty.
Waterline: The line where the water comes to on the
hull of a boat. Design waterline is where
the waterline was designed to be, load
waterline is the waterline when the boat
is loaded.
Waterline
length
(WL):
The length of a boat from stem to stern
at the waterline. It governs the maximum
speed of displacement hull and effects a
boats rating.
Weather
helm:
( Opp. of lee helm).
Weather
side:
The side of a boat on which the wind is
blowing.
Wetted
surface:
The area of the hull under water.
Whip: To bind the strands of a line with a small
cord.
Whisker
pole:
A light pole used to hold out the clew of a
headsail when running.
Winch: A mechanical device, consisting usually of
a metal drum turned by a handle, around
which a line is wound to give the crew
more purchasing power when hauling taut
a line, e.g. a jib sheet.
Wind
scoop:
Funnel used to force wind in a hatch and
ventilate the below decks area.
Windage: Those parts of a boat that increase drag,
e.g., rigging, spars, crew, etc.
Windlass: A mechanical device used to pull in cable
or chain, such as an anchor rode.
Wind-
ward:
The direction from which the wind blows;
towards the wind (opp. of leeward).
Yaw: Swinging off course, usually in heavy
seas. The bow moves toward one side of
the intended course.
Yawl: A two masted boat with a mizzen stepped
aft of the rudder stock/ post.
Zulu: Used to indicated times measured in
Coordinated Universal Time, a successor
to Greenwich Mean Time. A time stan
-
dard that is not affected by time zones or
seasons.
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