Glossary Archive

An area offshore where the water is to shallow that a vessel might run aground. To shoal is to become shallow

Elastic rubber bands enclosed in a sheath of fibres, very useful for lashing

To reduce the amount of sail set either by reefing or changing to make a smaller sail

A strong, fixed line or wire that supports a sailing vessel's mast laterally, running from the mast to the sides of the hull or to chainplates.  A shroud is an essential part of a sailing vessel's standing rigging, designed to stabilise and support the mast by preventing it from swaying sideways under the forces of...

The deck alongside the coachroof

Pronounced: see-AIR-rah The term for the letter S in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet.

A wall which acts as a dam, to keep water in a marina

A skeg is a small fin or projection on the bottom of a boat's hull, typically near the stern. It helps to provide directional stability and improve the boat's handling by reducing side-to-side motion or yawing. Skegs are commonly found on various types of watercraft, including sailboats, powerboats, and kayaks. Sail drive propulsion gearboxes are...

A German recreational boating licence required for operating yachts under sail or power in coastal waters up to 12 nautical miles offshore.  The Sportküstenschifferschein (SKS) is a voluntary but widely recognised German boating licence for recreational sailors and motorboat operators. It is intended for those who wish to skipper yachts in coastal waters, specifically within...

A method of reefing a boomed sail where the sail is flaked down on top of the boom. This allows the sail to be reefed by pulling a line attached to a cringle at its luff and securing it to a hook or cleat on the boom. The clew of the sail is secured using...