RS Quba - 7 Glossary

7. GLOSSARY
A
Aft
At the back
Anchor Line
Rope that attaches the anchor to the boat
Astern
Behind the boat
Assymetric
Spinnaker flown from a retractable pole at the bow
B
Back
To ‘back the sail’; allowing the wind to fill the back of
the sail
Bailer
A bucker or other container used for bailing water
Batten
A thin strip of wood/plastic inserted in the sail to keep
it flat
Batten Key
A key used to adjust the batten
Batten Pocket
A pocket on the sail that holds the batten
Beam
Width of the boat at the widest point at the side. The
phrase ‘wind on the beam’ means that the wind is
coming from the side
Bear Away
To turn downwind
Beat
To sail a zig-zag course to make progress upwind
Beaufort Scale
A measure of the wind strength, from Force 1 to Force
12
Beckett
A metal loop attached to the bottom of a block
Bilge Rail
The moulded line that marks the transition from the
side to the bottom of the hull
Block
A pulley used for sail control lines
Boom
The spar at the bottom edge of the sail
Bow
The front of the boat
Bowline
A useful and reliable knot with a loop in it. See
Appendix 9.3 Three Essential Knots
Bow Snubber
The part of the trolley that the bow rests on
Bowsprit
The pole that protrudes from the front of the hull, to
which the gennaker is attached
Builder’s Plate
Plate that contains build information
Bung
A stopper for the drain hole
Buoy
Floating object attached to the bottom of the sea; used
variously for navigation, mooring, and to mark out a
race course
Buoyancy Aid
Helps you to stay afloat if you fall in the water
Buoyancy Compartment
Water-tight compartment in the hull that maintains
buoyancy
Burgee
Small flag at the top of the mast to show wind
direction
C
Capsize
To overturn
Capsize Recovery
To right, or recover, the boat after a capsize