Nautical Terms For A Maritime School

Front 1

Captain

Back 1

The person who is in charge of a vessel and legally responsible for it and its occupants. Normally the master.

Front 2

Chief Engineer

Back 2

The senior engineer officer responsible for the satisfactory working and upkeep of the main and auxiliary machinery and boiler plant on board a ship.

Front 3

Chief Mate

Back 3

The officer in the deck department next in rank to the master; second in command of a ship. The chief mate assumes the position of the Master in his absence.

Front 4

Bosun

Back 4

The highest unlicensed rating in the deck department who has immediate charge of all deck hands, oversees deck crew, maintenance and upkeep of the ship except for the engine room and galley areas

Front 5

Officer

Back 5

Person in charge of a certain task.

Front 6

Able Bodied Seaman

Back 6

A member of the deck crew who is able to perform all the duties of an experienced seamen; certificated by examination; must have three years sea service. Also called Able Seamen and A.B.

Front 7

Ordinary Seaman

Back 7

A deck crew member who is subordinate to the Able Bodied Seamen.

Front 8

Deck Hand

Back 8

An assistant to people or a "gopher"

Front 9

Accommodation Ladder

Back 9

The portable steps from the gangway down to the waterline.

Front 10

Brow

Back 10

A gangway or gangplank. Used to cross from one ship to another, or from a ship to a pier.

Front 11

Ad-measurement

Back 11

The confirmed or official dimensions of a ship.

Front 12

Pier

Back 12

A loading platform extending at an angle from the shore.

Front 13

Pile

Back 13

A wood, metal or concrete pole driven into the bottom. Craft may be made fast to a pile; it may be used to support a pier or a float.

Front 14

Camel

Back 14

A machine used for lifting vessels over a shoal or bar

Front 15

Bollard

Back 15

An upright, wooden or iron post to which hawsers or mooring lines may be secured.

Front 16

Cleat

Back 16

A fitting of wood or metal, with horns, used for securing lines (tying up).

Front 17

Along Side

Back 17

A phrase referring to the side of a ship. Goods delivered alongside are to be placed on the dock or barge within reach of the transport ship's tackle so that they can be loaded.

Front 18

Campanion Ladder

Back 18

Mounted on transon of ship for use of crew

Front 19

Bosun's Locker

Back 19

Locker in which deck tackle is stored.

Front 20

Bosun's Chair

Back 20

Canvas or wood seat attached a halyard to raise and lower someone to work on the mast

Front 21

Chock

Back 21

A fitting through which anchor or mooring lines are led. Usually U-shaped to reduce chafe.

Front 22

Bitt

Back 22

A vertical post extending above the deck for securing mooring lines

Front 23

Cradle

Back 23

A frame that supports a boat when she's hauled out of the water onto shore.

Front 24

Davit

Back 24

A small crane that projects over the side of the boat to raise or lower objects (such as smaller boats) from or to the water.

Front 25

AFT

Back 25

At or towards the stern or rear of a ship. In, near, or toward the stern of vessel.

Front 26

Ahoy

Back 26

# A call used in hailing a vessel or boat (hey!).
or
Seaman's call to attract attention.

Front 27

All Hands

Back 27

The entire crew

Front 28

Aloft

Back 28

Above the deck of the ship

Front 29

Fantail

Back 29

Rear part of the ship. or stern part of the ship

Front 30

Forcastle

Back 30

The raised part of the forward end of a ship's hull. The inside space may be used for crew accommodation or quarters

Front 31

Seamanship

Back 31

All the arts and skills of boat handling

Front 32

Amidships

Back 32

The middle portion of a vessel.

Front 33

Astern

Back 33

At or towards the stern or rear of a ship.

Front 34

Dunnage

Back 34

Loose wood or other matters, placed on the bottom of the hold, above the ballast, to stow cargo upon.

Front 35

Safety

Back 35

Making sure no accidents happen

Front 36

Safety Harness

Back 36

A device worn around a person's body that can be tethered to jack lines to help prevent a person from falling overboard.

Front 37

Bolt

Back 37

Long cylindrical bars of iron or copper, used to secure or unite the different parts of a vessel

Front 38

Secure

Back 38

To make fast; safe; the completion of a drill or exercise on board ship.

Front 39

Spar Buoy

Back 39

A tall buoy used as a navigational aid.

Front 40

Trip

Back 40

To raise an anchor clear of the bottom.

Front 41

Field Day

Back 41

A day for general ship cleaning

Front 42

Canvas

Back 42

Tightly woven cloth used for sails, awnings, covers, dodgers and biminis; slang for sails

Front 43

Gang Way

Back 43

A device by which persons come on board or disembark the vessel.

Front 44

Chafe

Back 44

Abrasion, wear or damage to a line caused by rubbing against another object

Front 45

Ditty Bag

Back 45

A small bag for carrying or stowing all personal articles.

Front 46

Palm and Needle

Back 46

A seaman's sewing outfit for heavy work.

Front 47

Gromet

Back 47

A ring formed of rope, by laying round a single strand.

Front 48

Inboard

Back 48

Towards the center line of a ship

Front 49

Jacob's Ladder

Back 49

A rope ladder, lowered from the deck, as when pilots or passengers come aboard.

Front 50

Life boat

Back 50

Small boat carried on the vessel and used in case of emergency.

Front 51

Life Jacket

Back 51

A safety device. A floating jacket used to help you float if in the water. Especially if you are unconcious.

Front 52

Life line

Back 52

A line secured along the deck to lay hold of in heavy weather

Front 53

Solas

Back 53

Safety Of Life At Sea

Front 54

Fake

Back 54

A single turn of rope when a rope is coiled down.

Front 55

Faking

Back 55

Process of coiling a rope

Front 56

Flake

Back 56

To lay a line out in coils so that it can run without fouling

Front 57

Coil

Back 57

To lay a rope up in a ring

Front 58

Flemish

Back 58

To coil flat down on deck, each fake outside the other

Front 59

Bight

Back 59

The part of the rope or line, between the end and the standing part, on which a knot is formed.

Front 60

Bitter End

Back 60

The last part of a rope or last link in an anchor chain.

Front 61

Chafing Gear

Back 61

Tubing or cloth wrapping used to protect a line from chafing on a rough surface.

Front 62

Winch

Back 62

An air operated device for hoisting or pulling.

Front 63

Fake Down

Back 63

To fake line back and forth on deck.

Front 64

Grapnel

Back 64

A small anchor with several claws, used to secure boats.

Front 65

End for End

Back 65

Reversing the position of an object or line

Front 66

Handy Billy

Back 66

A movable block and tackle used on board for a variety of purposes, including the handling of cargo in holds.

Front 67

Fid

Back 67

A block of wood or iron, placed through the hole in the heel of a mast, and resting on the trestle-trees of the mast below

Front 68

Cordage

Back 68

Any rope or line.

Front 69

Nylon

Back 69

A material line is made out of.

Front 70

Manila

Back 70

A material line is made out of. (a natural material)

Front 71

Fibers

Back 71

A smaller line that makes up larger line. In 3 strand line one of the strands would be a fiber.

Front 72

Rope

Back 72

Another term for line

Front 73

Rope Yarn

Back 73

A thread of hemp, or other stuff, of which a rope is made.

Front 74

Strands

Back 74

A number of rope-yarns twisted together.

Front 75

Lay

Back 75

it refers to the direction in which the strands are twisted

Front 76

Plat

Back 76

A braid of foxes- (Made by twisting together two or more rope-yarns)

Front 77

Small Stuff

Back 77

The term for spunyarn, marline, and the smallest kinds of rope

Front 78

Serving

Back 78

To wind small stuff, as rope-yarns, spunyarn, etc.

Front 79

Thread

Back 79

A small line

Front 80

Twine

Back 80

A small line

Front 81

Hemp

Back 81

A small line

Front 82

Marline

Back 82

A small line

Front 83

Fire and Emergency

Back 83

Continuous sounding of general alarm bells and ships whistle for at least 10 seconds

Front 84

Abandon Ship

Back 84

More than 6 short blasts and one long blast on the whistle and general alarm bells

Front 85

Man Over Board

Back 85

Hail and pass words " man overboard" to the bridge, or morse O, or 3 long blasts on ships whistle and general alarm.

Front 86

Dismissal from fire and emergency

Back 86

3 short rings on general alarm and ships whistle

Front 87

Lower Life Boats

Back 87

One short blast on the whistle

Front 88

Stop lowering life boats

Back 88

Two short blasts on the ships whistle

Front 89

Raise Boats

Back 89

a verbal (spoken) command given by coxswain to "raise the boat"

Front 90

Dismissal from boat stations

Back 90

Three short blast on ships whistle

Front 91

How do you mark a life boat? (whats written on it, how big)

Back 91

3 inch letters: Vessles Name, Lifeboat number
One and a half inch letters: capacity in cubic feet, # of people, and home port.

Front 92

Builders Plate

Back 92

Has to be on one side of the lifeboat and tells all details about the boat.

Front 93

Equipment in Lifeboat

Back 93

must have vessels name printed on it (oars, pfd's, and emergency position indicating beacons

Front 94

Numbering lifeboats

Back 94

from foward port to aft port: 2,4,6,8,10

from forward starboard to aft starboard: 1,3,5,7,9

Front 95

nested boats

Back 95

boats within a life boat would be numbered 1A if it was in lifeboat 1 if in lifeboat 5 would be 5A

Front 96

Double ended

Back 96

lifeboats that are pointed on both sides

Front 97

Every year you have to do what to the lifeboats?

Back 97

strip, cleaned, nd overhualed

Front 98

Keel

Back 98

it is a heavy metal bar attached to bottom of the boat as the backbone of the boat.

Front 99

Stem

Back 99

front of the boat (part of the keel)

Front 100

Stern post

Back 100

back of the boat (part of the keel)

Front 101

Gunwales

Back 101

runs along the top row plating on both sides of the lifeboat