General sailing

General sailing

Terms used to sail, navigate, and maintain a sail boat.

Industry: Sailing

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General sailing

bale

Sailing; General sailing

A fitting on the end of a spar, such as the boom, to which a line may be led.

Additional ropes, stays, tackles used to prevent spars being carried away if their proper stays give out, as preventer backstays for the topmast, preventer bobstay. A preventer is also any rope or ...

fair wind

Sailing; General sailing

A wind by which a vessel can proceed on her course without tacking; it may range from close-hauled point to dead aft.

dead wood

Sailing; General sailing

The solid wood worked on top of the keel forward and aft.

start

Sailing; General sailing

To move, as to slacken a sheet or tack. To start a butt is to cause a plank to start from its fastenings at its butt or end.

high and dry

Sailing; General sailing

The situation of a vessel that is ashore when the ebb tide leaves her dry.

whistling for wind

Sailing; General sailing

In calms or light winds sailors sometimes amuse themselves by whistling in the hope that it will bring a breeze. They also scratch the boom for a breeze, or to make the vessel go faster. During heavy ...