Learning to Sail? Get to know these Terms!
Knowing the right sailing terms to use on board a boat is very useful, and sometimes crucial. Some of these terms have been used by sailors for hundreds of years!
Port: facing forward, this is anything to the left of the boat. When you’re onboard, you can use this term pretty much any time you would normally say “left.”
Starboard: facing forward, this is anything to the right of the boat.
Bow/Stern: the bow is the front of the boat, the stern is the back. Anything near the front of the boat is referred to as being “forward,” and anything toward the back is “aft” or “astern.”
Point of Sail: the boat’s direction relative to the wind. The eight points of sail describe the different angles at which a sailboat can move in relation to the wind. They’re fundamental for understanding and navigating a sailboat effectively, as each point has unique characteristics and requires different sail and boat handling techniques.
In Irons: the boat is headed directly into the wind and cannot sail. The sails will luff (flap) and the boat will come to a stop.
Close-Hauled: the boat is sailing as directly into the wind as possible, typically at an angle of about 30-45 degrees to the wind. This is the most upwind direction in which a sailboat can effectively sail.
Close Reach: the boat is sailing at a slightly larger angle to the wind than close-hauled, generally between 45 and 60 degrees off the wind.
Beam Reach: the wind is coming directly from the side of the boat, at a 90-degree angle.This is often the fastest and most comfortable point of sail.
Broad Reach: the wind is coming from behind the boat at an angle, typically between 120 and 160 degrees off the bow. The sails are let out more, and the boat moves at a good speed.
Running (or Run): the wind is coming directly from behind the boat, which is at 180 degrees.The sails are let out all the way, and the boat may require careful steering to avoid accidental jibes.
Deep Broad Reach: an angle slightly off a direct run, generally between 160 and 170 degrees from the wind. It’s very close to running, but not quite directly downwind.
Jibe (or Gybe): this isn't a point of sail, but a maneuver to change direction by turning the stern of the boat through the wind, effectively switching the sails from one side to the other.
Helm: where you steer the boat. Usually this is a big wheel, but on smaller boats it can be a tiller, which is basically a long wooden stick. Either of these can be used to control the boat’s rudder.
Keel: a long, heavy fin on the bottom of the boat that sticks down into the water. It provides stability and is the reason why modern sailboats are nearly impossible to capsize.
Heeling: this is the term for when a sailboat leans over in the water, pushed by the wind. There’s nothing else like the thrill of heeling over as your sails fill and your speed picks up!
Tack: this term has two distinct meanings, both of them very important. As a verb, to tack is to change direction by turning the bow of the boat through the wind. As a noun, your tack is the course you are on relative to the wind. For example, if the wind is blowing over the port side, you are on a port tack. If it’s blowing over the starboard side, you’re on a starboard tack.
Jibe: another way of changing direction, in which you bring the stern of the boat through the wind. Whether you choose to tack or jibe entirely depends on the situation–what’s around you, and the direction of the wind.
Windward: the side of the boat closest to the wind. When heeling over, this will always be the high side.
Leeward: the side of the boat furthest from the wind. When heeling over, this will always be the low side.
Lines: on board a boat, this is what you say instead of “ropes.”
Mainsail: the big triangular sail just aft of the sailboat’s mast. As the name suggests, this is the boat’s largest and most important sail. Running along its bottom edge, the mainsail has a thick pole called the boom.
Jib: the next most common sail on any boat. The jib can always be found forward of the mast, and unlike the mainsail, does not have a boom.
You're never to old or too young to start sailing. Sail on!
