Naval
Dictionary
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SSB
Receiver/transmitter for long-ray communications, acronym of “single side band”
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Sacchetto
Weight provided with a small cable, thrown to land in order to allow the passage of a bigger cable
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Sacrifical anode
Metal part, usually made of zinc, fixed to the hull or some other metal parts to prevent galvanic streams from causing corrosion
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Safe waters signal
It is surrounded by navigable waters bu it doesn't indicate a danger. It is used, for example, to indicate a channel
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Safety notes
Inspections which verify that the boat, its safety equipments, engines, electric systems, etc.. meet the technical requirements for marine safety
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Sail
Fabric designed and shaped to catch the wind and used to propel a vessel.
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Sail cloth
Fabric part of a sail
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Sail tack
Vertex of a sail triangle fixed to the boat or a spinnaker pole
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Sail up (v)
To sail towards a point located windward (or underset)
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Sailcloth
Raw canvas used in the past to produce sails, bags and hammocks. It is used in the deck of some vintage boats for a non-slip effect
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Sailing class
Group of sailing boats sharing the same design features, recognised by the the International Sailing Federation (ISAF)
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Sailing directions
A book with useful information about navigation, coast and harbours
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Sailing point, sailing trim
Direction of the bow in relation to wind direction
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Schooner
Boat with two identical masts, with trysail or mainsail, with or without bowsprit
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Schooner.
A sailing ship carrying two or more masts bearing fore and aft sails, with the mizzen forward of the mainmast.
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Scope of the cable
The length of the anchor rope or chain
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Scull (v)
To row with a single oarUpdate Update
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Scupper
The openings in the bulwarks that allow drainage over the side
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Sea anchor, floating anchor
An anchor made up of a cone which, drug in the water, slows boat motion down
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Sea chest, sea water intake
Valve communicating with outside from which water can be sucked or drained
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Seamark
Buoy or general reference point used to identify rocks or shallows or to indicate navigable canals or bearings.
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Seizing, reefing knot
Knot used to join two ropes
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Set sail
To leave, to heave anchor
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Set taut (adv)
A particularly tight knot
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Set taut (v)
To tighten a knot. To approach two running elements
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Set taut (v)
To haul a rigging after easing it to recover a board
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Sextant
Optical instrument which determines latitude through the measurement of the elevation of a celestial body above the horizon
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Shackie
To join two parts of a rope or a chain through a shackle or a false link. It means also to link an anchor to the chain or a buoy to a rope/chain
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Shackle
U-shaped iron element with a removable pin. It is used to join chain ends or to fix sails to eye bolts thorugh cringles
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Shank
Main element of the anchor
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Sheepshank
A knot used to shorten a rope.
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Sheer
The curved fore and aft line formed by the uppermost plank of a boat.
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Sheer
First line of planking in wooden boats
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Sheet
Rope used to set sails
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Shelter
A zone protected from wind and waves
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Shipowner
The owner of a vessel
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Shipping lane
Error which can contain the navigation error
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Shipyard
Where ships are built or repaired
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Shoal, shallow water
An area where the bottom shape rises near the surface
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Shockcord tie
Elastic rope made up of a main cable and several braces, used to clew the mainsail down fast.
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Shroud
Cable, generally made of steel, on the sides of the mast to support and reinforce it
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Shrouds
Standing riggings: shrouds, backstays and forestays
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Side
Side of the boat
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Sierra.
Term which represents “S” in the international phonetic alphabet.
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Sight (v)
To see or recognise an object
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Signal buoy
Buoy or beacon fixed to the anchor ring through a specific rope to indicate the anchor position and recover it if stucked
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Signaling flag
If in national waters it is red with a white diagonal, it signals the presence of a scuba diver. In international waters, it must show the alpha flag of the international code
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Sirocco
Southeast wind
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Skeg
Support located in front of the rudder to protect and support it
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Skipper
Master of a boat
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Skylight
Opening in the deck
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Skysail
Triangular sail located between two masts
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Slack
A not taut rope
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Slack
To let a rope free.
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Slide
Hook mounted on hail eadropess to allow the junction with stays
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Slip
Difference between the real propeller forward in water and that one it would have if screws in a solid.
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Slip
Structure where ships are built, usually near water and inclined to facilitate the launch
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Slip (v), ease out (v)
Let a rope or a chain run free but always with control
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Slipway
Inclined plan finishing in water used to launch small boats
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Sloop
A sailing vessel carrying a single mast and a single fore sail
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Snatch-block
A block which can be opened to allow a rope to be looped
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Soling.
One-design craft with fixed keel designed by Jean Herman Linge; it's the biggest boat of the olympic class, with a length of 8.15x1.90 m l'its crew is made up of 3 people
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Sonar
Intrument to measure the depth or distance of an object. See also Depth meter
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Sorrentine felucca
Thin boat with no decks
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South wind
Wind blowing from South
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South-west wind
Wind blowing from South-West
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Spar
Shaft located horinzontally to the mast where Latin sails are inserted
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Spare materials
Spare parts used to replace broken equipments
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Spare parts
Spare parts of any boat equipment
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Special signals
They don't help navigation but they indicate a particular area or situation, whose nature can be determined by referring to maps or other documents.
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Spectra
Commercial name of Dyneema, a very resistant synthetic fibre used for ropes
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Spill (v)
To ease the sheet so that the sail does not fill completely.
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Spinnaker
Very thin nylon sail, often coloured, used to sail downwind or a beam wind
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Spinnaker pole
A spar used to maintain a sail away from the bow
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Spitfire
Storm jib
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Spring
Squaresail above the fore sail
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Springline
A long dockline which is run from the bow aft to the dock, or from the stern forward to the dock.
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Spritsail
Fore and aft sail where the peak is fixed on the basis of the mast and there is no boom
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Spuce.
Wood used for the construction of masts; it's light, resistant and elastic.
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Squall
Violent short gust
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Squall, gale
Waves high enough, with strong wind. Degree 8 in Beaufort scale, equal to over 40 knots
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Squaresail
Trapezoidal sail fixed on the upper side of yards, excellent for running free but not good for sailing close to wind
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Stability
The relative tendancy of a ship to remain upright in the face of wind and waves.
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Stall
When sails or rudder loose their lift, like plane wings
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Stanchion
A vertical metal post mounted at the edge of the deck to which a rail or cables are attached as a safety measure.
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Standing part
Standing terminal part of a cable, fixed on a ring. The ring or spar which the cable is fixed on.
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Standing rigging
Metal cables or standing ropes supporting the masts
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Star
One-design craft with bulb keel; designed by William Gardne in 1911; it measures 6.92x 1.73 m and it has a sail area of 26 square metres
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Star board
Right side of the boat
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Starboard
The right side of a vessel when seen by someone facing the bow
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Starcut
A particular spinnaker with star-shaped panels; today it is replaced by the gennaker
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Stay
Steel cable between tanchions and pulpits which forms a protection handrail
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Staysail
Triangular fore sail used together with gennaker
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Staysail
Triangular sail hoisted on stays
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Steer (v)
To direct the course of a vessel
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Steerage
Change of course
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Stempost
A vertical post, at the front of the keel, that forms the main part of the bow
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Step, mast-step
Mast basis seat
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Stern
Rear part of a boat
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Stern gear, stern tube
Tube fixed to the hull or a propeller where a shaft passes through
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Stern post
Terminal part of the stern
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Stern quarter
Lateral part of the boat on the sides of the stern.
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Sticcare
To haul up on the wind and stop only when sails start to flap
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Stick
An extension of rudder
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Stop
To hook a rope or a chain so that it keeps in tension while it is fixed in a permanent way
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Stopper
Hook or lever to block the anchor or the chain after dropping the anchor.
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Stopper, backstay
Guy used to fix a rope or a chain
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Store
Supplies stocked on board for use as needed during a voyage, food included
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Storm
Sudden violent weather event with rain and lightings
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Storm
Violent weather event causing very high waves, long crests, heavy sea. Degree10 of Beaufort Scale
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Strale
One-design craft with centreboard designed by Ettore Santarelli; it is a two-seater with mainsail jib and spinnaker( 13.50 x 1.70 m)
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Strand
To get struck with the keel on the bottom, for example in the rocks.
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Strand
Part of a rope made up of plies
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Stream
Water motion generated by wind, tides or bottoms.
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Stringer
Reinforcement of the junction between hull and deck
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Stringer
In a knot, it's the active part of a rope. It's the opposite of the dead point
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Strong squall
Waves with crests which start to roll; thicker and thicker foam. Degree 9 in Beaufort Scale
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Strop, lizard
Part of a rope linked to a ring through a knot or a splice to fix an object
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Stud, cross bar
Mooring rope perpendicular to the boat, used together with springline
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Stuffing box
Cilynder where rudder shaft is located
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Stuffing box
Element which contains the pressed nipper in the stuffing box located in the axis passage through the hull
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Super buoy
Danger buoy with a very visible light
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Surf (v)
To go over the wave generated by the forward; the hull goes out of water by increasing speed
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Surfer
The person who steers a wind- surf.
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Swab, mop
Broom, besom to wash and dry decks
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Swinging
Method to calculate compass mistakes due to magnetic deviations. The result is reported on a table which will be used to plot the course
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sail tack, sheet track
Track equipped with a carriage to change sheet position easily and fast
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span
System of cables to distribute traction, generally used for awnings.See also LazyJack
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splice
To join the ends of two lines, or make a loop, by weaving the untwisted lays into the bight.
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The nautical world is constantly evolving and up with the times, strongly linked to some firm traditions which drives the field to a precious niche in the international market. Nautical terms have always distinguish the nautical world. They are not only common sayings but specific nouns and adjectives forming a real specific language. In this section, you can find not only the most popular nautical terms but also details,interjections, compound sentences and a peculiar grammar! A real nautical dictionary including any need of lexical knowledge. yachtingmedia is the online portal which offers the widest selection of updated contents. Behind this, there is a team of sailing and web experts who know the field and, above all, love this wonderful world! Here you can find thousands of useful information about harbours, havens, boats and boats for sale; stay up-to-date,sail with yachtingmedia, the online pilot book which drives you towards a safe funny navigation!