General sailing

General sailing

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

Industry: Sailing

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General sailing

dip

Sailing; General sailing

The inclination the compass needle makes towards the earth in high latitudes.

palm

Sailing; General sailing

The guard and thimble used by sail makers. Also the fluke of an anchor.

beam

Sailing; General sailing

The greatest width of the boat. OR A timber that crosses a vessel transversely to support the deck. The breadth of a vessel. "Before the beam" is forward of the middle part of a ship. The wind is ...

lying to

Sailing; General sailing

The condition of a ship when hove to.

bare poles

Sailing; General sailing

With no sail set. With all the sails furled or stowed at sea for scudding before a heavy gale, or sometimes for lying to.

eating a vessel out of the wind

Sailing; General sailing

When two vessels are sailing in company, and if one soaks or settles out to windward of the other she is said to eat her out of the wind. In reality, to make less leeway.

duff

Sailing; General sailing

A sailor's facetious way of pronouncing dough, hence plum duff for plum pudding. Duff is sometimes applied to "soft tack" or fresh bread as distinct from biscuits.