This one’s simple but important to know - the “transom” is the back portion of a small boat above the water line. The widest point of any boat is called the “beam” and is used to help determine the placement and angle of navigational lights, among other things. If you want to quickly refer to something located in the middle of the boat, you can say that it is “amidships.” For example, “the lifejackets are under the cushion abaft the table,” means they’re in the compartment on the side of the table closet to the stern.
If you want to get fancy with your bow-and-stern speak, the term “abaft” means in the direction of the stern from a designated point.
For instance - “Go aft and find the life jackets under the cushions” or “Go forward and place a line on the bow cleat.” If you want to get a little deeper into this terminology, you can refer to the stern area of the boat as “aft” and the bow area as “forward.” You would use these terms usually when directing someone to go somewhere. No more “front” and “back.” When you talk about the “front end” of a boat - it’s the “bow,” and the rear end of a boat is the “stern.” Simple enough. But merely knowing these few terms indicates to experienced boaters that you know what you’re talking about. Of the terms you can learn to describe your boat, you’ll probably only end up using a few. Nautical Terms and Phrases You Need to Know If you and the people aboard know the basic boating terms, you can communicate better, and your boating experience will be better, too. Sometimes, you don’t have time to clear up ambiguity in the moment, so it’s best to do it beforehand. And if you’re the captain, sometimes you’ll need a little help to keep everything running smoothly - like with docking, for example. If you have young kids, playing pirate is an engaging way to teach them terms and have fun at the same time.Ĭommunicating on a boat is all about being clear. When you’re onboard a boat with your friends and family, everyone becomes an honorary crew member - which is why it’s important for everyone to know a few simple boating terms. In this article, we’ll take a look at the directions of your boat, some common boating terms and some of the nautical words and phrases that have dropped anchor in everyday speech. With just a few choice words, you’ll be able to talk the talk in no time. But you don’t need to carry around a maritime dictionary or study up on sailing phrases. Scientists have found evidence of boating since prehistoric times, and it’s exciting to think that some of the terms and phrases we still use today have been passed down and evolved over centuries.īesides being fun, learning nautical terms is a rite of passage to becoming a true boater - you have to leave the land-lingo on the shore.
Maybe that’s a little overboard, but learning some common nautical words and phrases will help you communicate more clearly aboard your vessel and others. As things pop up, we’ll add them to the list.Yar, this article’s your guide to stop talking like a landlubber and start speaking like a seafarer worth their salt. Grey water = Used water from sinks, showers, washer machines, etc.Īlright, I think we’ve got most of the basics covered. (…or what we call the cat deck, or dance floor)įorward Passageway = The hallway leading to the forward head/stateroomįorward Stateroom = The bedroom to the frontīilge = The bottom portion of the boat, beneath the floorīilge pump = The pump used to remove water the collects in the bilge areaįloat switch = The switch that triggers a bilge pump to go off Bow = The front of the boatįorward = The front portion of the boat, mostly used when referencing things inside of the boatĪft = The rear portion of the boat, mostly used when referencing things inside of the boatĬompanionway = The door leading to the cabinĬockpit = The control station at the top of the boatįlybridge = The top portion of the boat, also called the bridge or top deck We figured it would be appropriate to start at the very front of the boat, or the BOW. (Those in parenthesis are our own additions, not always true for all boats) It took us awhile to switch our vocabulary from everyday house terminology to what we call “boat lingo.” In case you need a reference list as we delve further into the tales of our boat life, we’ve listed a few boat terms below.
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