You’ll have to learn new words if you plan to become a boater. Boats don’t come with a front or back, nor a kitchen or bathroom. This is a basic guide to nautical terminology, focusing on the Boat Parts and Accessories that make up the various components of a vessel.
1. Ballast: A heavy weight (water, stone or metal) that is placed in the hull of a boat to improve its performance and stability.
2. Berth: A boat’s bed, bunk or slip.
3. Bilge: The lower part of the boat’s hull which can collect water.
4. Bimini: A hard or canvas top that is attached to the boat and provides protection from rain and sun.
5. Bow: Bow is the front part of a boat. Bows can be two or three on multihulls.
6. Bulkhead: An upright wall that is part of the hull and can be used to add structural integrity, or separate living areas.
7. Cabin: A room in the boat that is designed to sleep. It can be the entire interior of the boat or just a single room.
8. Casting deck/platform: A raised surface on the front or rear of a boat, which allows you to fish with no obstructions while having a clearer view of the water.
9. Cleats: Wood, plastic or metal fittings onto which you can tie or loop a rope. It can be found on a dock or boat.
10. Cockpit: A somewhat enclosed, protected space on the deck from which a boat can be controlled or navigated.
11. Console: A raised structure that is usually the helm, but may also include a toilet and a storage space below.
12. Deck: A flat exterior surface on a boat.
13. Dinette: An area on the boat that has a table with chairs for eating.
14. Flybridge: This is an area located on top of the boat cabin that usually contains a steering position and can also be used as a social area.
15. Gallery: The galley is a boat kitchen that can be located inside or on the deck.
16. Gunwale: Also known as the gunnel. It is the topmost edge of the boat’s hull. This is usually the area where the deck meets the hull.
17. Hardtop: A roof or top that is added to the boat’s cabin or console. It protects the driver, and sometimes passengers as well, from the elements.
18. Hatch: An opening on the deck of a boat or in its cabin that can be used as a door or window.
19. Helm: A steering station that includes engine controls, a joystick or wheel and other controls.
20. Hull (or body): The shell or body of a vessel.
21. Livewell: A tank used to keep bait or fish alive while fishing.
22. Propeller: A rotating device that has blades to propel a boat through the water.
23. Rigging: The wires or cables that support the mast of a boat.
24. Rudder: An appendage located below the waterline which steers the boat.
25. Saloon: A social interior space in a boat, similar to a living room.
26. Stern: The rear part of a boat.
27. Swim platform: A fixed structure on the transom, or the aft part of the boat that makes it easier to get onto the boat when you are in the water.
28. T-top: A metal or composite structure that holds a canvas top or hardtop in order to shield the boat’s driver from the sunlight.
29. Transom: The rear of the boat, which rises from the bottom of the hull and joins the two sides.
30. V-berth: A bed at the bow of a vessel. The V-shaped bed or room is a result of bows being usually pointed.
