| Thinking about starting Sailing or Yachting and Sailing | | | | and course. |
| off into the Sunset? Then please read on! You are | | | | Inboard |
| probably like many people, you would love to sail, but | | | | This refers to an engine fixed with the hull of a boat. |
| do not know the first thing about sailing and where to | | | | Jib |
| start. | | | | This refers to sail that goes forward of a mast. This is |
| I have included in this article an extensive list on sailing | | | | normally smaller than a Genoa. |
| terminology to help you with learning how to sail, and | | | | Jib Sheet |
| inturn helping you through the first basic approaches | | | | This line controls the setting of jib and sail shape. It |
| and giving you the confidence to go forward. | | | | attaches to clew of jib with the other end being within |
| The list is as follows; | | | | cockpit of a boat. This helps in easy control. |
| AFT | | | | Keel |
| Refers to the back of the boat or Stern | | | | The part of a boat's hull extending below waterline to |
| Backstay | | | | counterbalance the wind action over the sailboat. This |
| A strong wire or rod from the mast top to the stern of | | | | is normally shaped like a fin. It helps your sailboat cut |
| boat this stabilizers the mast. Backstays have | | | | through water and prevent any instance of tipping |
| adjustable tensions to shape mast in changing wind | | | | over. |
| conditions. | | | | Ketch |
| Bearing | | | | This refers to a sailboat with two masts see diagram |
| It is an angular position taken from a fix point back to | | | | page 25. |
| the boat. | | | | Knot |
| Beaufort Scale | | | | This refers to 'nautical mile per hour'. This is the |
| This refers to table of wind speeds. | | | | standard measuring unit for speed on a boat with one |
| Bilge | | | | Knot being equal to 1.15 miles per hour. |
| This refers to an area at tahe bottom of the boat to | | | | Leech |
| collect water. | | | | This is aft edge of a sail. It runs from mast top to end |
| Bilge Pump | | | | of boom. |
| This is a pump operated manually or electrically to | | | | Leeway |
| empty the water from the bilge. | | | | This refers to the angle between the boats heading |
| Block | | | | and the direction she is moving through the water. |
| This pulley guides line to decrease force necessary to | | | | Luff |
| pull on a line. | | | | This indicates forward edge of a sail. |
| Boom | | | | Magnetic |
| A horizontal spar attached to mast at one end and to | | | | This refers to Magnetic North. |
| aft corner, the Clew of a sail at another end. | | | | Main Sail |
| Buoys | | | | This is the sail located aft of mast on a sloop. |
| All Buoys float. You will come across three different | | | | Mainsheet |
| types, Navigational, Mooring, and Fishing. | | | | This line controls how far out the main sail goes. |
| Bow | | | | Mast |
| This describes front of your boat. | | | | This refers to vertical spars on boats. Mast provides |
| Bowsprit | | | | essential support system for your sailboat. |
| This is a spar that extends forward of the hull of a | | | | Mast Step |
| boat. | | | | This supports bottom of the mast. |
| Centerboard | | | | Mizzen |
| This is a retractable and flat device on the centerline | | | | The smaller sail supported by its own mast |
| of your boat extended below a boat to prevent it | | | | Outhaul |
| from moving sideways. This also stabilizes boat | | | | A control line used to help control flatness of mainsail. |
| movement. | | | | Painter |
| Chart | | | | This is the bowline on a dinghy. |
| Used for boat navigation. | | | | Parallel Rule |
| Chart Work | | | | Used for charting your course. |
| This refers to plotting of your course on the chart. | | | | Pilot Book |
| Cleat | | | | This refers to a publication to supplement chart work |
| A piece of metal or wood shaped like an anvil to hold | | | | and passage planning with reference to local area |
| a mooring line or sheet. Although traditional cleats | | | | knowledge. |
| require a special knot to tie anvil, present-day anvils do | | | | Port Hole |
| not require any. | | | | This refers to a window in either cabin top or the hull. |
| Clew | | | | Rig |
| Aft corner of a sail that attaches to the boom | | | | This refers to mast, spreaders, and stays used to |
| Companionway | | | | support sails. |
| The entrance to the cabin of a boat | | | | Roller Furler |
| Compass | | | | A device used to roll up a sail for reefing down the sail |
| A device fixed to the boat that you use to sail the | | | | and storage. |
| boat in a specific direction in 360 degrees. Hand held | | | | Reef |
| compasses are portable. | | | | This refers to reducing the sail area. |
| Compass Deviation | | | | Schooner |
| This refers to the magnetic deviation caused by the | | | | This refers to configuration of sails on a sailboat. |
| boat that you will need to add or subtract from your | | | | Shroud |
| course. | | | | The side stays on each side of mast to prevent |
| Crew | | | | sideways motion of mast relative to the boat and |
| All people engaged in working on a boat. | | | | prevent bowing of mast under load from sails. |
| Deck | | | | Sloop |
| The horizontal outside surface of a boat, normally the | | | | A sailboat with only one mast |
| ceiling of the sailboat while you are in the cabin | | | | Spar |
| Dress Ship | | | | A rigid pole like for spinnaker poles, booms, and |
| It is decorations on the outside of your boat. | | | | bowsprits for supporting sails on a sailboat. |
| Ensign | | | | Spinnaker |
| A flag flown from stern of boat to identify nationality | | | | A large sail flown from bow of a boat connected to |
| of the vessel | | | | boat at the sails' three corners wrapping around but |
| Flares | | | | clear of the forestay. |
| Used for distress signaling. | | | | Spreader |
| Foot | | | | It is the horizontal structural, support for the mast. |
| It is the bottom edge of a sail. | | | | Stanchion |
| Forestay | | | | It is the vertical handrail post, around the edge of a |
| This is a stay made of strong metal rod, wire, or line | | | | boat. |
| running from top of mast to bow of your boat. This | | | | Steering |
| stabilizes the mast and is used to attach the headsail. | | | | This refers to maneuvering a boat with a rudder using |
| This is same as head stay. | | | | either a tiller or wheel. |
| Fractional Rig | | | | Tack |
| It is a sailboat, whose forestay attaches to mast little | | | | Refers to, turning the boat, with the wind crossing the |
| below mast top. If forestay is at top of a mast, it is a | | | | bow. |
| 'masthead rig'. | | | | Variation |
| Furl | | | | This is the angular difference between the true and |
| This refers to taking down of sails. You can use a | | | | magnetic meridians. |
| furling device to roll the sail away or reef part of the | | | | Vang |
| sail away and lower the sail. | | | | A hydraulic device that controls angle between mast |
| Galley | | | | and boom to help shape mainsail |
| This is the food preparation kitchen area below decks. | | | | Windex |
| Genoa | | | | Device fixed at the top of the mast showing wind |
| It is a large sail that is flown forward of a mast with | | | | direction. |
| the clew of sail being much further aft than the mast. | | | | Yawl |
| This is same as 'jenny'. | | | | The manner in which a sailboat is rigged. |
| Halyard | | | | If you are serious about learning this great sport, and |
| This is a line used to haul things up and down a mast. | | | | lets not forget for some of you it might turn out to |
| The most common usage of a halyard is for raising | | | | become a new career. then the correct route is |
| and lowering sails. | | | | important for you to follow. |
| Hatch | | | | The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) based in the |
| It is an opening in the deck of your boat, normally used | | | | UK has just published its 2009 sail cruising courses. |
| for letting sunlight into the cabin and providing | | | | The first in the list is "Start Yachting" no pre-course |
| necessary ventilation. This opening can be tightly | | | | experience or knowledge is required, the course |
| sealed to prevent any water seeping into cabin. | | | | content is; Steering a yacht, sail handling, rope work, |
| Head | | | | and safety on board, the course duration is 2 days. |
| This refers to top corner of the sail. Additionally, it also | | | | The second on the list is "Competent Crew" again, no |
| refers to bathroom on a sailboat. | | | | pre-course or knowledge or experience is required, the |
| Holding Tank | | | | course content is; Basic seamanship and |
| This refers to the tank that holds the sewerage | | | | helmsmanship and the course duration is 5 days. |
| waste. | | | | All the course beyond that, do ask for previous |
| Hull | | | | experience and knowledge, so being to able to pick up |
| It is the main structural outer skin of a boat. Modern | | | | the sailing terminology as part of the learning process |
| sailboats have fiberglass GRP hulls. | | | | would be a great start. |
| Instruments | | | | I hope this helps in getting involved with what is one of |
| This refers to electronic units on the boat that show | | | | the Best Sports in the World. |
| wind direction and speed, depth of water under boat | | | | |