Port - looking towards the front of the vessel, port refers to everything on your left hand side
Starboard - looking towards the front of the vessel, starboard refers to everything on your right hand side
Parts of a vessel:
Bilge - the compartment/s at the bottom of the hull
Bow - the front of the vessel
Cabin - an enclosed room
Console - Where the vessel controls are located i.e. steering, switches, throttle etc
Cleat - device for securing a rope
Cuddy - a small cabin
Freeboard - distance from the waterline to the gunwale
Gunwale - upper most edge of the vessels hull
Head - Vessel's toilet
HIN - Hull Identification Number
Hull - the shell / framework of a vessel
Sponson - part of a craft at or below the waterline that extends from the hull to aid stabilty, it also increases floatation and lift when underway
Stern - rear of the vessel
Transom - the vertical or near vertical wall at the stern of the vessel, (if you have an outboard on a powerboat, this is where it will be attached)
Windlass - a mechanical winch mechanism (i.e. anchor windlass)
Equipment:
Bowline - a type of knot with a strong loop
Drogue - a deliver to slow a boat down or stabilise it in heavy weather (also known as a sea anchor)
EPIRB - Electronic Position Indicating Radio Beacon
Fender - a flexible bumper
Flare - pyrotechnic signally device
Painter - a rope attached to the bow of a vessel
PFD - Personal Floatation Device
PLB - Personal Locator Beacon
Radar - RAdio Detection And Ranging
Spring Line - a mooring line that goes from the bow of the vessel to a cleat on the pontoon adjacent to the stern or vice versa from the stern of the vessel to a cleat
adjacent to the bow.
VHF - Very High Frequency
Warp - a rope used to attach to a fixed object
Ahead - going forwards
Aft - when you're moving backwards, you're 'going aft'
Aground - when your vessel is in contact with the seabed
Astern - going backwards
Beam - the width of vessel (usually at widest point)
Cavitation - Extreme reduction in pressure on the back side of the blades (often confused with ventilation)
Draft - how deep the water needs to be for the vessel to float
Ventilation - result of exhaust gases being pulled into propellor blades causing the blades to lose grip, RPM to increase and speed to reduce.
Wake - turbulence behind a vessel
Wash - the waves a vessel creates as it moves through the water
Way - Progress through the water i.e. making way
additional PWC (jetski) nautical terms:
PWC Brand names:
Jetski - a brand name owned by Kawasaki
Waverunner - a brand name owned by Yamaha
Seadoo - a brand name owned by BRP
Aquatrax - a brand name owned by Honda
PWC Engines:
CLCS (Seadoo) - Closed Loop Cooling System.
OLCS (Yamaha) - Open Loop Cooling System.
PWC Tech:
ETS - Electronic Trim System
DESS (Seadoo)- Digital Encoded Security System
iBR (Seadoo) - Intelligent Brake and Reverse
MPEM - Multi Purpose Electrical Module
OTS - Off Throttle Steering
RiDE (Yamaha) - Reverse with Intuitive Deceleration Electronics
T.D.E - Thrust Directional Enhancer
YEMS - Yamaha Engine Management System
VTS - Variable Trim System
YSS - Yamaha Security System
PWC Hulls:
Chine - the sharp change in angle in the cross section of the hull i.e. sides to bottom (hull)
Pad - the nearly flat section towards the back of your PWC hull
Ride Plate - protects your pump nozzle, adds stability, aids straight line handling, dependant on design can aid cornering
Strakes - help create lift when getting onto the plane, enhance tracking, prevent sliding in a turn and increase stability
Sponsons - part of a PWC that extends from the hull to aid stability, add lift and keep the PWC hooked into a turn
