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Day Skipper revision module 1 of 17
General nautical terminology and parts of a boat and hull.
8 guided lessons · 15 practice questions · 15 flashcards
Lesson 1 of 8
What you will learn
Distinguish the vessel's ends from directions of movement and use bow, stern, fore, aft and amidships correctly in a crew instruction.
Bow and stern name the two ends of the vessel. Fore, forward and aft describe direction along it, while amidships describes the middle area.
The front of a boat is the bow. The back of a boat is the stern. Anything towards the bow is described as forward or fore; anything towards the stern is aft. The midpoint of the vessel is amidships.
These terms are used constantly in Day Skipper theory, marina instructions, pilotage notes, and safety briefings. For example, a crew member asked to move forward should go towards the bow, while equipment stowed aft is towards the stern.
The bow typically has a pointed shape to cut through waves. On a yacht the deck area at the front is the foredeck. The stern may include the cockpit, bathing platform, boarding ladder, pushpit, or dinghy davits depending on the boat.
| Term | Meaning | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| Bow | Front of the boat | The bow points towards the vessel's heading |
| Stern | Back of the boat | The cockpit and boarding platform are often near the stern |
| Forward / Fore | Towards the bow | Move forward, foredeck, forestay |
| Aft | Towards the stern | Aft cabin, aft locker, move aft |
| Amidships | Middle of the vessel | Often used for balance, stowage, or deck position |
Before leaving a berth, the skipper asks one crew member to take a bow line forward and another to move a fender aft. Each instruction combines a named object with a direction along the vessel.
1. Orientate
Identify the bow and stern before interpreting the instruction.
2. Translate
Forward or fore means towards the bow; aft means towards the stern.
3. Confirm
Repeat the instruction in plain language if the requested position is unclear.
Sense check: A crew member moving aft should end up nearer the stern, regardless of which way they happen to be facing.
Optional quick check
Section 1 of 8
Lesson 2 of 8
What you will learn
Identify the vessel's port and starboard sides from any position aboard and relate them to navigation sidelights without confusing buoyage regions.
Port and starboard are fixed sides of the vessel: port is left and starboard is right when you face the bow.
When facing forward, the left side of the boat is port and the right side is starboard. Navigation sidelights are red to port and green to starboard. Lateral buoy colours are jurisdiction-specific: the UK uses IALA Region A, where port-hand marks are red and starboard-hand marks are green in the direction of buoyage; Region B reverses those lateral colours.
A useful mnemonic: 'port' and 'left' both have four letters. Another: 'Is there any RED PORT LEFT in the bottle?'
You are standing in the cockpit facing the stern when someone reports a fender dragging on the starboard side. The vessel's starboard side has not changed just because you turned around.
1. Face the boat
Picture yourself looking from stern towards bow.
2. Fix the sides
Port is then the vessel's left side and starboard its right side.
3. Separate systems
Use red and green for vessel sidelights, but apply the correct IALA region when interpreting lateral marks.
Sense check: A vessel's port sidelight remains red worldwide; IALA Region A or B changes lateral-mark colours, not the vessel's sidelights.
Optional quick check
Section 2 of 8
Lesson 3 of 8
What you will learn
Explain hull, waterline, draught, freeboard, keel and rudder, and identify which measurement constrains entry into shallow water.
The hull carries the vessel, while draught describes how far its lowest point extends below the waterline and freeboard describes height above it.
The hull is the body of the boat. The waterline is where the hull meets the water surface. The draught is the depth of the hull below the waterline — critical for knowing what depth of water you need.
A sailing yacht's keel may be a long keel, fin keel or another arrangement. It provides lateral resistance and often carries ballast for stability. The rudder is an underwater steering surface, commonly near the stern, controlled through a tiller or wheel.
A berth is shown with limited depth. Before approaching, compare the yacht's current draught with the expected water depth and the safety margin required for the conditions.
1. Find draught
Use the vessel's current loaded draught, not a remembered figure for an empty boat.
2. Find water depth
Account for chart datum, predicted tidal height and any local or observed differences.
3. Keep a margin
Allow under-keel clearance for uncertainty, waves, squat and the consequences of touching bottom.
Sense check: Available depth minus draught is only a starting clearance; it is not automatically a safe margin.
Optional quick check
Section 3 of 8
Lesson 4 of 8
What you will learn
Locate the main deck fittings and explain the distinct jobs of the cockpit, companionway, cleat, winch, fairlead, pulpit and pushpit.
Deck terms describe where the crew work and how lines are led, loaded and secured during routine manoeuvres.
The cockpit is the recessed area in the deck where the crew sit and the helm (tiller or wheel) is located. The companionway is the entrance/stairway leading below deck. Guardrails (or lifelines) run around the deck edge for safety, supported by stanchions.
Cleats are fittings used to secure ropes. A winch is a mechanical device for hauling ropes under load — essential for controlling sheets. A fairlead guides a rope in the desired direction. The pushpit is the guardrail frame at the stern, and the pulpit is the same at the bow.
The crew leads a mooring line from a strong deck point, through the intended fair lead and clear of feet before the final approach to a pontoon.
1. Choose the strong point
Use the deck cleat or other fitting specified for that line on the vessel.
2. Lead the line
Run it through the correct fairlead so the load follows the intended direction without chafe or a trip hazard.
3. Control the load
Use a winch only as trained and keep hands, clothing and loose turns clear of pinch points.
Sense check: A fairlead changes the line's path; it does not replace the strong point used to secure the load.
Optional quick check
Section 4 of 8
Lesson 5 of 8
What you will learn
Identify the usual functions of the saloon, galley, heads, berths and chart table and use those terms in an onboard briefing.
Below-deck names help crew locate accommodation, equipment and the navigation area quickly, though the exact layout varies by vessel.
The saloon is the main living area below deck. The galley is the kitchen. The heads is the toilet/bathroom. Berths are the sleeping areas — they may be in the forecabin (forward cabin), quarter berths (aft), or in the saloon itself.
The chart table is the navigation station where charts are plotted. Many modern yachts have electronic chart plotters here alongside traditional paper charts.
Before departure, show the crew the companionway, saloon, galley, heads, berths and navigation area, then point out the vessel-specific location of safety equipment and seacocks.
1. Name the space
Use the nautical term and a plain-language description together.
2. Show the route
Make sure the crew can reach the space safely with the vessel moving.
3. Add the exception
Explain that layouts and equipment positions differ between yachts, so this boat's briefing is authoritative aboard.
Sense check: Knowing the word 'galley' is useful only if the learner can also find the galley and move around it safely on the actual vessel.
Optional quick check
Section 5 of 8
Lesson 6 of 8
What you will learn
Classify common rigging as standing or running and distinguish the jobs of shrouds, stays, halyards, sheets, boom and kicking strap.
Standing rigging supports the mast; running rigging is handled to hoist, lower and control sails.
Standing rigging is the fixed wires that hold up the mast — shrouds run from the mast to the sides of the hull, the forestay runs forward, and the backstay runs aft. These are tensioned and rarely adjusted while sailing.
Running rigging is the ropes you actively use to control sails. A halyard hoists a sail up. A sheet controls the angle of a sail to the wind. The mainsheet controls the mainsail, the jib sheets control the headsail. The boom is the horizontal pole along the foot of the mainsail, controlled by the mainsheet and kicking strap (or vang).
The main halyard is used to hoist the mainsail. Once hoisted, the mainsheet and kicking strap control the boom and sail shape while the standing rigging continues to support the mast.
1. Identify
Trace the line before loading it and confirm that it is the intended halyard or sheet.
2. Keep clear
Check that the halyard, sail and crew are clear of snags and pinch points before hoisting.
3. Control
Use the relevant sheet and other controls for trim; do not expect the halyard to perform the sheet's job.
Sense check: If pulling a line changes the sail's angle to the wind rather than raising it, you are probably handling a sheet, not a halyard.
Optional quick check
Section 6 of 8
Lesson 7 of 8
What you will learn
Use windward, leeward, ahead, astern and abeam correctly and distinguish heading, intended course, track and bearing in a simple navigation situation.
Some direction words are relative to the vessel or wind; navigation terms distinguish where the bow points, where you intend to go and where the vessel actually travels.
Windward means towards the wind; leeward (pronounced 'loo-ard') means away from the wind. Ahead means in front of the vessel, astern means behind. Abeam means at right angles to the centreline.
A vessel's heading is the direction the bow points. Her course is the intended direction of travel. The track is the actual path over the ground (which may differ from the course due to tide and leeway). A bearing is the direction of an object measured from the vessel.
Worked example
The bow remains on an easterly heading while successive positions plot north of the intended eastbound line.
Sense check: The plotted position evidence should agree with the claimed track. If it does not, check the inputs and position sources before acting.
The helmsman keeps the bow on the planned heading, but a cross-tide moves the vessel sideways so its track over the ground falls to leeward of the intended route.
1. Observe heading
Read the direction in which the bow is pointing and state the reference used, such as compass or magnetic.
2. Observe track
Use appropriate position or track evidence to see the path actually made over the ground.
3. Reassess
If heading and track differ, account for tide, current, leeway and measurement limits before changing the plan.
Sense check: A steady heading does not guarantee a steady or safe track over the ground.
Optional quick check
Section 7 of 8
Lesson 8 of 8
What you will learn
Interpret make fast, cast off, fender, tack and gybe and recognise the principal boom hazard during a gybe.
Routine boat-handling verbs describe securing and releasing lines, protecting the hull and changing tack through the wind.
To make fast means to secure a rope. To cast off means to release the mooring lines and depart. Fenders are inflatable cushions hung over the side to protect the hull when alongside a pontoon or another vessel.
To tack is to turn the bow through the wind when sailing upwind. To gybe (or jibe) is to turn the stern through the wind when sailing downwind — this requires care as the boom can swing across violently.
Before departure, the crew rigs fenders, prepares lines for release and waits for the skipper's order to cast off. Later, a planned gybe is briefed so the boom and mainsheet are controlled and every person stays clear.
1. Prepare
Rig fenders and identify which lines are to remain made fast until the order is given.
2. Communicate
Repeat a cast-off or sailing instruction if the sequence or responsible crew member is unclear.
3. Control the boom
For a gybe, follow the boat-specific plan, control the mainsail and keep heads and bodies out of the boom and mainsheet path.
Sense check: A gybe is not complete merely because the stern passed through the wind; the boom, sail and crew must remain under control throughout.
Optional quick check
Section 8 of 8