| Back |
To back an anchor is to carry out a smaller one ahead of the one by which the vessels rides to take off some of the strain. |
| Backslice |
A method of weaving the end of a rope to keep it from unraveling. |
| Backstaff |
A navigation instrument used to measure the apparent height of a landmark whose actual height is known, such as the top of a lighthouse. |
| Backstay |
Mast support running to aft deck or another mast. |
| Backwinded |
When the wind pushes on the wrong side of the sail, causing it to be pushed away from the wind. If the lines holding the sail in place |
| Baggywrinkle |
Chafing gear made from old ropes. |
| Bail |
Ironrod partially circling the boom to which sheet block is attached 2 To remove water from a boat, as with a bucket or a pump. |
| Baldheaded Schooner |
A schooner without topsails. |
| Ballast |
Is either pigs of iron, stones, or gravel, which last is called single ballast; and their use is to bring the ship down to her bearings in |
| Bar |
Shallow water usually made of sand or mud, usually running parallel to the shore. Bars are caused by wave and current action, |
| Bare Poles |
A sailing vessel in a storm carrying no sail |
| Bare Poles |
Condition of a vessel when she has no sails set. |
| Barge |
A long vessel with a flat bottom used to carry freight on rivers. Barges are usually not powered, instead they are pushed or towed by a tugboat |
| Barge |
A long, narrow, light boat, employed to carry the principal sea officers, such as admirals and captains of ships of war, to shore. |
| Bark |
3 Masted with Square rigged on fore and main mast |
| Barkentine |
3 Masted with Sq rigged on fore mast only |
| Barnacle |
A shell-fish often attached to the submerged parts of a vessel. |
| Barograph |
An instrument used to keep a record of atmospheric pressure, such as on a paper drum |
| Barometric pressure |
Atmospheric pressure as measured by a barometer. |
| Barque |
Barque: Sailing vessel with three or more masts: fore and aft rigged on aftermast, square rigged on all others. |
| Barratry |
Any wrongful act knowingly done by the master to the detriment of the owner of either ship or cargo. |
| Batten |
A short piece of wood or plastic inserted in a sail to keep it taut |
| Batten down |
Secure hatches and loose objects both within the hull and on deck. |
| Batten pockets |
Pockets in a sail where battens can be placed to stiffen the sail. |
| Beacon |
A lighted or unlighted fixed aid to navigation attached directly to the earth's surface. |
| Beam |
The widest part of the boat. |
| Beam reach |
A point of sail where the boat is sailing at a right angle to the wind |
| Beams Ends |
Vessel said to be "on her beam ends" when she is lying over so much that her deck beams are nearly vertical. |
| Bear Off |
To thrust away; to hold off. 2 to steer off wind, shore or approaching object. |
| Bear Up |
To steer up to the eye of the wind, shore or object. |
| Bearing |
The direction of an object expressed either as a true bearing as shown on the chart, or as a bearing relative to the heading of the boat |
| Bearing |
The direction of an object expressed either as a true bearing as shown on the chart, or as a bearing relative to the heading of the boat |
| Beaufort wind scale |
A method of measuring the severity of the force of wind, named after Admiral Beaufort who created the system. |
| Belay |
Change order; - To make a line secure to a pin, cleat or bitt. |
| Belay pin |
Iron or wood pin fitted into railing to secure lines to. |
| Below |
Beneath the deck |
| Bend |
To fasten one line to another |
| Berth |
A place for a person to sleep or a place where the ship can be secured |
| Bible |
A large Holystone |
| Bight |
Any part of the rope between the two end. |
| Bilge |
The lowest part of the interior hull below the waterline |
| Bilge Pump |
A mechanical, electrical, or manually operated pump used to remove water from the bilge. |
| Binnacle |
A wooden case or box, which contained compasses, log-glasses, watch-glasses and lights to show the compass at night. |
| Bitt |
A vertically posted above deck used to secure line. |
| Bitter end |
The final inboard end of chain or line |
| Block |
A pulley used to gain mechanical advantage, |
| Block and tackle |
A combination of one or more blocks and the associated tackle necessary to give a mechanical advantage. |
| Bluewater sailing |
Open ocean sailing, as opposed to being in a lake or sound |
| Boat |
A fairly indefinite term. A waterborne vehicle smaller than a ship. One definition is a small craft carried aboard a ship. |
| Boat hook |
A short shaft with a fitting at one end shaped to facilitate use in putting a line over a piling, recovering an object dropped overboar |
| Boatswain |
Also bosun, bos'n, bo's'n, and bo'sun, all of which are pronounced bosun. A crew member responsible for keeping the hull, rigging and |
| Bobstaycable |
Chain or rod holding down the end of the bowsprit. |
| Bollard |
Vertical post on dock for securing lines. |
| Bolt rope |
A line rope - sewn into the luff of a sail. The bolt rope fits in a notch in the mast or other spar when the sail is raised. |
| Bone in her teeth |
Sailing well underway such that spray is thrown out at the stem of the boat |
| Boom |
A horizontal spar attached to the bottom edge of of a sail, riding on the mast and controlled by sheet. |
| Boom Vang |
Any system used to hold the boom down. This is useful for maintaining proper sail shape, particularly when running or on a broad reach. |
| Boomkin |
A spar projecting from the stern to which is attached a backstay or sheet. |
| Boot stripe |
A different color strip of paint at the waterline |
| Boot Top |
A painted line, just above the waterline |
| Bow |
The forward part of the vessel. |
| Bow line |
A docking line leading from the bow. |
| Bow spring line |
A bow pivot line used in docking and undocking, or to prevent the boat from moving forward or astern while made fast to a pier. |
| Bowline |
A knot use to form an eye or loop at the end of a rope. |
| Bowsprit |
A long spar attached to the Jibboom in the bow; used to secure head sails. |
| Brace |
A rope from the deck to the end of the yardarm use to swing yard or trim the Square sail. |
| Breaker |
A wave that approaches shallow water, causing the wave height to exceed the depth of the water it is in. |
| Breast line |
A line attached laterally from a boat to a dock, preventing movement away from the dock. |
| Breeches buoy |
A circular lifebuoy used in days now past by lifesaving crews to extract persons from wrecked vessels, usually fired from a cannon |
| Bridge |
The location from which a vessel is steered and its speed controlled. "Control Station" is really a more appropriate term for small craft. |
| Brig |
Is a two-masted vessel with both masts square rigged. On the sternmost mast, the main mast, there is also a gaff sail |
| Brigantine |
Is a two-masted vessel fore mast being square rigged |
| Bright work |
Varnished woodwork or polished metal |
| Broach |
A turning or swinging of the boat that puts the beam of the boat against the waves, creating a danger of swamping or capsizing |
| Broad reach |
A point of sail where the boat is sailing away from the wind, but not directly downwind |
| Bulkhead |
Below deck walls within vessel |
| Bulward |
Solid rail along ship side above deck to prevent men and gear from going overboard |
| Bung |
A round wood plug inserted in hole to cover a nail scre or bolt. |
| Bunk |
A sleeping berth. |
| Bunker |
A storage compartment aboard a ship for coal or other fuel |
| Buntline |
Alternative name for brails. |
| Buoy |
A floating navigation aid. |
| Buoyage |
The act of placing buoys and/or Establishment of buoys and buoyage systems and/or Applied collectively to buoys placed or established. |
| Buoyancy |
Degree of floatability |
| Burdened Vessel |
That vessel which, according to the applicable Navigation Rules, must give way to the privileged vessel. |
| Burgee |
A type of flag used to identify a boater's affiliation |
| By the Board |
Overboard and by the ship's side. |
| By the Head |
Bow lower then stern |
| By the Lee |
Sailing with the wind coming from behind, and slightly to the side, that the sails are on. |
| By the Stern |
Stern lower then bow |
| By the Wind |
Close hauled to wind |