A document specifying the nation of registry of the vessel.

A marine hardware store.

Short lengths of line attached to the sail used to tie the extra sail out of the way when reefing.

A written contract between the owner of a vessel and the person desiring to employ the vessel (charterer); sets forth the terms of the arrangement such as duration of agreement, freight rate and ports involved in the trip.

(1) The flag traditionally flown by pirate ships. (2) The name given by sailors to the bubonic plague, whose victims were said to turn black.

In sailboat racing, a tactical maneuver to lock in a competitor by tacking on them in close proximity so they can not tack from under your boat and they start to lose speed due to your sails blocking their sails.

Port of initial Customs entry of a vessel to any country. Also known as First Port of Call.

Light-weight foresail similar to a spinnaker but set without a pole.

see Turnbuckle

A bend or hitch used to attach a line to a ring or spar so that by pulling the end of the line, the hitch will come free. This is done by passing a bight of the line under the other part so that when strain is applied the bight is jammed. A pull on the en ...

The imaginary line running from bow to stern along the middle of the boat.

A single outlet or limited number of outlets in a building used to connect tools or equipment to the air system.

A vessel's station bill showing duties of crew.

A person or firm performing a consolidation service for others. The consolidator takes advantage of lower full carload (FCL) rates, and savings are passed on to shippers.

A long sturdy pole fitted with a blunt hook at one end designed to catch a line when coming alongside a pier or mooring, to facilitate putting a line over a piling, recovering an object dropped overboard, or in pushing or fending off.

Flapping (of sails)

The triangle formed by the masthead, the base of the mast at deck level, and the lower end of the headstay.

Articles packed so that one rests partially or entirely within another, thereby reducing the cubic-foot displacement.

The wind direction indicator on the masthead.

On a wooden vessel, the outermost deck plank covering the gunwale. also called Covering Board