Glossary
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TermDefinition
- General Nautical Terminology Leeward
The side of a vessel or an object that is sheltered from the wind, opposite to the windward side.
Leeward is a crucial concept for...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Parts of a Boat Length Overall (LOA)
The total length of a vessel measured from the foremost point of the bow to the aftmost point of the stern, including any fixed...
More Details - Flag Semaphore, Signals & Communication Letters to Follow (Flag Semaphore)

This flag semaphore signal indicates a change from numbers to letters (Letters to follow). This switches back from numbers to the default...
More Details - Courses, RYA Level 1 Start Powerboating (PB1)The RYA Level 1 Start Powerboating course introduces beginners to the basics of powerboat handling. Participants learn low-speed maneuvers, safety... More Details
- Courses, RYA Level 2 Powerboat Handling (PB2)The RYA Level 2 Powerboat Handling course is a comprehensive two-day program that teaches participants the skills needed to operate powerboats... More Details
- General Nautical Terminology, Safety Life Jacket
A buoyant, wearable safety device designed to keep a person afloat in the water and reduce the risk of drowning.
A life jacket, also known as...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology LifelinePersonal safety device attached to harness on lifejacket and to vessel strongpoint. Designed to keep you on board
- General Nautical Terminology, Safety Liferaft
An inflatable or rigid floating device designed to provide emergency refuge and safety for individuals forced to abandon a vessel at sea.
A...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Lighthouse
A tall, often cylindrical structure equipped with a powerful light and other navigational aids, built near coastlines or on islands to guide...
More Details - Phonetic Alphabet, Signals & Communication Lima
Pronounced: LEE-mah
The term for the letter L in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet.
- General Nautical Terminology Line
A rope used on a boat for various purposes, such as securing the vessel to a mooring (mooring line), adjusting sails (halyard or sheet), towing...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation Lines of Position (LOP)
Navigational lines drawn on a chart, each representing a possible location of a vessel based on a single observation or measurement.
A line...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology ListA permanent lean to one side or the other
- General Nautical Terminology Listing
The condition of a vessel leaning to one side due to an imbalance in weight or external forces.
A vessel lists when it tilts to port or...
More Details - Flag Semaphore, Signals & Communication Letter L (Flag Semaphore)

Flag semaphore indicating the letter L.
- Morse Code, Signals & Communication Letter L (Morse Code)
International Morse Code sequence representing the letter L.
- General Nautical Terminology, Navigation LNM
An official publication issued by maritime authorities to inform mariners of temporary or permanent changes to navigational aids, hazards, or...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Parts of a Boat LOA
The total length of a vessel measured from the foremost point of the bow to the aftmost point of the stern, including any fixed...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation Local Notice to Mariners (LNM)
An official publication issued by maritime authorities to inform mariners of temporary or permanent changes to navigational aids, hazards, or...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Lock
A gated section of a waterway, such as a canal or river, designed to raise or lower vessels between stretches of water at different levels.
A...
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