Every boat operator should know the following terms and definitions.
- Bow : Front of a boat.
- Stern : Rear of a boat.
- Starboard : Right side of a boat.
- Port : Left side of a boat.
- Hull : Body of a boat.
- Gunwale : Upper edge of boat’s side (generally pronounced gunnel)
- Cleat : Metal fitting on which a rope can be fastened.
What are the four parts of a boat called?
Bow: The forward or front part of your vessel is called the ‘bow’. Port: The left side of your boat when you’re seated and looking forward. Starboard: The right side of your boat when you’re seated and looking forward. Stern: The rear section of your boat is called the ‘stern’.
What are the 4 sides of the boat?
Now let’s learn the words for the front, rear, left and right sides of the boat. The front of a boat is called the bow, while the rear of a boat is called the stern. When looking towards the bow, the left-hand side of the boat is the port side. And starboard is the corresponding word for the right side of a boat.
What is the main part of a boat called?
hull. noun. the part of a ship or boat that floats on the water. The front part is called the bow and the back part is called the stern.
What are the parts of boat called? – Related Questions
What’s the top of a boat called?
Deck: the part of the boat that is on top of the hull and an area where you can walk or work. It acts as a roof for the hull. Boats can have multiple decks (i.e. foredeck).
What’s the side of a boat called?
When looking forward, toward the bow of a ship, port and starboard refer to the left and right sides, respectively.
What’s the bottom of a boat called?
Bilge – The lowest part of a boat hull that sometimes collects water.
What is the bottom of a ship called?
The keel is the bottom-most structural member around which the hull of a ship is built. The keel runs along the centerline of the ship, from the bow to the stern. A central beam to which the ribs are attached on each side.
What is the back of a ship called?
The rear of a ship, at the direction of a ship’s stern, is called the aft. And what’s wedged in between the forward and the aft of a ship is commonly dubbed midship.
What is the hull of a boat?
The Hull. The ‘hull’ is the portion of your boat that rides both in and on top of the water. The boat hull does not include any masts, sails, rigging, machinery or equipment.
What is the keel of a boat?
The keel is basically a flat blade sticking down into the water from a sailboat’s bottom. It has two functions: it prevents the boat from being blown sideways by the wind, and it holds the ballast that keeps the boat right-side up.
What is the difference between aft and stern?
The difference between “aft” and “stern” is that aft is the inside (on board) rearmost part of the vessel, while stern refers to the outside (offboard) rearmost part of the vessel. The stern is opposite the bow, the outside (offboard) of the front of the boat.
What is the chine of a boat?
Chines refer to the sharp changes in angles in its cross section. These angular chines appear along the outline of your boat’s hull and in the area where the hull intersects the underside of the boat.
What is the gunnel of a boat?
Gunwale – Also known as gunnel, this is the outermost top edge of a boat hull, usually where the deck and hull come together.
What is a strake on a boat?
(streɪk ) noun. a single line of planking or metal plating extending along the hull of a ship or boat from stem to stern.
What is the beam on a boat?
In simple terms, when measuring a ship at the widest point on the waterline that is known as, “Waterline Beam” whereas above, “Beam” is the widest part of the vessel.
What is the floor of a boat called?
The actual floor surface is called the sole; the term ‘deck’ refers to a structural member tying the ships frames or ribs together over the keel. In modern ships, the interior decks are usually numbered from the primary deck, which is #1, downward and upward.
What is the back of a ship called?
The rear of a ship, at the direction of a ship’s stern, is called the aft. And what’s wedged in between the forward and the aft of a ship is commonly dubbed midship.
What is the depth of a boat called?
The draft or draught of a ship’s hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull (keel). The draught of the vessel is the maximum depth of any part of the vessel, including appendages such as rudders, propellers and drop keels if deployed.
What is the water behind a boat called?
The wake is the region of disturbed flow (often turbulent) downstream of a solid body moving through a fluid, caused by the flow of the fluid around the body.