Yachting Glossary - C

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Cab.	Abbreviation for Total Cabins
cabin	A room inside a boat.
cabin sole	The floor of a cabin
cable	A rope or chain made fast to the anchor.
cam cleat	A mechanical cleat used to hold a line automatically. It uses two spring loaded cams that come together to clamp their teeth on the line, which is place between them. Also see jam cleat.
camber	The curvature of an object such as a sail, keel or deck. Usually used when referring to an objects aerodynamic or hydrodynamic properties.
can buoy	A cylindrical buoy painted green and having an odd number used in the United States as a navigational aid. At night they may have a green light. Green buoys should be kept on the left side when returning from a larger body of water to a smaller one. Nun buoys mark the other side of the channel. Also see green and red daymarks
canal	A manmade waterway used to connect bodies of water that do not connect naturally. Canals use locks to raise and lower boats when connecting bodies of water that have different water levels. The Panama and Suez canals are two of the most famous.
canoe stern	A pointed stern, such as those on a canoe.
canvas	Tightely woven cloth used for sails, covers, dodgers and biminis. Typically made from cotton, hemp or linen. Modern sails are made out of synthetic materials generally known as sailcloth. A slang word for a "sail".
cap	A piece of trim, usually wood, used to cover and often decorate a portion of the boat, i.e., caprail.
capsize	When a boat is turned over.
capstan	A rotating drum used to haul heavy lines and chains. Similar to a winch, but mounted vertically.
captain	The person who is in charge of a vessel and legally responsible for it and its occupants.
car	A sliding fitting that attaches to a track allowing for the adjustment of blocks or other devices attached to the car.
caravel	Small trading vessel also used for exploration. Three-masted, usually square rigged on the two forward masts, and having a lateen rigged mizzen mast.
carbon fiber	A synthetic material consisting of fibers glued together with epoxy that is very strong for its weight.
cardinal points	The points of North, South, East and West as marked on a compass rose.
carlins	Structural pieces running fore and aft between the beams.
carrack	Three-masted trading vessel similar to the Caravel, but larger.
carrick bend	A knot used to tie two lines together.
cast off	To detach mooring lines as when leaving a dock.
catamaran	A twin-hulled boat, with hulls side by side.
catboat	A sailboat rigged with one mast and one sail.
catenary	The sag in a line strung between two points.
catspaw	A puff of wind on the water caused by a mass of cool air plunging down through warm surface air.
caulking	Material used to seal the seams in a wooden vessel, making it watertight.
cavitate, cavitation	A type of drag on a propeller caused by air bubbles forming near the tips of a propeller that is spinning too fast. This causes inefficiencies and unnecessary wear and tear on the propeller.
celestial navigation	to calculate your position using time, the position of celestial bodies, and mathematical tables
celestial sphere	An imaginary sphere surrounding the globe that contains the sun, moon, stars and planets.
center of forces	The spot on a vessel on which all forces act centrally
centerboard	A pivoting board that prevents the boat from sliding sideways.
centerboard trunk	A compartment where the centerboard resides.
centerline	The center of the boat: from the stern to the bow.
centre of buoyancy	The centre point of a boats floating ability.
centre of effort	The centre point of a sails energy producing area.
centre of lateral resistance	The epicentre of a boats ability to resist leeway.
certificate	A legal paper or license of a boat or its captain.
chafe	Wear caused by the friction of parts moving past each other.
chafing gear	Tubing or cloth wrapping used to protect a line from chafing on a rough surface.
chain	Metal links that are locked together to make a strong and flexible line. Chains are typically used for anchors and other places where high loads may be exerted on the line, particularly in large vessels.
chain locker	Storage for the anchor chain.
chain plate	The fitting used to attach stays to the hull.
chandlery	A store that sells nautical gear.
channel	A navigable route on a waterway, usually marked by buoys. Channels are similar to roads where the water is known to be deep enough for ships or boats to sail without running aground.
channel marker	A buoy or other mark used to mark a navigable path through a waterway.
Charley Noble	Galley stove pipe
Chart	A nautically specialized map.
chart datum	The water level used to record data on a chart. Usually the average low tide water level.
chart table	A table designated as the area in the boat where the navigator will study charts and plot courses.
cheek block	A block with one end permanently attached to a surface.
chief mate	The officer second in command of a ship.
chine	The location where the deck joins the hull of the boat. The angle between the side and the bottom of a boat.
chockablock	When a line is pulled as tight as is can go, as when two blocks are pulled together.
chocks	a heavy metal fitting fixed to the deck of a ship through which a line for mooring, towing, or anchor rode is passed
chop	Small, steep disorderly waves.
chronometer	An accurate clock that is used for navigation.
chute	A spinnaker.
ciguatera	a severe type of food poisoning caused by eating contaminated fish
class	A group of boats of the same design, relevant for races and regattas
clear the decks	remove unnecessary things from the decks
cleat	A fitting for securing a line. It can be wooden, metal or nylon.
cleat hitch	A figure eight pattern used to tie a line to a cleat.
clevis pin	A metal pin used to attach fittings to each other or their mounts.
clew	The lower aft corner of a sail.
close hauled	Sailing with the sails hauled tight, sailing the boat towards the wind as much as possible.
close reach	Steering off a close-hauled course by approximately 20 degrees
close up	A flag hoisted to the top of a flagpole. Also see "at the dip".
close winded	A boat that is able to sail well into the wind.
clove hitch	A knot for temporarily fastening a line to a spar or piling.
club	A boom on a jib or staysail.
club footed	A jib or staysail that utilizes a small boom.
club	Societies of mostly non-professional sailors that sail for pleasure; the first sailing clubs developed in the 17th century in England
CNG	Compressed natural gas. A type of compressed gas used as fuel for stoves and heaters. CNG is stored in metal cylinders prior to use. CNG is considered safer than other types of fuel such as propane (LPG) because it is lighter than air and may rise into the sky in the event of a leak. Caution should still be used as CNG can collect near the cabin ceiling, potentially causing an explosion. Propane is available in more areas around the world than CNG so CNG is not often used outside of North America.
coach roof	Also trunk. The cabin roof, raised above the deck to provide headroom in the cabin.
coaming	A small wall to prevent water from entering the cockpit.
coast	The region of land near the water.
coast pilots	Books covering information about coastal navigation, including navigational aids, courses, distances, anchorages and harbors.
coastal navigation	Navigating near the coast, allowing one to find one's position by use of landmarks and other references.
cock	A valve used to regulate the flow of water or gas.
cockpit	The location from which the boat is steered, usually in the middle or the rear of the boat.
cockpit sole	Sole (floor) of the cockpit.
code	Any method of passing messages, such as visual or electronic morse code, code flag pennants and semaphore.
coil	To lay a line down in circular turns.
cold front	Used in meteorology to describe a mass of cold air moving toward a mass of warm air. Strong winds and rain typically accompany a cold front.
cold molding	A method of bending a material into an appropriate shape without heating or steaming to soften the material first.
collision bulkhead	A watertight forward bulkhead designed to keep the boat from sinking in the event of a collision.
colours	The national flag and or other flags.
COLREGS	A term for the international rules designed to prevent collisions between boats.
come about	To bring the sail from one side of the boat to the other, when sailing into the wind, A maneuver in tacking.
communication system:	Radio or satellite systems used on yachts for communication
companionway	The entryway into the cabin from the deck.
compass	An instrument that uses the earth's magnetic field to point to the direction of the magnetic north pole. A device used to draw circles.
compass card	A card labeling the 360° of the circle and the named directions such as north, south, east and west.
compass course	The course as read on a compass. The compass course has added the magnetic deviation and the magnetic variation to the true course.
compass error	Magnetic deviation. The difference between the reading of a compass and the actual magnetic course or bearing due to errors in the compass reading. These errors can be caused by metals, magnetic fields and electrical fields near the compass. Prior to using a compass, magnetic deviation should be recorded for many different points on the compass as the error can be different at different points. The act of checking for magnetic deviation is called swinging.
compass north	The direction in which the compass points – not matching the geographic north
compass rose	A circle on a chart indicating the direction of geographic north and sometimes also magnetic north. Charts usually have more that one compass rose. In that case the compass rose nearest to the object being plotted should be used as the geographic directions and magnetic variations may change slightly in different places on the chart.
composite construction	An object made with more than one type of material.
compressed natural gas	CNG for short. A type of compressed gas used as fuel for stoves and heaters. CNG is stored in metal cylinders prior to use. CNG is considered safer than other types of fuel such as propane (LPG) because it is lighter than air and may rise into the sky in the event of a leak. Caution should still be used as CNG can collect near the cabin ceiling, potentially causing an explosion. Propane is available in more areas around the world than CNG so CNG is not often used outside of North America.
continent	A large land mass, such as Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.
continental shelf	A region of relatively shallow water surrounding each of the continents.
coordinated universal time	A time standard that is not affected by time zones or seasons. Time measured in coordinated universal time labeled with the term zulu. It is used so that people around the world can communicate about time without regard to individual time zones.
cordage	Any rope or line.
cotter pin	A small metal pin used to keep other parts from changing their position, such as to keep a nut from turning or a clevis pin from falling out.
counter	The part of the hull that lies above the water at the stern.
course	The direction the boat is traveling or intends to travel. A path which racing boats are to follow.
courtesy flag	A smaller version of the flag of the country being visited. It is flown from the starboard spreader.
cove	A small sheltered recessed area in the shoreline.
cowls	Scoop like devices used to direct air into a boat.
coxswain	Sailor commanding or navigating a small boat
CQR anchor	Also called a plow anchor. Short for coastal quick release anchor. An anchor that is designed to bury itself into the ground by use of its plow shape.
crabbing	going sideways due to set (also catching crabs!)
cradle	A frame to support a vessel when out of water.
crest	The top of a wave or the act of reaching the top of a wave.
crew	One or more people that aid in the operation of a sailboat.
cringle	A fitting in a sail that allows a line to fasten to it.
crossing situation	When two vessels approach each other and their paths are crossing. The boat with the other boat on its starboard side is the give way vessel and must yield.
crosstrees	Horizontal members attached to the mast acting as spreaders for the shrouds
cruise	Pleasure trip on a yacht or ship
cruising guides	Books that describe features of particular sailing areas, such as hazards, anchorages, etc.
cuddy	Shelter on a boat not large enough to be a cabin.
cunningham	A line used to control the tension along a sail's luff in order to maintain proper sail shape.
current	The movement of water, due to tides, river movement and circular currents caused by the motion of the earth.
cutter	A sailboat with a single mast placed in the middle of the boat.
cutwater	The front edge of the boat.

Yachting Glossary - C

WORLD of YPI