Glossary Archive

To lift the anchor from the seabed in preparation for setting sail or moving a vessel. Weighing anchor is a fundamental nautical action that signifies the start of a vessel's journey or a change in its position. The term originates from the Old English word "wegan," meaning "to lift or carry." When a ship is...

A standard in satellite-derived positions. Charts will indicate if they are calibrated to WGS84 or another system. WGS84 is the standard adopted by most cartographers for GNSS (GPS) positions. Established and maintained by the United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency since 1984. The NGIA revised it in 2014, however, it retains the reference WGS84. Its pre-cursers were...

The wheel is used to steer the vessel. This yacht has two wheels so that the helmsman or woman has a clear view up either side of the vessel.

Twine bound round the ends of a rope to keep it from fraying

Light spar to hold out the clew of a headsail when running, particularly when goosewinged

Pronounced: WISS-key The term for the letter W in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet.

Breaking waves with foamy crest. Not surf breaking on the shore

Beaufort Scale – Force 10 A Whole Gale is a term used in meteorology to describe a wind of force 10 on the Beaufort scale, corresponding to sustained winds of 48-55 knots (55-63 mph or 89-102 km/h). Whole Gales are considered very strong winds that can cause significant damage to ships and coastal areas. [wpdm_package id='2729']

A mechanical device used on boats to haul in or let out heavy loads, typically consisting of a drum or spool around which a rope, cable, or chain is wound. A winch is an essential piece of equipment on many vessels, particularly sailboats and larger motorboats, where it is used to manage the tension and...

A removable handle used for operating a winch