A
Abeam – At a right angle to the ship’s length; off the side of the ship.
Adrift – Drifting or floating without power.
Afloat – At sea; on board ship.
Aft – Toward or in the back of a ship.
Ahead – Something ahead of a ship’s bow.
Ahoy – Greeting between sailors, a call used for hailing.
Alleyway – A corridor, hallway, or passageway.
Alongside – Used when a ship is beside a pier or another vessel.
Amidships – Halfway between the bow (front) and the stern (back) of a ship.
Anchor – A heavy metal weight used to moor a ship
Anchorage – The place where a ship is anchored or lying at anchor.
Anchor Ball – The black ball hoisted above a ship’s bow to indicate the vessel is anchored.
Ashore – On the shore or land.
Astern – Aft or toward the stern (back) of a ship.
Athwartships -- From side to side, across the ship.
Atoll – A ring shaped coral reef enclosing a lagoon.
Aye-Aye – Yes; to agree or see 'eye-to-eye' on a matter.
B
Backwash – Receding waves created by movement of a ship.
Bail – To scoop water out of a boat.
Ballast – Heavy material placed in a ship’s hold for stability.
Bar – An obstruction, usually a sandbar caused by tidal currents or wave action near shore.
Bay – Broad inlet of the sea where the land curves inward.
Beam – A ship’s breadth at its widest point.
Bearing – A compass direction relative to a fixed point, usually measured in degrees.
Beaufort Scale – Scale of wind speed ranging from 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane force).
Belowdeck – Downstairs; anything beneath a ship’s main deck.
Bells – Audible sounding of the ship's time. One bell sounds each half hour progressively for a total of eight, beginning at half past the hours of 4:00, 8:00 and 12:00.
Berth – A ship’s place at a wharf, dock, pier, or quay; a passenger’s bed.
Bilge – The almost flat part of the ship’s hull below the waterline.
Boat – The tenders and lifeboats carried by a ship.
Boat Stations – The space allotted for each passenger during lifeboat drill or any emergency when lifeboats are lowered.
Bow – The forward (front) end of a ship.
Breeze – A hurricane.
Bridge – The operational superstructure of a ship; the navigational and command center.
Bright Work – The polished metal fittings of a ship.
Bulkhead – A wall or upright partition separating a ship’s compartments.
Bunkers – The space where a ship’s fuel is stored.
Bulwark – A ship’s side above deck.
C
Cabin – A room or compartment on a ship.
Cable Length – One-tenth of a sea mile or 608 ft.
Captain – The highest-ranking officer on a ship.
Cargo – Goods or baggage carried on a ship.
Cat – Catamaran or boat with parallel twin hulls.
Chart – A nautical map used for navigating a ship.
Colors – The national flag or emblem flown by a ship.
Companionway – An interior stairway.
Course – Measured in degrees, the direction in which a ship is headed.
Crew – Those people manning a ship, except the captain or officers.
D
Davit – A device used to raise and lower lifeboats.
Deadlight – A ventilated porthole cover that prevents light from entering.
Debark – To leave a ship.
Deck – The flooring on a ship.
Disembark (also Debark) - To leave a ship.
Dispensary – The medical clinic, from where medications are dispensed.
Dock – A pier or jetty where a ship is berthed.
Draft – The depth of water needed to float a ship; the measurement from a ship’s waterline to the lowest point of it keel.
E
Embark – To go on board a ship.
F
Fathom – A measure of six feet.
Fantail – The rear overhang of a ship.
Flagstaff – The pole at a ship’s stern where the flag of the vessel’s country of registry is flown.
Flare – The upward and outward curve of a ship's hull at the bow.
Flotsam – Wreckage floating at sea.
Foghorn – The signaling device used to warn ships in fog.
Fore – The front of a ship.
Forward – The front of a ship.
Freeboard – The part of a ship’s hull or weatherdecks above the waterline.
Free Port – A port that is free of customs duty and regulations.
Funnel – The metal chimney on a ship for exhausting smoke and combustible gases into the atmosphere.
G
Galley – A ship’s kitchen; where food is prepared.
Gangplank – A moveable ramp or stairs for boarding or disembarking from a ship.
Gangway – Opening in a ship’s bulwark; a bridge laid from ship to shore.
Guest – A ship’s passenger.
Gulf – A deep ocean inlet with a narrow mouth.
Gunwale – The upper edge of the side of a ship.
H
Hatch – An opening or door on a ship, either vertical or horizontal.
Hatchway – The opening in a ship’s deck for cargo.
Hawser – Thick rope or cable for mooring or towing a ship.
Head – A bathroom on a ship or the bow of a ship.
Helm – The apparatus for steering a ship.
Hold – The cargo storage area of a ship.
House Flag – The flag designating the company that owns a ship.
Hull – The frame and body of a ship exclusive of the masts or superstructure.
I
Infirmary – The ship’s clinic for medical treatment.
J
Jetsam – Discarded material thrown overboard to lighten a ship’s load.
K
Keel – The main lengthwise member along the base of a ship.
Keelhauling – Punishment by dragging an offender under the keel of a ship and up the other side.
Kit – Personal belongings; luggage.
Knot – A unit of ship’s speed equal to one nautical mile per hour.
L
Leeward – Toward the side sheltered from the wind.
Lifeboat – A small boat used for emergency evacuation of a ship.
Life Jacket – A personal flotation device.
Life Raft - A collapsible lifeboat, usually stored in containers on weather decks.
Line – A length of rope.
Locker – A closet or compartment for storage of clothing and personal belongings.
M
Manifest – The list of a ship’s passengers, crew, and cargo.
Mist – Fog, haze, or drizzle.
Monkey's Fist – A knot at the end of a line thrown to line handlers on the dock. The smaller line is used to bring the hawser ashore.
Muster – To assemble the passengers and/or crew on a ship.
N
Nautical Mile – One-sixtieth of a degree of the earth’s circumference. The international nautical mile equals 6076.1 feet; the British nautical mile equals 6080 British imperial feet (6 feet = 1 Fathom, 100 fathoms = 1 cable, 10 cables = 1 mile, 3 miles = 1 league); the US nautical mile equals 6080.2 US feet; the French nautical mile equals 1852 meters.
O
Officers – The persons holding positions of authority or trust on board a ship.
Overboard – From a ship into the water.
Overhead – The ceiling on a ship.
P
Passageway – A corridor or hallway.
Passenger – A traveler on a ship.
Pitch – Plunging in a longitudinal direction; the up and down motion of a ship.
Pilot – Person licensed to navigate ships into or out of harbors or through difficult waters.
Port – The left side of a ship when facing forward.
Portal – An opening.
Ports-of-call – The places a ship stops during a journey.
Portholes – The round windows in a ship’s hull.
Posh – Smart, upscale, plush, superior. From the abbreviation, "Port Out, Starboard Home," indicating which cabins were cooler and thus more desirable on the journey from England to the Far East.
Promenade – Usually outside, a deck that fully or partially encircles the ship, popular for walking and jogging.
Punt – A flat-bottomed boat or raft used by the side party for work about the ship's water line. Also serves as a floating dock for passengers using tenders to shuttle to and from shore.
Purser – The chief financial officer of a ship.
Purser's Desk – A ship’s banking and accounting center, usually located in the lobby.
Q
Quarters – Living accommodations on a ship.
Quay – A berth, dock, or pier.
R
Radio Room – A ship’s communication center where messages can be sent and received.
Rat Guard – A large round object positioned on hawsers securing the ship to the shore that prevents rats from climbing the hawsers and gaining entry to the ship.
Roll – Side-to-side movement of the ship.
Rudder – A finlike device astern and below the water for steering a ship.
S
Salon – A meeting room or lounge on a ship.
Screw – A ship’s propeller.
Scupper – A hole at the edge of a ship’s deck that allows water to run off.
Sick Bay – The ship’s clinic for medical treatment.
SOLAS – Safety Of Life At Sea. The international rules and laws to protect passengers, ships, companies, countries, and the environment.
Squall - brief rain shower.
Stabilizers – Operated by gyroscope, retractable finlike devices below the waterline that extend from a ship’s hull to reduce roll and provide stability.
Stack – The ship’s smokestack or funnel for exhausting smoke and gases.
Staff – People responsible for passenger services on ships.
Starboard – The right side of a ship when facing forward.
Stern – The rear (back) end of a ship.
Stow – To put away belongings and other objects.
Suite – A set of rooms.
T
Tender – A vessel attending a larger one; used to ferry passengers to and from shore at ports-of-call.
Thrusters – Fan-like propulsion devices under the waterline that move a ship sideways.
U
Underway – Moving through the water.
V
Vacuum Toilet – Efficient waste evacuation system using vacuum suction for flushing.
W
Wake – The track left on the water’s surface by a moving ship.
Waterline – The line along which the surface of water touches a ship’s hull.
Weather – A storm.
Weatherdeck – An outer deck exposed to the weather.
Windward – On the side from which the wind is blowing.
X-Y-Z
Yaw – The horizontal movement of a ship from left to right that deviates from the course as set, usually the result of heavy seas.
Zephyr – The west wind; a gentle breeze.
