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Hi Puzzlers,
Today’s topic is nautical terms. I have heard many sailors telling stories of their adventures at sea and sometimes find myself wondering what they’re talking about. Take for instance a Baggywrinkle. What’s a Baggywrinkle? It’s fun to say but what does it mean? It turns out to be clumps of frayed rope that protect the sails from chafing against the lines.
First, we need to know about the front and back of the boat as all sailing terms get their references from these positions. Aft is the back of a ship. If something is located aft, it is at the back of the boat. The aft is also known as the stern. Bow is the front of the ship. Knowing the location of the bow is important for defining two of the other most common sailing terms: port and starboard.
Port is always the left-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow. Because “right” and “left” can become confusing sailing terms when used out in open waters, port is used to define the left-hand side of the boat as it relates to the bow, or front. Starboard is always the right-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow.
Next comes wind direction. Leeward - Also known as lee, leeward is the direction opposite to the way the wind is currently blowing. Windward is the direction in which the wind is currently blowing. Sailboats commonly move with the wind, making the windward direction an important sailing term to know.
To catch the wind a sailboat has a mast. The mast is the long tall pole that extends vertically. The boom is the horizontal pole that extends from the bottom of the mast. The boom is adjusted towards the direction of the wind so it can capture the wind necessary to move the sailboat forward or backwards. Steering the boat is done with the rudder. The rudder is located beneath the boat. It is made of wood, fiberglass, or metal. Larger sailboats control the rudder with a wheel, and small sailboats will have a steering mechanism directly aft.
Getting from point A to B is usually done by tacking. Tacking is a basic sailing maneuver referring to turning the bow of the boat through the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the boat to the other side. Jibing has the sailor turning the aft of the boat through the wind. While doing these maneuvers the boom will swing from side to side, so watch your head!
Now, puzzlers- off we go to the docks to hear some sailing tales with terms we can understand.
Happy Puzzling!
Today’s topic is nautical terms. I have heard many sailors telling stories of their adventures at sea and sometimes find myself wondering what they’re talking about. Take for instance a Baggywrinkle. What’s a Baggywrinkle? It’s fun to say but what does it mean? It turns out to be clumps of frayed rope that protect the sails from chafing against the lines.
First, we need to know about the front and back of the boat as all sailing terms get their references from these positions. Aft is the back of a ship. If something is located aft, it is at the back of the boat. The aft is also known as the stern. Bow is the front of the ship. Knowing the location of the bow is important for defining two of the other most common sailing terms: port and starboard.
Port is always the left-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow. Because “right” and “left” can become confusing sailing terms when used out in open waters, port is used to define the left-hand side of the boat as it relates to the bow, or front. Starboard is always the right-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow.
Next comes wind direction. Leeward - Also known as lee, leeward is the direction opposite to the way the wind is currently blowing. Windward is the direction in which the wind is currently blowing. Sailboats commonly move with the wind, making the windward direction an important sailing term to know.
To catch the wind a sailboat has a mast. The mast is the long tall pole that extends vertically. The boom is the horizontal pole that extends from the bottom of the mast. The boom is adjusted towards the direction of the wind so it can capture the wind necessary to move the sailboat forward or backwards. Steering the boat is done with the rudder. The rudder is located beneath the boat. It is made of wood, fiberglass, or metal. Larger sailboats control the rudder with a wheel, and small sailboats will have a steering mechanism directly aft.
Getting from point A to B is usually done by tacking. Tacking is a basic sailing maneuver referring to turning the bow of the boat through the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the boat to the other side. Jibing has the sailor turning the aft of the boat through the wind. While doing these maneuvers the boom will swing from side to side, so watch your head!
Now, puzzlers- off we go to the docks to hear some sailing tales with terms we can understand.
Happy Puzzling!
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