http://phrontistery.info/nautical.html Nautical Terms Ahoy, mateys! This be a fair and true listing of words having to do with ships and sailing, 225 of them in all. These terms come mainly from the great age of sailing ships, the 16th to 18th centuries, and almost all hail from the two great seafaring peoples of the day, those being the brave English and the most hated Dutch. Be fairly warned: I, being a landlubber of the most scurvy sort, know little of such nautical matters aside from what my word-books tell me, so if there are any sea-dogs out there who would deign to correct me on matters of seaman's cant and jargon, ye should holler from atop the crow's nest of your vessels. Ahoy! Word Definition abaft toward or at the stern of a ship; further aft affreightment hiring of a vessel afterdeck deck behind a ship's bridge afterguard men who work the aft sails on the quarterdeck and poop deck ahull with sails furled and helm lashed to the lee-side amidships midway between the bow and stern of a ship astern at the stern of a ship backstay stay extending from ship's mastheads to the side of the ship ballaster one who supplies ships with ballast bargemaster owner of a barge bee hardwood on either side of bowsprit through which forestays are reeved belay to secure a rope by winding on a pin or cleat bilge lower point of inner hull of a ship binnacle case in which a ship's compass is kept bitts posts mounted on a ship for fastening ropes bluepeter blue flag with white square in centre used as ship's signal boatswain ship's crewmember in charge of equipment and maintenance bobstay rope used on ships to steady the bowsprit bollard short post on a wharf or ship to which ropes are tied boltrope strong rope stitched to edges of a sail bosun boatswain bottomry using the ship as collateral to finance a sea voyage bow front of a ship bower anchor carried at bow of a ship bowline rope used to keep weather edge of a sail taut bowsprit spar that extends at bows of a ship brails ropes on edge of sail for hauling up bream to clean a ship's bottom by burning off seaweed bulwark the side of a ship above the deck bumpkin spar projecting from stern of ship bunt middle of sail, fish-net or cloth when slack buntline rope attached to middle of square sail to haul it up to the yard burgee small ship's flag used for identification or signalling cable heavy rope or chain for mooring a ship cabotage shipping and sailing between points in the same country camber slight arch or convexity to a beam or deck of a ship capstan upright device for winding in heavy ropes or cables careen to turn a ship on its side in order to clean or repair it cathead projection near the bow of a ship to which anchor is secured chine the intersection of the middle and sides of a boat chock metal casting with curved arms for passing ropes for mooring ship clew corner of sail with hole to attach ropes coaming raised edge around ship's hatches to keep water out cocket official shipping seal; customs clearance form cofferdam narrow vacant space between two bulkheads of a ship cog single-masted, square-sailed ship with raised stern companionway stairs from upper deck of ship to lower deck cordage ropes in the rigging of a ship cringle loop at corner of sail to which a line is attached crosstrees horizontal crosspieces at a masthead used to support ship's mast davit device for hoisting and lowering a boat deadeye rounded wooden block with hole used to set up ship's stays deadwood timbers built into ends of ship when too narrow to permit framing demurrage delay of vessel's departure or loading with cargo dodger shield against rain or spray on a ship's bridge dogwatch a short, evening period of watch duty on a ship downhaul rope for holding down or hauling down a sail or spar dromond large single-sailed ship powered by rowers dyogram ship's chart indicating compass deflection due to ship's iron earing line for fastening corner of a sail to the gaff or yard ensign large naval flag escutcheon part of ship's stern where name is displayed fairlead ring through which rope is led to change its direction without friction fardage wood placed in bottom of ship to keep cargo dry fiddley iron framework around hatchway opening figurehead ornament or (usually female) bust attached to the bow of a ship flagstaff flag pole at stern of a ship fluke part of an anchor that fastens in the ground forebitt post for fastening cables at a ship's foremast forecabin cabin in fore part of ship forecastle short raised deck at fore end of ship; fore of ship under main deck forefoot foremost end of ship's keel foremast mast nearest the bow of a ship foresail lowest sail set on the foremast of square-rigged ship forestay stay leading from the foremast to the bow of a ship frap to draw a sail tight with ropes or cables freeboard distance between waterline and main deck of a ship futtock rib of a ship gaff spar on which head of fore-and-aft sail is extended gaff-topsail triangular topsail with its foot extended upon the gaff gangway either of the sides of the upper deck of a ship garboard plank on a ship’s bottom next to the keel genoa large jib that overlaps the mainsail grapnel small anchor used for dragging or grappling groundage a charge on a ship in port gudgeon metal socket into which the pintle of a boat's rudder fits gunnage number of guns carried on a warship gunwale upper edge of the side of a ship gybe to swing a sail from one side to another halyard rope or tackle for hoisting and lowering sails hank series of rings or clips for attaching a jib or staysail to a stay hawse distance between ship's bow and its anchor hawsehole hole for ship's cable hawser large rope for mooring or towing a ship headsail sail set forward of the foremast of a ship helm ship's steering wheel holystone sandstone material used to scrape ships' decks inboard inside the line of a ship's bulwarks or hull jack ship's flag flown from jack-staff at bow of vessel jack-block pulley system for raising topgallant masts jack-cross-tree single iron cross-tree at head of a topgallant mast jackstaff short staff at ship's bow from which the jack is hoisted jackstay iron or wooden bar running along yard of ship to which sails fastened jackyard spar used to spread the foot of a gaff-topsail jib small triangular sail extending from the head of the foremast jibboom spar forming an extension of the bowsprit jibe to change a ship's course to make the boom shift sides jurymast mast erected on ship in place of one lost kedge small anchor to keep a ship steady keelhaul to punish by dragging under keel of ship keelson lengthwise wooden or steel beam in ship for bearing stress kentledge pig-iron used as ballast in ship's hold lagan cargo jettisoned from ship but marked by buoys for recovery lanyard rope or line for fastening something in a ship larboard left side of a ship lastage room for stowing goods in a ship lateen triangular sail rigged on ship's spar laveer to sail against the wind lazaret space in ship between decks used for storage leeboard wood or metal planes attached to hull to prevent leeway leech a vertical edge of a square sail loxodograph device used to record ship's travels luff windward side of a ship; forward edge of fore-and-aft sail lugsail four-sided sail bent to an obliquely hanging yard lutchet fitting on ship's deck to allow mast to pivot to pass under bridges mainmast sailing ship's principal mast mainsail principal sail on a ship's mainmast mainsheet rope by which mainsail is trimmed and secured mainstay stay that extends from the main-top to the foot of the foremast manrope rope used as a handrail on a ship martingale lower stay of rope used to sustain strain of the forestays mizzen three-masted vessel; aft sail of such a vessel mizzenmast mast aft or next aft of the mainmast in a ship moonraker topmost sail of a ship, above the skyscraper oakum old ropes untwisted for caulking the seams of ships orlop lowest deck in a ship having four or more decks outhaul rope used to haul a sail taut along a spar outrigger spar extended from side of ship to help secure mast painter rope attached to bow of a boat to attach it to a ship or a post pallograph instrument measuring ship's vibration parrel band by which a yard is fastened to a mast patroon captain of a ship; coxswain of a longboat poop enclosed structure at stern of ship above main deck port when facing forward, the left side of a ship primage fee paid to loaders for loading ship purser ship's officer in charge of finances and passengers quarterdeck part of ship's deck set aside by captain for ceremonial functions quartering sailing nearly before the wind rake the inclination of a mast or another part of a ship ratline small rope forming a rung of a rope ladder on a ship reef to reduce area of a sail by rolling or folding part of it reeve to pass a rope through a ring roach curved cut in edge of sail for preventing chafing roband piece of yarn used to fasten a sail to a spar rostrum spike on prow of warship for ramming rowlock contrivance serving as a fulcrum for an oar royal small sail on royal mast just above topgallant sail scud to sail swiftly before a gale scupper hole allowing water to drain from ship’s deck scuttlebutt cask of drinking water aboard a ship; rumour, idle gossip scuttles portholes on a ship sheer fore-and-aft curvature of a ship from bow to stern shrouds ropes supporting the mast of a ship sidelight coloured lights on side of a ship under way at night skeg part of ship connecting the keel with the bottom of the rudderpost skysail sail above the royal sail skyscraper triangular sail on a ship above the royal slipway ramp sloping into water for supporting a ship snotty naval midshipman spanker sail on the mast nearest the stern of a square-rigged ship spar any ship's mast, boom, yard, or gaff spinnaker large triangular sail opposite the mainsail spirketting inside planking between ports and waterways of a ship sponson platform jutting from ship’s deck for gun or wheel sprit spar crossing a fore-and-aft sail diagonally spritsail sail extended by a sprit starboard when facing forward, the right side of a ship starbolins sailors of the starboard watch stay large rope used to support a mast staysail fore-and-aft sail hoisted on a stay steeve to set a ship's bowsprit at an upward inclination stemson supporting timber of a ship stern back part of a ship sternpost main member at stern of a ship extending from keel to deck sternway movement of a ship backwards stevedore dock worker who loads and unloads ships stokehold ship’s furnace chamber strake continuous band of plates on side of a ship stunsail light auxiliary sail to the side of principal sails supercargo ship's official in charge of business affairs taffrail rail round the stern of a ship thole pin in the side of a boat to keep oar in place tiller handle or lever for turning a ship's rudder timberhead top end of ship's timber used above the gunwale timenoguy rope stretched from place to place in a ship topgallant mast or sail above the topmast and below the royal mast topmast ship's mast above the lower mast topsail ship's sail above the lowermost sail tranship to transfer from one ship to another transire ship's customs warrant for clearing goods transom transverse timbers attached to ship's sternpost treenail long wooden pin used to fix planks of ship to the timbers trice to haul in and lash secure a sail with a small rope trunnel wooden shipbuilding peg used for fastening timbers trysail ship's sail bent to a gaff and hoisted on a lower mast tuck part of ship where ends of lower planks meet under the stern turtleback structure over ship’s bows or stern unreeve to withdraw a rope from an opening walty inclined to tip over or lean wardroom quarters for ship's officers washboard broad thin plank along ship's gunwale to keep out sea water watching fully afloat waveson goods floating on the sea after a shipwreck wear to turn a ship's stern to windward to alter its course weatherboard weather side of a ship weatherly able to sail close to the wind with little leeway wheelhouse shelter where ship’s steering wheel kept whipstaff vertical lever controlling ship’s rudder windbound hindered from sailing by contrary winds windlass winch used to raise a ship's anchor xebec small three-masted pirate ship yard tapering spar attached to ship's mast to spread the head of a square sail yardarm either end of the yard of a square-rigged ship yawl ship’s small boat; sailboat carrying mainsail and one or more jibs zabra small Spanish sailing vessel