Terms and quick definitions dealing with sailing:
- Abeam: 90 degrees to the centerline of the boat.
- Afloat: On the surface of the water.
- Aft: Toward the rear of the boat.
- Air draft: The height of a sailboat above the water.
- Anchor: A device used to secure a boat to the bottom of the water.
- Autopilot: A device that controls the steering of a sailboat.
- Backstay: A line that supports the mast from the stern of the boat.
- Beam: The width of a sailboat.
- Bilge: The lowest part of a boat.
- Boathook: A pole used to push a boat away from a dock or other object.
- Boatyard: A place where boats are stored and repaired.
- Bow: The front of a boat.
- Broadside: The side of a boat.
- Buoy: A floating object that marks a hazard or channel.
- Bulkhead: A partition that divides the interior of a boat into compartments.
- Cabin: A room on a boat.
- Captain: The person in charge of a boat.
- Catamaran: A boat with two hulls.
- Centerboard: A movable keel that can be lowered to reduce the drag of a sailboat.
- Channel: A designated route for boats to travel.
- Chart: A map of an area of water.
- Cleat: A metal or plastic loop used to secure a rope.
- Cockpit: The area on a boat where the helmsman sits.
- Come about: To turn a sailboat around.
- Crew: The people who sail a boat.
- Dinghy: A small boat.
- Dock: A structure that extends into the water and is used to moor boats.
- Downwind: In the direction the wind is blowing.
- Equator: The imaginary line that circles the Earth at its widest point.
- Fender: A device used to protect a boat from damage when it is moored.
- Fiddlehead: The scroll-like carving at the top of a mast.
- Flap: A piece of cloth that is used to control the sails of a sailboat.
- Foredeck: The deck at the front of a boat.
- Forecastle: The deck at the bow of a boat.
- Foresail: The sail that is closest to the bow of a boat.
- Fouled: When a sail is tangled or caught on something.
- Freeboard: The height of a boat above the waterline.
- Gale: A strong wind.
- Harbor: A sheltered area of water where ships can anchor.
- Helmsman: The person who steers a sailboat.
- Hull: The body of a boat.
- Keel: The underwater part of a boat that keeps it stable.
- Kicker: A small sail that is used to help stabilize a sailboat.
- Knot: A way of tying two pieces of rope together.
- Life jacket: A jacket that is worn to keep someone afloat in the water.
- Mast: The vertical pole that supports the sails of a sailboat.
- Mooring: To secure a boat to a dock or other object.
- Nab: A buoy that marks a hazard or channel.
- Nautical: Related to the sea.
- Port: The left side of a boat when facing forward.
- Port tack: When a sailboat is sailing with the wind coming from the left side.
- Quarter: The side of a boat that is 90 degrees from the centerline.
- Rudder: A flat piece of metal or wood that is used to steer a boat.
- Sail: A piece of cloth that is used to catch the wind and move a boat.
- Sailboat: A boat that is powered by sails.
- Sea anchor: A device that is used to slow a boat down in rough seas.
- Shackle: A metal loop that is used to secure a rope.
- Ship: A large boat that is used for carrying goods or passengers.
- Shore: The land next to the water.
- Stern: The rear of a boat.
- Tack: To change the direction of a sailboat by turning the bow through the wind.
- Tide: The rise and fall of the water level.
- Topgallant: The sail that is above the mainsail.
- Trim: To adjust the sails of a sailboat to get the best performance.
- Waterline: The line that separates the water from the hull of a boat.
- Wave: A disturbance on the surface of the water.
- Windward: In the direction the wind is blowing.