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.
ICW
- Short for
Intercoastal Waterway. A
system of rivers and canals
along the Atlantic and Gulf
Coasts of the United States
allowing boats to travel
along them without having to
go offshore.
in
irons - A sailboat
with its bow pointed
directly into the wind,
preventing the sails from
filling properly so that the
boat can move. It can be
very difficult to get a boat
that is in irons back under
sail. An old square rigger
could take hours to get
underway again.
inboard
cruiser - A
motorboat with an inboard
engine.
inboard
- 1 - Toward the
center of the boat. 2 - An
engine that is mounted
inside the boat.
inches
of mercury - A unit
used when measuring the
pressure of the atmosphere.
33.86 millibarmillibars.
Inches of mercury are used
because some barometers use
the height of mercury in a
sealed tube as a measuring
device.
inflatable
- A dinghy or raft
that can be inflated for use
or deflated for easy
stowage.
Intercoastal
Waterway - A system
of rivers and canals along
the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts
of the United States
allowing boats to travel
along them without having to
go offshore.
International
Code of Signals - A
set of radio, sound, and
visual signals designed to
aid in communications
between vessels without
language problems. It can be
used with Morse Code, with
signal pennants, and by
spoken code letters.
irons
- In irons. A
sailboat with its bow
pointed directly into the
wind, preventing the sails
from filling properly so
that the boat can move. It
can be very difficult to get
a boat that is in irons back
under sail. An old square
rigger could take hours to
get underway again.
isobars
- Lines drawn on a
weather map indicating
regions of equal pressure.
When the lines are close
together, this indicates a
rapid change in air
pressure, accompanied by
strong winds.
isogonic
lines - A line
connecting points of equal
magnetic variation on a map.
