Glossary
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TermDefinition
- General Nautical Terminology, Navigation Secondary Port
A location where tidal information is derived by applying corrections to data from a nearby Standard Port.
A secondary port is a coastal...
More Details - Flag / Pennant, Signals & Communication Second Substitute (ICS Flag)
Substitute or repeater flags allow messages with duplicate characters to be signalled without requiring multiple sets of flags.
- General Nautical Terminology Sector Light
Occasionally a light may not be visible through 360 degrees, or it may shine different colours depending on where it is viewed from. In this...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Safety, Signals & Communication Sécurité
A maritime safety message broadcast over radio to convey important but non-urgent navigational or weather-related information.
Sécurité is a...
More Details - Flag Semaphore, Morse Code, Signals & Communication Semaphore
A signalling system used to convey information at a distance by means of visual signals, typically using flags or lights.
Semaphore is a...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Semi-Displacement VesselA semi-displacement hull combines the features of a planing vessel along with a displacement hull. The vessel will rise at the bow as she... More Details
- General Nautical Terminology SendVertical movement of waves or swell against, for example, a harbour wall
- General Nautical Terminology, Navigation Set
The direction which a current flows in a body of water.
In marine navigation, understanding the set of a current is crucial for plotting an...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation Set
The process of securing a boat in a stationary position by deploying and embedding an anchor into the seabed.
When a mariner 'sets anchor',...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Set Sail
To "set sail" means to begin a voyage or journey by sea, typically by hoisting the sails of a sailboat or ship to catch the wind and propel the...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Shackle
A U-shaped metal fitting with a pin or bolt across the opening, used in marine applications to connect ropes, chains, or other fittings...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology ShaftdriveMany sailing vessels and most motor cruisers will have a shaftdrive transmission system. A shaft runs from the gearbox, through the hull beneath... More Details
- General Nautical Terminology Shaft Drive
Shaft drive refers to a method of transferring power from an engine to a boat's propeller. In this system, a driveshaft connects the engine to...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Sheet
A line or rope used to control the angle of a sail relative to the wind.
In sailing, a sheet is an essential part of the rigging system and...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Shipping ForecastWeather forecast broadcast four times each day by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for the benefit of those at sea
- General Nautical Terminology Shipping LaneA busy track across the sea or ocean
- General Nautical Terminology ShipshapeNeat and efficient
- General Nautical Terminology ShoalAn area offshore where the water is to shallow that a vessel might run aground. To shoal is to become shallow
- General Nautical Terminology Shock CordElastic rubber bands enclosed in a sheath of fibres, very useful for lashing
- General Nautical Terminology Shorten SailTo reduce the amount of sail set either by reefing or changing to make a smaller sail