Ahoy! If you are new to the yachting world, you might be a bit confused by the boating vernacular. This article is to help you with words you may have heard – or might hear on your next yacht charter. Brush up on your vocabulary and learn not only the difference between bow and stern, but also some of the more tricky jargon.
Aft – Toward the back of the boat.
Berth – Where the ship docks. Also the term used for the beds in a cabin. So the berth is basically where one comes to rest, be it a person or the boat itself.
Bow – The front of the boat.
Bridge – The area from which the ship is commanded. This platform or room has all of the technical gadgets, switches and dials used to make the boat sail to its next destination.
Cabin – Nothing like a log cabin, this is the term used for your room. It is also called a statesroom.
Charts – The maps used to navigate your course using depth, latitude and longitude.
Disembark – Get off the boat.
Dock – You park a car. You dock a ship.
Embark – Get on the boat.
Fathom – To you and me, it means to understand. To a boat captain, it is the distance of depth. One fathom is six feet.
Galley – The kitchen on the ship.
Gangway – The ramp used to embark or disembark the ship.
Hull – The ships frame.
Knot – To you and me, this is something you tie. To a boat captain, it’s the distance the boat has traveled.
Manifest – A list of everyone on board – both passengers and crew – as well as the cargo.
Port – To the left of the ship. Also, not to confuse you, this also means where you’re headed in that beautiful boat … your destinations.
Quay – The dock, pier, or berth. Because there aren’t enough names for it.
Starboard – To the right of the boat.
Statesroom – See cabin.
Stern – The back of the boat.
Swell – Not just the bee’s knees. In nautical terms, this refers to the motion of the sea or ocean.
Tender boat – A smaller boat that is sometimes used to go into shallow water or where a larger boat may not fit.