Parts of a Sailing Vessel
Every profession has it's own vocabulary, and sailers have an extensive one.
- Sails
- The cloth that catches the wind.
- Square Sails
- Sails that are square, and hung roughly at right angels to the direction of travel.
- Yardarm /Yard
- The horizontal poles Square Sales are hung from.
- Fore & Aft Rigged Sails
- The Sails are hung roughly parralle to the direstion of travel.
- Mast
- The vertical poles the Yardarms are hung from.
- Gaff
- The diagonal pole, hinged at the mast, where a Fore & Aft Sail is hung.
- Boom
- A horizontal pole, hinged at the mast, at the bottom of a Fore & Aft Sail.
- Bow
- The front of the vessel.
- Stern
- The back of the vessel.
- Beakhead
- A (usually ornate) projection at the Bow of a ship.
- Master
- The Captain of a Ship.
- Packet
- Ship sailing on a regular schedule, originally carrying packets of mail
- Screw
- Propeller
- Bowsprit
- Pole sticking out past the Bow of a ship.
- Stay
- Lines (rope) that hold the Masts in place.
- Staysail
- A Fore & Aft Sail hung from a Stay.
- Jib /Jibsail
- A Staysail hung from a Stay going from the Bow or Bowsprit to the Fore Mast.
- Spiritsail
- A Square Sail hung from the Bowsprit.
| Square Sail | Lateen Sail | Gaff Sail |
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