Glossary of Common Sailing Terms

The following is a list of sailing terms every boat owner should know, along with their definitions and brief etymologies where available:

Aft

The rear portion of the boat. Etymology: From Old English “æft,” meaning “near the back.”

Boom

A horizontal spar extending from the mast to hold the bottom edge of a mainsail. Etymology: Origin uncertain, possibly related to the Dutch word “boom,” meaning “tree” or “pole.”

Bow

The front of the boat. Etymology: From Middle English “bowe,” meaning “front part of a ship.”

Buoy

A floating marker, often anchored, used to indicate navigational hazards or channels. Etymology: From Middle Dutch “boeye,” meaning “boy” or “man” (referring to a buoy’s shape).

Cleat

A fitting with two projecting horns used to secure lines on a boat. Etymology: Origin uncertain, possibly related to the Old English “clēat,” meaning “clasp” or “hook.”

Fender

A cushion or bumper hung over the side of a boat to protect it from impact with docks or other vessels. Etymology: From Old English “fēondian,” meaning “to defend” or “protect.”

Galley

The kitchen area on a boat. Etymology: From Old French “galeie,” ultimately from Greek “galeos,” meaning “shark” (referring to the shape of the vessel’s hull).

Halyard

A line used to raise or lower a sail. Etymology: From Middle English “halyer,” from “hale” meaning “to haul” and “yere” meaning “line.”

Head

The toilet on a boat. Etymology: Origin uncertain, possibly related to the nautical term “head sea” referring to waves from the direction a ship is heading.

Jib

A triangular foresail set forward of the mast. Etymology: From Middle English “gybe” or “jibe,” possibly from Old Frisian “gīve,” meaning “gib” or “jib.”

Keel

The central structural element running along the bottom of a boat’s hull for stability. Etymology: From Middle English “kēl,” from Old English “cēol,” meaning “ship.”

Leeward

The side of the boat sheltered from the wind. Etymology: From Middle English “leward,” from Old English “hlēoweard,” meaning “sheltered from the wind.”

Mast

A tall vertical spar that holds and supports sails. Etymology: From Old English “mæst,” meaning “pole” or “beam.”

Port

The left side of the boat when facing forward. Etymology: From Old English “port,” meaning “gate” or “entrance” (referring to the side of the boat facing the dock).

Rigging

The system of ropes, wires, and other components used to support and control the sails. Etymology: From Middle English “riggen,” meaning “to fit with sails.”

Starboard

The right side of the boat when facing forward. Etymology: From Old English “stēorbord,” meaning “steering side” (referring to the side with the steering oar).

Stern

The rear part of the boat. Etymology: From Old English “stierne,” meaning “hind part” or “rear.”

Tiller

A handle or lever used to steer the boat by moving the rudder. Etymology: From Old English “tīgel,” meaning “handle” or “bar.”

Windward

The side of the boat facing the wind. Etymology: From Middle English “wyndward,” meaning “facing the wind.”

Yawl

A two-masted sailboat with the mizzen mast stepped aft of the rudder post. Etymology: Origin uncertain, possibly from the Dutch word “jol,” meaning “a kind of boat.”