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.
hail
- To attempt to contact
another boat or shore, either by
voice or radio.
half
hitch - A simple knot
usually used with another knot or
half hitch.
halyard
- A line used to hoist a
sail or spar. The tightness of the
halyard can affect sail shape.
hand
bearing compass - A small
portable compass.
hand
lead - A weight attached to
a line used to determine depth by
lowering it into the water.
hand
rail - A hand hold. Usually
along the cabin top or ladder.
hand
- Someone who helps with
the work on a boat.
handsomely
- To do something carefully
and in the proper manner, such as
whenstowing a line.
handy-billy
- A movable block and
tackle.
hanging
locker - A lockerlocker big
enough to hang clothes.
harbormaster
- The individual who is in
charge of a harbor.
hard-a-lee
- A command to steer the
boat downwind.
hard-chined
- A hull shape with flat
panels that join at sharp angles.
hatch
- A sliding or hinged
opening in the deck, providing
people with access to the cabin or
space below.
haul
out - Remove a boat from
the water.
hauling
part - The part on the
object which is hauled upon.
hawse
hole - A hole in the hull
for mooring lines to run through.
hawsepipes
- Pipes to guide lines
through the hawse hole. On large
vessels anchors are stored with
their shanks in the hawsepipes.
hawser
- A rope that is very large
in diameter, usually used when
docking large vessels.
hazard
- An object that might not
allow safe operation. A group of
rocks just under the water or a
submerged wreck could be a
navigational hazard.
head
seas - Waves coming from
the front of the vessel.
head
up - to turn the bowbow
more directly into the eye of the
wind. The opposite of falling off.
head
- The toilet and toilet
room in a vessel.
headsail
- Any sail forward of the
mastmast, such as a jib.
headway
- The forward motion of a
vessel through the water.
heaving
to - Arranging the sails in
such a manner as to slow or stop the
forward motion of the boat, such as
when in heavy seas.
heavy
seas - When the water has
large or breaking waves in stormy
conditions.
heavy
weather - Stormy
conditions, including rough, high
seaseas and strong winds. Probably
uncomfortable or dangerous.
heeling
error - The error in a
compass reading caused by the heel
of a boat.
hemisphere
- Half of a sphere. On the
globe hemispheres are used to
describe the halves of the earth
north or south of the equator.
high
tide - The point of a tide
when the water is the highest. The
opposite of low tide.
hiking
stick - An extension to the
tiller allowing the helmsman to
steer while hiking. This may be
desired for improved visibility or
stability.
hitch
- A knot used to attach a
line to a cleat or other object.
holding
ground - The type of bottom
that the anchor is setset in.
holding
tank - A storage tank where
sewage is stored until it can be
removed to a treatment facility.
horizon
- Where the water and sky
or ground and sky appear to
intersect.
horseshoe
buoy - A floatation device
shaped like a U and thrown to people
in the water in emergencies.
hull
- The main structural body
of the boat, not including the deck,
keel, mast, or cabin. The part that
keeps the water out of the boat.
hurricane
- A strong tropical
revolving storm of force 12 or
higher in the northern hemisphere.
Hurricanes revolve in a clockwise
direction. In the southern
hemisphere these storms revolve
counterclockwise and are known as
typhoons.
