Here’s some basic boat terminology for Landlubbers so you know how to talk right when you come to visit.
Landlubber Nautical term
Boat Vessel. More specifically sailing vessel as in S/V Wonderstruck.
Front Bow
Back Stern
Left (facing forward) Port
Right (facing forward) Starboard
towards the back Aft
towards the front Fore or Foreward
Kitchen Galley
Main kitchen/living area Salon
Living couch Settee
Outdoor living area Cockpit
Driver’s seat Helm
Bedroom Cabin
Bed Berth
Bathroom Head
The Big vertical pole Mast
Sideways pole attached to mast Boom
Rope Line
Windows Fixed glass= window, Opening on ceiling= hatch, on side of boat= porthole
Inside Wall Bulkhead
Outside wall of boat Hull
Little boat to taxi back and forth Tender (our tender is a dinghy)
Lifevest PFD (personal flotation device)
Wire fence around the edge of boat Lifeline
Terminology used in a sentence:
S/V Wonderstruck is a catamaran meaning it has two hulls: a starboard hull and a port hull. Aislin’s cabin is in the forward port hull, Ben’s cabin is aft port. The salon is starting to look beautiful, with new cushions for the settee and new curtains for the windows. We need to make screens for the hatches so we can open them up to let in fresh air without all the bugs. The new curtains for the portholes have been installed and help keep out light in the morning so the kids can sleep in. We also have a new helm seat and lines for our dinghy. When we are underway the kids will always wear their PFDs if they are leaving the cockpit.