Boating Vocabulary Aft – towards the back of the boat. Aground – bottom of the vessel is sitting on solid ground. Amidship – middle of the vessel. Anchor – a metal casting used to hold the vessel in position. Bearing – unit of measurement on a compass. Bilge – lowest part of the ship’s hull.

Boating Vocabulary – Cont’d Capacity Plate - fixed by the manufacturer, it tells the maximum weight, horsepower, and number of people a vessel can carry. Can Buoy – green in color, odd numbered, and they are on the port (left) side of the river when returning from sea. Capsize – to turn over a vessel. Carburetor Flame Backfire Arrestor – it prevents fires by protecting the carburetor.

Boating Vocabulary – Cont’d Cardinal Points – 4 main directions on a compass. North is 0 to 360 degrees, East is 90 degrees, South is 180 degrees, and West is 270 degrees. Chart – roadmap for the water. Come About – to turn around 180 degrees. Compass – navigation instrument to tell direction. Current – back and forth movement of water dictated by the moon/tide

Boating Vocabulary – Cont’d Displacement Hull – slow, big, and powerful. It pushes water out of the way(ex. cruise ship) Draft – distance between the waterline and lowest point of the vessel. Fore – front of the vessel. Forward – front of the vessel. Freeboard – the distance from the gunwale (side of the boat) to the waterline.

Boating Vocabulary – Cont’d Give-way Vessel – the boat that yields the right of way to the other vessel. By giving the right of way you must change course, direction, and speed. Gunwale – side of the vessel. Hypothermia – loss of core body heat generally due to the water. Body looses more heat than it can produce. Keel – the permanent positioned fore-and-aft backbone member of a boat’s hull.

Boating Vocabulary – Cont’d Leeward – side away from the wind Lubber’s Line – the mark or indicator on a compass by which direction is read. Mooring – permanent anchor for a vessel. Motor Boat - any vessel under 65 ft. in length that is powered by a motor. (Any vessel on 65 ft. in length is considered a ship) Nun Buoy – are red in color, even numbered, and they are on the starboard (right) side of the river when returning from sea (red, right, returning)

Boating Vocabulary – Cont’d PFD – Personal Flotation Devices governed by the Coast Guard and they must fit the occupants on the vessel. Planning Hull – smaller, faster, not very strong. They move on top of the water. (ex. personal watercraft, bass boat) Port – left side of the vessel when facing forward. Privileged Vessel – has right of way, maintains course and speed.

Boating Vocabulary – Cont’d Rules of the Road – basic navigation rules for safety. Scope – the length of the anchor roade (rope) used to secure a vessel to the bottom. Coast Guard recommends six to one ratio in calm water. (ex. 10ft. Depth with 6 to 1 ratio = 60 ft. of roade) Stand-on-Vessel –has right of way, maintains course and speed. Starboard – right side of a vessel when facing forward.

Boating Vocabulary – Cont’d Stern – the back of the vessel. Tide – up and down movement of the water. Trim – to be balanced from left and right, font to back (port to starboard, bow to stern) Vessel – anything used to move through the water Wake – the wave put out by the movement of a vessel through the water. The Captain of the vessel is responsible for his wake. Way – movement through water of any kind.

Boating Vocabulary – Cont’d Federal Water – any water that has barges on them Rip Current – channeled currents of water flowing away from the shore.