Learn the key boating terms
Aft – Towards the stern of the boat.
Beam – Greatest width of the boat.
Batten down – Secure hatches and loose objects both within the hull and on deck.
Bow – Towards the front of the boat.
Buoy – Anchored float to mark a position within the water.
Capsize – o turn over the boat whilst in waters.
Cuddy – A small shelter cabin in a boat.
Current – The horizontal movement of water.
Fore-and-aft – In line parallel to the street.
Galley – Kitchen area of the boat.
Hull – The main body of the vessel.
Inboard – More towards the centre of the vessel.
Jetty – A structure, usually masonry projecting out from the shore. A jetty may protect a harbour entrance.
Knot – A measure of speed equal to one nautical mile.
Mooring – An arrangement for securing a boat to a mooring buoy or a pier.
Nautical Mile – One minute of latitude approximately 6076ft – About 1/8 longer that the statute mile of 5280ft.
Navigation – The art and science of conducting a boat safely from one point to another.
Outboard – Toward or beyond the boats sides. A detachable engine mounted on a boats stern.
Overboard – Over the side of the boat.
Pier – A loading platform extending at an angle from the shore.
Port – The left side of the boat looking forward.
Rudder – A vertical plate or board for steering a boat.
Satellite Navigation – Position finding using radio transmission from satellites with sophisticated on board automatic equipment.
Sounding – A measurement of the depth of water.
Starboards – The right side of the boat when looking forward.
Stern – The after part of the boat.
V-bottom – A hull with the bottom section in the shape of a 'v'.
