Dock
An enclosed or nearly enclosed water area;
all the port installations; a place where ves-
sels can moor, as a pier, wharf, or floating
dock.
Documented Vessel
Vessel registered with the U.S. Coast Guard.
Dolphin
A small group of piles, in the water, gener-
ally used for mooring or as a channel
marker.
Draft
The depth of the vessel below the water
line, measured vertically to the lowest part
of the hull.
Dunnage
Mats, boughs, pieces of wood, or other
loose materials placed under or among
goods carried as cargo in the hold of a ship
to keep them dry and to prevent their
motion and chafing; cushioning or padding
used in a shipping container to protect frag-
ile articles against shock and breakage;
baggage or personal effects.
Ebb
An outgoing tide.
Estuary
An inlet or arm of the sea.
Fathom
Six feet.
Fenders
Objects placed along the side of the boat to
protect the hull from damage.
Flare
The outward spread of the boat’s sides from
the waterline to the rail at the bow. Also, a
pyrotechnic signalling device that can indi-
cate distress.
Fore
Used to distinguish the forward part of a
boat or things forward of amidships. It is
the opposite of aft or after.
Forward
Toward the bow.
Frame
Ribs of the hull, extending from the keel to
the highest continuous deck.
Freeboard
The vertical distance measured on a boat’s
side from the waterline to the gunwale.
Galley
The kitchen area of a boat.
Gimbals
Swivels used to keep equipment level.
Give-Way Vessel
The one which must stay clear of vessels
which have the right-of-way.
Grab Rail
A convenient grip, on a cabin top or along a
companion ladder.
Gunwale (pronounced gunnel)
The upper edge of a boat’s side.
Harbor
A safe anchorage, protected from most
storms; may be natural or man-made, with
breakwaters and jetties; a place for docking
and loading.
Hatch
An opening in a boat’s deck for persons or
cargo to go below.
Head
A marine toilet.
Headway
Forward motion of a vessel through the
water.
Helm
The wheel or tiller by which a ship is
steered.
Holding Tank
Storage tank for sewage, so that it will not
be pumped overboard into the water.
Hull
The body of a boat.
Hypothermia
A physical condition where the body loses
heat faster than it can produce it.
Inboard
More toward the center of a vessel; inside;
a motor fitted inside the boat.
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