Sailing: know the basic terms for sailing

“Look over there, under the gunwale,” “Huh? The gunwale? “, “Over there on the starboard side, under the gunwale, it’s right in front of that cockpit storage locker, towards the stern. » Nautical terminology can often be difficult for novices to understand. This is why we have summarized the essential terms you need to know in order to master the language of sailing to perfection but also to impress your friends or the skipper.

Parts of the sailboat

 

Tack : Side of the boat through which it receives the wind (“port tack”, when the wind comes from port; “starboard tack”, when the wind comes from starboard).

Ballast : Large tanks installed in the hold of a ship, which can be filled with water to ballast the boat. Ballasts are extremely effective at small angles of heel

Cadena : Metal part attached to the deck of the ship or the hull, on which the cables holding the mast are struck

Halyard : Rope or end used to hoist or lower a sail

Spar : Generic name which designates the different elements of the rigging such as mast, boom, pole etc.

Line : Steel cable passing through the stanchions, connecting the rear to the front of the boat and serving as a guardrail

Scull : An oar that is manipulated from the rear of the boat, making a figure-eight movement. The scull allows a single sailor to move a boat, even a fairly heavy one.

Stay : Element of the standing rigging of a sailboat, supporting a mast laterally and aft

Lifeline : Safety device used when sailing or when working at height, allowing the user to attach themselves in order to secure themselves against the risk of falling

Reefing : System allowing the surface area of ​​the mainsail to be reduced in the breeze

Keel : Fixed and submerged part of the hull under the boat acting as a fixed centerboard and counterweight to the boat’s list

Deckhouse : Prominent construction on the deck of a boat, intended to provide headroom or protection and visibility

Underbarb : Cable fixed under the end of the bowsprit and which counteracts the tension of the mast stays

Staysail : Triangular sail (of a boat) fixed on a stay between the foresail and the foremast or mainmast

Keel sail : Thin and sharp part of the keel starting from the well and connecting the bulb

Winch : Winch allowing you to pull with force on one end

 

Interactions with the sailboat

Lower : Action of lowering a sail. We also say “bring” a sail

Trim : Bring the sail towards the axis of the boat by pulling on a rope (the sheet)

Shock : Move the sail away from the axis of the boat by releasing the rope (the sheet)

Desalting : Capsizing with a light boat due to too much listing

Jibing : Changing direction with a tailwind

Hoist : Action of raising a sail, a load

Louvoying : Action of successively tacking from upwind to upwind in order to go upwind

Reminder : Action for the crew to position themselves on the opposite side of the list to restore the boat’s trim

Take shelter : Take shelter, facing the wind or in a moderate swell to carry out repairs or avoid a gust of wind

Tacking:  Turn the boat so that the wind is on the other side. The front of the boat passes into the wind