yachtie language

Do you speak yachtie? A-Z glossary of Yachting terms

Updated: Apr 24, 2023

Superyacht industry has its own unique set of terminologies, that may seem confusing to someone who is new to superyachting. While some of the terms used is borrowed from the boating industry, others are unique to the superyacht world. In this article, we will explore the most common terms used in the superyacht industry, and help newcomers understand the language of yachties.

Aft – The back of the yacht. It is also known as the stern, and it’s where the yacht’s engines and steering mechanisms are located.

AIS - AIS, or Automatic Identification System, is used to track other vessels and communicate with them. This is important for safety and navigation.

Anchor - A heavy weight that is dropped from the yacht to hold it in place.

Abeam - At a right angle to the center of a vessel’s length

APA - APA or Advanced Provisioning Allowance is an additional charter fee paid in advance to cover the cost of provisions such as fuel, food and drink, and marina fees. The APA is usually 30% of the charter fee.

Bow – The front of the yacht. This is the direction the yacht moves towards.

Beam - The beam of a yacht refers to its width, measured at its widest point. This is an important measurement, as it can impact a yacht's stability and performance.

Berth - A designated space in a marina or on a yacht where a yacht can be docked or anchored.

Bridge - The area of the yacht where the captain navigates and controls the yacht.

Bilge - The deepest part of the vessel’s hull often used for storage

Crew – The team of people who work on a yacht. This includes the captain, first mate, deckhands, steward(ess), chef, and engineers.

Captain - The captain is the person in charge of the yacht and its crew. They are responsible for the safety of the yacht and its passengers, as well as navigating the vessel.

Capstan - A winch used to wind in an anchor and tighten lines

Draft – The distance from the waterline to the bottom of the yacht’s hull. This measurement is important for determining the depth of water needed to navigate safely.

Displacement - The weight of the yacht when fully loaded.

Deckhand - A crew member responsible for maintaining the exterior of the yacht.

EPIRB – Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. This device is used to send a distress signal in case of an emergency.

ENG1 - MCA-approved medical certificate required for all crew on commercial superyachts.

ENGINEER - The engineer or chief engineer ensures the safe and efficient operation of the main propulsion and all auxiliary systems on board, including deck machinery, tenders and toys, and all hotel services. He/She is the one that keeps toilet flushing, AC working and the galley power on as some would also say 😊

Fender – A cushion or bumper that is placed between the yacht and the dock or another vessel to prevent damage.

First Mate - The second in command after the captain.

Flybridge - An open deck on the top of the yacht.

Foredeck - The forward part of the deck of a ship, usually level with the main deck

GPS – Global Positioning System. This is used for navigation and to pinpoint the yacht’s location.

Galley - The galley is the kitchen on a yacht. Depending on the size of the yacht, it may be a small space with limited amenities or a fully equipped professional kitchen.

Gunwhale - The upper edge of a yacht’s sides

Gross Tonnage - This is a measurement of the volume of the yacht’s enclosed spaces.

Hull – The body of the yacht that floats on the water. The hull design affects the yacht’s performance and efficiency.

Head - The head is the bathroom on a yacht. Depending on the size of the yacht, there may be multiple heads for guests and crew.

Interior – The living quarters of the yacht. This includes cabins, the galley, and the salon.

IMO - IMO stands for International Maritime Organisation and is the United Nations agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping

Jib - on sailing yachts, it is the foresail

Jacuzzi – well... Do we need to say what it is? 😊 A hot tub on a yacht. It’s a luxurious addition to any yacht and can provide a relaxing soak after a day of activities.

Knot – A unit of speed used in navigation. One knot is equal to one nautical mile per hour.

Keel - On sailing vessels, a structural framework that runs longitudinally along the centreline of a hull to increase stability

LOA – Length Overall. This is the length of the yacht from the tip of the bow to the end of the stern. It is a common way to measure the size of the yacht.

Leeward - The side sheltered from the wind

Mooring – The process of securing the yacht to a dock or anchor. It’s important to moor the yacht properly to prevent damage and ensure safety.

Mile - Nautical Mile (to be more precise) is a unit used in measuring distances at sea, equal to 1,852 meters

Navigation – The process of determining the yacht’s position and direction. This includes using GPS, charts, and other navigation tools.

Net Tonnage - Net tonnage is a measurement of a yacht's cargo carrying capacity. This measurement takes into account the yacht's volume and the amount of cargo it can carry.

Owner – The person or entity that owns the yacht. The one you need to satisfy (almost) anytime for (almost) anything! They may hire a crew to operate the yacht or use a management company.

Overhead - The overhead on a yacht refers to the ceiling or roof of a cabin or room. This can be important for crew to know when moving around the yacht

Port – The left side of the yacht when facing the bow. It’s important to know port and starboard when navigating a yacht.

Quarter - The quarter of a yacht refers to the aft part of the vessel. This can be an important area for crew to work in when mooring or maneuvering the yacht.

Quality – The level of excellence and attention to detail that goes into building and maintaining a yacht. High-quality materials and craftsmanship are essential for a safe and comfortable yacht.

Radar – A device used to detect other vessels or objects in the water. This is important for avoiding collisions and navigating in poor visibility.

Rudder - An underwater blade used for steering

Steward(ess) – A crew member responsible for maintaining the interior of the yacht and attending to the guests. This includes cleaning, cooking, and serving meals.

Superstructure - The part of the yacht above the hull, including the decks and cabins.

Salon - The living room on a yacht.

Starboard - the right side of the yacht (when facing the bow).

Stern - The rear end of a yacht.

Tender – A smaller boat used to transport guests or supplies to and from the yacht. It’s important to have a reliable tender for accessing remote areas and exploring.

Trimming - Adjusting the angle of the sails on a sailing yacht

Underway – The state of the yacht when it’s moving. This is different from being at anchor or docked.

Varnish – A protective coating used on the yacht’s woodwork. Varnish needs to be regularly maintained to keep the yacht looking beautiful.

Windlass – A device used to raise and lower the anchor. This is important for anchoring the yacht securely and safely.

Warp - A line used for anchoring or mooring

X-ray – A medical test that crew members may need to undergo to ensure they are healthy and fit to work on a yacht. Crew members need to be in good physical condition to handle the demands of the job, especially when they stay a long time at sea.

Yachtie – A term used to refer to someone who works on a yacht. This includes crew members such as the captain, first mate, deckhands, steward(ess), chef, and engineers. Being a yachtie is not just a job, but a lifestyle that requires a unique set of skills and knowledge. One of the most important aspects of being a successful yachtie is being able to communicate effectively with your crew members and guests. Superyacht terminology can be complex and daunting for newcomers, but with some guidance and practice, anyone can learn to speak yachtie.

Zulu Time – A standardized time used in navigation and communication on yachts. It’s also known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This ensures that everyone on the yacht is on the same schedule, regardless of their location.

You want more?

If you want to go further and master all technical words, have a look at the most complete report on maintenance systems used onboard yachts across the world.

To go quick, have a look at this video and discover the BoatOn Book 😊

You have other words you want to add to this article or want some explanation about? Write to us at [email protected] !

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Nautical + Sailing Terms You Should Know [578 Phrases]

June 5, 2019 2:05 pm

A seaman’s jargon is among the most challenging to memorize. With over 500 terms used to communicate with a captain, crew, and sailors regarding navigation and more, there’s a word for nearly everything. No need to jump ship, this comprehensive list will have you speaking the lingo in no time.

Abaft the beam: A relative bearing of greater than 90 degrees from the bow. e.g. “two points abaft the port beam.”

Abaft: Toward the stern, relative to some object (“abaft the fore hatch”).

Abandon Ship: An imperative to leave the vessel immediately, usually in the face of some imminent danger.

Abeam: “On the beam”, a relative bearing at right angles to the centerline of the ship’s keel.

Aboard: On or in a vessel. Close aboard means near a ship.

Above board: On or above the deck, in plain view, not hiding anything.

Accommodation ladder: A portable flight of steps down a ship’s side.

Admiral: Senior naval officer of Flag rank. In ascending order of seniority, Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, Admiral and Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy). Derivation reputedly Arabic, from “Emir al Bath” (“Ruler of the waters”).

Admiralty law: Body of law that deals with maritime cases. In the UK administered by the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice.

Adrift: Afloat and unattached in any way to the shore or seabed. It may also imply that a vessel is not anchored and not under control, therefore goes where the wind and current take her, (loose from moorings, or out of place). Also refers to any gear not fastened down or put away properly. It can also be used to mean “absent without leave”.

Affreightment: Hiring of a vessel

Aft: Towards the stern (of the vessel).

Afterdeck: Deck behind a ship’s bridge

Afterguard: Men who work the aft sails on the quarterdeck and poop deck

Aground: Resting on or touching the ground or bottom.

Ahead: Forward of the bow.

Ahoy: A cry to draw attention. A term used to hail a boat or a ship, as “Boat ahoy!”.

Ahull: With sails furled and helm lashed to the lee-side.

Aid to Navigation: ( ATON) Any device external to a vessel or aircraft specifically intended to assist navigators in determining their position or safe course, or to warn them of dangers or obstructions to navigation.

All hands: Entire ship’s company, both officers and enlisted personnel.

All-Round White Light: On power-driven vessels less than 39.4 feet in length, this light may be used to combine a masthead light and sternlight into a single white light that can be seen by other vessels from any direction. This light serves as an anchor light when sidelights are extinguished.

Aloft: Above the ship’s uppermost solid structure; overhead or high above.

Alongside: By the side of a ship or pier.

Amidships (or midships): In the middle portion of the ship, along the line of the keel.

Anchor ball: Black shape hoisted in the forepart of a ship to show that ship is anchored in a fairway.

Anchor buoy: A small buoy secured by a light line to anchor to indicate the position of the anchor on the bottom.

Anchor chain or cable: Chain connecting the ship to the anchor.

Anchor detail: Group of men who handle ground tackle when the ship is anchoring or getting underway.

Anchor light: White light displayed by a ship at anchor. Two such lights are displayed by a ship over 150 feet (46 m) in length.

Anchor watch: Making sure that the anchor is holding and the vessel is not drifting. Important during rough weather and at night. Most marine GPS units have an Anchor Watch alarm capability.

Anchor: An object designed to prevent or slow the drift of a ship, attached to the ship by a line or chain; typically a metal, hook-like object, designed to grip the bottom under the body of water.

Anchorage: A suitable place for a ship to anchor. Area of a port or harbor.

Anchor’s aweigh: Said of an anchor when just clear of the bottom.

As the crow flies: A direct line between two points (which might cross land) which is the way crows travel rather than ships which must go around land.

Ashore: On the beach, shore or land.

Astern: Toward the stern; an object or vessel that is abaft another vessel or object.

ASW: Anti-submarine warfare.

Asylum Harbor: A harbor used to provide shelter from a storm.

Athwart, athwartships: At right angles to the fore and aft or centerline of a ship.

Avast: Stop! Cease or desist from whatever is being done.

Awash: So low in the water that the water is constantly washing across the surface.

Aweigh: Position of an anchor just clear of the bottom.

Aye, aye: Reply to an order or command to indicate that it, firstly, is heard; and, secondly, is understood and will be carried out. (“Aye, aye, sir” to officers).

Azimuth circle: Instrument used to take bearings of celestial objects.

Azimuth compass: An instrument employed for ascertaining the position of the sun with respect to magnetic north. The azimuth of an object is its bearing from the observer measured as an angle clockwise from true north.

Back and fill: To use the advantage of the tide being with you when the wind is not.

Backstays: Long lines or cables, reaching from the rear of the vessel to the mast heads, used to support the mast.

Baggywrinkle: A soft covering for cables (or any other obstructions) that prevents sail chafing from occurring.

Bale Cube (or Bale Capacity): The space available for cargo measured in cubic feet to the inside of the cargo battens, on the frames, and to the underside of the beams.

Ballaster: One who supplies ships with ballast.

Bank (sea floor): A large area of elevated sea floor.

Banyan: Traditional Royal Navy term for a day or shorter period of rest and relaxation.

Bar pilot: A bar pilot guides ships over the dangerous sandbars at the mouth of rivers and bays.

Bar: Large mass of sand or earth, formed by the surge of the sea. They are mostly found at the entrances of great rivers or havens, and often render navigation extremely dangerous, but confer tranquility once inside. See also: Touch and go, grounding. Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem ‘Crossing the bar’ an allegory for death.

Bargemaster: Owner of a barge.

Barrelman: A sailor that was stationed in the crow’s nest.

Beacon: A lighted or unlighted fixed aid to navigation attached directly to the earth’s surface. (Lights and daybeacons both constitute beacons).

Beam ends: The sides of a ship. “On her beam ends” may mean the vessel is literally on her side and possibly about to capsize; more often, the phrase means the vessel is listing 45 degrees or more.

Beam: The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point or a point alongside the ship at the mid-point of its length.

Bear away: Turn away from the wind, often with reference to a transit.

Bear down: Turn away from the wind, often with reference to a transit.

Bearing: The horizontal direction of a line of sight between two objects on the surface of the earth.

Bee: Hardwood on either side of bowsprit through which forestays are reeved

Before the mast: Literally, the area of a ship before the foremast (the forecastle). Most often used to describe men whose living quarters are located here, officers being housed behind (abaft) the mast and enlisted men before the mast. This was because the midships area where the officers were berthed is more stable, being closer to the center of gravity, and thus more comfortable. It is less subject to the up and down movement resulting from the ship’s pitching.

Belay: To secure a rope by winding on a pin or cleat

Belaying pins: Bars of iron or hardwood to which running rigging may be secured, or belayed.

Berth: A bed on a boat, or a space in a port or harbor where a vessel can be tied up.

Best bower (anchor): The larger of two anchors carried in the bow; so named as it was the last, best hope.

Bilge: The bilge is the compartment at the bottom of the hull of a ship or boat where water collects so that it may be pumped out of the vessel at a later time.

Bilged on her anchor: A ship that has run upon her own anchor.

Bimini: Weather-resistant fabric stretched over a stainless steel frame, fastened above the cockpit of a sailboat or flybridge of a power yacht which serves as a rain or sun shade.

Bimmy: A punitive instrument.

Binnacle list: A ship’s sick list. The list of men unable to report for duty was given to the officer or mate of the watch by the ship’s surgeon. The list was kept at the binnacle.

Binnacle: The stand on which the ship’s compass is mounted.

Bitter end: The anchor cable is tied to the bitts when the cable is fully paid out, the bitter end has been reached. The last part of a rope or cable.

Bitts: Posts mounted on a ship for fastening ropes

Bloody: An intensive derived from the substantive ‘blood’, a name applied to the Bucks, Scrowers, and Mohocks of the seventeenth centuries.

Blue Peter: A blue and white flag hoisted at the foretrucks of ships about to sail.

Boat: A craft or vessel designed to float on, and provide transport over, water.

Boatswain or bosun: A non-commissioned officer responsible for the sails, ropes, and boats on a ship who issues “piped” commands to seamen.

Bobstay: Rope used on ships to steady the bowsprit

Bollard: From “bol” or “bole”, the round trunk of a tree. A substantial vertical pillar to which lines may be made fast. Generally on the quayside rather than the ship.

Boltrope: Strong rope stitched to edges of a sail

Booby hatch: A sliding hatch or cover.

Booby: A type of bird that has little fear and therefore is particularly easy to catch, hence booby prize.

Boom vang: A sail control that lets one apply downward tension on the boom, countering the upward tension provided by the mainsail. The boom vang adds an element of control to mainsail shape when the mainsheet is let out enough that it no longer pulls the boom down. Boom vang tension helps control leech twist, a primary component of sail power.

Boom: A spar used to extend the foot of a fore-and-aft sail.

Booms: Masts or yards, lying on board in reserve.

Bosun: Boatswain

Bottomry: Pledging a ship as security in a financial transaction.

Bow: The front of a ship.

Bower: Anchor carried at bow of a ship

Bowline: A type of knot, producing a strong loop of a fixed size, topologically similar to a sheet bend. Also, a rope attached to the side of a sail to pull it towards the bow (for keeping the windward edge of the sail steady).

Bowse: To pull or hoist.

Bowsprit: A spar projecting from the bow used as an anchor for the forestay and other rigging.

Brail: To furl or truss a sail by pulling it in towards the mast, or the ropes used to do so.

Bream: To clean a ship’s bottom by burning off seaweed.

Bridge: A structure above the weather deck, extending the full width of the vessel, which houses a command center, itself called by association, the bridge.

Bring to: Cause a ship to be stationary by arranging the sails.

Broaching-to: A sudden movement in navigation, when the ship, while scudding before the wind, accidentally turns her leeward side to windward, also use to describe the point when water starts to come over the gunwale due to this turn.

Buffer: The chief bosun’s mate, responsible for discipline.

Bulkhead: An upright wall within the hull of a ship. Particularly a load bearing wall.

Bulwark: The extension of the ship’s side above the level of the weather deck.

Bumboat: A private boat selling goods.

Bumpkin: An iron bar (projecting outboard from a ship’s side) to which the lower and topsail brace blocks are sometimes hooked. Chains supporting/stabilizing the bowsprit.

Bunt: Middle of sail, fish-net or cloth when slack.

Buntline: One of the lines tied to the bottom of a square sail and used to haul it up to the yard when furling.

Buoy: A floating object of defined shape and color, which is anchored at a given position and serves as an aid to navigation.

Buoyed Up: Lifted by a buoy, especially a cable that has been lifted to prevent it from trailing on the bottom.

Burgee: Small ship’s flag used for identification or signaling.

By and Large: By means into the wind, while large means with the wind. By and large, is used to indicate all possible situations “the ship handles well both by and large”.

By the board: Anything that has gone overboard.

Cabin boy: attendant on passengers and crew.

Cabin: an enclosed room on a deck or flat.

Cable: A large rope; also a measure of length or distance. Equivalent to (UK) 1/10 nautical mile, approx. 600 feet; (USA) 120 fathoms, 720 feet (219 m); other countries use different values.

Cabotage: Shipping and sailing between points in the same country.

Camber: Slight arch or convexity to a beam or deck of a ship.

Canister: A type of anti-personnel cannon load in which lead balls or other loose metallic items were enclosed in a tin or iron shell. On firing the shell would disintegrate releasing the smaller metal objects.

Cape Horn fever: The name of the fake illness a malingerer is pretending to suffer from.

Capsize: When a ship or boat lists too far and rolls over, exposing the keel. On large vessels, this often results in the sinking of the ship.

Capstan: A huge rotating hub (wheel) mounted vertically and provided with horizontal holes to take up the capstan bars (when manually rotated), used to wind in anchors or other heavy objects; and sometimes to administer flogging over.

Captain’s daughter: The cat o’ nine tails, which in principle is only used on board on the captain’s (or a court martial’s) personal orders.

Careening: Cause the ship to tilt on its side, usually to clean or repair the hull below the water line.

Cargo Deadweight Tons: The weight remaining after deducting fuel, water, stores, dunnage and such other items necessary for use on a voyage from the deadweight of the vessel.

Carlin: Similar to a beam, except running in a fore and aft direction.

Cat Head: A beam extending out from the hull used to support an anchor when raised in order to secure or “fish” it.

Cat: To prepare an anchor, after raising it by lifting it with a tackle to the Cat Head, prior to securing (fishing) it alongside for sea. (An anchor raised to the Cat Head is said to be catted).

Catamaran: A vessel with two hulls.

Catboat: A cat-rigged vessel with only one sail, usually on a gaff.

Centreboard: A removable keel used to resist leeway.

Chafing Gear: Material applied to a line or spar to prevent or reduce chafing. See Baggywrinkle.

Chafing: Wear on the line or sail caused by constant rubbing against another surface.

Chain-wale or channel: A broad, thick plank that projects horizontally from each of a ship’s sides abreast a mast, distinguished as the fore, main, or mizzen channel accordingly, serving to extend the base for the shrouds, which supports the mast.

Chine: A relatively sharp angle in the hull, as compared to the rounded bottoms of most traditional boat hulls.

Chock: Metal casting with curved arms for passing ropes for mooring ship.

Chock-a-block: Rigging blocks that are so tight against one another that they cannot be further tightened.

Clean bill of health: A certificate issued by a port indicating that the ship carries no infectious diseases.

Clean slate: At the helm, the watch keeper would record details of speed, distances, headings, etc. on a slate. At the beginning of a new watch the slate would be wiped clean.

Cleat: A stationary device used to secure a rope aboard a vessel.

Clew: Corner of sail with a hole to attach ropes.

Clew-lines: Used to truss up the clews, the lower corners of square sails.

Club: hauling the ship drops one of its anchors at high speed to turn abruptly. This was sometimes used as a means to get a good firing angle on a pursuing vessel.

Coaming: The raised edge of a hatchway used to help keep out water.

Cocket: Official shipping seal; customs clearance form.

Cofferdam: Narrow vacant space between two bulkheads of a ship.

Cog: Single-masted, square-sailed ship with a raised stern.

Companionway: A raised and windowed hatchway in the ship’s deck, with a ladder leading below and the hooded entrance-hatch to the main cabins.

Compass:   Navigational instrument that revolutionized travel.

Complement: The full number of people required to operate a ship. Includes officers and crewmembers; does not include passengers.

Cordage: Ropes in the rigging of a ship.

Corrector: a device to correct the ship’s compass.

Courses: The mainsail, foresail, and mizzen.

Coxswain or cockswain: The helmsman or crew member in command of a boat.

Cringle: Loop at the corner of a sail to which a line is attached.

Crosstrees: Horizontal crosspieces at a masthead used to support ship’s mast.

Crow’s nest: Specifically a masthead constructed with sides and sometimes a roof to shelter the lookouts from the weather, generally by whaling vessels, this term has become a generic term for what is properly called masthead. See masthead.

Cube: The cargo carrying capacity of a ship, measured in cubic feet.

Cuddy: A small cabin in a boat.

Cunningham: A line invented by Briggs Cunningham, used to control the shape of a sail.

Cut and run: When wanting to make a quick escape, a ship might cut lashings to sails or cables for anchors, causing damage to the rigging, or losing an anchor, but shortening the time needed to make ready by bypassing the proper procedures.

Cut of his jib: The “cut” of a sail refers to its shape. Since this would vary between ships, it could be used both to identify a familiar vessel at a distance and to judge the possible sailing qualities of an unknown one.

Cut splice: A join between two lines, similar to an eye-splice, where each rope end is joined to the other a short distance along, making an opening which closes under tension.

Cutline: The “valley” between the strands of a rope or cable. Before serving a section of laid rope e.g. to protect it from chafing, it may be “wormed” by laying yarns in the cuntlines, giving that section an even cylindrical shape.

Daggerboard: A type of centerboard that is removed vertically.

Davit: Device for hoisting and lowering a boat.

Davy Jones (Locker): An idiom for the bottom of the sea.

Daybeacon: An unlighted fixed structure which is equipped with a dayboard for daytime identification.

Dayboard: The daytime identifier of an aid to navigation presenting one of several standard shapes (square, triangle, rectangle) and colors (red, green, white, orange, yellow, or black).

Deadeye: A round wooden plank which serves a similar purpose to a block in the standing rigging of large sailing vessels.

Deadrise: The design angle between the keel (q.v.) and horizontal.

Deadweight Tons (DWT): The difference between displacement, light and displacement, and loaded. A measure of the ship’s total carrying capacity.

Deadwood: Timbers built into ends of a ship when too narrow to permit framing.

Deckhand: A person whose job involves aiding the deck supervisor in (un)mooring, anchoring, maintenance, and general evolutions on deck.

Deck supervisor: The person in charge of all evolutions and maintenance on deck; sometimes split into two groups: forward deck supervisor, aft deck supervisor.

Deckhead: The under-side of the deck above. Sometimes paneled over to hide the pipework. This paneling, like that lining the bottom and sides of the holds, is the ceiling.

Decks: the structures forming the approximately horizontal surfaces in the ship’s general structure. Unlike flats, they are a structural part of the ship.

Demurrage: Delay of the vessel’s departure or loading with cargo.

Derrick: A lifting device composed of one mast or pole and a boom or jib which is hinged freely at the bottom.

Directional light: A light illuminating a sector or very narrow-angle and intended to mark a direction to be followed.

Displacement, Light: The weight of the ship excluding cargo, fuel, ballast, stores, passengers, and crew, but with water in the boilers to steaming level.

Displacement, Loaded: The weight of the ship including cargo, passengers, fuel, water, stores, dunnage and such other items necessary for use on a voyage, which brings the vessel down to her load draft.

Displacement: A measurement of the weight of the vessel, usually used for warships. Displacement is expressed either in long tons of 2,240 pounds or metric tons of 1,000 kg.

Disrate: To reduce in rank or rating; demote.

Dodger: Shield against rain or spray on a ship’s bridge.

Dog watch: A short watch period, generally half the usual time (e.g. a two-hour watch between two four hour ones). Such a watch might be included in order to slowly rotate the system over several days for fairness  or to allow both watches to eat their meals at approximately normal times.

Dolphin: A structure consisting of a number of piles driven into the seabed or riverbed in a circular pattern and drawn together with wire rope.

Downhaul: A line used to control either a mobile spar or the shape of a sail.

Draft, Air: Air Draft is the distance from the water line to the highest point on a ship (including antennas) while it is loaded.

Draft: The distance between the waterline and the keel of a boat; the minimum depth of water in which a boat will float.

Dressing down: Treating old sails with oil or wax to renew them, or a verbal reprimand.

Driver: The large sail flown from the mizzen gaff.

Driver-mast: The fifth mast of a six-masted barquentine or gaff schooner. It is preceded by the jigger mast and followed by the spanker mast. The sixth mast of the only seven-masted vessel, the gaff schooner Thomas W. Lawson, was normally called the pusher-mast.

Dromond: Large single-sailed ship powered by rowers.

Dunnage: Loose packing material used to protect a ship’s cargo from damage during transport. Personal baggage.

Dyogram: Ship’s chart indicating compass deflection due to ship’s iron.

Earrings: Small lines, by which the uppermost corners of the largest sails are secured to the yardarms.

Embayed: The condition where a sailing vessel is confined between two capes or headlands, typically where the wind is blowing directly onshore.

Ensign: Large naval flag.

Escutcheon: Part of ship’s stern where name is displayed.

Extremis (also known as “in extremis”): The point under International Rules of the Road (Navigation Rules) at which the privileged (or stand-on) vessel on a collision course with a burdened (or give-way) vessel determines it must maneuver to avoid a collision. Prior to extremes, the privileged vessel must maintain course and speed and the burdened vessel must maneuver to avoid a collision.

Fairlead: Ring through which rope is led to change its direction without friction.

Fardage: Wood placed in the bottom of the ship to keep cargo dry.

Fathom: A unit of length equal to 6 feet (1.8 m), roughly measured as the distance between a man’s outstretched hands.

Fender: An air or foam filled bumper used in boating to keep boats from banging into docks or each other.

Fiddley: Iron framework around hatchway opening.

Figurehead: Symbolic image at the head of a traditional sailing ship or early steamer.

Fireship: A ship loaded with flammable materials and explosives and sailed into an enemy port or fleet either already burning or ready to be set alight by its crew (who would then abandon it) in order to collide with and set fire to enemy ships.

First Lieutenant: In the Royal Navy, the senior lieutenant on board; responsible to the Commander for the domestic affairs of the ship’s company. Also known as ‘Jimmy the One’ or ‘Number One’. Removes his cap when visiting the mess decks as a token of respect for the privacy of the crew in those quarters. Officer i/c cables on the forecastle. In the U.S. Navy the senior person in charge of all Deckhands.

First Mate: The Second in command of a ship.

Fish: To repair a mast or spar with a fillet of wood. To secure an anchor on the side of the ship for sea,otherwise known as “catting”.

Flag hoist: A number of signal flags strung together to convey a message, e.g. “England expects…”.

Flagstaff: Flag pole at the stern of a ship.

Flank: The maximum speed of a ship. Faster than “full speed”.

Flatback: A Great Lakes slang term for a vessel without any self-unloading equipment.

Flemish Coil: A line coiled around itself to neaten the decks or dock.

Flog: To beat, to punish.

Fluke: The wedge-shaped part of an anchor’s arms that digs into the bottom.

Fly by night: A large sail used only for sailing downwind, requiring little attention.

Following sea: Wave or tidal movement going in the same direction as a ship.

Foot: The bottom of a sail.

Footloose: If the foot of a sail is not secured properly, it is footloose, blowing around in the wind.

Footrope: Each yard on a square-rigged sailing ship is equipped with a footrope for sailors to stand on while setting or stowing the sails.

Fore: Towards the bow (of the vessel).

Forebitt: Post for fastening cables at a ship’s foremast.

Forecabin: Cabin in the fore part of a ship.

Forecastle: A partial deck, above the upper deck and at the head of the vessel; traditionally the sailors living quarters. Pronounced “foc-sle”. The name is derived from the castle fitted to bear archers in time of war.

Forefoot: The lower part of the stem of a ship.

Foremast: Mast nearest the bow of a ship

Foresail: The lowest sail set on the foremast of a square-rigged ship.

Forestays: Long lines or cables, reaching from the front of the vessel to the mast heads, used to support the mast.

Forward: The area towards the bow.

Founder: To fill with water and sink → Wiktionary.

Frap: To draw a sail tight with ropes or cables.

Freeboard: The height of a ship’s hull (excluding superstructure) above the waterline. The vertical distance from the current waterline to the lowest point on the highest continuous watertight deck. This usually varies from one part to another.

Full and by: Sailing into the wind (by), but not as close-hauled as might be possible, so as to make sure the sails are kept full. This provides a margin for error to avoid being taken aback (a serious risk for square-rigged vessels) in a tricky sea. Figuratively it implies getting on with the job but in a steady, relaxed way, without undue urgency or strain.

Furl: To roll or wrap a sail around the mast or spar to which it is attached.

Futtock: Rib of a ship.

Gaff: The spar that holds the upper edge of a fore-and-aft or gaff sail. Also, a long hook with a sharp point to haul fish in.

Gaff-topsail: Triangular topsail with its foot extended upon the gaff.

Galley: The kitchen of the ship.

Gangplank: A movable bridge used in boarding or leaving a ship at a pier; also known as a “brow”.

Gangway: Either of the sides of the upper deck of a ship

Garbled: Garbling was the (illegal) practice of mixing cargo with garbage.

Garboard: The strake closest to the keel (from Dutch gaarboard).

Genoa: Large jib that overlaps the mainsail

Global Positioning System (GPS): A satellite-based radio navigation system providing continuous worldwide coverage. It provides navigation, position, and timing information to air, marine, and land users.

Grain Cube (or Grain Capacity): The maximum space available for cargo measured in cubic feet, the measurement being taken to the inside of the shell plating of the ship or to the outside of the frames and to the top of the beam or underside of the deck plating.

Grapnel: Small anchor used for dragging or grappling.

Gross Tons: The entire internal cubic capacity of the ship expressed in tons of 100 cubic feet to the ton, except certain spaces which are exempted such as: peak and other tanks for water ballast, open forecastle bridge and poop, access of hatchways, certain light and air spaces, domes of skylights, condenser, anchor gear, steering gear, wheelhouse, galley and cabin for passengers.

Groundage: A charge on a ship in port.

Gudgeon: Metal socket into which the pintle of a boat’s rudder fits.

Gunnage: Number of guns carried on a warship.

Gunwhale: Upper edge of the hull.

Gybe: To swing a sail from one side to another.

Halyard or Halliard: Originally, ropes used for hoisting a spar with a sail attached; today, a line used to raise the head of any sail.

Hammock: Canvas sheets, slung from the deckhead in mess decks, in which seamen slept. “Lash up and stow” a piped command to tie up hammocks and stow them (typically) in racks inboard of the ship’s side to protect the crew from splinters from shot and provide a ready means of preventing flooding caused by damage.

Hand Bomber: A ship using coal-fired boilers shoveled in by hand.

Handsomely: With a slow even motion, as when hauling on a line “handsomely.”

Hank: A fastener attached to the luff of the headsail that attaches the headsail to the forestay. Typical designs include a bronze or plastic hook with a spring-operated gate or a strip of cloth webbing with a snap fastener.

Harbor: A harbor or haven is a place where ships may shelter from the weather or are stored. Harbors can be man-made or natural.

Haul wind: To point the ship so as to be heading in the same direction as the wind, generally not the fastest point of travel on a sailing vessel.

Hawse: Distance between ship’s bow and its anchor.

Hawse-hole: A hole in a ship’s bow for a cable or chain, such as for an anchor, to pass through.

Hawsepiper: An informal maritime industry term used to refer to a merchant ship’s officer who began his or her career as an unlicensed merchant seaman and did not attend a traditional maritime college/academy to earn the officer license.

Hawser: Large rope for mooring or towing a ship.

Head of navigation: A term used to describe the farthest point above the mouth of a river that can be navigated by ships.

Head: The toilet or latrine of a vessel, which for sailing ships projected from the bows.

Headsail: Any sail flown in front of the most forward mast.

Heave down: Turn a ship on its side (for cleaning).

Heave: A vessel’s transient up-and-down motion.

Heaving to: To stop a sailing vessel by lashing the helm in opposition to the sails. The vessel will gradually drift to leeward, the speed of the drift depending on the vessel’s design.

Heeling: The lean caused by the wind’s force on the sails of a sailing vessel.

Helm: Ship’s steering wheel.

Helmsman: A person who steers a ship.

Hogging or hog: The distortion of the hull where the ends of the keel are lower than the center.

Hold: In earlier use, below the orlop deck, the lower part of the interior of a ship’s hull, especially when considered as storage space, as for cargo. In later merchant vessels, it extended up through the decks to the underside of the weather deck.

Holiday: A gap in the coverage of newly applied paint, slush, tar, or other preservatives.

Holystone: Sandstone material used to scrape ships’ decks

Horn: A sound signal which uses electricity or compressed air to vibrate a disc diaphragm.

Horse: Attachment of sheets to the deck of the vessel (Main-sheet horse).

Hounds: Attachments of stays to masts.

Hull: The shell and framework of the basic flotation-oriented part of a ship.

Hydrofoil: A boat with wing-like foils mounted on struts below the hull.

Icing: A serious hazard where cold temperatures (below about -10°C) combined with high wind speed (typically force 8 or above on the Beaufort scale) result in spray blown off the sea freezing immediately on contact with the ship.

Idlers: Members of a ship’s company not required to serve watches. These were in general specialist tradesmen such as the carpenter and the sailmaker.

In Irons: When the bow of a sailboat is headed into the wind and the boat has stalled and is unable to maneuver.

In the offing: In the water visible from on board a ship, now used to mean something imminent.

Inboard: Inside the line of a ship’s bulwarks or hull.

Inboard-Outboard drive system: A larger Power Boating alternative drive system to transom mounted outboard motors.

Jack: Ship’s flag flown from jack-staff at the bow of a vessel.

Jack-block: Pulley system for raising topgallant masts.

Jack-cross-tree: Single iron cross-tree at the head of a topgallant mast.

Jacklines or Jack Stays: Lines, often steel wire with a plastic jacket, from the bow to the stern on both port and starboard. The Jack Lines are used to clip on the safety harness to secure the crew to the vessel while giving them the freedom to walk on the deck.

Jackstaff: Short staff at ship’s bow from which the jack is hoisted.

Jackyard: Spar used to spread the foot of a gaff-topsail

Jib: A triangular staysail at the front of a ship.

Jibboom: Spar forming an extension of the bowsprit.

Jibe: To change a ship’s course to make the boom shift sides.

Jigger-mast: The fourth mast, although ships with four or more masts were uncommon, or the aft-most mast where it is smallest on vessels of less than four masts.

Junk: Old cordage past its useful service life as lines aboard ship. The strands of old junk were teased apart in the process called picking oakum.

Jurymast: Mast erected on a ship in place of one lost.

Kedge: Small anchor to keep a ship steady.

Keel: A boat’s backbone; the lowest point of the boat’s hull, the keel provides strength, stability and prevents sideways drift of the boat in the water.

Keel: The central structural basis of the hull.

Keelson: Lengthwise wooden or steel beam in ship for bearing stress.

Kentledge: Pig-iron used as ballast in ship’s hold.

Killick: A small anchor. A fouled killick is the substantive badge of non-commissioned officers in the RN. Seamen promoted to the first step in the promotion ladder are called “Killick”. The badge signifies that here is an Able Seaman skilled to cope with the awkward job of dealing with a fouled anchor.

Ladder: On board a ship, all “stairs” are called ladders, except for literal staircases aboard passenger ships. Most “stairs” on a ship are narrow and nearly vertical, hence the name. Believed to be from the Anglo-Saxon word “hiaeder”, meaning ladder.

Lagan: Cargo jettisoned from the ship but marked by buoys for recovery.

Laker: Great Lakes slang for a vessel who spends all its time on the 5 Great Lakes.

Landlubber: A person unfamiliar with being on the sea.

Lanyard: Rope or line for fastening something in a ship.

Larboard: The left side of the ship.Derived from the old ‘lay-board’ providing access between a ship and a quay.

Lastage: Room for stowing goods in a ship.

Lateen: Triangular sail rigged on ship’s spar.

Lateral System: A system of aids to navigation in which characteristics of buoys and beacons indicate the sides of the channel or route relative to a conventional direction of buoyage (usually upstream).

Laveer: To sail against the wind.

Lay down: To lay a ship down is to begin construction in a shipyard.

Lay: To come and go, used in giving orders to the crew, such as “lay forward” or “lay aloft”. To direct the course of the vessel. Also, to twist the strands of a rope together.

Lazaret: Space in ship between decks used for storage.

League: A unit of length, normally equal to three nautical miles.

Lee shore: A shore downwind of a ship. A ship which cannot sail well to windward risks being blown onto a lee shore and grounded.

Lee side: The side of a ship sheltered from the wind (opposite the weather side or windward side).

Leeboard: Wood or metal planes attached to the hull to prevent leeway.

Leech: The aft or trailing edge of a fore-and-aft sail; the leeward edge of a spinnaker; a vertical edge of a square sail. The leech is susceptible to twist, which is controlled by the boom vang and mainsheet.

Lee helm: If the helm was centered, the boat would turn away from the wind (to the lee). Consequently, the tiller must be pushed to the lee side of the boat in order to make the boat sail in a straight line.

Leeward: In the direction that the wind is blowing towards.

Leeway: The angle that a ship is blown leeward by the wind. See also “weatherly”.

Length at Waterline (LWL): The ship’s length measured at the waterline.

Length Overall (LOA): The maximum length of the ship.

Length: The distance between the forwardmost and aftermost parts of the ship.

Let go and haul: An order indicating that the ship is in line with the wind.

Lifeboat: A small steel or wood boat located near the stern of a vessel. Used to get the crew to safety if something happens to the mothership.

Line: The correct nautical term for the majority of the cordage or “ropes” used on a vessel. A line will always have a more specific name, such as mizzen topsail halyard, which describes its use.

Liner: Ship of The Line: a major warship capable of taking its place in the main (battle) line of fighting ships. Hence the modern term for most prestigious passenger vessel: Liner.

List: The vessel’s angle of lean or tilt to one side, in the direction called the roll.

Loggerhead: An iron ball attached to a long handle, used for driving caulking into seams and (occasionally) in a fight. Hence: “at loggerheads”.

Loxodograph: Device used to record the ship’s travels.

Lubber’s line: A vertical line inside a compass case indicating the direction of the ship’s head.

Luff: The forward edge of a sail. To head a sailing vessel more towards the direction of the wind.

Luffing: When a sailing vessel is steered far enough to windward that the sail is no longer completely filled with wind. The flapping of the sail(s) which results from having no wind in the sail at all.

Lugsail: Four-sided sail bent to an obliquely hanging yard.

Lutchet: Fitting on ship’s deck to allow the mast to pivot to pass under bridges.

Lying ahull: Waiting out a storm by dousing all sails and simply letting the boat drift.

Mainbrace: The brace attached to the mainmast.

Mainmast (or Main): The tallest mast on a ship.

Mainsail: Principal sail on a ship’s mainmast.

Mainsheet: Sail control line that allows the most obvious effect on mainsail trim. Primarily used to control the angle of the boom, and thereby the mainsail, this control can also increase or decrease downward tension on the boom while sailing upwind, significantly affecting sail shape. For more control over downward tension on the boom, use a boom vang.

Mainstay: Stay that extends from the main-top to the foot of the foremast.

Man overboard: A cry let out when a seaman has gone overboard.

Manrope: Rope used as a handrail on a ship.

Marina: A docking facility for small ships and yachts.

Martingale: Lower stay of rope used to sustain the strain of the forestays.

Mast: A vertical pole on a ship which supports sails or rigging.

Master: Either the commander of a commercial vessel, or a senior officer of a naval sailing ship in charge of routine seamanship and navigation but not in command during combat.

Masthead Light: This white light shines forward and to both sides and is required on all power-driven vessels.

Masthead: A small platform partway up the mast, just above the height of the mast’s main yard. A lookout is stationed here, and men who are working on the main yard will embark from here. See also Crow’s Nest.

Matelot: A traditional Royal Navy term for an ordinary sailor.

Mess: An eating place aboard ship. A group of the crew who live and feed together.

Midshipman: A non-commissioned officer below the rank of Lieutenant. Usually regarded as being “in training” to some degree.

Mizzen staysail: Sail on a ketch or yawl, usually lightweight, set from, and forward of, the mizzen mast while reaching in light to moderate air.

Mizzen: Three-masted vessel; aft sail of such a vessel.

Monkey fist: A ball woven out of line used to provide heft to heave the line to another location. The monkey fist and other heaving-line knots were sometimes weighted with lead (easily available in the form of foil used to seal e.g. tea chests from dampness) although Clifford W. Ashley notes that there was a “definite sporting limit” to the weight thus added.

Moonraker: Topmost sail of a ship, above the skyscraper.

Moor: To attach a boat to a mooring buoy or post. Also, to a dock a ship.

Navigation rules: Rules of the road that provide guidance on how to avoid collision and also used to assign blame when a collision does occur.

Net Tons: Obtained from the gross tonnage by deducting crew and navigating spaces and allowances for propulsion machinery.

Nipper: Short rope used to bind a cable to the “messenger” (a moving line propelled by the capstan) so that the cable is dragged along too (Used because the cable is too large to be wrapped around the capstan itself). During the raising of an anchor, the nippers were attached and detached from the (endless) messenger by the ship’s boys. Hence the term for small boys: “nippers”.

Oakum: Old ropes untwisted for caulking the seams of ships.

Oreboat: Great Lakes Term for a vessel primarily used in the transport of iron ore.

Orlop deck: The lowest deck of a ship of the line. The deck covering in the hold.

Outhaul: A line used to control the shape of a sail.

Outrigger: Spar extended from the side of the ship to help secure mast.

Outward bound: To leave the safety of the port, heading for the open ocean.

Overbear: To sail downwind directly at another ship, stealing the wind from its sails.

Overfall: Dangerously steep and breaking seas due to opposing currents and wind in a shallow area.

Overhaul: Hauling the buntline ropes over the sails to prevent them from chaffing.

Overhead: The “ceiling,” or, essentially, the bottom of the deck above you.

Overreach: When tacking, to hold a course too long.

Overwhelmed: Capsized or foundered.

Owner: Traditional Royal Navy term for the Captain, a survival from the days when privately-owned ships were often hired for naval service.

Ox-Eye: A cloud or other weather phenomenon that may be indicative of an upcoming storm.

Painter: Rope attached to the bow of a boat to attach it to a ship or a post.

Pallograph: Instrument measuring ship’s vibration.

Parrel: A movable loop, used to fasten the yard to its respective mast.

Patroon: Captain of a ship; coxswain of a longboat.

Pay: Fill a seam (with caulking or pitch), or to lubricate the running rigging; pay with slush (q.v.), or protect from the weather by covering with slush. See also: The Devil to pay. (French from paix, pitch).

Paymaster: The officer responsible for all money matters in RN ships including the paying and provisioning of the crew, all stores, tools, and spare parts. See also: purser.

Pilot: Navigator. A specially knowledgeable person qualified to navigate a vessel through difficult waters, e.g. harbor pilot, etc.

Pipe (Bos’n’s), or a Bos’n’s Call: A whistle used by Boatswains (bosuns or bos’ns) to issue commands. Consisting of a metal tube which directs the breath over an aperture on the top of a hollow ball to produce high pitched notes. The pitch of the notes can be changed by partly covering the aperture with the finger of the hand in which the pipe is held. The shape of the instrument is similar to that of a smoking pipe.

Pipe down: A signal on the bosun’s pipe to signal the end of the day, requiring lights (and smoking pipes) to be extinguished and silence from the crew.

Piping the side: A salute on the bos’n’s pipe(s) performed in the company of the deck watch on the starboard side of the quarterdeck or at the head of the gangway, to welcome or bid farewell to the ship’s Captain, senior officers and honored visitors.

Pitch: A vessel’s motion, rotating about the beam axis, so the bow pitches up and down.

Pitchpole: To capsize a boat end over end, rather than by rolling over.

Pontoon: A flat-bottomed vessel used as a ferry or a barge or float moored alongside a jetty or a ship to facilitate boarding.

Poop deck: A high deck on the aft superstructure of a ship.

Port: Towards the left-hand side of the ship facing forward (formerly Larboard). Denoted with a red light at night.

Preventer (Gybe preventer, Jibe preventer): A sail control line originating at some point on the boom leading to a fixed point on the boat’s deck or rail (usually a cleat or pad eye) used to prevent or moderate the effects of an accidental jibe.

Primage: Fee paid to loaders for loading ship.

Privateer: A privately-owned ship authorized by a national power (by means of a Letter of Marque) to conduct hostilities against an enemy. Also called a private man of war.

Propeller walk or prop walk: Tendency for a propeller to push the stern sideways. In theory, a right-hand propeller in reverse will walk the stern to port.

Prow: A poetical alternative term for bows.

Purser: Ship’s officer in charge of finances and passengers.

Quarterdeck: The aftermost deck of a warship. In the age of sail, the quarterdeck was the preserve of the ship’s officers.

Quartering: Sailing nearly before the wind.

Quayside: Refers to the dock or platform used to fasten a vessel to.

Radar reflector: A special fixture fitted to a vessel or incorporated into the design of certain aids to navigation to enhance their ability to reflect radar energy. In general, these fixtures will materially improve the visibility for use by vessels with radar.

Radar: Acronym for Radio Detection And Ranging. An electronic system designed to transmit radio signals and receive reflected images of those signals from a “target” in order to determine the bearing and distance to the “target”.

Rake: The inclination of a mast or another part of a ship.

Range lights: Two lights associated to form a range (a line formed by the extension of a line connecting two charted points) which often, but not necessarily, indicates the channel centerline. The front range light is the lower of the two, and nearer to the mariner using the range. The rear light is higher and further from the mariner.

Ratlines: Rope ladders permanently rigged from bulwarks and tops to the mast to enable access to topmasts and yards. Also, serve to provide lateral stability to the masts.

Reach: A point of sail from about 60° to about 160° off the wind. Reaching consists of “close reaching” (about 60° to 80°), “beam reaching” (about 90°) and “broad reaching” (about 120° to 160°).

Reef points: Small lengths of cord attached to a sail, used to secure the excess fabric after reefing.

Reef: To temporarily reduce the area of a sail exposed to the wind, usually to guard against adverse effects of strong wind or to slow the vessel.

Reef-bands: Long pieces of rough canvas sewed across the sails to give them additional strength.

Reef-tackles: Ropes employed in the operation of reefing.

Reeve: To pass a rope through a ring.

Rigging: the system of ropes, cables, or chains employed to support a ship’s masts and to control or set the yards and sails.

Righting couple: The force which tends to restore a ship to equilibrium once a heel has altered the relationship between her center of buoyancy and her center of gravity.

Rigol: The rim or ‘eyebrow’ above a port-hole or scuttle.

Roach: Curved cut in the edge of sail for preventing chafing.

Roband: Piece of yarn used to fasten a sail to a spar.

Roll: A vessel’s motion rotating from side to side, about the fore-aft axis. List (qv) is a lasting tilt in the roll direction.

Rolling-tackle: A number of pulleys, engaged to confine the yard to the weather side of the mast; this tackle is much used in a rough sea.

Rostrum: Spike on the prow of warship for ramming.

Rowlock: Contrivance serving as a fulcrum for an oar.

Royal: Small sail on the royal mast just above topgallant sail.

Running rigging: Rigging used to manipulate sails, spars, etc. in order to control the movement of the ship. Cf. standing rigging.

Sailing Certification : An acknowledgment of a sailing competence from an established sailing educational body (like NauticEd).

Sail-plan: A set of drawings showing various sail combinations recommended for use in various situations.

Saltie: Great Lakes term for a vessel that sails the oceans.

Sampson post: A strong vertical post used to support a ship’s windlass and the heel of a ship’s bowsprit.

Scandalize: To reduce the area of a sail by expedient means (slacking the peak and tricing up the tack) without properly reefing it.

Scud: To sail swiftly before a gale.

Scudding: A term applied to a vessel when carried furiously along by a tempest.

Scuppers: An opening on the side rail that allows water to run off the deck.

Scuttle: A small opening, or lid thereof, in a ship’s deck or hull. To cut a hole in, or sink something.

Scuttlebutt: Cask of drinking water aboard a ship; rumour, idle gossip.

Scuttles: Portholes on a ship.

Sea anchor: A stabilizer deployed in the water for heaving to in heavy weather. It acts as a brake and keeps the hull in line with the wind and perpendicular to waves.

Sea chest: A valve on the hull of the ship to allow water in for ballast purposes.

Seaman: Generic term for a sailor.

Seaworthy: Certified for, and capable of, safely sailing at sea.

Self-Unloader: Great Lakes slang term for a vessel with a conveyor or some other method of unloading the cargo without shoreside equipment.

Shaft Horsepower (SHP): The amount of mechanical power delivered by the engine to a propeller shaft. One horsepower is equivalent to 746 watts in the SI system of units.

Shakes: Pieces of barrels or casks broken down to save space. They are worth very little, leading to the phrase “no great shakes”.

Sheer: The upward curve of a vessel’s longitudinal lines as viewed from the side.

Sheet: A rope used to control the setting of a sail in relation to the direction of the wind.

Ship: Strictly, a three-masted vessel square-rigged on all three masts, though generally used to describe most medium or large vessels. Derived from the Anglo-Saxon word “scip”.

Ship’s bell: Striking the ship’s bell is the traditional method of marking time and regulating the crew’s watches.

Ship’s company: The crew of a ship.

Shoal: Shallow water that is a hazard to navigation.

Shrouds: Standing rigging running from a mast to the sides of ships.

Sickbay: The compartment reserved for medical purposes.

Sidelights: These red and green lights are called sidelights (also called combination lights) because they are visible to another vessel approaching from the side or head-on. The red light indicates a vessel’s port (left) side; the green indicates a vessel’s starboard (right) side.

Siren: A sound signal which uses electricity or compressed air to actuate either a disc or a cup-shaped rotor.

Skeg: Part of ship connecting the keel with the bottom of the rudderpost.

Skipper: The captain of a ship.

Skysail: A sail set very high, above the royals. Only carried by a few ships.

Skyscraper: A small, triangular sail, above the skysail. Used in light winds on a few ships.

Slipway: Ramp sloping into the water for supporting a ship.

Slop chest: A ship’s store of merchandise, such as clothing, tobacco, etc., maintained aboard merchant ships for sale to the crew.

Small bower (anchor): The smaller of two anchors carried in the bow.

Snotty: Naval midshipman.

Sonar: A sound-based device used to detect and range underwater targets and obstacles. Formerly known as ASDIC.

Spanker: Sail on the mast nearest the stern of a square-rigged ship.

Spanker-mast: The aft-most mast of a fore-and-aft or gaff-rigged vessel such as schooners, barquentines, and barques. A full-rigged ship has a spanker sail but not a spanker-mast (see Jigger-mast).

Spar: A wooden, in later years also iron or steel pole used to support various pieces of rigging and sails. The big five-masted full-rigged tall ship Preussen (German spelling: Preußen) had crossed 30 steel yards, but only one wooden spar—the little gaffe of its spanker sail.

Spindrift: Finely-divided water swept from the crest of waves by strong winds.

Spinnaker pole: A spar used to help control a spinnaker or other headsail.

Spinnaker: A large sail flown in front of the vessel while heading downwind.

Spirketing: Inside planking between ports and waterways of a ship.

Splice: To join lines (ropes, cables, etc.) by unraveling their ends and intertwining them to form a continuous line. To form an eye or a knot by splicing.

Sponson: Platform jutting from ship’s deck for gun or wheel.

Sprit: Spar crossing a fore-and-aft sail diagonally.

Spritsail: Sail extended by a sprit.

Squared away: Yards held rigidly perpendicular to their masts and parallel to the deck. This was rarely the best trim of the yards for efficiency but made a pretty sight for inspections and in the harbor. The term is applied to situations and to people figuratively to mean that all difficulties have been resolved or that the person is performing well and is mentally and physically prepared.

Squat effect: Is the phenomenon by which a vessel moving quickly through shallow water creates an area of lowered pressure under its keel that reduces the ship’s buoyancy, particularly at the bow. The reduced buoyancy causes the ship to “squat” lower in the water than would ordinarily be expected.

Standing rigging: Rigging which is used to support masts and spars, and is not normally manipulated during normal operations. Cf. running rigging.

Starboard: Towards the right-hand side of a vessel facing forward. Denoted with a green light at night. Derived from the old steering oar or ‘steerboard’ which preceded the invention of the rudder.

Starbolins: Sailors of the starboard watch.

Starter: A rope used as a punitive device.

Stay: Rigging running fore (forestay) and aft (backstay) from a mast to the hull.

Staysail: A sail whose luff is attached to a forestay.

Steering oar or steering board: A long, flat board or oar that went from the stern to well underwater, used to control the vessel in the absence of a rudder.

Steeve: To set a ship’s bowsprit at an upward inclination.

Stem: The extension of the keel at the forward of a ship.

Stemson: Supporting timber of a ship.

Stern tube: The tube under the hull to bear the tail shaft for propulsion (usually at the stern).

Stern: The rear part of a ship, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter to the taffrail.

Sternlight: This white light is seen only from behind or nearly behind the vessel.

Sternpost: Main member at the stern of a ship extending from keel to deck.

Sternway: Movement of a ship backward.

Stevedore: Dock worker who loads and unloads ships.

Stokehold: Ship’s furnace chamber.

Strake: One of the overlapping boards in a clinker-built hull.

Studding-sails (pronounced “stunsail”): Long and narrow sails, used only in fine weather, on the outside of the large square sails.

Stunsail: Light auxiliary sail to the side of principal sails.

Supercargo: Ship’s official in charge of business affairs.

Surge: A vessel’s transient motion in a fore and aft direction.

Sway: A vessel’s motion from side to side. Also used as a verb meaning to hoist. “Sway up my dunnage.”

Swigging: To take up the last bit of slack on a line such as a halyard, anchor line or dock line by taking a single turn round a cleat and alternately heaving on the rope above and below the cleat while keeping the tension on the tail.

Swinging the compass: Measuring the accuracy in a ship’s magnetic compass so its readings can be adjusted – often by turning the ship and taking bearings on reference points.

Swinging the lamp: Telling sea stories. Referring to lamps slung from the deckhead which swing while at sea. Often used to indicate that the storyteller is exaggerating.

Swinging the lead: Measuring the depth of water beneath a ship using a lead-weighted sounding line.

Taffrail: Rail around the stern of a ship.

Tail shaft: A kind of metallic shafting (a rod of metal) to hold the propeller and connected to the power-engine. When the tail shaft is moved, the propeller may also be moved for propulsion.

Taken aback: An inattentive helmsmen might allow the dangerous situation to arise where the wind is blowing into the sails “backward”, causing a sudden (and possibly dangerous) shift in the position of the sails.

Tally: The operation of hauling aft the sheets, or drawing them in the direction of the ship’s stern.

The Ropes: Refers to the lines in the rigging.

Thole: Pin in the side of a boat to keep an oar in place.

Three sheets to the wind: On a three-masted ship, having the sheets of the three lower courses loose will result in the ship meandering aimlessly downwind.

Tiller: Handle or lever for turning a ship’s rudder.

Timberhead: Top end of ship’s timber used above the gunwale.

Timenoguy: Rope stretched from place to place in a ship.

Timoneer: From the French, “timonnier”, is a name given on particular occasions to the steersman of a ship.

Ton: The unit of measure often used in specifying the size of a ship. There are three completely unrelated definitions for the word. One of them refers to weight, while others refer to volume.

Tonnage: A measurement of the cargo-carrying capacity of merchant’s vessels. It depends not on weight, but on the volume available for carrying cargo. The basic units of measure are the Register Ton, equivalent to 100 cubic feet, and the Measurement Ton, equivalent to 40 cubic feet. The calculation of tonnage is complicated by many technical factors.

Topgallant: Mast or sail above the topmast and below the royal mast.

Topmast: The second section of the mast above the deck; formerly the upper mast, later surmounted by the topgallant mast; carrying the topsails.

Topsail: The second sail (counting from the bottom) up to a mast. These may be either square sails or fore-and-aft ones, in which case they often “fill in” between the mast and the gaff of the sail below.

Topsides: The part of the hull between the waterline and the deck. Also, Above-water hull.

Touch and go: The bottom of the ship touching the bottom, but not grounding.

Towing: The operation of drawing a vessel forward by means of long lines.

Traffic Separation Scheme: Shipping corridors marked by buoys which separate incoming from outgoing vessels. Improperly called Sea Lanes.

Tranship: To transfer from one ship to another.

Transire: Ship’s customs warrant for clearing goods.

Transom: A more or less flat surface across the stern of a vessel.

Travellers: Small fittings that slide on a rod or line. The most common use is for the inboard end of the mainsheet; a more esoteric form of traveler consists of “slight iron rings, encircling the backstays, which are used for hoisting the top-gallant yards, and confining them to the backstays”.

Treenail: Long wooden pin used to fix planks of the ship to the timbers.

Trice: To haul in and lash secure a sail with a small rope.

Trick: A period of time spent at the wheel (“my trick’s over”).

Trim: Relationship of ship’s hull to the waterline.

Trunnel: Wooden shipbuilding peg used for fastening timbers.

Trysail: Ship’s sail bent to a gaff and hoisted on a lower mast.

Tuck: Part of the ship where ends of lower planks meet under the stern.

Turtleback: Structure over ship’s bows or stern.

Turtling: When a sailboat (in particular a dinghy) capsizes to a point where the mast is pointed straight down and the hull is on the surface resembling a turtle shell.

Under the weather: Serving a watch on the weather side of the ship, exposed to wind and spray.

Underway: A vessel that is not at anchor, or made fast to the shore, or aground.

Underwater hull or underwater ship: The underwater section of a vessel beneath the waterline, normally not visible except when in drydock.

Unreeve: To withdraw a rope from an opening.

Vanishing angle: The maximum degree of heel after which a vessel becomes unable to return to an upright position.

Wake: Turbulence behind a ship.

Wales: A number of strong and thick planks running length-wise along the ship, covering the lower part of the ship’s side.

Walty: Inclined to tip over or lean.

Wardroom: Quarters for ship’s officers.

Washboard: Broad thin plank along ship’s gunwale to keep out sea water.

Watch: A period of time during which a part of the crew is on duty. Changes of watch are marked by strokes on the ship’s bell.

Watching: Fully afloat.

Watercraft: Water transport vessels. Ships, boats, personal watercraft.

Waterline: The intersection of a boat’s hull and the water’s surface, or where the boat sits in the water.

Waveson: Goods floating on the sea after a shipwreck.

Wear: To turn a ship’s stern to windward to alter its course

Weather deck: Whichever deck is exposed to the weather—usually either the main deck or, in larger vessels, the upper deck.

Weather gage: Favorable position over another sailing vessel to with respect to the wind.

Weather side: The weather side of a ship is the side exposed to the wind.

Weatherboard: Weather side of a ship.

: If the helm was centered, the boat would turn towards the wind (weather). Consequently, the tiller must be pulled to the windward side of the boat in order to make the boat sail in a straight line. See lee helm.

Weatherly: A ship that is easily sailed and maneuvered; makes little leeway when sailing to windward.

Weatherly: Able to sail close to the wind with little leeway.

Weigh anchor: To heave up (an anchor) preparatory to sailing.

Wells: Places in the ship’s hold for the pumps.

Wheelhouse: Location on a ship where the steering wheel is located, often interchanged with pilothouse and bridge.

Whipstaff: Vertical lever controlling ship’s rudder.

White Horses: Waves in wind strong enough to produce foam or spray on the wave tops.

Wide berth: To leave room between two ships moored (berthed) to allow space for a maneuver.

Windage: Wind resistance of the boat.

Windbound: A condition wherein the ship is detained in one particular station by contrary winds.

Windlass: A winch mechanism, usually with a horizontal axis. Used where mechanical advantage greater than that obtainable by block and tackle was needed (such as raising the anchor on small ships). Modern sailboats use an electric “Windlass” to raise the anchor.

Windward: In the direction that the wind is coming from.

Xebec: Small three-masted pirate ship.

Yard: Tapering spar attached to ship’s mast to spread the head of a square sail.

Yardarm: The very end of a yard. Often mistaken for a “yard”, which refers to the entire spar. As in to hang “from the yardarm” and the sun being “over the yardarm” (late enough to have a drink).

Yarr: Acknowledgement of an order, or agreement.

Yaw: A vessel’s motion rotating about the vertical axis, so the bow yaws from side to side.

Yawl: Ship’s small boat; sailboat carrying mainsail and one or more jibs.

Zabra: Small Spanish sailing vessel.

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101 Words You Need to Know as Crew

Holly is the editor of Dockwalk. She grew up racing sailboats in England before switching to the world of superyachts and moving across the pond to Fort Lauderdale.

It is always helpful as crew to be able to speak more than one language, but in reality, all yacht crew are bilingual without even knowing it. “Yacht speak” might not the official term but it is a whole different language you need to learn before stepping onto a boat. If you’re new to the industry, bookmark this handy guide of 100 words you need to know...

At a right angle to the center of a vessel’s length

Towards the rear of the vessel

In front of a boat or moving in a forward direction

AIS (Automatic Identification System) 

A tracking system required on vessels of more than 300GT

Amidships  

The central portion of a vessel

Anti-fouling  

A special paint applied to the hull to prevent marine growth

APA ( Advanced Provisioning Allowance)

An Advanced Provisioning Allowance is an additional charter fee paid in advance to cover the cost of provisions such as fuel, food and drink, and marina fees. The APA is usually 30% of the charter fee.

Apparent Wind  

The direction and speed of the wind felt by the crew as a sum of true wind and the motion of the vessel

Towards the stern or moving in reverse

Athwartships  

Perpendicular to the yacht’s centerline

An anchor that is off the bottom

On a sailing yacht, a wire that supports the mast, running from the head of the mast to a point on the stern

Weight added to a vessel to increase stability

Batten Down  

To secure hatches and loose objects, i.e., ”batten down the hatches“

The width of a vessel measured at its widest point

Bear Away  

To steer a boat away from the wind

The direction to an object or location from your current position, measured in degrees

Sailing upwind

The vessel’s allotted space in a marina, also used as a seafarers’ term for a bed

This bilge is the deepest part of the vessel’s hull often used for storage

A canvas canopy supported by a frame that offers shelter over a cockpit or lounge area of a boat

The boom sits perpendicular to the mast towards the bottom and runs along the foot of the sail

A rope that is tied onto the front of a boat (the bow) and stops the vessel from moving sideways when moored

The front of a boat 

A spar protruding forward from a ship’s bow to which the forestays are fastened

From which the captain steers the boat

To turn sideways to the wind

An upright wall or partition within the hull of a ship

A winch used to wind in an anchor and tighten lines

Cardinal Marks  

Buoys indicating the direction of safe water with reference to the cardinal points

To let go of a line

The change in angle where the sides of the hull meet the bottom of the hull

A t-shaped piece of metal on a boat to which lines are attached

A raised surface on deck designed to prevent the entry of water

The outdoor area of a sailing yacht where guests sit and eat, and from where the captain may steer and control the boat

Companionway  

A set of steps that lead from a ship’s deck down to a cabin or lower deck

The amount of angle that forms between the boat bottom and a horizontal plane on either side of the center keel

Displacement  

The weight of water displaced by a hull, or a type of hull that displaces water as opposed to ’planing’

The depth of a vessel beneath the waterline

MCA-approved medical certificate required for all crew on commercial superyachts.

The principal flag or flown by a vessel to indicate its nationality

A fitting through which anchor or mooring lines are led

An air-filled cushion placed between two boats or between a boat and a pontoon to prevent damage

The palm of an anchor

Flybridge  

An open deck located above the bridge that features a secondary helm station

The forward part of the deck of a ship, usually level with the main deck

A compartment or cabin in the angle of the bow.

Freeboard  

The height of a ship's hull above the waterline

The kitchen on board a boat

The area of a ship’s side where people board and disembark

The upper edge of a boat’s sides

To change course with the wind astern so that the stern of the vessel goes through the wind and the boom passes from one side to the other

A line used to raise the mainsail

An opening, usually rectangular, in a vessel providing access into the next compartment.

To steer closer to the wind

The direction in which a vessel is pointed at any given moment

The forward motion of a vessel

The canting of a vessel to one side

The steering system

The body of the vessel

IMO (International Maritime Organisation)  

The United Nations agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping

A structural framework that runs longitudinally along the centreline of a hull, which on sailing yachts is extended downwards to increase stability

A measure of speed equal to one nautical mile

Lazarette  

A storage space in a boat’s stern area

The side sheltered from the wind

A length of rope that serves a specific purpose

The primary sail on a yacht set behind the mainmast

Make Fast  

To secure a line

MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency) 

Implements the UK government’s maritime safety policy in the UK to prevent the loss of life on the coast and at sea

Equidistant from bow to stern (see Amidships)

A sail flown from the mizzenmast (a third mast or the mast immediately behind the mainmast)

Nautical Mile  

A unit used in measuring distances at sea, equal to 1,852 meters

Passarelle  

A gangplank or platform used to board or exit a large yacht

The left side of the boat

The front left side of a boat

Port Quarter  

The rear left side of a boat

Sailing with the wind on the beam

Lines that hold the masts

An underwater blade at the stern of a boat used for steering

Wires that support the mast

Spring Line  

A line led diagonally from the bow or stern of a ship to a point on the dock to prevent the vessel from sliding forward or backward

Stabilizers  

A design feature of a yacht that sits below the waterline intended to reduce or combat its tendency to roll in seas.

Starboard  

The right side of the boat

Starboard Bow  

The front right of a boat

Starboard Quarter  

The rear right of a boat

The rear end of a boat

Stern Line  

Stern lines prevent the stern of a boat from moving side to side or, when coming into a berth, keeps the boat from drifting away from the dock

The nautical term for putting items away

Superstructure  

The part of the ship built above the hull

To change the direction of a sailing vessel by turning the bow of the boat through the wind

A smaller vessel used to ferry guests to shore or for water-based activities

Two fixed objects lined up by an observer

The flat surface forming the stern of the boat

To adjust the angle of the sails

True Wind  

The direction and speed of the wind felt when stationary

When a boat is moving, either by motor or wind

A line used for anchoring or mooring

The side closest to the wind (opposite of Leeward)

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21 Common Yachting Terms Explained

Does it ever feel like yacht enthusiasts speak a whole other language? We get it. Everyone was new to yachting once and we all had to learn what different terms mean. Luckily, you have Ahoy Club to show you the ropes. Brush up on your sea vocabulary with some common definitions in our glossary below.

Essentially, parking your yacht so that you can hop over to shore and explore. It also refers to the literal anchor which holds your yacht in place.

APA (Advanced Provisioning Allowance)

A deposit paid by charterers to cover expenses during their trip. Expenses may include taxes, harbour fees, food and alcohol.

Base charter rate

The rate that you pay for the hire of your yacht and its crew. This does not include on board expenses and taxes which are covered by your APA (see above).

The total width of the yacht at its widest point.

The bedrooms on your yacht.

A type of yacht with two hulls. It was designed this way for increased stability on the water.

Explorer yacht

A yacht that is built to go to the farthest corners of the globe and into rough terrains. See examples in our past blog .

The territory under which a yacht is registered. The yacht’s flag state will govern the laws and regulations which it must follow.

A traditional motorised sailing yacht typically found in Turkey.

The main body of the yacht floating in the water; covers the front, sides, back and underside.

A boat or yacht’s speed measured in nautical miles per hour (see below).

A large luxury yacht typically measuring over 70m.

A boat with a single hull. May be a sailing yacht, motor yacht, luxury super- or megayacht. See Catamaran above for comparison.

Motor yacht (or M/Y)

A yacht which is powered with engines. 

Nautical mile

A measure of distance on the water. One nautical mile is equal to 1852 metres or 1-minute of latitude on a navigational chart.

Preference sheet

The questionnaire that guests fill out before beginning their charter. It is meant to provide as much information as possible to the captain, crew and chef so that they may meet your preferences for an excellent trip.

Sailing yacht (or S/Y)

A yacht which is primarily powered with wind sails. Most also have motors as a backup.

The main living or lounge area on your yacht. Pronounced ‘sal-on’ not ‘sal-oon’.

A luxury yacht measuring between 24-69m.

A smaller boat housed on your yacht which can be used for transfers to shore, with your watertoys or on short day trips.

VAT (Value Added Tax)

A compulsory consumption tax set out by the countries you are visiting. See our blogs on the recent changes in Italy and France to learn more.

Yachting from A to Z with Ahoy Club

With Ahoy Club, you can expect everything about yacht chartering to be simpler. From our digital platform allowing you to browse thousands of yachts to our concierge team here to help with any questions. Check out our yachts for charter and test out your new yachting lingo ASAP.

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Yacht Lingo 101: Beginner Sailing Terms To Know

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• How to become a Yachtie

So you’re thinking about becoming a Yachtie?

You may have a friend or relative who already works in the industry, or you have watched TV programmes like Below Deck , you know working on a yacht is the right for you, but where do you start? 

With the potential to earn great money, travel, and work with loads of like-minded people, it’s not surprising this job ticks a lot of boxes for many people. 

Becoming a Yachtie and getting paid to work on luxury yachts may seem like a job and industry that only the elite can have access to, or it just seems too confusing to start. 

However, with an understanding of the requirements, certification, and having some expectations of what job role you should be looking for, starting work as a Yachtie will not seem so daunting.

What is a Yachtie?

Before we go any further, let’s make sure we are all singing off the same hymn sheet. 

A Yachtie is a broad term used to describe anyone who works on a yacht. More specifically, it has become the term for people working as yacht crew on superyachts. 

A superyacht is a very large boat that is extremely luxurious and often owned by multi millionaires and billionaires.

These Yachties who work on superyachts hold a number of different positions. Most Yachties will start their superyacht career working as a Deckhand or Stewardess. With more experience and responsibilities, your role will change as you progress up the career ladder. 

It’s worth noting there are other types of yachting and Yachties. The other kind of ‘Yachtie’ could describe those who hold their Yachtmaster qualification and have jobs like skipper charter boats. 

Job roles for new Yachties

Yachties new to the industry (also known as ‘Green’ Yachties) will traditionally apply for entry levels roles, which are Yacht Deckhands or Yacht Stewardesses. 

These are both very different jobs, so you need to be sure which one you want to do and start training for that career path.

Yacht Stewardess (Stew)

A Stewardess, or Steward , looks after the interior of the yacht. This means anything that happens inside the boat, you will be responsible for it. 

Think of any job in the hospitality industry and then combine it into one role on a yacht, that is what you will be doing.

From making beds, doing the laundry, cleaning, serving food, and hosting dinner, you will do it all to a 5-star standard. Anything less than perfect, and your guests won’t be satisfied.

It’s the small things that make the difference between high standards and exceptional standards. You must have a great eye for detail and be able to make sure no stone is left unturned. Everything on board the ship must be 100% perfect at all times.

You will be reporting to Chief Stew, who will be your manager and give you your task list. After a good few seasons as a green Stewardess, you will have enough experience and confidence to apply for Chief Stewardess roles.

Yacht Deckhand

In contrast to the Stewardess role, Deckhands look after the exterior of the boat. 

Predominantly a male role, Deckhands will do everything from general maintenance to cleaning the teak deck, looking after the toys (Jet Skis, etc.), and even driving the tenders.

Deckhands should know how a yacht operates, the basic terminology used onboard, how to tie knots, and loads and loads of enthusiasm. 

Deckhands may also dip in and out of helping the Stewardesses, and it isn’t uncommon for Deckhands to give a hand during busy evening meal preparation and service.

5 steps to Becoming a Yachtie

With an understanding of the job roles available, you can now decide which one best suits you. With the right attitude, qualifications, and knowing where to look for work, becoming a Yachtie is achievable for anyone who wants it. 

• Have the right attitude
• Pass an ENG1 medical
• Complete STCW Basic Safety Training
• Gain experience
• Go to a superyacht marina

1. Have the right attitude

Along with gaining the correct qualifications to prove your competence, to become a Yachtie, you must have certain characteristics to thrive in this industry.

Yachties have to be well presented, articulate, know how to take orders, and be able to work hard, all with a smile and enthusiasm. You have to be able to work incredibly long hours, sometimes under stressful conditions, without losing your patience.

Having a job on a superyacht may sound glamorous, but if it’s your 10th day working in a row and you’ve got your head stuck down a toilet trying to clean it, you may want to think again. To become a Yachtie, you have to be happy with spending a lot of time away from home without seeing your friends and family. This may all seem obvious, but this situation does not suit everyone, and without careful consideration of the negatives, you will leave this industry quicker than when you arrived.

2. Pass ENG1 Medical

The first actionable step you need to take to become a Yachtie is gaining an ENG1 medical certificate. The ENG1 medical is an examination by an approved MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency) Doctor to make sure you are fit and able to work at sea.

Every single person working at sea must have an ENG1 medical certificate , without this, you are not able to start working on superyachts. The examination will take around 45 minutes, during which the doctor will go through a checklist to make sure you have no underlying health conditions that may impact the safety of you or anyone else on board the ship.

The most common reason new yachties fail the ENG1 is colour blindness. Surprisingly many people can go through their whole life without knowing they are colour blind. However, on board a ship, this can have huge implications. If you cannot identify signals and lights correctly, it will be impossible for you to help navigate the ship in an emergency. Unfortunately, this means you cannot start work as a Yachtie.

3. Complete STCW Basic Safety Training

Another requirement for working at sea is completing STCW Basic Safety Training . Similar to the ENG1 you can only get a job on a yacht if you have the STCW certificate. 

STCW stands for ‘Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping’. It is to make sure that all Seafarers have an understanding of what to do in an emergency and are aware of the procedures required. 

STCW Courses are action-packed and quite a bit of fun. From fire fighting to sea survival, you will get stuck in learning, and learn loads of new skills.

4. Gain experience 

If you are lucky enough to have a job offer on a superyacht, then having your ENG1 and STCW certificates will be enough.

Don’t worry if you haven’t already got a job offer, it’s quite normal to go through all these steps and not have a job lined up yet. If this is the case, gaining more experience and qualifications is a good idea to give you a competitive advantage over anyone else applying for the same job role. 

This is achieved through signing up to a Deckhand or Stewardess Course. On these courses, you will get your standard STCW certificate and a list of extra qualifications demonstrating your competence, ability, and commitment to the industry. 

Deckhands will learn how to drive a small yacht, engine maintenance, general yacht repair, and how to clean teak properly. Stewardesses will understand wine and how to serve it, the art of flower arranging, and how to drive a powerboat. 

5. Go to a superyacht marina

After you have completed your superyacht training, now is the time to head out to France and look for work. Along with signing up to yacht crew recruitment agencies, going to one of the main superyacht marinas and handing out your CV to Captains is a great way to find work. This is known as dockwalking.

If you complete your Superyacht Course with us, you will have the option of signing up to our recruitment day in Antibes, France. We head out to France as a group, talk you through the process and offer you our industry contacts.

This is a great way to start your journey, and all our students find work in no time.

How much do Yachties make?

So you’ve heard you can make a good amount of money working on superyachts? Along with the travel, the great salary is why many people decide to become a Yachtie.

Like a job within any industry, salary varies. A Superyacht will agree on a crew salary budget with the owner of the yacht.

If you are just starting out, you can expect a salary of around €2,200 – €3,200 per month. However, the industry standard is €2,500 per month. Once you gain more experience and qualifications, your salary will increase. 

When you look at the salary at face value, it looks great but not incredible, however when you are at sea, you have zero outgoings. Working on a yacht means you don’t have to pay rent, bills, or buy food which will save you heaps of money compared with working at home.

If you want to see the salaries of all yacht crew, check out our Salary Guide.

Do Yachties pay taxes?

Another reason why the salary is so appealing is that in most cases Yachties don’t have to pay tax. 

This is a government scheme called the Seafarers Earning Deduction , and providing you are eligible, Yachties can keep 100% of their earnings.

To be able to apply for Seafarers Earning Deduction, you must be working on a ship outside of UK waters for a period of 365 days. This doesn’t mean you have to spend a whole year at once away from home, rather you can only apply once all the days you work on a yacht adds up to 365.

Being able to understand this tax scheme will be hugely beneficial before you start working on a Superyacht. 

Download our free Guide

Want to know more about working on a Superyacht, please download our free guide .

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HOW TO BECOME A YACHTIE

Step-by-step guidance on how to, not only, get a job on a superyacht, but what it takes to get there and how to establish yourself as the best crew member possible.

WHAT YOU'LL GET:

Clickable Links  to top crew agencies, crew house accommodations, yachtie Facebook Groups & top yacht schools and academies.

Advice  from experienced crew members within the industry. Including Captains, Deck crew,  Stewardesses, Engineers and Chefs.

FREE access to downloadable CV/resume templates, cover letter templates & business card templates.

So much more including:  What courses to do, where to go, what visas to get and how to get them, what to do before you leave and when you arrive, interview questions to expect and what questions you should ask, what happens when you're on board , how to deal with tax, a list of popular yachtie hangouts, a list of annual boat shows and a list of yachtie terminology.

MORE INFORMATION

TO GET STARTED ON YOUR YACHTING JOURNEY CLICK OR TAP THE  DOWNLOAD NOW  BUTTON BELOW TO PURCHASE YOUR COPY OF " HOW TO BECOME A YACHTIE" FOR ONLY $9.99.

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Free masterclass, yachting courses, watch my free live masterclass "how to get a job on a yacht" .

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7 Ways To Nail Your First 7 Days As A Yacht Stew.

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Superyacht jobs, life onboard, about yachting, listen now.

Hear about the real yacht life, info on how to kickstart your superyacht career and tips on becoming a super stew.

The Seaworthy Stew: Podcast 

 A Chief Stew with 6+ years experience in the superyacht industry. I help aspiring crew confidently land their first job and teach the skills needed to be a stand out YACHT STEW.

Hey, I'm Jess

5 Yachting Interview Questions to Ask (& What Not To Say

Superyacht jobs, filed under:.

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An exciting (and nerve-wracking) part of getting your first yachting job is getting the call or email to say you’ve been short-listed for an interview. 

You may wonder how to prepare for your yachting interview. In this post I share 5 questions to ask in your interview and why. It will give you a good insight into the yacht you’re being interviewed for.

An interview is as much of a decider for you as it is for the boat to see if you would be suitable for the role. After all, I don’t want you to get on a poorly run vessel so I’m hoping these questions will allow you to sort through and find a great boat. 

Your interview could be with the recruitment agency or with the crew on the yacht such as Chief Stew or Captain. It is also possible that you may do several interviews one with the recruitment agency, one with the chief stew and then one with the captain to get the final approval.

5 Yachting Interview Questions To Ask:

• How many crew onboard? This question will give you a good idea as to if the boat is run with minimal crew. To perform duties to a superyacht standard, yachts need a certain amount of crew. If a yacht is run with not enough crew it means you probably won’t be getting the hours of rest you’re legally supposed to and it can’t afford to pay enough crew so the budget will be tight, which affects crew food, and toiletries etc.
• Is the role permanent or seasonal? Is the yacht dual Season? These questions will determine if you’ll be looking for another job at the end of the season or if you’ll be onboard permanently. There are pros and cons to working on a seasonal yacht – you can travel after the season as you’re usually cashed up and you are not tied to the boat for a long time if you have other commitments however you also can’t get great longevity from a seasonal yacht and this is something highly valued in the industry. It is also worth asking if the yacht is dual-season (using this yachtie language is also a bonus). This means the yacht does both the Med and the Caribbean season and you’ll get to experience both seasons which is a must in my eyes. 
• What is the longevity like for the crew onboard? This is a great indicator of how well run and great a yacht is to work on. If you have crew coming and going all the time with less than a year on board that is a sign that something could be going on with management the owner or the head of department. If the crew have been on for years it shows that the crew like their job. 
• What activities do the crew do together outside of work? This gives you an idea of the crew culture onboard to see if it’s a good fit for you. There are different types of crew on superyachts, there are the fit boats and the crew can be found eating really well, gymming onboard, doing hikes in their downtime, and exploring in nature. Drinking is not a priority.  Then there are the party-goers, when guests are off they are hitting it hard, partying in the local bars, back on the boat, rocking up with hangovers at work, and the end goal is to go hard or go home, it’s not unheard of for crew to be using cocaine in these environments. Then there are boats with a well-balanced crew who enjoy each other’s company, enjoy a drink after work and explore the local area on the weekend. Whatever you enjoy doing see if it fits in with what the crew like to do.
• Instead of asking where the boat will go or who the owner is, ask what kind of program does the boat have? This question allows you to get an insight into: a) If it is heavily used for charter/boss trips, sometimes yachts say they are private/charter yet they only charter once a year because the price to rent the boat is so much. This can affect your salary as generally speaking charter yachts pay crew a little less than private as they factor in tips. So if the pay isn’t great and the boat says “well it’s charter you will get tips”, yet they never charter you’re taking a pay cut for that. b) If the yacht has a live aboard owner, meaning you’re ‘always’ on charter. c)  If the boat is always at anchor it means access to shore-time is limited as you need to get a tender ashore. This also can indicate that the boat doesn’t pay to be in port, which can mean a small budget however it can also be that the boat is too big to fit in port for example the well-known 162m superyacht yacht Eclipse cannot fit into many ports, so it is always at anchor.  d) If it is world cruising meaning you may get to travel to some places which are out of the general ‘milk run’ routes such as Capri and Monaco. I’ve had friends travel to some incredible places on world cruising yachts even as far afield as Antarctica. However, with these world travelling yachts it can generally mean you’re not out socialising and meeting other crew as much as you’re exploring so it really depends on what you want you’re yachting adventure to be like. I will say with the world cruising yachts crew, you will spend a lot of time with your crew so try and get a good idea of what type of people they are, nationalities, hobbies etc. 

Questions NOT to ask in an interview:

• Who are the owners? The person interviewing you will probably reveal the owner’s nationality, what kind of service they do and if it’s a family-run, business-like or party environment.  With a little research after your interview, I’m sure you can find out more information about the yacht.
• Do I get the weekends off? This is an alarm bell for a Chief Stew as it says a lot about the person interviewing and thinking more about the time off then the work.  All crew get time off yes, and your contract will specifically say how many days and your package details.
• Is there a drug test and how often? Drug tests onboard are pretty common, they can be random checks or they can be every time you get back from holidays. Don’t ask this in an interview it says lots about you as a person.
• How much will I get paid? I encourage you to let the interviewer bring this up with you. I know it’s a big part of the job however let them tell you all about the job first then tell you the package details. Make sure you get a contract before you join a vessel with your pay details and flight packages, if it hasn’t been organised then you will need to ask about the pay.

Want to learn more about how to get a job on a superyacht?  Check out my free eBook “Your First Steps To Yachting”  grab it here

Want to build up your stewardess skills  with an on-demand stewardess training course? Check out  The Seaworthy Yacht Stew Training Course here

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About .

I’m a chief stewardess with over 6 years experience working in the superyacht industry on boats up to 88m. I help aspiring yacht crew by propelling them with the know-how and tools to confidently break into the superyacht industry.

Hey, I'm Jess a friendly Yacht Stew here to help!

@THESEAWORTHYSTEW

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© 2020 the seaworthy stew, masterclass, listen on the podcast.

welcome, friend

How to become Yacht Crew ?

How to become a deckhand a stewardess on superyachts, can a yachting career really be true .

Yes. The industry employs 50 000 crew worldwide. For entry level positions no education is required apart from being at least 16 years old, healthy and willing to work hard.

Is Yachtiecareers free ?

Yes, Yachtiecareers also does yacht recruitment, focusing only on junior deckhand and stewardess positions. We are the only agency in the world to offer this service for free for both crew and Superyachts.

We choose Superyachts carefully, that we know will be a good match for you starting.

How much do i need to pay ?

We can kick-start your career, giving you a basic package for only €12, this is giving you an Introduction, E-book and a 100€ award to spend on kick-starting your career, without making a big commitment. To see if it is right for you.

Are these courses for me ?

These courses has been specifically developed by experienced leaders in the Super Yacht industry for you with no prior experience.

The courses gives you the skills and full service with a personal instructor giving you all you need so that we can employ you on board.

Whether you are just starting or looking for your first job. Yachtiecareers is the best place to start.

What is required ?

The only pre-requirement is that you are minimum 16 years old.

Before starting your first job you need to complete a safety course and get a medical certificate. We guide you through the whole process.

What is the Deckhand Job ?

Deckhand is one of the entry level positions you can select. You will work closely in a professional team operating tenders, jet skis and water sports. Being in charge of washing and detailing the exterior parts of the Yacht.

What is the Stewardess job ?

Stewardess is one of the entry level positions you can select. You will work closely in a professional team in charge of the interior providing luxury service to the Owners and VIP guests.

What is my yachting salary ?

Starting salary for entry level positions start from € 2500-3500 per month. Developing your career salaries are over 10 000 euros per month. Yachts also offer very lucrative bonuses, tips and holiday packages.

How do I start working on Superyachts ?

We recommend getting a certified Instructor and Yachtie Careers training and tools to start. This is a proven way that works.

Before starting to look for work, you need the Yachtie Pro course, this will make you ready to work on board and give you the right skills and training.

Once you have this you will together with your personal instructor design your route. We recommend starting in Antibes or Palma.

Why choose YachiteCareers ?

• We are working in leadership postions on Superyachts.
• We have been in the same situation you were in starting, not having the right guidance
• We have made a package and training , making it easy,fun and a succesful adventure starting and getting a yacht job fast. 

What if it does not work ?

After recruiting for junior positions for 10 years, we have designed a step-by-step plan that works. We guarantee that if you follow this plan with your personal instructor, you will be successful.

Or we give you your money back.

Are the yacht courses quality good ?

The first edition was over 5 days of material. But we made it into 5 modules covering what really matters, and what is giving you the job. The rest you can access in our guides and be guided by our experienced crew members.

What is in the yacht training ?

We give you the tools and engaging training to start. Once completed you will be matched with a  personal instructor to make sure you follow or plan that you can ask.

We take care of everything from Visas, to CV writing to job interviews, getting a bank account and signing your first contract.

Is Yachting right for me ?

In my experience, everyone I have met, has always been able to offer something of value to us on board. If you like new exciting experiences, travel, meeting friends and grow as a person, it is the right choice for you.

What Certificates do I need to start?

The minimum certification you need to start is Basic Safety STCW, Medical Certificate and Passport. Yachtiecareers gets you all this but so much more. We give you the training to succeed.

We have a 10-step plan for this, that you will do with your Stewardess instructor. It takes work and effort, but we make it fun and an enjoyable learning experience.

We have a 10-step plan for this, that you will do with your Deck instructor. It takes work and effort, but we make it fun and an enjoyable learning experience

Yes! Please check our job board, for open positions. To maximise your chances, make sure you have our CV, references and training to start.

You will have a personal instructor, and all the right tools and guidance.

 With us failure is not a possibility.

We have included a full training and service package that you need to a good price, saving you money and time.

They will all be a part of your training and completing it. You will learn from each one.

But after the training, we match you with one that suits your location, yacht type and wishes best.

This is where we give you both trainings, but also all the international certifications you must carry on board. You will have a full training week with hotels on the beach in beautiful Croatia, Spain or France, learning , making friends and starting your career in the only and best way possible.

The best options for starting in the industry.

Most of the crew are clueless of what we require on board, and the once that get on board are not ready for the tasks ahead. Our training solves both these problems.

There are to much old fashioned agencies, irrelevant courses and hate on facebook groups giving the wrong advice, with high fees and low level of knowledge.

This is so you do not have to go through the long periods of mistakes, self doubt and struggles we had to go through starting. We guide you all the way.

STCW Yacht Deckhand Training Europe

All stcw certificates and yacht training to get a yacht job as a deckhand (split, croatia).

STCW Yacht Stewardess Training Europe

All stcw certificates and yacht training to get a yacht job as a stewardess (split, croatia).

Do you need help to become a Yacht Stewardess or a Yacht Deckhand ?

Become yacht crew by getting the right qualifications and certificates, how to start working on yachts  .

Simply select your location and position above and get full access to Yachtiecareers Training programme. This gives you all mandatory STCW Basic Safety Certification with a training week in US or Europe. 

How to Get into the Yachting Industry ?

Once you have the basic qualifications (STCW) you can register and apply through any of the reputable recruitment agencies – such as Nordic Yacht Support , Yachtiecareers or Yacrew.com. Another way is to “dock walk” looking for daywork. This involves quite literally walking the docksides where superyachts are berthed – such as Antibes, St Tropez, Palma and other Mediterranean ports, looking for daywork or temporary positions. 

How Long Will it Take to Get a Yacht Job ? 

The Superyacht industry is volatile, things can happen very quickly. You are dock walking and meet a Captain who, because a crew member has left and the yacht is sailing imminently, is looking for a dayworker/deckhand to start immediately, so be prepared to drop everything to come aboard. 

On the other hand a Captain could be looking to recruit crew looking for long term employment (referred to in the industry as “longevity”). The Captain could be looking to build a particular type of person who will be able to work with other crew members as a team. It also depends on the time of year you apply.

What are the basic Entry Qualifications to become yacht crew ?

For employment on a commercially registered superyacht, the minimum requirement for all crew is basic safety training. STCW The basic safety training is known as Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping for Seafarers (STCW). This safety training was developed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The full course comprises four modules/certificates:

• Personal Survival Techniques 
• Fire Fighting and Fire Prevention  
• Elementary First Aid 
• Personal Safety and Social Responsibility

This is the STCW minimum qualifications to work on ships and on commercial yachts. When you book our Deckhand and Stewardess packages you also get an included STCW Basic Safety Training week in Croatia or Florida to get your full STCW certification and Basic Safety training. 

Our packages above include every STCW certificate, Yacht CV and yacht qualifications you need to become a stewardess or deckhand to work as yacht crew on board. 

Do you need help to star ? If you drop us a message and a Yachtiecareers Instructor will help you out !

We are usually very quick to respond!

Or get in touch where we usually hang out:

Next 2 bookings get 50€   free  when applying code: yachtie50

Get free yacht cv and yacht job offers

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Definition of yachtie

Word history.

yacht entry 1 + -ie

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“Yachtie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yachtie. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

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• informal. a yachtsman; sailing enthusiast

Keeping Our Heritage Alive through Breath to Breath Immersion

yUdjEha gO'wAdAnA-A k'ak'ûnEchE

Yuchi Language Project

yUdjEha gO’wAdAnA-A h@lA nÔthla, zOyahalA n@wElA nÔt@, TahAê nÔk’âfA. OhahanE Enû yUdjEhalA k’ala wahalA OnOnzOTa jî. abAhû yaTEchE KAlAnÔk’Âgû. nÔzEOtOtO Enû yUdjEhalA shtahaê O’wAdÂ. zOyaha nAnô sô KAnAnô!

The Yuchi Language Project’s transformative vision is to restore the vitality of the Yuchi language and create a sustainable language community where the fullness of the Yuchi worldview can thrive for future generations.    

Over the last 26 years, the Yuchi Language Project non-profit has been nurturing breath-to-breath language learning habitats to produce new cohorts of Yuchi speakers.  We are excited to report that for the first time in nearly 100 years, parents are raising their babies solely in Yuchi and children are once again speaking Yuchi as their first language!  

Our holistic approach to revitalizing the Yuchi language and promoting community wellness consists of four key strategies as detailed in the attached schematic:  

Yuchi Immersion School  is our primary investment as the most effective pathway to develop new first language speakers, which is our community’s most needed resource for cultural continuity 

Community Language Programs  restore the broader ecosystem of the Yuchi language and provide opportunities for all Yuchi people to connect with their language, culture, and identity

Teacher/Professional Development  focuses on transmitting Elder knowledge to second language learners and equipping them to implement the other programs of the Yuchi Language Project 

Indigenous Language Advocacy  raises the prestige of all Indigenous languages through policy, funding, and partnership development in the spirit of reciprocity and self-determination 

The Yuchi Language Project is a model program for language and cultural revitalization. This 501(c)3 non-profit is designed as a living language habitat to produce a new generation of Yuchi speakers. When we speak our own language, we embody our Indigenous culture and worldview like our ancestors.  

Linguists identify Yuchi as a language isolate, unrelated to any other language.  This means it is one of the world’s most ancient and richest languages, carrying eons of tradition, history and a unique perspective on the world.   

Using the most effective immersion methods, the Yuchi Language Project (YLP) is seeing c hildren once again speak Yuchi at home, school, church, and at our Yuchi Ceremonial Grounds for the first time in nearly a century.  

The program earned the Oklahoma Humanities Award for Education in 2013.  The Yuchi language work has been featured in National Geographic Magazine (2012), Cultural Survival Quarterly (2011, 2019), Keep Talking film (2018), Language Healers film (2013), and Language Revitalization for Families, edited by Leanne Hinton (2013).  

Based in Oklahoma, YLP has partnerships with over 12 l ocal and regional organizations including the Tribal Languages Center at Bacone College. YLP provides training for and collaborates with other Native American language programs in Oklahoma, Alaska, Florida, Minnesota, and Norway. Halay Turning Heart, our Project Administrator is the 2021 NDN Changemaker Fellow representing the Great Plains region, USA.

On the international level ,  we have hosted Indigenous visitors from around the globe sponsored by the U.S. State Department through a partnership with Tulsa Global Alliance, earning the award for “Outstanding At­ Large Host” in 2016.   Executive Director Richard A. Grounds, Ph.D., is Chair of the Global Indigenous Languages Caucus and head organizer for the 2019 United Nations International Year of Indigenous Languages.  

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Revitalize the yuchi language for future generations.

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We are the market leader in boat registrations around the world. Our clients want to register boats, jet ski’s or mega yachts. Some clients have an easy choice while others have a complex question as they employ crew or use there vessel for commercial activities. We can help you figure out where the best jurisdiction would be to register your yacht as there are many choices.

Where to register your boat?

When you purchase a motor or sailing vessel it is very important to decide on the best suitable country to register your yacht. There are many different countries that offer a favorable registration but each of them has pros and cons. It is important that you understand these before deciding on where to register. When you decide on a country to be registered, the vessel is subject to the laws of the country of registration. It is therefore important that the boat registration country you have registered in, offers the conveniences that you need.

The first thing to understand is that under which flag you sail has nothing to do with your nationality!

Most of the registrations we offer are available to any nationality. In some cases we need to put the ownership of your vessel in a new dormant company (that you own) in order to comply with the rules but this is only an advantage, as these companies also offer you protection from liability and have several other advantages.

Private use versus commercial use

It is also important to know that some countries have an easy registration for private use vessels but not for commercial vessels. We can currently register your boat for commercial use in Poland, Langkawi, Gibraltar, Panama, Cayman Islands, the United Kingdom, British Virgen Islands (BVI) or Malta.

We register boats in many jurisdictions

Let us register your boat in the country that is best suited for your vessel. We currently offer registrations in Poland, Holland, Cayman Islands, British Virgen Islands (BVI), Langkawi, Panama, Gibraltar, Belgium, Delaware, Malta, and the United Kingdom. Have a look at our detailed guide to get an idea which country is best for you or if you need advice, contact us by phone, WhatsApp, real time chat or email.

MMSI Radio License – for VHF, AIS, radar and EPIRB

As you are probably aware, it is mandatory by law to have a MMSI - radio license onboard your vessel at all times.

It is mandatory by law to have an MMSI license onboard your vessel at all times, so we highly recommend our clients to get this while applying for your boat ownership document. Having an MMSI license onboard avoids problems when you are checked by local authorities.

Every country has different requirements to receive an MMSI radio license so please choose your flag country and check the details for that specific country on the country page.

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