| Do you know your pitchpoling from your rhumb line? | | | | boat. Rounding simply means to sail downwind. |
| We thought you might find it useful to have a glossary | | | | Did you know? 'Aye Aye' Aye is used in reply to an |
| of sailing terms. So here it is! We've also thrown a few | | | | order, to indicate that it is heard, and secondly is |
| in for fun! | | | | understood and will be carried out. |
| Tacking - In order to go upwind, sailboats have to take | | | | Capsizing - Capsizing is when a boat flips sideways or |
| a 45 degree angle on the wind. First right, then left, | | | | rolls. |
| creating a zig-zag effect. Each turn in which the bow | | | | Pitchpoling - Pitchpoling a form of capsizing, but instead |
| of the boat crosses through the wind is called a tack. | | | | of rolling, pitchpoling is when a boat capsizes |
| Gybing - Gying is the opposite of tacking. A gybe is | | | | end-over-end. |
| when the stern of the boat crosses through the wind. | | | | Turtling - Just like when a turtle rolls on its back and |
| Did you know? The term 'all above board' comes from | | | | cant turn back over, turtling is when a boat capsizes |
| the sailing term - on or above the deck, in plain view, | | | | and can't turn back over. To allow for a safe escape, |
| not hiding anything. | | | | some boats are built with turtle hatches on the |
| Surfing - Just like on a surfboard, surfing in a sailboat | | | | underside of the boat. |
| means using a wave to propel yourself forward. | | | | Did you know? The term 'fly by night' comes from the |
| Broaching - When a boat is overpowered, and the | | | | name of a large sail used only for sailing downwind, |
| wind turns the boat over, stopping it in the water, this is | | | | requiring little attention. |
| broaching. | | | | Canting Keel - A keel is the weighted fin at the bottom |
| Did you know? No room to swing a cat comes from | | | | of a sailboat. In the past, this is attached to the hull of |
| an old sailing term? The ship's company was | | | | the boat, but for racing, putting the keel on a hinge, |
| expected to witness floggings on deck, and if it was | | | | gives the boat more speed and control. |
| very crowded, the bosun might not have room to | | | | Nautical Mile - Nautical miles are used by sailors as |
| swing the 'cat o' nine tails' - the whip! | | | | apposed to any other measurement as nautical miles |
| Planing - A boat can only move through water at a | | | | represent the curvature of the earth rather than a |
| certain speed. Planing is when a boat actually rises | | | | straight line. One minute, or one 60th of a degree, in |
| above the water and skims along the surface, a bit like | | | | latitude, is one nautical mile. |
| a waterskier. | | | | Did you know? A fathom is a unit of length equal to 6 |
| Rounding up and rounding down - Boats round up | | | | feet, roughly the distance between a man's |
| (steer toward the wind) when they're overpowered. | | | | outstretched hands. |
| Like tacking, rounding up relieves the pressure from the | | | | |