If you’re approaching a boat and see the red light, you do not have the right away. The sidelights are red and green and indicate who has the right away. The other is to show who has the right away when two boats approach each other. One is to make your boat visible when operating at night. Some powerboats such as a pontoon, combine the stern light and the masthead by having a light on the top of the bimini that can be seen from all angles which is called an anchor light. Recreational boats will have a stern light, masthead or anchor light, and sidelights. The term navigation light refers to all of the lights on a boat that are used while operating at night. The bilge pump will clear any standing water from the compartment it’s located in, which is critical for the buoyancy of a boat. Some bilge pumps run automatically when they sense water and some have to be turned on by a switch at the helm. Most recreational boats will have some sort of bilge pump built into the hull that are vulnerable to collecting water. You can also use the trim function for optimal engine performance. When in shallow water at low speeds, you will trim the motor up to protect the lower unit from hitting the ground. There are two main reasons you will trim the engine. This button usually has an up and down arrow on it and is located in a place where your right thumb can easily reach it while your hand is on the throttle. You can perform this function using a button located on the throttle of your boat. To trim the motor means to move it up and down. There are many different ways to tie a cleat so we’ve made a how-to video demonstrating the most common way to do it. A cleat is the metal fastener you would use to tie up a dock line or anchor line.
There’s a couple of places you can find a cleat and that’s on the boat itself or on the dock. If the vessel is floating, drifting, or in motion using the motor it would count as underway. UnderwayĪ boat is underway when not a dock or at anchor. Forwardįorward is referring to the area towards the front, or bow, of the boat. AftĪft simply means towards the rear or stern of the boat. The transom is located on the stern of the boat and is typically made of metal on pontoon boats. The transom is the area of the boat where the motor is attached. The green sidelight will be located on the starboard side. When looking forwards at the bow, the starboard side is the right-hand side of the boat. The words port and left both have four letters in them. An easy trick to remember that port is left is by counting the letters. The red sidelight will be located on the port side. When looking forwards at the bow, the port side is the left-hand side of the boat.
BOAT LINGO SERIES
Typically accompanied by a series of controls, the helm is where the captain operates the boat. The helm of a boat is the area where the steering wheel is located. Most boats will have seating, a swim platform, a ladder, and an engine located in the stern. The stern of the boat refers to the rear of the boat. If the bow is closed, there is most likely a cuddy cabin below deck. If the boat has an open bow, you will typically find seating in this area. The bow of the boat refers to the most forward part of the hull or the front of the boat. With a V hull boat, the hull is made of fiberglass and is in the shape of a V. On a pontoon boat, the hull is made of pontoons and a frame on which the sides and floor sit. The hull is the bottom part of the boat that sits partially in the water. Here are 20 common boating terms every captain should know. I’m talking about general terms boaters use when referring to the vessel itself or just terms you should know while underway or parking.ĭo you know which side of the boat is the port side and which is the starboard side? Do you know the difference between a mooring cover and a travel cover? Knowing the most common boat terms will pay off while you’re on the water. Now, I’m not talking about navigating your course by starlight. Knowing the lingo can help you be aware of your surroundings while captaining your ship. If you’re a recreational boater like me, you should know that there’s an entire vocabulary that goes along with boating.
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