Glossary
Aft- At or near the back end of a boat.
Anchorage- The part of the harbor where boats and ships are allowed to anchor (not to be mistaken for Anchorage- the most populated city in Alaska, located in the Cook Inlet, on the Southern shore of the state).
Anti-fouling paint- A marine-specific toxic paint that discourages barnacles and marine growth from clinging to the hull.
Automatic Wind Vane Pilot- An independent self-steering device. Although not "automatic" in a battery-powered sense, it allows the boat to sail autonomously thanks to a wind vane sensor connected to the boat's steering mechanism with cables or ropes, synchronizing it with the rudder.
Barograph- A device used to measure atmospheric pressure to analyze the weather. It then records the readings on a moving chart.
Becalmed- When a boat is motionless or at a standstill due to lack of wind.
Bilge- The lowest inner part of a boat’s hull.
Boom- A horizontal pole, or spar, attached at a right angle to a mast, to which the bottom of a sail is attached.
Bow- The front end of a boat.
CARE- A humanitarian organization. For more information, visit www.care.org
Channel Buoy- A floating navigation signal that makes a safe passageway through a channel or waterway.
Charter Captain- The commander of a private ship that has been reserved for use.
Cockpit- The space where the captain of the boat maneuvers the craft, including the seat and instruments.
Companionway- A set of steps from the boat’s deck to the cabin or deck below.
Compass Heading- The direction a boat is heading, based on using a compass and the degrees from True North.
Cowabunga- The 42-foot sailboat the owners used for sailing around the world for 10 years.
Currents- Channels of flowing water in the ocean that are strong and quick-changing.
Depth Sounder- A navigation instrument that uses sonar to determine the depth of the water.
Dinghy- A small boat, with an outboard motor, that is stored on the deck of the sailboat, for easy access to the shore.
Draft- Another name for a keel; a large weighted, fin-like structure underneath the boat, which stabilizes it and keeps it in balance, avoiding a capsize.
Du Jour- Feature of the day, as in "soup du jour," or "special of the day."
Expats- Short for “expatriates,” a person who lives outside of their own native country.
Fjords- A long, narrow inlet with steep sides.
Forestay Cable- The main cable that leads from the top of the mast down to the front end of the boat.
Fromage Blanc- A type of thick creamy white French cheese, similar to sour cream or a thick yogurt consistency.
Front Roller Furling Sail- A sail specially designed to be rolled, or reefed, (usually the front sail, headsail, jib, or genoa), around a rotating stay (headstay or forestay), or the front rigging, in order to reduce in size to be manageable under strong or varying wind conditions.
Galley- A small kitchen or cooking area on a boat.
General Delivery- A service where mail can be delivered to a post office and the addressee can pick it up from there (as of 2017, this service may be limited or unavailable; check local regulations before attempting).
Genoa Sail- The front sail on a sailboat.
Halyards- The ropes or cables used to hoist the sails along or toward the mast.
Harbormaster- The person officially in charge of operations in a harbor.
Headpiece Attachment- A heavy duty rectangular stainless-steel piece, or plate, that bolts the roller furling system and headstay to the top of the mast.
Headstay- On a sailboat, it’s a rope or wire support from the mast to the bow.
Heavy Tubes- The metal alloy roller furling tubes that enclose the headstay or forestay, with a full-length groove along which the genoa sail was housed.
Horizon- The apparent line where the sky meets the earth or ocean.
Hull- The bottommost part of a boat or ship that is mostly submerged underwater.
Jerrycans- A flat-sided can used to store or transport liquids, usually around 4-5 gallons in size.
Jetty- A pier or rock structure that projects into a body of water to protect the harbor from storms and erosion.
Jib– A type of headsail on a sailboat.
Jury-rig- To make a temporary or makeshift piece of equipment.
Keel- A large weighted, fin-like structure underneath the boat, which stabilizes and keeps the boat in balance, avoiding a capsize.
Ketch- A two-masted sailboat with a smaller mast (or the mizzen) in the rear or back end of the boat.
Lagoon- A smaller, shallow body of water off from the ocean by a reef or sandbar.
Lagoon- The local name given to a specific protected anchorage in Dakar where other cruising yachts were anchored.
Lawrence of Arabia- A reference to the legendary hero who led the Arabians in a battle against Turkey.
Lee Cloth- A canvas for the open side of that bunk that hooks from under the mattress and attaches to the ceiling so the occupant can’t fall out, especially with the boat in motion.
Lion’s Club- An International organization dedicated to community service and good international relations.
Log- An official, written record of events and observations on a boat.
Log Book- A book where the official, written record of events and observations on a boat are maintained.
Mainsail- The principal sail on a boat, held triangularly by the main mast and bordered by the boom along the bottom of the sail.
Marina- An area of water with docks for storing boats and offering other boating services.
Marine Charts and Tables- The written records where navigational data would be plotted on a regular basis to estimate boat’s position; also pre-printed maps and mathematical calculations used to assist in plotting positions.
Masts- Pole-like structures above the hull and upper portions of a boat to hold sails, spars, rigging, booms, signals.
Medina- An ancient, native part of a North African city.
Mizzen Boom- Horizontal pole, or spar, attached at a right angle to the mizzen mast, or the aft mast located towards the back of the boat, to which the bottom of the mizzen sail is attached.
Mizzen Mast- The mast of a smaller stabilizing sail, similar in shape to the main mast, but at the rear of the boat.
Naval Signal Flags- Fabric flags that are used to communicate with other ships through an international code.
Navigable- Passable; a body of water where a boat can safely sail.
NGO- “Non-government Organization,” a non-profit organization independent of the government.
Paseo- Traditional evening time in Spain when families leisurely walk around and relax after their day of work.
Pilot Boats- A small boat, usually used to transport pilots to and from ships.
Pilotine- The latin translation of a pilot boat, and a term used in some foreign harbors to designate a small pilot boat.
Port- The left-hand side of a ship.
Port- A city or town located on a waterway, usually with facilities for ships.
Rias- The Spanish translation for a particular inlet similar to a fjord.
Roller Furler- The device or entire system that rolls, reefs, or furls a sail around a rotating stay (headstay or forestay), or the front rigging, in order the reduce the sail to a manageable size under strong or varying wind conditions.
Roller Furling Drum- The large round device at the bottom of the roller furling system to which the front sail (jib or genoa) is attached, allowing the sail to roll around on itself as the headstay or forestay turns, reducing the size of the sail.
Sextant- A navigation instrument that measures the angle between the sun and the horizon in relation to a boat’s position on the sea to assist in plotting the boat’s latitude and longitude.
Sextant Sun Sights- The measurements taken with the sun using a sextant to determine one's geographical position at sea.
Sheets- The ropes attached at the bottom ends of the sails that wrap around winches to hold the sails tight to the deck in the best position for that specific wind angle.
Spinnaker- A front sail used for sailing downwind.
Stanchions- The upright deck perimeter stainless steel support poles.
Starboard- The right-hand side of a ship.
Stern- The back part of a boat.
Tack- A pattern of zig-zagging in order to sail into the wind.
The High Seas- The open waters of the ocean, usually three or more miles from shore.
Tidal Wave- A large wave in a body of water, sometimes caused by an earthquake.
Tipo- The Portuguese translation of the word “Type (of).”
Trawler- A kind of fishing boat.
Turnbuckle- A vital tension-adjusting device for the rigging on the stays.
VHF Radio- “Very High Frequency,” a type of radio used to communicate at sea.
Visa- A document that allows temporary entry into another country.
Wharf- A structure of the shore of a harbor, where ships can dock, they often include warehouses, piers and other facilities.
Winch Handle- The handle on the device used to wind or unwind a rope or cable.
Winches- A mechanical device used to wind up or unwind a rope or cable.
Yachtie- Sailors traveling and living long term on their boats, also referred to as "cruisers."
