What Nautical Terms Do You Need to Know for Boating?
What’s the left side of the boat called? You should know at least the basic nautical terms, especially as a new boater, to ensure your safety and the safety of other boaters.
Knowing nautical terminology will help you clearly communicate with other boaters and will help you follow boating regulations and boating etiquette.
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Top boating terms you need to know
Port
The left side of the boat.
Starboard
The right side of the boat.
Bow
The front of the boat.
Stern
The rear of the boat.
Helm
The area where the steering wheel is located.
Hull
The hull is the main body of a boat. It does not include masts, sails, rigging, machinery, or equipment.
Aft
Towards the stern of the boat (Forward means towards the bow of a ship or boat.)
Buoy
Buoys are markers that float on top of the water to help boaters stay on course and avoid hazards. They can give information such as directions, distances, and hazards such as rocks and shallow water.
Knot
A knot is one nautical mile per hour and is used to measure speed. This unit is still used because it’s convenient for navigation and weather forecasting. A nautical mile is slightly longer than a regular mile. If a boat is going 20 knots, it’s doing about 23 miles per hour.
Beam
The boat's beam is its width, measured at its widest point, from side to side.
Draft
The draft is basically the minimum depth of water needed for the boat to float. For example, the more cargo or passengers a boat carries, the deeper it will sit in the water, increasing its draft.
Mooring
Mooring a boat is securing it to a fixed object like a dock, buoy, or anchor.
Keel
The hull of a boat is built around the keel. The keel runs along the centerline of the ship, from the bow to the stern and it supports the weight of the vessel. It’s basically the bottom of a boat or ship.
Did you know? What’s called the head on a boat is the toilet or bathroom. Historically, it was located at the bow and the name "head" stuck, despite the location changing over time to often be near the boat’s galley (kitchen).
Why do you need to know nautical terms?
Clear communication
Understanding nautical vocabulary allows boaters to communicate clearly with each other and helps prevent misunderstandings.
Safety
When you know marine terms, it increases safety because it helps ensure that boaters can navigate and manoeuvre their vessels correctly. It also helps when responding to a boating emergency.
Historical appreciation
Nautical terms are part of marine tradition and have been used for centuries. Learning these terms will help you understand maritime history and its influence on our language.
Boat etiquette
Using nautical terms is considered good boating etiquette because it promotes clear and efficient communication, especially during manoeuvres like docking, when safety is all important.
It’s practical
When you know nautical terms, it helps you to understand the different parts of a boat and their functions.
Test your nautical knowledge. What was considered the most brutal punishment for a sailor?
It was keelhauling and it was a punishment for a sailor who was accused of mutiny or desertion. The offending sailor was tied to a rope and dragged beneath a ship's hull, hauling them across the barnacle-covered keel to the opposite side or along the ship's length. It usually caused severe lacerations, broken bones, or drowning. Keelhauling was used in the 17th and 18th centuries.
There are historical references and paintings showing keelhauling in the Dutch navy, but there's no definitive evidence that the British Royal Navy used it.
If you are keelhauled in today’s terms, you have been severely rebuked, meaning you were criticized harshly or reprimanded, often in a formal or public way.
The series Black Sails (2014-2017) and the movie Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) had keelhauling scenes.
Now that you know your nautical terms, what else do you need to know before you go boating?
In Canada, you need a valid Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC).
You can get the card by taking a boating safety course in-person or online and passing the test at the end of the course.
The PCOC is also known as a Canadian boating license. It is mandatory for anyone operating a motorized recreational vessel in Canada, regardless of age, boat size, or engine horsepower, except in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
Operating a motorized boat without the required proof of competency (PCOC card) can result in a fine, with a minimum of $250.
Do you have boat insurance?
It’s not mandatory in Canada, but if your boat is financed your lender may require boat insurance. Many marinas require boat insurance with $3 million in liability coverage.
Boat insurance protects you and your loved ones. It protects your boat and its motor, boating equipment, and boating accessories like lifejackets, GPS, depth sounders, and many other items.
Can you afford the risks involved in not having boat insurance?
Final thoughts
Understanding nautical terms, getting a PCOC card (boat license), and insuring your boat are all part of being responsible boat owner who’s ready for boating season.
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