We are assembling a large collection of boating
and sailing terms.
This will be a great resource for all boaters.
To view the page of terms, click on the letter that the term starts with
To submit a term please email
us.
gaff
sail - A four sided sail
used instead of a triangular main
sail. Used on gaff rigged boats.
gaff
- 1 - A spar that holds the
top of a four sided gaff sail. 2 - A
pole with a hook at the end used to
get a fish on board.
gale
force winds - Wind speeds
strong enough to qualify the storm
as a gale.
gale
- A storm with a wind speed
between 34 to 40 knots.
galley
- The kitchen area on a
boat.
gallows
frame - A frame used to
support the boom.
gasket
- Ties used to tie up the
sails when they are furled.
gennaker
- A large sail that is a
cross between a spinnaker and a
genoa. Hoisted without a pole, the
tack is attached at the bottom of
the headstay.
genoa
- A large jjib that
overlaps the mast. Also known as a
jenny.
geographic
position - The position of
a boat on a chart.
Global
Positioning System - GPS
for short. A system of satellites
that allows one's position to be
calculated with great accuracy by
the use of an electronic receiver.
GMT
- Time measured in
Greenwich Mean Time. Coordinated
universal time is a newer standard.
A time standard that is not affected
by time zones or seasons.
go
about - To tack.
grab
rail - See hand rail.
great
circle route - A course
that is the shortest distance
between two points, following a
great circle. Great circle routes
usually do not look like the
shortest route when drawn on a flat
map due to deviations caused by
trying to draw a flat map of a round
object such as the earth.
green
buoy - A can buoy. A
cylindrical buoy painted green and
having an odd number used in the
United States as a navigational aid.
At night they may have a green
light. Green buoys should be kept on
the left side when returning from a
larger body of water to a smaller
one. Nun buoys mark the other side
of the channel. Also see green and
red daymarks.
green
daymark - A navigational
aid used in the United States and
Canada to mark a channel. Green
triangular daymarks should be kept
on the left when returning from a
larger to smaller body of water. Red
daymarks mark the other side of the
channel. Also see can and nun buoys.
Greenwich
Mean Time - GMT for short.
Coordinated universal time is a
newer standard. A time standard that
is not affected by time zones or
seasons.
grommet
- A ring or eyelet normally
used to attach a line, such as on a
sail.
ground
swells - Swells that become
shorter and steeper as they approach
the shore due to shallow water.
ground
tackle - The anchor and its
rode or chain and any other gear
used to make the boat fast.
gunkholing
- Cruising in shallow water
and spending the nights in coves.
guy
- Also called a brace. A
line used to control the movement of
the object at the other end, such as
a spar.
gybe
- Usually spelled jibe. To
change direction when sailing in a
manner such that the stern of the
boat passes through the eye of the
wind and the boom changes sides.
Prior to jibing, theboom will be
very far to the side of the boat.
Careful control of the boom and
mainsail is required when jibing in
order to prevent a violent motion of
the boom when it switches sides.
Jibing without controlling the boom
properly is known as an accidental
jibe. Tacking is preferred to jibing
because the boom is not subject to
such violent changes. Jibing is
usually needed when rrunning with
the wind and tacking is used when
close hauled.
