Sailboat parts
Batten
Long thin plastic strips that support the sail.
Bilge
The bilge is the bottommost interior part of the boat. It’s usually located under the floor in the cabin.
Block
The nautical term for a pulley
Boom
A horizontal pole that attaches to the mast and is used to extend the foot of the mainsail
Bow
The forward part of a boat
Centerboard
A pivoting plate used to balance a boat and lessen leeway
Cleat
A fastening around or in which lines can be secured
Clew
Back corner of the sail.
Cockpit
This is where the pilot of the boat or “helmsman” will steer the boat.
Deck
Top surface of the boat.
Fore-stay
Wire or line connecting the mast to the bow.
Halyard
Halyards are the ropes used to hoist and lower the sail on the mast.
Hatch
A hatch is a watertight or water-resistant door used to enter the cabin or storage compartment of a boat.
Hull
The primary structural body of a vessel, not including superstructure, masts or rigging
Keel
A boat's fixed underwater part used to prevent sideways drift and provide stability
Leech
The edge of the sail between the head and clew also known as the trailing edge.
Line
Any piece of rope on a boat
Luff
The front edge of the sail between the head of the sail and tack.
Mast
A pole placed vertically on a boat used to support sails
Mainsail
The mainsail is the principal sail on a sailboat, and it is set on the backside of the mainmast. It is the main source that propels the boat windward.
Out-haul
Line that connects to the corner (or “clew”) of the sail and pulls back to the rear of the boom
Rudder
A boat's movable underwater steering board
Shackle
A metal fitting commonly used to connect sails and halyards
Sheet
Sheets are the control lines of the sail.
Shrouds and stays
Wires that hold the mast upright (the front one is the forestay)
Spreader
Struts attached to the mast to increase the holding power of the shrouds
Stern
A boat's afterpart
Tiller
A wooden or metal "stick" used to turn the rudder
Transom
A boat's afterpart that is square to its centerline
Wheel
A steering apparatus
Winch
A metal drum-shaped object around which lines are wrapped to make trimming them easier
