A

Ahold

Brought to lie as near to the windward as it can to get out to sea, and thereby held steady.

Air Draught

The distance from the surface of the water to the highest point on a vessel.

Anchoring

The process of lowering the anchor for the purpose of mooring the vessel to the seabed

Anti-fouling

A treatment applied to the exterior of a vessels hull below the waterline designed to prevent or
reudce fouling

Athwart

1.from side to side; across

2.in opposition to; counter to

Aweather

On the weather side, or toward the wind; in the direction from which the wind blows.

Awning

1. That part of the poop deck which is continued forward beyond the bulkhead of the cabin.
2. A roof-like cover, usually of canvas, extended over or before any place as a shelter from the
sun, rain, or wind

Azimuth Thruster/Azipod

1. A propulsive thruster located in a azimuth adjustable mounting

2. (nautical) An engine and ship's propeller is an underslung pod that is azimuth adjustable, to
replace a fixed-azimuth propeller and rudder configuration.

Back Water

To reverse the action of the oars, paddles, or propeller, so as the force the boat or ship
backward.

Backboard

Another word for the port or larboard side of a ship

Backing
 The changing of the wind in the opposite direction to veering (anticlockwise) e.g. SE to NE

Backstaff

An early navigational instrument for measuring the altitude of the sun and hence calculating
latitude.

Backwind

To deflect air into the back of a sail or of a vessel.

Baffling Wind

A wind that frequently shifts from one point to another

Baloon Sail

A large, light forsesail sometimes used instead of a jib.

Barocyclonometer

A type of aneroid barometer that has accompanying diagrams and directions that help predict
storms.

Barque

A sailing vessel of three or more masts, with all masts square-rigged except the sternmost which
is for-and-aft-rigged.

Beachomber

1. A seaman who is not prepared to work but hangs around port areas living off the charity of
others
2. Any loafer around a waterfront
3. A person who collects marine salvage at the cost
4. A long rolling wave of the sea

Benaped

Left aground on the height of a spring tide, preventing floating till the next spring tide.

Berthing

An Instance of a ship being brought to rest at some docking facility.

Beset

Of a ship, to get trapped by ice

Between Decks

The space between any two decks of ship.

Steerage on a passenger ship in shich people who cannot afford a cabin travel.
Bilge Pump

A pump used to remove water from the bilges

This could be manual, electric or engine powered.

Bilgewater

Water which collects in the bilges of a ship.

Bilgeway

Either of a pair of rails down which a ship is launched.

Biscuit

The „bread“ formerly supplied to naval ships, which was made with very little water, kneaded
into flat cakes and slowely baked, and which often became infested with weevils.

Bitter

A turn of a cable about the bitts.

Blanketing

A manoeuvre in which one vessel covers or becalms another with its sails,

Blockade

The ships or other forces used to effect a naval blockade.

Blooper

A gaff-rigged fore-and-aft sail set from and aft of the aftmost mast of a square-riggedship; a
spanker.

Bluewater

Oceangoing, capable of traveling in rough seas.

Bluff-bowed

Having board and flat bows.

Bluff-headed

Built with the stern nearly straight up and down.

Board and board

Side by side

Boarding Party

The group of sailors who were selected to borad an enemy ship and, when in control, to make
such repairs to rigging and sail that ship could be taken to port as a prize.
Bootstripe

A stripe of paint or tape between the topside and bottom of a vessel.

Broad Reach

The point of sail where the wind is blowing sternwards of the side of the vessel.

Bucaneer

Any of group of seamen who cruised of their own account on the Spanis Main and in the Pacific
in the 17th century. Who were similar to pirates but did not prey on ships of their own nation.A
pirate.

Burton

An Arrangement of blocks and pulleys, especially for tightening rigging on a ship(archaic) Storage
of cargo athwartships.