I worked in a shipyard before, these are some nautical terms for my sweet memory:



bow = the front end of vessel

stern = the rear end of vessel

port = the left side when facing bow

starboard = the right side when facing bow

bridge = the control room for steering and speed-control

galley = the kitchen

head = the toilet

cabin = the compartment for passengers or crew

hull = the basic structure that provides buoyancy

deck = a permanent cover of the hull which serves as a floor

foredeck = deck near bow

capstan = a winch with a vertical axis

rudder = a flat, wide shape which is hung on the stern & used to steer the vessel

topside = up on the open deck

topsides = the sides of the vessel between the waterline & the deck

inboard = positioned inside the vessel

outboard = positioned outside the vessel

inboard-outboard (I/O) = a propulsion system with an inboard engine connected through the transom to an outboard drive unit

stern drive = an inboard/outboard drive system where the engine is inside the boat & the propeller is outside the boat

transom = the portion of the hull at the stern that is perpendicular to the centerline of the boat

alongside = beside; next to another vessel or dock

dock = to maneuver (park) a vessel beside a wharf, pier or float

ME = main engine

AE = auxiliary engine

bulbous bow = the protruding bulb at the bow located below the waterline with purpose to cancel out wave

knot = one nautical mile (1852m exactly) per hour, it is not a SI unit

tonnage = the volume , not the weight ; 1 ton is 100 cubic feet

water line = the level of displacement when the vessel is completely unloaded

load line @ international load line @ Plimsoll line = the level to which the ship can be safely loaded

displacement = the actual total weight of the vessel; it is the weight of water being displaced by the volume of hull below waterline (depends on density of the water)

lightship = the actual weight of the ship with no fuel, passengers, cargo, water, etc. on board

deadweight = the displacement at any loaded condition minus the lightship weight; it includes the crew, passengers, cargo, fuel, water & stores

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