Descriptionary

rake the angle of a ship's mast in relation to the deck.

ratlines rope steps made of small lines tied across the shrouds; the crew can climb aloft on them.

reach to sail with the wind abeam.

ready about a directive to stand by to ready for coming about.

reef to reduce the mainsail and secure its unused part, usually in preparation for storm winds.

reeve to pass a line through a hole.

regatta sailing races.

ride to lie at anchor; to ride out a storm while at anchor.

rigging collective term for the lines and wires used to uphold the mast and manipulate the sails.

roll the side-to-side motion of a vessel in heavy seas.

rudder the movable plate at the bottom or rear of a hull, used to steer the boat.

run to sail with the wind directly behind the vessel; sailing with the wind.

running lights the lights that must be illuminated on a vessel at night.

scud to run before the wind in a gale.

sea anchor a floating anchor that helps stabilize a boat during a storm.

scuppers drains or openings along the gunwales to allow the flow of rough seas over the deck.

set to hoist sails.

sheets lines attached to the sails for trimming.

shrouds wires that stabilize the mast and keep it from bending.

slack tide a brief period of no current movement at the turning of the tide.

slip a berth at a dock.

spanker a fore-and-aft rigged sail on the aftermast of some vessels.

spar a mast, boom, bowsprit.

spill the wind to take the wind out of a sail by mov­ing it out of position.

spinnaker a large, three-cornered sail added to increase downwind speed.

square-rigged having four-sided sails set abeam or athwartships.

starboard the right side of the boat when facing forward, opposite of port.

starboard tack a tack in which the wind blows from starboard to port.

staysail a triangular sail set behind the headsail.

steerage way reaching a high enough speed to steer the vessel.

stem the tide to make headway against the current. stern the rear of the boat.

storm sails small, strong sails used for their ease of control in stormy weather.

strike to lower a sail.

surfing picking up speed by intentionally riding on top of a wave.

swamp to flood with water.

tabernacle the deck housing for the bottom of the mast.

tack the lower front corner of a sail. Also, the side of the boat opposite the side the sails are on. See tacking.

tacking switching tacks by turning the bow into the wind.

tail to pull or haul in a line. take in to lower a sail.

telltales short strings of yarn attached to the shrouds as indications of wind direction.

tender a small boat, such as a dinghy, used to go to and from shore or to other vessels.

tight cover to position one's vessel in a race so that the competitor's vessel loses airflow into his sails.

tiller a steering stick attached to the rudder.

topside on deck.

transom the aftmost board at the stern.

trim the angle of a sail in relation to the wind direc­tion. Also, to adjust a sail's angle.

trimaran a trihulled vessel.

trysail a small, triangular sail used in stormy weather in place of a mainsail.

turn turtle to capsize completely; to go belly up.

under the lee a position protected by the wind, for example, behind a land barrier or downwind of another vessel.

veering wind a wind that is changing direction in a clockwise fashion.

wake the foamy, turbulent water left behind a vessel.

weather the windward side of a vessel.

weigh anchor to raise the anchor.

winch a reel-like apparatus for winding line.

windage the area of sail actually collecting wind.

windward the side of the boat that is taking the wind directly.

yard a spar on which a square sail is hung. yaw a drifting turn, caused by heavy seas.

Crew of a Large 18th- or 19th-century sailing vessel

able seaman a senior deck hand responsible for rigging, manning guns, and occasionally taking the helm.

boatswain warrant officer responsible for super­vising crew and the ship's maintenance. He would beat the crew to get them to work harder; he also served as an executioner. Also spelled bosun or bos'n.

boatswain's mate a petty officer who assisted the boatswain.

cabin boy one who waited on and served as a "gofer" for officers.

call boy one who carried the pipes and whistles of the boatswain and sometimes relayed whistled com­mands to other parts of the ship.

carpenter ship's carpenter; a petty officer respon­sible for the upkeep of all woodwork on board.

cockswain the helmsman of a ship's auxiliary boat; the head of this boat's crew.

conder a lookout who gives directions to the helms­man; one who cons or directs a ship from a lookout position.