BOAT TERMS
Boating has developed its own language.
Using its terminology is a practical and fun
way for boaters to communicate. The ability
to recognize and describe basic types of
boats is an important part of your boating
knowledge.
Special terms describe the size and
other dimension of boats, their parts and
equipment, there are also nautical terms
for right, left, front, and back of a boat.
This vocabulary is essential to communicating
with other boaters.
Boat Parts and Features
This section describes parts and features that
are common to both powerboats and sailboats.
(Figure 1-1)
Exterior of the boat
• The hull is the shell of a boat.
• The deck of a boat is the portion that covers
the hull.
• The lowest centerline structural part of a
hull is the keel.
• The forward end of a boat is the bow.
• The rear end is the stern.
• The back part of the side of a boat is the
quarter.
• A cockpit is a sunken space below the gunwale
line, usually toward the stern portion
of the boat.
• A transom is the stern portion of the hull
facing to the rear.
• The upper edge or rail of a boat is the
gunwale (pronounced “gun’l”), which
was derived from 15th century English
gonne-wale, meaning a support for guns.
• A flying bridge is a raised steering position
on a powerboat, usually above an interior
steering station.
Interior
• The floor of a boat is the sole.
• The bilge is the lowest part of the inside
of a boat.
• A cabin is an enclosed living space on a
boat.
• Beds on a boat are called berths.
• A head is a marine toilet.
• A galley is a nautical kitchen.
Steering a boat
• A rudder is a moveable board under the
stern, used to steer the boat. It is attached
to a rudder post or sometimes it is hung on
the transom.
• A tiller is attached to the upper end of the
rudder post and used to turn the rudder.
• Alternately a wheel may be used to steer
a boat—usually connected to the rudder
post by means of gears and cables.
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Hull
Cockpit
sole
cabin
bilge
Figure 1-1. Parts of a powerboat
galley
berths
head