General sailing

General sailing

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

Contributors in General sailing

General sailing

To bring a vessel by the lee is when nearly before the wind she falls off so much as to bring the wind on the other quarter ; or the wind may shift from one quarter of the vessel to the other without ...

lay out

Sailing; General sailing

To move out, as to lay out on a yardarm, also to make a good forward and backward reach in rowing.

snug

Sailing; General sailing

Comfortably canvassed to suit the weather. Anything made neat, or stowed compactly.

mackerel sky

Sailing; General sailing

A sky streaked with fine clouds, something in the manner of the stripes on the back of a mackerel.

dunnage

Sailing; General sailing

Loose material such as cork. bamboo, shavings, ferns, coir, or various size timbers used to jam in between a heavy cargo and hold them in place.

tack

Sailing; General sailing

The lower fore-corner of a sail. To tack is to go about or shift from one tack to another. The side on which the wind blows on the sail, as starboard tack or port tack. This term probably originated ...