Have you ever wondered why yachties seem to speak their own language? Whether you’re planning your first yacht charter or just curious about yachting slang, understanding yachting terms and jargon can feel like learning a whole new language.
But don’t worry – we’re here to help you navigate these linguistic waters with our comprehensive guide to yachting phrases. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced crew member, this guide will help you understand the fascinating world of yachting lingo.
Let’s get started.
Essential Yachting Terms
- Bow: The front of the yacht, think “bow and arrow” pointing forward
- Stern: The back of the yacht. Imagine it as being “stern and serious” at the rear
- Port: The left side of the yacht when facing forward
- Starboard: The right side of the yacht when facing forward
- Beam: The widest point of the yacht
- Draft: How deep the yacht sits in the water, an important consideration often highlighted in yacht brokers marketing materials.
- Hull: The main body of the yacht that sits in the water
- Keel: The fin-like structure underneath the yacht that provides stability
- Helm: Where you steer the yacht
- Galley: The yacht’s kitchen area
Funny Yachting Terms
- Scuttlebutt: The yacht’s water fountain or the latest gossip (originally a barrel of drinking water)
- Baggywrinkle: A soft covering to prevent sail chafing (sounds like a wrinkly bag, right?)
- Futtocks: The curved timbers that make up a boat’s ribs (try saying that five times fast!)
- Lubber: A clumsy sailor or newcomer (we were all lubbers once!)
- Pooped: When a wave crashes over the stern (nothing to do with being tired)
- Monkey’s Fist: A special knot that looks like, well, a monkey’s fist
- Bitter End: The very last part of an anchor rope (not as dramatic as it sounds)
- Groggy: Feeling tired or dizzy (from “grog,” the sailors’ diluted rum)
- Three Sheets to the Wind: Very unsteady or drunk (refers to loose sailing sheets)
- Son of a Gun: Originally meant a child born aboard a ship (between the guns)
Yacht Phrases for Navigation
- Bearing: The direction to an object from your position
- Heading: The direction your boat is pointing
- Course: The direction you actually want to go
- Waypoint: A specific point you’re aiming for
- Latitude: Distance north or south of the equator
- Longitude: Distance east or west of the prime meridian
- Charts: Maps for the sea
- Knot: is a nautical term defined as one nautical mile per hour and is used to measure speed.
- Log: The ship’s speed or distance traveled
- Dead Reckoning: Navigation based on your last known position
Superyacht Terms
- Sundeck: The top deck for sunbathing and relaxation
- Sky Lounge: An upper-deck indoor social area
- Master Suite: The largest and most luxurious cabin
- Stabilizers: Equipment that reduces rolling motion
- Beach Club: The swim platform and water sports area
- Tender Garage: Where smaller boats are stored
- APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance): Funds for operating expenses
- Charter Party: The yacht rental agreement
- Passerelle: The gangway for boarding (fancy word for a fancy bridge)
- Zero-Speed Stabilizers: Systems that keep the yacht steady even when not moving
Yacht Terms Slang for Weather and Sea Conditions
- Sea State: How rough the water is
- Fetch: The distance wind travels over water
- Following Seas: Waves coming from behind
- Head Seas: Waves coming from ahead
- Squall: A sudden storm
- Doldrums: Areas with very little wind
- Wind Over Tide: When wind and current oppose each other
- Glass Out: When the water is completely calm
- Building Seas: Waves getting bigger
- Lee Shore: A shore where the wind blows toward land
Yacht Crew Terms
- Watch: A crew member’s duty period
- Muster Station: Emergency gathering point
- Bosun: Deck department manager
- Chief Stew: Head of interior department
- Engineer: Maintains the yacht’s systems
- Purser: Handles yacht’s finances
- Deck Hand: Entry-level deck crew
- Stewardess: Interior crew member
- Relief Crew:Temporary replacement crew
- Day Worker: Temporary help for specific tasks
Yachting Commands and Instructions
- All Hands: Everyone come help
- Stand By: Get ready
- Make Fast: Secure a line
- Cast Off: Release the lines
- Hard Over: Turn the wheel all the way
- Ease Up: Slow down or release tension
- Hold Fast: Don’t move
- Coming About: Changing direction
- Man Overboard: Someone fell in
- Abandon Ship: Time to leave the vessel
Safety and Emergency Phrases
- PFD: Personal Flotation Device
- EPIRB: Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon
- Mayday: Distress call
- Pan-Pan: Urgency call
- Life Raft: Inflatable survival craft
- Kill Switch: Emergency engine shutoff
- Bilge Pump: Removes water from the hull
- Fire Station: Location of firefighting equipment
- First Aid Station: Medical supplies location
- Emergency Exits: Ways to escape
Technical Yachting Terms
- Shaft: The long metal rod that connects the engine to the propeller
- Propeller: The spinning blades that push the boat through water
- Rudder: The underwater blade that steers the boat
- Thruster: Helps move the boat sideways when docking
- Generator: Makes electricity for the boat
- Inverter: Changes battery power to household power
- Watermaker: Creates fresh water from seawater
- Shore Power: Electricity from the dock
- Holding Tank: Stores waste water
- Fuel Polisher: Cleans the diesel fuel
Yacht Sailing Terms
- Mainsail: The largest sail on the boat
- Jib: The front triangular sail
- Spinnaker: A large, colorful downwind sail
- Tack: To turn the bow through the wind
- Gybe: To turn the stern through the wind
- Telltales: Small ribbons that show wind direction
- Reef: To make the sail smaller
- Boom: The horizontal pole at the bottom of the mainsail
- Sheet: A rope that controls a sail
- Halyard: A rope that raises a sail
Anchoring and Mooring Terms
- Rode: The combination of rope and chain attached to the anchor
- Scope: The ratio of rode length to water depth
- Windlass: The machine that raises and lowers the anchor
- Ground Tackle: All anchoring equipment
- Mooring Ball: A permanent anchored buoy
- Pendant: The line attached to a mooring
- Backing Plate: Reinforcement for deck hardware
- Bridle: A two-line setup for anchoring
- Snubber: Reduces strain on the anchor chain
- Swing Circle: The area a boat moves through at anchor
Living Aboard Terms
- Companionway: The stairs to below deck
- Quarter Berth: A bed in the rear of the boat
- V-Berth: A bed in the bow shaped like a V
- Settee: A built-in couch
- Head: The bathroom
- Portlight: A window in the hull
- Hatch: An opening in the deck
- Locker: A storage compartment
- Lazarette: Storage space in the stern
- Bilge: The lowest part of the boat interior
Yachting Technology
- AIS: Automatic Identification System
- Chartplotter: Electronic navigation display
- Autopilot: Automatic steering system
- Radar: Radio detection and ranging system
- Sonar: Sound navigation and ranging
- GPS: Global Positioning System
- VHF: Very High Frequency radio
- NMEA: Marine electronics protocol
- Fishfinder: Depth sounder for finding fish
- MFD: Multi-Function Display
Environmental and Ocean Terms
- Tide: The rise and fall of water level
- Current: The horizontal movement of water
- Eddy: A circular current
- Fetch: Distance wind travels over water
- Swell: Waves from distant storms
- Breakers: Waves crashing at shore
- Shoal: A shallow area
- Channel: A deeper water passage
- Bar: A shallow area at a harbor entrance
- Spring Tide: Extreme high and low tides
Yacht Financing Terms
141. Maritime Mortgage: A specialized loan specifically for yacht purchases, secured by the vessel itself. Unlike regular mortgages, maritime mortgages follow unique international laws and regulations.
142. Preferred Ship Mortgage: A specific type of marine financing that gives the lender priority claim over other creditors. This important instrument helps secure better interest rates for yacht buyers.
143. Hull Insurance: The basic insurance coverage for a yacht’s physical structure. Think of it as the maritime equivalent of your car’s comprehensive coverage, but with specific provisions for marine risks.
144. P&I Insurance: Protection and Indemnity insurance, covering liability for crew injuries, passenger claims, and environmental damage. This crucial coverage fills gaps left by standard hull insurance.
145. Survey Value: The appraised value of a yacht as determined by a professional marine surveyor. This assessment becomes particularly important for financing and insurance purposes.
146. Depreciation Schedule: The projected decrease in a yacht’s value over time, which affects both financing terms and tax implications. Different types of vessels depreciate at different rates.
147. Charter Revenue: Income generated by renting out your yacht when you’re not using it. This revenue stream can significantly offset ownership costs and affects financing decisions.
148. Operating Costs: The ongoing expenses of yacht ownership, including crew, maintenance, fuel, and berthing. Lenders consider these costs when determining loan terms.
149. Flag State Registration: The country where a yacht is registered, affecting both financing options and tax implications. Different flag states offer various advantages and requirements.
150. Beneficial Ownership: The person or entity that ultimately owns and benefits from the yacht, regardless of how it’s registered. This term becomes important in financing and legal documentation.
Yacht Racing Terms
151. Handicap Rating: A numerical value assigned to a yacht based on its potential speed, allowing different types of boats to race fairly against each other. Think of it as a “golf handicap” for boats.
152. Starting Line: The imaginary line between two points (usually buoys or committee boats) where races begin. Precise positioning here can make or break your race.
153. Layline: The optimal course to a mark or finish line when sailing upwind. Recognizing the perfect layline separates experienced racers from novices.
154. Race Committee: The group responsible for managing a race, including starting procedures, course setting, and finish timing.
155. Protest Flag: A red flag displayed when a yacht believes another competitor has broken a racing rule. This visible signal starts the formal protest process.
156. Fleet Racing: When multiple boats compete simultaneously on the same course. This common format tests both strategy and boat handling skills.
157. Match Racing: One-on-one competition between two identical or similar boats. This intense format is used in prestigious events like the America’s Cup.
158. Spinnaker Start: A racing start where boats immediately hoist their spinnakers (large downwind sails) after crossing the starting line.
159. Gate Marks: Two marks that boats must pass between, offering tactical choices for the next leg of the race.
160. Rolling Start: A starting sequence where boats must be moving (not stationary) when the race begins.
Yacht Measurement Terms
161. LOA (Length Overall): The maximum length of a yacht measured from the foremost to aftermost points. This crucial measurement determines many practical aspects of yacht ownership, including dock fees and regulatory requirements.
162. LWL (Load Waterline Length): The length of the yacht at the point where it meets the water when loaded. This measurement significantly affects the yacht’s speed potential.
163. Displacement: The actual weight of water displaced by the yacht, measured in tons. This fundamental measurement helps determine a yacht’s performance characteristics and stability.
164. Sail Area: The total surface area of all sails when fully deployed. This measurement, combined with displacement, helps predict performance potential.
165. GT (Gross Tonnage): A volumetric measurement of the yacht’s internal space, used for regulatory purposes. Despite its name, GT isn’t actually a weight measurement.
166. Air Draft: The height of the yacht from the waterline to its highest point. This critical measurement determines which bridges you can pass under.
167. Form Stability: A measure of how well the yacht’s hull shape resists heeling (leaning to one side). This affects both comfort and performance.
168. Ballast Ratio: The relationship between the weight of the ballast and the yacht’s total displacement. This ratio indicates stability characteristics.
169. Prismatic Coefficient: A technical measurement describing how efficiently the hull moves through water. Higher numbers indicate better speed potential in certain conditions.
170. Metacentric Height: A complex measurement indicating initial stability. This affects how the yacht behaves in various sea conditions.
Historical Phrases
171. Ahoy: A traditional maritime greeting used between vessels, derived from the Dutch word “hoi” meaning “hello.” This term is still actively used in modern maritime communications, especially when hailing another vessel or trying to get attention at sea.
172. Aye: More formal than a simple “yes,” this term indicates both understanding and commitment to carry out an order aboard ship. The response “aye” or “aye, aye” remains standard in naval and professional maritime operations to ensure clear communication.
173. Avast: Derived from the Dutch “houd vast” (hold fast), this urgent command means to stop or cease an activity immediately. While less common today, it’s still used in situations requiring immediate attention where a normal “stop” command might not convey sufficient urgency.
174. Belay: Originally meaning to secure a rope around a cleat or pin, this term has evolved to mean stop an action or cancel a previous order. Modern usage includes both its literal meaning for securing lines and its command form meaning “disregard that” or “stop what you’re doing.”
175. Splice: A sophisticated method of joining two ropes together that maintains nearly full strength of the original rope, unlike knots which can significantly weaken the line. Different types of splices serve different purposes, from creating permanent loops (eye splice) to joining ropes of equal size (short splice).
176. Fathom: A traditional maritime measurement equal to six feet (1.83 meters), originally based on the length of outstretched arms used to measure rope. This term has evolved into common language as “to fathom” meaning to understand or comprehend something, reflecting its historical use in understanding ocean depths.
177. League: A historical distance measurement equal to three nautical miles, used extensively in maritime navigation and literature. The term gained popular recognition through Jules Verne’s “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” though it refers to distance traveled rather than depth.
178. Watch: A designated time period of duty aboard ship, traditionally divided into four-hour segments throughout the day. The watch system ensures continuous operation of the vessel while providing adequate rest periods for crew members.
179. Bell: The traditional method of marking time aboard ships, with bells struck every half hour in a pattern that repeats each watch. One bell signals the first half hour of the watch, with additional bells added each half hour until eight bells marks the end of a four-hour watch.
180. Dog Watch: A shortened watch period, typically between 1600-2000 hours, split into two two-hour watches instead of the standard four hours. This system prevents crew members from standing the same watches each day, ensuring fairness in scheduling.
181. Starboard Tack: A sailing point of sail where the wind is coming over the starboard (right) side of the vessel, requiring the boom to be positioned to port. Understanding tacks is crucial for both racing and navigation, as it determines right-of-way between vessels.
182. Port Tack: The opposite of starboard tack, where the wind is coming over the port (left) side of the vessel, with the boom positioned to starboard. Port tack vessels must give way to starboard tack vessels when crossing paths, making this distinction important for maritime safety.
FAQs
Why do yachts use different terms for left and right?
Port and starboard were created to avoid confusion, as “left” and “right” change depending on which way you’re facing. Port (left) and starboard (right) are always from the perspective of facing forward on the yacht.
Why do yachts use “port” and “starboard” instead of left and right?
These terms prevent confusion regardless of which way you’re facing on the yacht. They’re absolute directions that never change.
What’s the difference between a yacht and a superyacht?
Generally, yachts over 24 meters (79 feet) are considered superyachts. Megayachts are typically over 50 meters (164 feet).
Final Thoughts
Every seasoned yachtie started as a beginner, learning these terms one by one. Don’t feel overwhelmed – start with the basics and build your yachting vocabulary over time. Before you know it, you’ll be speaking like a seasoned superyacht captain!