Concept cluster: Recreation > Sailing and maneuvering a ship
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aback
adv
(nautical) Backward against the mast; said of the sails when pressed by the wind from the "wrong" (forward) side, or of a ship when its sails are set that way.
aboard
adv
(nautical) Alongside.
aboord
adj
Archaic spelling of aboard.
alee
adv
On the lee side of a ship, to the leeward side (vs aweather)
amidship
adv
In the middle of a ship (as opposed to bow or stern).
answer the helm
v
(nautical, intransitive, said of a ship) To respond to a movement of the helm by changing direction; only happens if the ship has steerageway.
back and fill
v
(nautical) To manage the sails of a ship so that the wind strikes them alternately in front and behind, in order to keep the ship in the middle of a river or channel while the current or tide carries the vessel against the wind.
backwind
v
(nautical) To deflect air into the back of a sail or of a vessel
berthing
n
(nautical) An instance of a ship being brought to be berthed, to rest at some docking facility.
bogue
v
(nautical) To fall off from the wind; to edge away to leeward.
bottom
n
(nautical) A cargo vessel, a ship.
boxhaul
v
(nautical, transitive, intransitive) To bring (a square-rigged ship) onto a new tack by hauling back the foresails whilst steering hard round.
broad reach
n
(nautical) The point of sail where the wind is blowing sternwards of the side of the vessel
busk
v
(nautical) To tack, cruise about.
careenage
n
(nautical) A beach with a steep, sandy shoreline on which a ship may be careened.
channel fever
n
(dated, nautical) the excitement on board ship as she approaches her destination with the prospect of liberty ashore.
close-hauled
adj
(nautical) with the sails trimmed as close to the wind as possible with all sails full and not shivering
closehauled
adj
(nautical) Alternative form of close-hauled [(nautical) with the sails trimmed as close to the wind as possible with all sails full and not shivering]
cockbill
v
(nautical, transitive) To tilt up one end of, so as to make almost vertical.
course to steer
n
(navigation) The estimated course that a boat should steer in order to arrive at a waypoint, bearing in mind the effects that wind and tide will have on the vessel.
crankness
n
(nautical) Liability to be overset; said of a ship or other vessel.
cross sea
n
(nautical) A (dangerous) sea with two wave systems traveling at oblique angles, due to the wind over it shifting direction or the waves of two storm systems meeting.
departure
n
(navigation) The distance due east or west made by a ship in its course reckoned in plane sailing as the product of the distance sailed and the sine of the angle made by the course with the meridian.
double
v
(nautical) To sail around (a headland or other point).
downflooding point
n
(nautical) An opening above the waterline of a boat, ship, or other vessel through which water or other liquid can enter if the vessel rolls to an excessive angle or rides lower than normally.
drop astern
v
(nautical, intransitive) To pass or move towards the stern.
fair
adj
(nautical, of a wind) Favorable to a ship's course.
forereach
v
(nautical, transitive) To advance or gain upon; said of a vessel that gains upon another when sailing close-hauled.
forrard
adj
(dialectal, chiefly nautical) Forward.
full and by
adv
(nautical) Keeping the sails full and steering by the wind.
gale
v
(nautical) To sail, or sail fast.
gibe
v
Alternative spelling of gybe [(transitive, nautical) To shift a fore-and-aft sail from one side of a sailing vessel to the other, while sailing before the wind.]
go about
v
(intransitive, of a sailing ship) To change from one tack to another. See Wikipedia:Tack (maneuver).
go large
v
(nautical) To have the wind at such an angle to the sail that the vessel gains its highest speed.
gybe
v
(transitive, nautical) To shift a fore-and-aft sail from one side of a sailing vessel to the other, while sailing before the wind.
have way
v
(nautical) Of a vessel: to be under way; to be moving or making progress.
hawse
v
(intransitive, nautical, of a vessel) To lie uneasily to an anchor, typically due to a weather tide.
head up
v
(nautical) To turn towards the wind
headway
n
(nautical) Forward motion, or its rate.
high
adj
(nautical, of a sailing ship) Near, in its direction of travel, to the (direction of the) wind.
home
adv
(nautical) into the right, proper or stowed position
jam
v
(nautical, transitive) To bring (a vessel) so close to the wind that half her upper sails are laid aback.
kedge
v
(intransitive, of a vessel) To move with the help of a kedge, as described above.
keelhauling
n
(nautical) The act by which a person is keelhauled.
large
adj
(nautical) Crossing the line of a ship's course in a favorable direction; said of the wind when it is abeam, or between the beam and the quarter.
laveer
v
(nautical, obsolete) To beat against the wind; to tack.
lay down
v
(nautical, dated) To draw the lines of a ship's hull at full size, before starting a build.
lay-by
n
(nautical) A widened section of a narrow river or canal, formed to one side so as to leave the channel free, for mooring of vessels, where vessels can lay over or allow others to pass.
lightening
n
(nautical) The removal of cargo (especially crude oil) from a vessel in order to reduce its draft
line abreast
n
(nautical, military) A type of warship formation with the ships proceeding side-by-side on parallel tracks.
line ahead
n
(nautical, military) A type of warship formation with the ships proceeding one after another and the trailing ships following behind the lead ship on the same path.
looard
adv
(nautical) leeward
loofward
adv
(nautical, archaic) Windward.
luff
v
(nautical, of a boat, intransitive) To alter course to windward so that the sails luff. (Alternatively luff up)
luffward
adv
(nautical, archaic) Alternative form of loofward [(nautical, archaic) Windward.]
masthead
v
(transitive, nautical) To send to the masthead as a punishment.
oblique sailing
n
(nautical) The movement of a ship when she sails upon some rhumb between the four cardinal points, making an oblique angle with the meridian.
on board
adv
On a vehicle or vessel; aboard.
outboard
adj
Positioned away from the centre line of a ship or aircraft.
oversheeted
adj
(nautical) excessively sheeted
quay
v
To land or tie up at a quay or similar structure, especially used in the phrase "quay up".
rap-full
adj
(nautical) Full of wind; used of sails when close-hauled.
reach
n
(nautical) Any point of sail in which the wind comes from the side of a vessel, excluding close-hauled.
red-to-red
adj
(nautical) Describing the condition in which two sea-going ships travelling in opposite directions pass each other on their port sides, making their red navigation lights face each other.
round the Horn
v
To sail around Cape Horn.
rule of the road
n
(nautical) A regulation concerning safe handling of vessels on seaways.
sail-by salute
n
(nautical) A close passage by a nautical vessel to a fixed point (on shore), to "salute" the location or persons assembled at the location.
save-all
n
(nautical, now historical) A small sail sometimes set under the foot of another sail, to catch the wind that would pass under it.
shiplift
n
(mechanical engineering) A modern alternative for a slipway, a floating dry dock or a graving dry dock.
spring the luff
v
(nautical) To ease the helm, and sail nearer to the wind than before; said of a vessel.
square away
v
(nautical) To square the ship's yards to make her run before the wind, with the wind blowing straight from the stern.
stem
v
To direct the stem (of a ship) against; to make headway against.
stern
n
The hinder part of anything.
sternway
n
(nautical) A backwards motion of a vessel.
sway
v
(nautical) To hoist (a mast or yard) into position.
sweep
v
(rowing) To row with one oar to either the port or starboard side.
tack
v
(nautical) To maneuver a sailing vessel so that its bow turns through the wind, i.e. the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other.
taken aback
adj
(nautical) Said of a ship, when the wind, suddenly changing, forces the sails aft against the mast.
tender
adj
(nautical) Heeling over too easily when under sail; said of a vessel.
to
adv
(nautical) Into the wind.
toss
v
(rowing) To peak (the oars), to lift them from the rowlocks and hold them perpendicularly, the handle resting on the bottom of the boat.
turtling
n
(nautical) Turning turtle.
underfoot
n
A storage compartment that sits below the deck of a boat.
undersailed
adj
(obsolete) Inadequately equipped with sails.
veer
v
(intransitive, nautical, of the wind) To shift aft.
wake
n
(nautical) The path left behind a ship on the surface of the water.
watch in two
n
(nautical) The practice of having two alternate watches aboard a ship or vessel.
wear
v
(nautical) To bring (a sailing vessel) onto the other tack by bringing the wind around the stern (as opposed to tacking when the wind is brought around the bow); to come round on another tack by turning away from the wind. Also written "ware". Past: weared, or wore/worn.
weather ship
n
(age of sail) A ship to the windward of another; considered an advantage in naval warfare.
weatherly
adj
(nautical, of a sailing vessel) Able to sail close to the wind with little leeway.
wide berth
n
(nautical) Adequate distance from sea vessels or other objects to ensure safety and maneuverability.
yaw
v
(intransitive, nautical) To steer badly, zigzagging back and forth across the intended course of a boat; to go out of the line of course.
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