Word Definition

abaft toward or at the stern of a ship; further aft

affreightment hiring of a vessel

afterdeck deck behind a ship's bridge

afterguard men who work the aft sails on the quarterdeck and poop deck

ahull with sails furled and helm lashed to the lee-side

amidships midway between the bow and stern of a ship

astern at the stern of a ship

backstay stay extending from ship's mastheads to the side of the ship

ballaster one who supplies ships with ballast

bargemaster owner of a barge

bee hardwood on either side of bowsprit through which forestays are reeved

belay to secure a rope by winding on a pin or cleat

bilge lower point of inner hull of a ship

binnacle case in which a ship's compass is kept

bitts posts mounted on a ship for fastening ropes

bluepeter blue flag with white square in centre used as ship's signal

boatswain ship's crewmember in charge of equipment and maintenance

bobstay rope used on ships to steady the bowsprit

bollard short post on a wharf or ship to which ropes are tied

boltrope strong rope stitched to edges of a sail

bosun boatswain

bottomry using the ship as collateral to finance a sea voyage

bow front of a ship

bower anchor carried at bow of a ship

bowline rope used to keep weather edge of a sail taut

bowsprit spar that extends at bows of a ship

brails ropes on edge of sail for hauling up

bream to clean a ship's bottom by burning off seaweed

bulwark the side of a ship above the deck

bumpkin spar projecting from stern of ship

bunt middle of sail, fish-net or cloth when slack

buntline rope attached to middle of square sail to haul it up to the yard

burgee small ship's flag used for identification or signalling

cable heavy rope or chain for mooring a ship

cabotage shipping and sailing between points in the same country

camber slight arch or convexity to a beam or deck of a ship

capstan upright device for winding in heavy ropes or cables

careen to turn a ship on its side in order to clean or repair it

cathead projection near the bow of a ship to which anchor is secured

chine the intersection of the middle and sides of a boat

chock metal casting with curved arms for passing ropes for mooring ship

clew corner of sail with hole to attach ropes

coaming raised edge around ship's hatches to keep water out

cocket official shipping seal; customs clearance form

cofferdam narrow vacant space between two bulkheads of a ship

cog single-masted, square-sailed ship with raised stern

companionway stairs from upper deck of ship to lower deck

cordage ropes in the rigging of a ship

cringle loop at corner of sail to which a line is attached

crosstrees horizontal crosspieces at a masthead used to support ship's mast

davit device for hoisting and lowering a boat

deadeye rounded wooden block with hole used to set up ship's stays

deadwood timbers built into ends of ship when too narrow to permit framing

demurrage delay of vessel's departure or loading with cargo

dodger shield against rain or spray on a ship's bridge

dogwatch a short, evening period of watch duty on a ship

downhaul rope for holding down or hauling down a sail or spar

dromond large single-sailed ship powered by rowers

dyogram ship's chart indicating compass deflection due to ship's iron

earing line for fastening corner of a sail to the gaff or yard

ensign large naval flag

escutcheon part of ship's stern where name is displayed

fairlead ring through which rope is led to change its direction without friction

fardage wood placed in bottom of ship to keep cargo dry

fiddley iron framework around hatchway opening

figurehead ornament or (usually female) bust attached to the bow of a ship

flagstaff flag pole at stern of a ship

fluke part of an anchor that fastens in the ground

forebitt post for fastening cables at a ship's foremast

forecabin cabin in fore part of ship

forecastle short raised deck at fore end of ship; fore of ship under main deck

forefoot foremost end of ship's keel

foremast mast nearest the bow of a ship

foresail lowest sail set on the foremast of square-rigged ship

forestay stay leading from the foremast to the bow of a ship

frap to draw a sail tight with ropes or cables

freeboard distance between waterline and main deck of a ship

futtock rib of a ship

gaff spar on which head of fore-and-aft sail is extended

gaff-topsail triangular topsail with its foot extended upon the gaff

gangway either of the sides of the upper deck of a ship

garboard plank on a ship’s bottom next to the keel

genoa large jib that overlaps the mainsail

grapnel small anchor used for dragging or grappling

groundage a charge on a ship in port

gudgeon metal socket into which the pintle of a boat's rudder fits

gunnage number of guns carried on a warship

gunwale upper edge of the side of a ship

gybe to swing a sail from one side to another

halyard rope or tackle for hoisting and lowering sails

hank series of rings or clips for attaching a jib or staysail to a stay

hawse distance between ship's bow and its anchor

hawsehole hole for ship's cable

hawser large rope for mooring or towing a ship

headsail sail set forward of the foremast of a ship

helm ship's steering wheel

holystone sandstone material used to scrape ships' decks

inboard inside the line of a ship's bulwarks or hull

jack ship's flag flown from jack-staff at bow of vessel

jack-block pulley system for raising topgallant masts

jack-cross-tree single iron cross-tree at head of a topgallant mast

jackstaff short staff at ship's bow from which the jack is hoisted

jackstay iron or wooden bar running along yard of ship to which sails fastened

jackyard spar used to spread the foot of a gaff-topsail

jib small triangular sail extending from the head of the foremast

jibboom spar forming an extension of the bowsprit

jibe to change a ship's course to make the boom shift sides

jurymast mast erected on ship in place of one lost

kedge small anchor to keep a ship steady

keelhaul to punish by dragging under keel of ship

keelson lengthwise wooden or steel beam in ship for bearing stress

kentledge pig-iron used as ballast in ship's hold

lagan cargo jettisoned from ship but marked by buoys for recovery

lanyard rope or line for fastening something in a ship

larboard left side of a ship

lastage room for stowing goods in a ship

lateen triangular sail rigged on ship's spar

laveer to sail against the wind

lazaret space in ship between decks used for storage

leeboard wood or metal planes attached to hull to prevent leeway

leech a vertical edge of a square sail

loxodograph device used to record ship's travels

luff windward side of a ship; forward edge of fore-and-aft sail

lugsail four-sided sail bent to an obliquely hanging yard

lutchet fitting on ship's deck to allow mast to pivot to pass under bridges

mainmast sailing ship's principal mast

mainsail principal sail on a ship's mainmast

mainsheet rope by which mainsail is trimmed and secured

mainstay stay that extends from the main-top to the foot of the foremast

manrope rope used as a handrail on a ship

martingale lower stay of rope used to sustain strain of the forestays

mizzen three-masted vessel; aft sail of such a vessel

mizzenmast mast aft or next aft of the mainmast in a ship

moonraker topmost sail of a ship, above the skyscraper

oakum old ropes untwisted for caulking the seams of ships

orlop lowest deck in a ship having four or more decks

outhaul rope used to haul a sail taut along a spar

outrigger spar extended from side of ship to help secure mast

painter rope attached to bow of a boat to attach it to a ship or a post

pallograph instrument measuring ship's vibration

parrel band by which a yard is fastened to a mast

patroon captain of a ship; coxswain of a longboat

poop enclosed structure at stern of ship above main deck

port when facing forward, the left side of a ship

primage fee paid to loaders for loading ship

purser ship's officer in charge of finances and passengers

quarterdeck part of ship's deck set aside by captain for ceremonial functions

quartering sailing nearly before the wind

rake the inclination of a mast or another part of a ship

ratline small rope forming a rung of a rope ladder on a ship

reef to reduce area of a sail by rolling or folding part of it

reeve to pass a rope through a ring

roach curved cut in edge of sail for preventing chafing

roband piece of yarn used to fasten a sail to a spar

rostrum spike on prow of warship for ramming

rowlock contrivance serving as a fulcrum for an oar

royal small sail on royal mast just above topgallant sail

scud to sail swiftly before a gale

scupper hole allowing water to drain from ship’s deck

scuttlebutt cask of drinking water aboard a ship; rumour, idle gossip

scuttles portholes on a ship

sheer fore-and-aft curvature of a ship from bow to stern

shrouds ropes supporting the mast of a ship

sidelight coloured lights on side of a ship under way at night

skeg part of ship connecting the keel with the bottom of the rudderpost

skysail sail above the royal sail

skyscraper triangular sail on a ship above the royal

slipway ramp sloping into water for supporting a ship

snotty naval midshipman

spanker sail on the mast nearest the stern of a square-rigged ship

spar any ship's mast, boom, yard, or gaff

spinnaker large triangular sail opposite the mainsail

spirketting inside planking between ports and waterways of a ship

sponson platform jutting from ship’s deck for gun or wheel

sprit spar crossing a fore-and-aft sail diagonally

spritsail sail extended by a sprit

starboard when facing forward, the right side of a ship

starbolins sailors of the starboard watch

stay large rope used to support a mast

staysail fore-and-aft sail hoisted on a stay

steeve to set a ship's bowsprit at an upward inclination

stemson supporting timber of a ship

stern back part of a ship

sternpost main member at stern of a ship extending from keel to deck

sternway movement of a ship backwards

stevedore dock worker who loads and unloads ships

stokehold ship’s furnace chamber

strake continuous band of plates on side of a ship

stunsail light auxiliary sail to the side of principal sails

supercargo ship's official in charge of business affairs

taffrail rail round the stern of a ship

thole pin in the side of a boat to keep oar in place

tiller handle or lever for turning a ship's rudder

timberhead top end of ship's timber used above the gunwale

timenoguy rope stretched from place to place in a ship

topgallant mast or sail above the topmast and below the royal mast

topmast ship's mast above the lower mast

topsail ship's sail above the lowermost sail

tranship to transfer from one ship to another

transire ship's customs warrant for clearing goods

transom transverse timbers attached to ship's sternpost

treenail long wooden pin used to fix planks of ship to the timbers

trice to haul in and lash secure a sail with a small rope

trunnel wooden shipbuilding peg used for fastening timbers

trysail ship's sail bent to a gaff and hoisted on a lower mast

tuck part of ship where ends of lower planks meet under the stern

turtleback structure over ship’s bows or stern

unreeve to withdraw a rope from an opening

walty inclined to tip over or lean

wardroom quarters for ship's officers

washboard broad thin plank along ship's gunwale to keep out sea water

watching fully afloat

waveson goods floating on the sea after a shipwreck

wear to turn a ship's stern to windward to alter its course

weatherboard weather side of a ship

weatherly able to sail close to the wind with little leeway

wheelhouse shelter where ship’s steering wheel kept

whipstaff vertical lever controlling ship’s rudder

windbound hindered from sailing by contrary winds

windlass winch used to raise a ship's anchor

xebec small three-masted pirate ship

yard tapering spar attached to ship's mast to spread the head of a square sail

yardarm either end of the yard of a square-rigged ship

yawl ship’s small boat; sailboat carrying mainsail and one or more jibs

zabra small Spanish sailing vessel