Boating Terms (A-B) (flashcards)

Abeam

Off the boat at right angles to the center line.

A drift

Unattached to shore or bottom, floating out of control.

Aft

Near or toward the stern.

A ground

Touching or stuck on the bottom.

Ahead

The direction towards the bow of the boat; in front of the boat; moving in a forward direction.

Aids to navigation

Charted objects used to assist in determining position, safe course, or to warn of dangers (e.g., buoys, beacons).

All around light

A light showing an uninterrupted arc of 360° on the horizon.

Mid shift

In or near the middle of the boat.

Anchor

Device used to secure a boat to the bottom of a body of water.

Anchorage

Suitable or designated place where boats anchor.

Astern

Direction toward the stern; behind a boat; moving in reverse.

Automatic Information System (AIS)

An automatic tracking system used for collision avoidance on vessels.

Bail

To remove water by scooping it out with a bucket.

Beacon

Anything that serves as a signal or indication for guidance or warning; a fixed non-floating aid to navigation.

Beam

Maximum width of the boat; a horizontal athwartship support of the deck.

Bearing

1. Horizontal direction of an object from an observer expressed as an angle; 2. A device for supporting a rotating shaft with minimum friction.

Berths

A bed or a place for mooring your boat in a harbor or port.

Below

Beneath the deck.

Bend

To make faster a sale to a spar or stay; a knot to secure a line to another line or object.

Bilge

Lowest part of a boat.

Boulder fatigue

Fatigue caused by exposure to noise, vibration, sun, glare, wind, and other motion on the water.

Boom

A horizontal spar used to hold the bottom of a sail.

Bow

Forward, end of a boat.

Bow line

Line used at the bow of a vessel.

Bowline

A knot used to form an eye or loop in the end of a line.

Braided rope

Rope fibers interwoven and laid in clockwise and counterclockwise directions; has a hard core and braided layers.

Bridge clearance

Vertical clearance under a bridge at mean high water.

Bridge communications

Used for navigation communication between large commercial vessels.

Bridal

A length of line or wire rope secured at both ends or a secure loop for attachment.

Broach

To turn a boat broadside to wind or waves, subjecting it to possible capsizing.

Buoy

Anchored floating device used as an aid to navigation.

Buoyancy

The upward force exerted by a fluid on a body or object in that fluid.