Glossary Archive

The tendency of a sailing vessel to turn windward (towards the wind) when under sail, requiring corrective steering to maintain a desired course. Weather helm is a common phenomenon experienced on sailing vessels and is directly related to the balance of forces acting on the boat's sails and hull. It occurs when the centre of...

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.

To bind the end of a rope with small cord or twine to prevent it from fraying. Whipping is a traditional and essential technique in ropework, particularly in the maritime world, where ropes and lines are frequently exposed to harsh conditions that can cause fraying or unraveling. The process involves tightly wrapping a smaller cord,...

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']

Sea area of the Met Office Shipping Forecast. Covers the Solent and waters around the Isle of Wight off southern England. After the Isle of Wight (Old English “Wiht”), Wight sees southwest winds of Force 4–6 and confused seas in the Solent’s strong tidal races. An unprecedented calm during the 1976 drought highlighted its normally...