Sailing Flashcards
no go zone
the no go zone is an area about 45 degrees either side of where the wind is blowing from, and the boat will have no forward drive in this zone.
close-hauled
is on the edge of the no go zone. Sails are pulled fully and the centerboard is pushed fully down.
close reach
turn 20 degrees away from the close hauled point of sailing. Sails are set so they just stop flapping. Raise the centerboard a quarter of the way up.
Aft
The back of a ship. If something is located aft, it is at the back of the sailboat. The aft is also known as the stern.
bow
The front of the ship is called the bow. Knowing the location of the bow is important for defining two of the other most common sailing terms: port (left of the bow) and starboard (right of the bow).
port
Port is always the left-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow. Because “right” and “left” can become confusing sailing terms when used out in the open waters, port is used to define the left-hand side of the boat as it relates to the bow, or front.
starboard
Starboard is always the right-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow. Because “right” and “left” can become confusing sailing terms when used out in the open waters, starboard is used to define the right-hand side of the boat as it relates to the bow, or front.
leeward
Also known as lee, leeward is the direction opposite to the way the wind is currently blowing (windward).
winward
The direction in which the wind is currently blowing. Windward is the opposite of leeward (the opposite direction of the wind). Sailboats tend to move with the wind, making the windward direction an important sailing term to know.
boom
The boom is the horizontal pole which extends from the bottom of the mast. Adjusting the boom towards the direction of the wind is how the sailboat is able to harness wind power in order to move forward or backwards.
rudder
Located beneath the boat, the rudder is a flat piece of wood, fiberglass, or metal that is used to steer the ship. Larger sailboats control the rudder via a wheel, while smaller sailboats will have a steering mechanism directly aft.
tacking
The opposite of jibing, this basic sailing maneuver refers to turning the bow of the boat through the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the boat to the other side. The boom of a boat will always shift from one side to the other when performing a tack or a jibe.
jibing
The opposite of tacking, this basic sailing maneuver refers to turning the stern of the boat through the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the boat to the other side. The boom of a boat will always shift from one side to the other when performing a tack or a jibe. Jibing is a less common technique than tacking, since it involves turning a boat directly into the wind.
centerboard
a pivoted board that can be lowered through the keel of a sailboat to reduce sideways movement. Compare with daggerboard.
keel
the longitudinal structure along the centerline at the bottom of a vessel’s hull, on which the rest of the hull is built, in some vessels extended downward as a blade or ridge to increase stability.
