Glossary
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TermDefinition
- General Nautical Terminology, Navigation DR
A navigational method used to estimate a vessel's current position based on a previously known position, factoring in speed, time, and course...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology DragThe anchor drags when it fails to hold and slides over the seabed
- General Nautical Terminology Draught
The vertical distance between the waterline and the lowest point of the hull, typically the keel, indicating how deep the vessel sits in the...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology DredgerA vessel for dredging a channel
- General Nautical Terminology Drift
To be carried along by currents or wind without a set course or direction. The movement of a vessel or object caused by wind, currents, or tides,...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Drogue
A device, often resembling a small parachute or cone, deployed from a vessel or lifeboat to create drag and stabilise its movement in rough...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Drying Height
The vertical distance between the seabed or a drying feature, such as a rock or sandbank, and chart datum, which is usually lowest astronomical...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Safety, Signals & Communication DSC
An automated VHF and MF/HF radio communication system used in maritime environments to send distress alerts, establish contact, and exchange...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation DTW
The measured distance, typically in nautical miles, between a vessel's current position and a predetermined navigational point or...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Dyneema
A high-performance synthetic fibre known for its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio.
It is often used in marine applications for rigging,...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Ease OutTo let a rope out gradually
- General Nautical Terminology, Navigation Ebb Tide
The period during which the tide is receding, causing water levels to fall as it flows away from the shore towards the sea.
Ebb tide is a...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation ECDIS
An Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) is a geographic information system used for nautical navigation that complies with IMO...
More Details - Phonetic Alphabet, Signals & Communication Echo
Pronounced: ECK-oh
The term for the letter E in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet.
- General Nautical Terminology Echo SounderAn electronic depth-finding instrument
- General Nautical Terminology Echo SoundingThe result of measuring the depth of the water using a sonar device or Echo Sounder
- General Nautical Terminology, Weather (Meteorology) ECMWF
A European intergovernmental organisation that provides medium-range weather forecasts for its member countries and the wider international...
More Details - Flag / Pennant, Signals & Communication Code Flag Echo (E)

The International Maritime Signal Flag Echo.
Meaning
I am altering course to starboard.
- Did you know?, General Nautical Terminology Eco Mooring Buoy
A specially designed mooring system that allows vessels to anchor without damaging the seabed, particularly sensitive habitats like seagrass beds...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS)
An Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) is a geographic information system used for nautical navigation that complies with IMO...
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