Glossary Archive

A piece of equipment designed to assist a person in staying afloat in water by providing buoyancy. A Personal Flotation Device (PFD), commonly known as a life jacket or buoyancy aid, is a crucial piece of safety equipment for anyone participating in water activities. PFDs come in various types and sizes, but they all serve...

The Phonetic Alphabet, also known as the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet or NATO phonetic alphabet, is a standardised set of words used to represent the letters of the alphabet in oral communication. Each word in the phonetic alphabet corresponds to a specific letter and is designed to reduce ambiguity and miscommunication when spelling out words...

A stout timber or metal post driven vertically into the a river or seabed

An expert in local waters who assists vessels entering or leaving harbour; An official publication posting details of, for example, local coasts, dangers and harbours

Pilotage is the use of fixed visual references by sight or radar to safely navigate to a destination, usually a port or harbour, with the help of a map or nautical chart. Pilotage techniques apply when close to land or other navigational reference points.

To sail too close to the wind so that the sails lose driving power

Pipe down is a nautical term meaning to quiet down or cease talking. It is often used as a command on a boat or ship to instruct crew members or passengers to lower their voices or stop making noise. The term comes from the practice of using a whistle, or “pipe,” to signal commands on...

The angle or inclination of a vessel's bow and stern as it moves up and down in response to waves. Pitch is a critical concept in marine dynamics, describing the longitudinal motion of a vessel as it rotates around its lateral axis. This movement is caused by the interaction between the vessel and the waves,...

A capsize where a boat flips longitudinally, usually caused by the bow digging into a wave or sudden deceleration. A pitch pole is a dramatic and often dangerous form of capsize where a vessel, most commonly a multihull such as a catamaran or trimaran, flips forward over its bow. This typically occurs when the boat...

A compact, portable device used to transmit a distress signal via satellite to alert search and rescue services in emergencies at sea. A Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is an essential piece of safety equipment for mariners, designed to provide a lifeline in situations where traditional communication methods, such as VHF radios or mobile phones, are...