Glossary

A United States sailing-education organisation that develops course standards and accredits affiliated schools and instructors.

ASA offers a...

The four-stage process used to develop, carry out and continuously check a passage plan.

Appraisal gathers relevant information and assesses...

The four-stage process used to develop, carry out and continuously check a passage plan.

Appraisal gathers relevant information and assesses...

A United States sailing-education organisation that develops course standards and accredits affiliated schools and instructors.

ASA offers a...

The senior deck crew member responsible for supervising deck work, maintenance and seamanship equipment.

The bosun normally allocates and...

An assigned sequence of letters or letters and figures used to identify a radio station or vessel in communications.

For ships, the call sign...

The European Code for Navigation on Inland Waterways.

It standardises signs, lights, sound signals and navigation rules used on many...

The challenging yacht club that agrees the next America's Cup match conditions with the defending yacht club under the Deed of Gift.

Once a...

A business or person supplying equipment, consumables or provisions for vessels.

A ship chandler commonly serves commercial ships in port,...

The senior deck officer immediately below the master on a merchant vessel.

Also called the chief officer or first mate, this officer normally...

Historically, a port-health document stating that no infectious disease was known to exist at a vessel’s port of departure.

A clean bill could...

The international rules governing vessel conduct, lookout, safe speed, collision avoidance and navigation lights, shapes and sound signals.

The General Lighthouse Authority responsible for marine aids to navigation around the island of Ireland and its adjacent seas and islands.

An international satellite system that detects and locates compatible 406 MHz distress beacons and relays alerts to search-and-rescue...

The appropriate flag of a host state flown by a visiting vessel in accordance with local law and maritime custom.

It is normally hoisted after...

The people assigned to operate, maintain or serve aboard a vessel.

Crew can include the master or skipper, deck and engineering personnel,...

The shipboard department responsible for navigation, cargo work, deck maintenance and many seamanship operations.

It is normally led by the...

A certificated member of a ship’s deck department who performs navigational watches and deck-management duties.

Depending on rank, a deck...

To lower a vessel’s ensign temporarily as a traditional maritime salute.

The ensign is lowered part-way or, where the arrangement permits,...

One of two shortened two-hour watches traditionally scheduled from 16:00–18:00 and 18:00–20:00.

Splitting the normal four-hour period creates...