10 Nautical & Sailing Terms you must know before getting aboard.
Be aware about common sailing terms is necessary for safety onboard and essential for adapting easily during your stay on a yacht, or learning the basics about sailing. Here are some primary terms to help you with your first sailing experience or just to move aboard in comfort.
1. Bow
Bow is called the front part of a yacht. Knowing the location of the bow is essential.
2. Aft or Stern
The backside of a yacht-ship. When you want to describe something being at the backside of the boat you describe is as “Aft, or stern).
3. Starboard
Refers to the sides of the yacht. Starboard is the right-hand side of the yacht when facing the bow. Defining “right” and “left” can become confusing when used out in the open waters, as you also need to define the sides depending on the wind direction.
4. Port
Refers always the left-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow. An easy rule to remember is LEFT-PORT=4 LETTERS.
5. Leeward
aka lee, leeward is the direction opposite to the direction wind is blowing against the wind.
6. Windward
Windward is the direction which the wind blows. A practical guide says “Sware windward, Spilt lee.”
7. Boom
You can find a boom only on sail yachts. The boom is a horizontal pole which extends from the mast. Adjusting the boom angle towards the direction of the wind is how the sailboat can harness wind power to move.
8. Rudder
Is a critical yacht element used to steer the ship, located beneath the boat, the rudder is a piece of wood, fibreglass, or metal. All boats have rudders, and those are moved from the helm by a steering wheel.
9. Tacking
This necessary sailing manoeuvre refers to turning the bow of the boat through the wind. While performing a tack or a jibe boom of a boat always shift from one side to the other. Tacking made -45 to +45 degrees from wind direction (wind direction 0 degrees)
10. Jibing
The opposite of tacking. This necessary sailing manoeuvre to turning the stern of the boat through the wind from one side of the boat to the other. The boom of a boat always shifts from one side to other.