Glossary
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TermDefinition
- General Nautical Terminology Stove
A compact cooking appliance or heating device, often found aboard vessels, used for preparing meals or warming the cabin.
The stove primarily...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Stow
To put away in an appropriate place. Being stowed implies that something has been safely stored and lashed down to stop if from moving when at sea.
- General Nautical Terminology, Navigation STW
The velocity at which a vessel moves relative to the water it is travelling through, excluding the effects of current or tidal flow.
Speed...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation Superbuoy
Large buoys, generally more than 5 m in diameter, are distinguished on charts because their unusually large size renders them a potential hazard...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation SV-ECS
Electronic navigation standards for commercial vessels less than 24m .
Equipment meeting the requirements of this performance standard is...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation SwashwayA narrow channel between shoals
- General Nautical Terminology Swinging Room
The area around a vessel at anchor where it can safely swing with changes in wind or tide without risk of collision or grounding.
Swinging...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Parts of a Boat Symetric Spinnaker
A large, lightweight, balloon-shaped sail used when sailing downwind, designed with identical halves to allow it to be flown on either side of...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Weather (Meteorology) Synoptic Chart
A graphical representation of meteorological data over a specific area at a particular time, used to display weather patterns and...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Syzygy
The alignment of three celestial bodies—typically the Earth, Moon, and Sun—along a straight line, often resulting in phenomena such as tides,...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Tack
Verb: To change the direction of a sailing vessel by turning its bow through the wind, allowing the wind to shift from one side of the sail to...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Tack
The lower forward corner of a sail, where it is secured to the boat or rigging.
The tack of a sail is the point where the luff (leading edge)...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Tacking
To manoeuvre or turning a sailing vessel's bow through the wind to change direction, allowing it to sail in a zigzag pattern upwind.
Tacking...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Take InLower a sail
- General Nautical Terminology Take the Helm
To assume control or responsibility for steering or navigating a vessel.
Taking the helm refers to the act of assuming control over the...
More Details - Phonetic Alphabet, Signals & Communication Tango
Pronounced: TANG-go
The term for the letter T in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet.
- Flag / Pennant, Signals & Communication Code Flag Tango (T)

The International Maritime Signal Flag Tango.
Meaning
Keep clear of me.
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Fishing boats: Keep clear of me; I am engaged in pair... - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation TCPA
A measure used primarily in maritime and aviation contexts to estimate the time until two moving objects (e.g., ships or aircraft) reach their...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation TDOP
A measure used in satellite navigation systems, such as GPS, to quantify the effect of errors in the timing of satellite signals on the accuracy...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology Tell Tales
Small strips of lightweight material, such as yarn or ribbon, attached to a sail or rigging to indicate airflow and help sailors optimise sail...
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