Sailing terms

PARTS OF A BOAT:

Rudder: A spade-like object at the back of the boat that steers the boat by deflection of the water.

Tiller: The lever that controls the rudder.

Keel: The weighted fin at the bottom of the boat that keeps the boat from slipping sideways through the water.

Mast: The large vertical spar that supports the sail and the boom.

Boom: The horizontal spar used to hold and extend the main sail.

Main sail: Main sail.

Jib: Lets the boat go more fast.

Bow: The front area of a boat.

Stern: The back end of a boat.

Starboard: The right side of the boat when you are looking forward.

Port: Port The left side of the boat when you are looking forward.

POINTS OF SAIL:

Port tack: When the wind is coming from the port side of the boat and the boom are on the starboard side.

Starboard Tack: When the wind is coming from the starboard side of the boat and the boom arre on the port side.

In irons: If the boat attempts to tack with a slow initial speed, or otherwise loses forward motion while heading into the wind, the boat will coast to a stop and the lack of water flow over the rudder will cause the sailor to lose the ability to steer the boat. Stopped head-to-wind, a sailboat is said to be "in irons".

Close hauled: A boat is sailing close hauled when its sails are trimmed in tightly and it is sailing as close to the wind as it can without entering the no go zone. This point of sail lets the boat travel diagonally to the wind direction

Close reach: Sailing between a beam reach and close hauled.

Starboard/Port beam reach: A point of sail where the boat is sailing at a right angle to the wind.

Broad reach: The wind is coming from behind the boat at an angle. This represents a range of wind angles between beam reach and running downwind.

Running: Sailing with the wind blowing from the stern. Sailing downwind.