YPI Yachting Glossary
All the yachting terms explained...from A to Z
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
| labour | Heavy rolling or pitching while underway. |
| lacing | A line used to attach a sail to a spar. |
| laid up | A boat in a dry dock. |
| land breeze | A wind moving from the land to the water due to temperature changes in the evening. |
| landfall | first sight of land |
| landlocked | Surrounded by land. |
| landmark | A distinctive reference point that can be used for navigation. |
| lanyard | a short rope or cord that attaches to an item onboard a boat , usually for keeping it attached to the boat |
| lapper | A foresail that extends backwards beyond the mast and thereby, overlapping it |
| lash | To tie something using a light rope. |
| lateen | A triangular sail mounted on a spar along the sails luff. |
| lateral resistance | The ability of a boat to keep from being moved sideways by the wind. Keels, daggerboards, centerboards, and leeboards are all used to improve a boat's lateral resistance. |
| latitude | an angular measurement or distance measured in degrees, north or south from the equator which is 0 . |
| launch | To put a boat in the water. A small boat used to ferry people to and from a larger vessel. |
| lay | The position of an item. The direction in which a stranded rope is twisted. |
| lay line | An imaginary line on which a sailboat can sail directly to its target without tacking. |
| lay up | To prepare a boat for winter storage. |
| lazaret, lazarette | a storage space below the deck in the cockpit |
| Lazy Jack | Light lines from the topping lift to the boom, forming a cradle into which the mainsail may be lowered. |
| lead | Refers to the direction in which a line goes. A boom vang, for example, may "lead to the cockpit." |
| league | Three nautical miles. |
| lee | The side sheltered from the wind. |
| lee boards | Pivoting boards on either side of a boat which serve the same function as a centerboard. The board to leeward is dropped, the board to windward is kept up. |
| lee cloths | a cloth hung on the lee side of a berth (the down side when the boat has heel to it) to keep one from rolling out of their bunk |
| lee helm | The leeward course an unsteered boat takes |
| lee shore | Shore on which the wind is blowing from seawards. |
| leech | The aft edge of a fore-and-aft sail. |
| leech line | A line running through the leech of the sail, used to tighten it. |
| leeward | The direction away from the wind. Opposite of Windward. |
| leeway | The sideways movement of the boat caused by either wind or current. |
| length over all (LOA) | Length of a boat at the longest measurement. |
| lie to | To head into the wind and stop forward motion. |
| life raft | An inflatable craft into which the crew of a yacht transfers if the yacht intends to sink. |
| lifejacket | Buoyant garment. In Britain the name is reserved for one that will turn a person the rightway up. Otherwise its called a buoyancy aid. |
| lifeline | stout line around the deck of the boat to keep crew from falling overboard |
| lift | The energy generated by sail, hull or foils that moves a boat windward. |
| line | Any rope used on a boat. |
| list | inclination of a boat due to excess weight on one side or the other |
| load water line (LWL) | A line painted on the side of the vessel to which the vessel sinks when carrying its full load. |
| log | A record of courses or operation. Also, a device to measure speed. |
| logbook | A boat's record of activity. |
| longitude | distance in degrees east or west of Greenwich, England, meridian which is 0 . |
| loose-footed | Describes a mainsail attached to the boom at the tack and clew, but not along the length of it's foot. |
| lubber line | A mark or permanent line on a compass indicating the direction forward parallel to the keel when properly installed |
| luff | The fore edge of a sail. |
| luff rope | Rope sewn into the luff of a sail. |
| luff up | To luff up means to bring the boat's bow so close to the wind, that the leech of the sail begins to flap. |
| luffing | To head into the wind, causing sails to flap and flutter. |
| lug or lugsail | A four sided sail bent onto a yard. |