Glossary Archive

Preparing a vessel and its equipment for heavy weather or secure rest. This normally involves securing loose gear, reducing exposed canvas, checking hatches, improving lashings and making sure essential equipment is ready. The aim is to reduce movement, prevent damage and make the boat easier to manage if conditions worsen. On deck, attention should be...

The actual velocity of a vessel relative to the Earth's surface, accounting for the effects of currents, tides, and other environmental factors.  Speed Over Ground (SOG) is a critical navigational term in maritime operations, representing the true speed at which a vessel moves over the Earth's surface. Unlike Speed Through Water (STW), which measures the...

An international maritime treaty that sets minimum safety standards for ship construction, equipment, and operation. Its primary goal is to ensure the safety of life at sea by regulating various aspects of maritime safety, including ship design, fire protection, navigation equipment, lifesaving appliances, and emergency procedures. SOLAS applies to all commercial ships engaged in international...

Chapter V of SOLAS (Safety of life at Sea) refers to the Safety of Navigation for all vessels at sea. SOLAS V for pleasure craft SOLAS V contains regulations for vessels under 150 GT (gross tonnage) used for pleasure. Specific regulations for pleasure craft (less than 150 gross tonnage) The following regulations are the elements...

Sea area of the Met Office Shipping Forecast. Covers Sole Bank in the eastern Bay of Biscay off the French coast. From the Sole Bank, famed for flatfish, Sole experiences west winds of Force 4–6 and moderate seas. Fishing fleets often schedule “Sole runs” immediately after storm windows to take advantage of calmer waters.

The flat, horizontal planks or panels that form the flooring of a boat's interior, typically installed over the bilge area to provide a stable walking surface and access to the bilge. Sole boards, often referred to simply as "the sole," are an integral part of a boat's interior construction. They serve both functional and aesthetic...

The universally recognised distress signal used in maritime communication to indicate an emergency requiring immediate assistance. The German government introduced it as part of the international Morse code in 1905. On July 1, 1908, following the International Radiotelegraph Convention of 1906, SOS was adopted globally as the standard distress signal. SOS was proposed in 1906The...

A relatively narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water or separates a mainland from an island. A sound is a geographical feature commonly found in coastal areas, where it serves as a natural waterway connecting larger bodies of water, such as seas or oceans, with smaller bays, inlets, or rivers. It...

The measurement of the depth of water, typically using a lead line or modern electronic equipment. Sounding is a traditional maritime practice used to determine the depth of water beneath a vessel. Historically, sailors would use a lead line, which is a long rope with a lead weight attached to the end. The weight would...

Sea area of the Met Office Shipping Forecast. Located southeast of Iceland in the North Atlantic. Southeast Iceland covers waters renamed from “Iceland” in 1955, southeast of the island. Influenced by the Gulf Stream, it is milder than the open Atlantic but still sees frequent gales (Force 8–10) and large swells; a January 1995 storm...