More and more these days people are taking to the water in boats to pursue recreational hobbies and have fun with their friends and families. But boating is a whole new world and if you don’t know the language you are putting yourself and your loved ones at greater risk than necessary. Some boating terms such as aboard and ahead are self-explanatory, since their meanings are the same as in ordinary landlubbers language. However, there are others that are used less frequently, or not at all on land.
For instance, abaft and abeam mean towards the rear or back of the boat and at right angle to the keel respectively. And keel means the center, bottom line of the boat, running from the bow (front) to the stern (back). Aft is towards the stern, while alee is the opposite direction to windward (facing into the wind).
If you are aloft, you’re above the deck; amidships you’re in the center of the boat, but if you’re aground, man, you’re stuck fast on the bottom of the ocean or river.
The bow is the front of the boat, so we know that the bow line is a rope that ties the front of the boat to the dock. However, just to keep you on your toes, remember that a bowline is a special knot used to make a noose in a rope. And while on land a bridle is used to steer a horse, in boating it is a piece of wire or rope tied at both ends to distribute the strain of something.
If you should hear the term boot top when you are around boats, don’t think of footwear; it’s simply a painted line on the boat that tells you where the waterline should be. Chafing gear is not your tube of lip salve, but a piece of tubing or a cloth used to prevent a line from possibly being cut or damaged as it is hauled over an abrasive surface.
A chock is not that piece of wood you jam under the door to stop it banging; it’s a u-shaped fitting lines are fed through, while a cleat is what you tie those lines to – using a knot called a clove-hitch. And a cuddy is nothing to do with lines at all; it’s a small shelter on the boat.
Displacement refers to the boat’s weight, because that is the amount of water that is displaced by the boat. A displacement hull is a type of hull that plows through the water, displacing water equal to its own weight. If you thought a dolphin was a friendly sea creature you’d be only half right, because it is also a group of piles driven in close together and tied up with wire cables so they become one structure.
These are just a few nautical terms. The more boating experience you have, the more you’ll pick up, but it will also pay to make a study of those other terms that you may need to keep you safe.
Just like in any sport or discipline, boating has its own vocabulary and this is just the beginning of understanding it all.
For many more informative tips and facts about boating, please explore our free 5-day e-course and our book “Boating Basics”, which are found at:
http://boatingbasics.howto-you.com
AND – Thank You for joining us in this series on Boating!
