Top 10 Terms Commonly Used by Sailors and Their Meaning

Given below are some common terms used by sailors. If you're gonna become a sailor, you'll need to know these.

The Top Ten

1 Capsizing - The boat overturns so that the underside is on top

2 Death Roll - The boat rolls from side to side until it either capsizes or the captain takes action

3 Mainsail & Jib - Mainsail refers to the big triangular sail (which is the boat's largest and most important one) just aft of the sailboat’s mast. Jib refers to the backup sail, in case the mainsail is damaged.

4 Broaching - The boat suddenly tips in the water

5 Hiking - The crew lean over the edge of the boat as it heels to stop it tipping over

6 Jibing - The boat's stern (rear) is turned through the wind so that the wind blows from the other side

7 Heeling - The strength of the wind makes the boat lean over

8 In Irons - The wind blows front-on and can push the boat backwards

9 Tacking - The boat's bow (front) is turned through the wind so that the wind blows from the other side

10 Don't Go Zone - The wind blows from directly behind the boat, making it really difficult to sail

BAdd New Item