Sailing terms, explained. Kind of.......

Perplexing boating terminology, explained. Next post will be fun facts we’ll bet you didn’t know.

Heard onboard:

“What did he say????

Pull the what?”

 “The folk’s castle???  What? We’re in the ocean here!”

“What’s the vang?”  (Wang, when spoken with a German accent!) Did he say twang??

Oh, I’m so confused.

You know?  We were often asked by those who took our ASA sailing instruction course on board our charter boat: “Why do I have to know what all this means?”

Answer: So you know what the heck you’re doing. And everybody else on board knows what you're doing, too.

“Twang thingie” doesn’t get it when a line needs to be tended STAT!! Take the time to learn.

It can make the difference in a fun day on the water or a “fire drill” and bad feelings all around.

Consider a professionally conducted sailing course.  Slip Aweigh offers several charters geared to onboard sailing instruction.  At the end of the week aboard, and with your certificate in hand, you’re on your way to your dreamboat ownership or bareboat chartering on your own where you could qualify to be the Skipper! We ended up creating "monsters" who not only chartered by themselves but even bought their own very nice boats!

It will change your life, and in a very good way.

You will become addicted. Be careful ! We were NOT careful and are so grateful for that!! Whatta life!! 

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Winch? 

                                                                               

or

Wench?

Below find just a few examples of terminology on sailing boats.

The Skipper can be of either gender, male or female. It just doesn’t matter. To be accepted as “Skipper” does NOT depend on any Captain’s License. Usually the most competent sailor is in this position.

Sailing boats and decisions made aboard cannot be made by a “committee”.  This is most important especially when under way. And there are several reasons why. When decisions have to be made, and quickly, as can happen when the situation takes the proverbial trip into the “handbasket”, there can only be ONE person who gives the command to the crew.  

 Probabable conversation before the OOOPS happens:  “Oh, my dear, I wonder if we should not go that way instead.” $&*%%*^grnch!!!!! “Uhhhhhh,  oh, my.”

We are Skippers, both of us, but one, only one person is given the final say.  In advance, that decision is made. And spending time arguing about it can only lead to less than ideal outcomes. HOWEVER, that is not to say that the crew members are not essential to the peaceful day on the water, or especially, on long passagemaking. Seasoned sailors, i.e. couples, who share many miles under the keel know this. And no one’s feelings are hurt. So, take heed or else get keelhauled or worse……ARGGGHHHH!

The worst possible outcome of an unhappy Skipper is that your rum ration will be withdrawn. I'd rather walk the plank!! 

Off ye go, Matey!! Say HI to Davey Jones for me.....Arrrrrghhhhhh!!

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Dolphin striker is a vertical spar (pole) under the end of the most pointy front part of a sailboat to extend and support the rigging. It also helps support the head stay to keep the mast upright.  Always a good idea!  No, don’t worry. Dolphins are too fast for it!

Bosun’s Chair is a device used to suspend a person from a rope to perform work aloft.  It usually includes a more or less rigid seat, providing more comfort than even the best-padded straps for long-term use. And when you’re up there, look around. It’s gorgeous and a great place to take pictures from while at the masthead. And invariably, while you’re up there, the wind comes up and/or someone throws a wake to end ‘em all! Settle down, girl!!!

Special important note: Be very choosy about the person who will be hauling you up there and ultimately, easing you back down to the deck. Don’t make it your last trip in this world.

Shroud is usually made of wire rope or rod. (Rod is used much less often.) Some boats use high-tech line. But all serve the same purpose: Supporting your friend, the mast, on both sides.  But, not all boats have shrouds. Some manufacturers like Freedom Yachts have no shrouds.  What, you say? Yes, and the design, while a bit controversial, worked very well. Thanks in part to extra circumference in the mast itself.

Note to self: When moving around on deck of those boats, do NOT grab for a shroud as you will quickly be swimming with the fishes!

Sheets can be 250 count? 400 count? 600 Egyptian cotton? Nope. These are the lines which control all the sails and are part of the boat’s “running rigging”. Jib sheets, mainsheet, spinnaker sheet. All are sheets and are called lines. Loose reference point:  A rope is not called a line until it’s been given a job to do.

Who can name the actual number of true “ropes” on a boat? I can start you off with one.  Boltrope: a rope that is attached to the edge of a sail, usually, which is used as a slide into a slot.  

Go HERE for the answer. (Courtesy of Annapolis Sailing School)

Other examples of “lines” are: 1) Come here often? 2) What’s your sign? Sorry….couldn’t resist.

Stays  No, not as in corsets of old or a command you give your dog for him to ignore, but rather wires or supports used for keeping the mast vertical. Also called “standing rigging” for good reason. Notice the importance I keep placing on keeping the mast up there?? 

Foc’sle  The “forecastle” of a ship, commonly seen spelled as foc'sle to reflect the way the word was used by mariners, is the area where sailors sleep and congregate while off duty. The foc'sle is located in the forward part of the ship, also called the bow, and in front of the main mast. The foc'sle serves as accommodations for regular sailors, while officers of the ship are housed in other areas. Yeah, you wouldn’t want the hardworking crew to rub elbows with the Officers, now would you? (Of course, that was then, and this is now. "Elbow rubbing" is encouraged between consenting sailing adults. :)

Port   For a new sailor, there’s a couple of ways to remember what “port” means. Port has four letters and so does “left”. See? Port is the left side of the boat/ship. There’s not much more to learn except to learn it! It can mean the difference of a collision or going aground when entering a harbor. At night, the navigation lights are used, and the port side is displayed as red.  And starboard is green. Why? I don't know. It just is.

You will hear chatter on the VHF radio when encountering a passing situation: “Captain, port to port?” 

As for starboard? It's green. Don't ask me why. At least you don't have to remember it if you know what "port" is.

Second way to remember: Port, related to wine, has four letters, too. Cheers!

Tacks: No, not like thumbtacks.

 When a boat has to go to windward, it must “tack” i.e. change its direction to keep the bow about 35-40 degrees to the wind depending on the boat design.  No sailboat can sail directly into the wind. If it tries, it goes into “irons” and that is not a very useful place to be. The sails will slat (whip or flop back and forth depending on the wind strength) until by some lucky “fluke”, (yes, another term from the boating world) the bow “falls off” (THE BOW FELL OFF?? YIKES!) meaning it presents itself to the wind on one side or the other. Just another example of that pesky nautical talk. But, HOORAY, you can now proceed to the bar at the Marina. A happy eventuality, indeed. 

Fenders:  Picture the sound of “FEND OFF!! ” as a boat comes into the dock and heard all over  the marina. Hopefully that cry does not end with a punctuation Crrrrrruuuunnch!

Heavy walled vinyl air-filled cylinders for “fending off” docks, other boats, etc. Also make for a comfortable neck rest while at anchor.

Bumpers: Please, on cars, only. No place on any boat.

Rail Meat: Boy, Sailors are weird aren't they?????!

For sailboat racing: People who are invited aboard, with or without experience, to lend their weight to either side to increase speed on smaller racing boats. You only have to be agile enough to scramble across the deck which might be slanted at a 20-30 degree angle (Yikes!)  and able to take direction fast! Sometimes, you might even be asked to come back!

But seriously,  it’s a very good way to get introduced to the world of sailing.We all start with this experience and most survive it.

 

We at Slip Aweigh Charters  hope you have enjoyed these little bits of Nautical Knowledge.
Book your weeklong charter with Slip Aweigh and receive this little book as a gesture of our thanks.
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