Sailing Terms

Front 1

Gunnel

Back 1

The top of the hull, where the inner liner joins the outer hull. (It’s also
spelled “gunwale,” but still pronounced “gunnel.”)

Front 2

Hatch

Back 2

A horizontal door, usually on a storage compartment.

Front 3

Mast

Back 3

The vertically mounted pole used to support the sails and rigging.

Front 4

Head

Back 4

The top corner of a sail. (Not to be confused with the marine toilet, which
goes by the same name.)

Front 5

Battens

Back 5

Stiffeners that insert into pockets in a sail’s leech to improve the shape and
the lifting ability, and to allow the mainsail to be larger than the triangle defined by the mast and boom.

Front 6

Broad reach

Back 6

To sail downwind at an angle greater than 90 degrees from the wind
direction.

Front 7

Reach upwind locations by "beating into the wind."

Back 7

This is sailing a series of legs or tacks back and forth across the wind.

Front 8

Cam cleats

Back 8

These are cleats that depend on eccentric or off-center wheels to lock
lines in place—they are faster to use than conventional cleats, so they are favored for sheets that may need frequent adjustment, and sometimes need to be released quickly for safety.

Front 9

Leeward

Back 9

Away from the wind.

Front 10

Roller furling

Back 10

A system of storing sails by rolling them up around the forestay or
headstay.

Front 11

Slot

Back 11

The space between the headsail and the mainsail, where much of the lift or
propelling force is generated.

Front 12

Windward

Back 12

Toward the wind.

Front 13

Inwale

Back 13

The inner side of the gunnel.

Front 14

Sole

Back 14

The part of the boat you stand on, the floor.

Front 15

Boom

Back 15

The horizontal pole along the foot of a sail.

Front 16

Foot

Back 16

The bottom edge of a sail.

Front 17

Keel or Centerboard

Back 17

The fin on the bottom of the sailboat that keeps the boat from slipping sideways. Keels are usually ballasted or weighted to help prevent a
capsize. The centerboard is a moveable keel, unballasted, that’s used on smaller boats. The swing-up keel makes it easier to beach or trailer the boat.

Front 18

Beam reach

Back 18

To sail across the wind at 90 degrees.

Front 19

Tacking

Back 19

Sailing back and forth on a series of legs to work toward an upwind objective. Can also be called "beating to windward."

Front 20

Starboard tack

Back 20

The boat is steered to the left of the wind direction so that the wind comes from the starboard or right side.

Front 21

Coming about

Back 21

To change direction or change tacks so that the wind comes from
the other side of the boat and the sails fill from the other side.

Front 22

Running rigging

Back 22

Refers to all the adjustable lines and gear used to raise and tension
the sails. It is adjusted frequently as winds and course change.

Front 23

Spinnaker

Back 23

A lightweight, three-cornered sail with a parachute-like shape used for
adding speed on downwind runs.

Front 24

Sailboats are generally classified according to:

Back 24

The number and position of the
masts.

Front 25

Amidships

Back 25

The middle part of the boat, between aft and forward.

Front 26

Keel

Back 26

The part where the two halves of the bottom meet. Structurally, the main
center frame member of the hull. In sailing, the fin projecting from the bottom to reduce leeway.

Front 27

Main sheet

Back 27

The line used to control the angle of the mainsail via the boom.

Front 28

Clew

Back 28

The bottom rear corner of a sail, on a jib this is where the sheet attaches.

Front 29

Boom vang

Back 29

The line used to control how much the boom can pivot upward. It sits
closer to the mast than the main sheet, which is also attached to the boom.

Front 30

Close reach

Back 30

To sail upwind at an angle less than 90 degrees but not into the wind
as much as when sailing on a beat.

Front 31

Genoa

Back 31

A large jib sail that overlaps the mast.

Front 32

Life lines

Back 32

A safety rail usually made of steel cable that circles the deck of larger
boats to keep the crew from falling overboard.

Front 33

Shrouds

Back 33

Support wires that run from the mast to the sides of the boat, part of the
standing rigging.

Front 34

Standing rigging

Back 34

The stays and shrouds that hold the mast upright. It is more or
less fixed rigging.

Front 35

Your first courses should be:

Back 35

Beam reaches, basically sailing
across the wind

Front 36

Draft

Back 36

The distance from the waterline to the lowest point of the hull—the shallowest
depth in which a boat will float without any part touching bottom.

Front 37

Jib sheet

Back 37

The lines used to control the angle of the jib. Most boats have two jib
sheets, used one at a time depending on which side of the boat the wind is coming from.

Front 38

Tack

Back 38

The bottom front corner of a sail. (To “tack,” however, is also a term meaning to work back and forth into the wind. And “tack” can also refer to one leg of the zig-zag course steered when “tacking” upwind.)

Front 39

Boom vang

Back 39

The line used to control how much the boom can pivot upward. It sits
closer to the mast than the main sheet, which is also attached to the boom.

Front 40

Close-hauled or Beating

Back 40

To sail as nearly into the wind as the boat will allow for the purpose of making progress upwind. Most boats sail at about 45 degrees from
the wind direction when they are sailing close-hauled.

Front 41

Heeling

Back 41

Leaning to one side from the force of the wind on the sails.

Front 42

Outhaul

Back 42

A line used to tension the foot of a sail along a boom.

Front 43

Telltales

Back 43

Small bits of yarn or other lightweight materials that are attached to the sail or other readily visible spot to indicate wind direction and flow.

Front 44

Telltales stream:

Back 44

Away from the wind

Front 45

Beam

Back 45

The width of the boat, usually measured at its widest point.

Front 46

Forward

Back 46

Toward the front part of the boat.

Front 47

Length overall (LOA)

Back 47

The distance from the tip of the bow to the end of the stern.

Front 48

Mainsail

Back 48

The large sail on the back side of the main mast.

Front 49

Halyards

Back 49

Lines used to hoist sails up the mast or stay.

Front 50

Backstay

Back 50

A tensioned support cable that runs from the top of the mast to the stern
of the boat.

Front 51

Run

Back 51

This is a downwind leg, usually sailed with the main and the jib on opposite
sides of the mast (also called sailing wing-on-wing).

Front 52

In general, the most efficient points of sail.

Back 52

Reaches -- you go fastest with
a given amount of wind.

Front 53

Apparent wind

Back 53

The wind as it affects a sailboat in motion. Apparent wind on a downwind run is minimal because you’re moving along at close to the speed of the
wind, while on a close reach the felt wind is near maximum, combining wind speed with the forward motion of the boat.

Front 54

Reefing

Back 54

To reduce the sail area by partially lowering the sail and rolling or tying it to the boom.

Front 55

Aft

Back 55

Toward the back part of the boat.

Front 56

Bow

Back 56

Pointy front end of a boat.

Front 57

Stern or Transom

Back 57

The squared-off back end of the boat.

Front 58

Freeboard

Back 58

The distance from the waterline to the gunnels. (A taller freeboard
makes a boat more seaworthy.)

Front 59

Waterline

Back 59

Where the surface of the water meets the hull.

Front 60

Luff

Back 60

The front edge of a sail. (When a sail is “luffing,” it is flapping and loose, not creating lift.)

Front 61

Forestay

Back 61

A tensioned support cable that runs from a point near the top of the mast
to the bow of the boat. If this stay goes all the way to the top of the mast, or masthead, it can also be called a head stay.

Front 62

Reach

Back 62

To sail across the wind at an angle that allows main and jib to work efficiently on the same side.

Front 63

Sailboats can't do what?

Back 63

Sail directly into the wind.

Front 64

Port tack

Back 64

Bearing to the right of the wind direction, has the wind coming in over the port side.

Front 65

In irons

Back 65

A boat is said to be in irons when it is stuck pointing directly upwind and
the sails cannot be filled to begin sailing again.

Front 66

When the sail is trimmed at its most efficient angle for a given heading:

Back 66

The yarn on both sides of
the sail streams directly aft.

Front 67

Chines

Back 67

Where the bottom of a boat meets the sides.

Front 68

Jib

Back 68

The sail set on the front side of the main mast and supported by the head stay or forestay.

Front 69

Leech

Back 69

The back edge of a sail.