Nautical terms

Four vocabulary questions. They are won with memory and a drawing of the boat.

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Key words

Obra viva, below the waterline. Obra muerta, above it. Amura, towards the bow. Aleta, towards the stern.

Trim: draught aft minus draught forward. Positive when down by the stern. Escorar is heeling, and adrizar is coming upright.

Frames are the ribs. Beams are the deck joists. Keel, stem and sternpost form the fore-and-aft spine.

Activities

• Parts of a boatIdentify each part on the drawing.
• Spanish exam vocabularyMaster the key Spanish nautical terms tested in the official exam.

Questions in this unit

• Which parts belong to a propeller?
• The rectangular deck openings giving access to the compartments below are called:
• The upper part of a boat’s side between the deck and the start of the gunwale is called:
• A cowl vent has been fitted on board. What does it do?
• On a twin-screw boat the port propeller is left-handed. What is the arrangement?
• The axis about which the rudder blade turns is called:
• The propeller cap (capacete) is the part that:
• Rudder effectiveness will depend on:
• “Side” (costado) is defined as:
• The main propelling element of a motor boat is:
• Regarding the stem (roda), it can be said that:
• The wheel with recesses that the chain links fit into, part of the windlass, is:
• What is the part of the propeller that turns circular motion into thrust called?
• The centreline plane (plano de crujía):
• In a motion causing only heel, the ship turns about an axis that is:
• Deck openings, usually glazed, mainly to give light and air to certain spaces, chiefly cabins, are called:
• The sternpost (codaste) is:
• The anchor line (ground tackle) consists of:
• Standing at the stern facing forward, the port quarter is:
• Mark the INCORRECT statement about the rudder:
• On anchoring gear, which definition is INCORRECT?
• The anchor ring (arganeo) is:
• What is a scupper (imbornal)?
• On a leisure boat, freeboard is:
• Guardrails (guardamancebos) are:
• Which part stays still when the propeller turns?
• Which rudder part moves the blade so that, turned one way, the blade goes the opposite way?
• The metal or wooden piece, curved at its ends and fixed at its middle, used to make lines fast, is called:
• What is the structural member running fore and aft along the bottom on which the whole frame rests?
• Putting the anchor a-cockbill (a la pendura) aims to:
• Sailing north with a westerly wind, the leeward side is:
• The side opposite the one the wind comes from is called:
• A left-handed propeller going ahead turns:
• Regarding beams (baos):
• The opening through which the rudder stock passes through the hull is called:
• To ventilate and light the various compartments we would use:
• At anchor, when the chain is working straight up and down, it is said to be:
• What is a boat’s freeboard?
• On the windlass, what is the gypsy (barbotén)?
• What does “filar cadena” mean when anchoring?
• The openings that drain water from the deck are called:
• The openings in the shell plating at the waterway, to let water off the deck, are called:
• The side opposite to where the wind comes from is called:
• What is a right-handed propeller?
• The part of the boat below the waterline is called:
• The curved part of the side near the bow is:
• The propeller boss is:
• Windward is defined as:
• The sternpost (codaste) is:
• The Danforth anchor:
• Gradually easing out a line under load is called:
• Whenever a boat reaches its maximum displacement:
• The tube in which the rudder stock turns is called:
• The stem (roda) is:
• The “regala” (gunwale capping) is:
• The stern tube (“bocina”) is:
• Among the parts of an anchor, the “caña” (shank) is:
• What are the transverse members supporting the deck called?
• On a boat:
• Freeboard is:
• The knot used to make a non-slipping eye to drop over a bollard is:
• When the anchor chain is vertical, at right angles to the surface and touching the bottom, it is said to be:
• The direction at right angles to the keel or the side is:
• The valves below the waterline, fitted inside the hull to let seawater to the boat’s systems, are called:
• A boat’s maximum displacement is reached when she:
• The topsides (“obra muerta”) are:
• The part of a boat that cuts the water as she moves ahead is called:
• Folding propellers mainly serve to:
• The opening in the counter, above the sternpost, for the rudder head and its tiller is called:
• Inlet and outlet valves for fluids fitted below the waterline are:
• The wind acting on a boat:
• A boat’s beam (“manga”) is:
• The crown-shaped wheel whose sprockets grip the chain links to haul in the anchor chain is the:
• The curved forward parts of the sides that converge toward the stem are called:
• What is the operation of hauling in line or chain when weighing anchor called?
• Freeboard will decrease if:
• What are the steering cables (“guardines”)?
• What are the openings in the hull that let water shipped on deck run out?
• The curved after part of the side converging toward the stern is called:
• What is the manoeuvre of letting out or lowering line or chain called?
• What is a small anchor with more than two arms and no stock called?
• The topsides of a boat are:
• Mark the CORRECT statement about right-handed propellers:
• Mark the CORRECT statement about seacocks:
• Each of the pieces crossing the boat from port to starboard, strengthening her and holding up the decks, is called:
• Mark the CORRECT statement about a stanchion (“candelero”):
• A plough anchor holds best in:
• To rig a line from bow to stern for extra crew safety, what can we use?
• The flattest, most horizontal part of the hull, near the keel, is called:
• Maximum displacement corresponds to the:
• With what do we remove water that has come aboard?
• The cockpit (“bañera”) is defined as:
• The opposite of heeling is called:
• The open well of small boats, usually aft, where the crew sits, is called:
• The parallel, spaced pieces set at right angles into the keel to form the hull’s skeleton are:
• The inner, nearly horizontal part of the boat’s bottom is called:
• Mark the CORRECT statement about heel (“escora”):
• The deck beams (“baos”) are:
• The nautical term “imbornal” (scupper, limber hole) refers to:
• Of the rudder’s parts, the stock (“mecha”) is:
• The bilge (“sentina”) of a boat is:
• A boat’s underwater body (“obra viva”) refers to:
• Lowering the anchor line can also be called:
• A propeller is called right-handed when:
• With no external forces, when the boat’s centre of gravity is NOT on the centreline plane, the boat will be:
• The rudder’s steering lines (“guardines”) are:
• A boat’s “centreline” is:
• The stem (“roda”) is:
• The rope, chain or wire passing the wheel’s movements so the boat can be steered is called:
• A shackle (“grillete”) is:
• Righting (adrizar) is the movement of the boat that consists of:
• Negative trim is…
• Trim is positive…
• A double disc, joined to the windlass drum, with notches for the chain links to catch in, is called…
• What is the name of the “small anchor, with four flukes and no stock, used for small boats”?
• A boat trims by the stern (apopante) when:
• To heel (“escorar”) is:
• The imaginary fore-and-aft line dividing a vessel into two equal halves is called:
• Bringing the vessel back to her upright balance is called:
• Depth (“puntal”) is:
• When a boat goes from floating in river water to sea water, she is said to have increased her:
• The distance measured horizontally along the vessel’s length is called:
• The gypsy (“barbotén”) is:
• The thick curved piece of wood or iron forming the bow of the vessel is called:
• A mooring sinker (“muerto”) is:
• Length (“eslora”) is defined as:
• The vertical distance on the side from the deck line to the waterline at maximum displacement is called:
• What do we call “the theoretical distance the boat would advance for one turn of her propeller”?
• The windlass (“molinete”) is:
• We define the stern tube (“bocina”) as:
• The purpose of deck lights (“lumbreras”) is:
• The “manga” of a boat is:
• The lowest cavity of the vessel, above the keel, where water seeping through sides and deck collects before being pumped out:
• How long is a “shackle” of chain?
• The parts of a propeller are:
• Trim (“asiento”) can be:
• The vessel’s height from the top of the keel to the main-deck beam line at midships is called:
• The most curved part of the side near the bow is:
• The keel is:
• The structural members dividing the interior spaces are called:
• The perpendicular to the centreline drawn at midships is called:
• Manual or electric machines used to remove liquids from the boat’s compartments are called:
• On weighing anchor, we say the anchor is “clear and free” when:
• The propeller turns on a shaft leaving the hull through an opening called the:
• On a boat, the maximum beam (“manga máxima”) is:
• The stock that passes through the rudder trunk is part of:
• Frames, stem and sternpost are members related to:
• Gypsy, clutch and brake are parts used in working:
• A boat’s frames are set:
• The usually round openings in the sides that ventilate and light the boat’s compartments are called:
• A propeller turning clockwise going ahead, seen from aft of it, is called:
• Bringing the boat to the vertical position is called:
• The vertical distance from the underside of the keel to the waterline is called:
• Scuppers (“imbornales”) are:
• Bringing the anchor up on board is called:
• Which part of the hull are the topsides (“obra muerta”)?
• On a boat, the right-hand side looking forward is called:
• When a propeller turns clockwise seen from astern, it is called:
• The side opposite to where the wind comes from is called:
• Tipping or leaning a boat over is called:
• In hull terms, the “obra muerta” is:
• With twin outward-turning propellers:
• “Adrizar” means:
• Letting out or lowering line or chain is called:
• The anchor is said to be a-cockbill (“a la pendura”) when:
• On seacocks, mark the CORRECT answer:
• Parts of the steering gear are:
• The part whose turning produces the boat’s thrust is the:
• If a boat has negative trim:
• Letting out chain to anchor the boat is also called:
• The tripping line (“orinque”) is used to:
• What is the rotating shaft of the rudder (eje giratorio del timón) called?
• What are steering cables or tiller ropes (guardines) on a vessel?
• What are the curved rear side parts of the hull, towards the stern, called?
• The limera is:
• A right-handed (dextrógira) propeller is one that:
• What is the line separating the underwater body from the upperworks called?
• The transverse reinforcements in the structure of a boat’s hull are:
• The mean draught is:
• The vertical distance between the keel and the waterline is called…
• What is maximum displacement on recreational craft?
• Windward (barlovento) is:
• What are beams (baos)?
• When the boat is tilted to one side, it is said to be:
• The element that, connected to the wheel, reverses the direction of turn of the rudder blade is called:
• If we wanted to ventilate a space on board we would use:
• The imaginary line dividing the boat into two sides, port and starboard, is called:
• The windlass clutch is used so that:
• The valves below the waterline that take in seawater for the boat’s various services are:
• Paying out (filar) the anchor chain is the manoeuvre of:
• The stern tube (bocina).
• When the anchor is just touching the water and ready to let go, it is:
• What is adrizar?
• The transverse pieces fixed to the frames, on which decks are laid, are called:
• On the centreline and centreline plane:
• Our boat leans to one side. Removing that lean is:
• A boat’s keel:
• The submerged part of the vessel, from the keel to the waterline, is called:
• What is windward?
• What is the bow?
• For the windlass gypsy to turn, it must be:
• When the anchor is out of its stowage, hanging and ready to let go, it is said to be:
• The distance measured at the ship’s side amidships from the waterline up to the highest complete deck with permanent means of closing is called:
• The leeward side is:
• By propeller pitch, a right-handed propeller is…
• The underwater body (obra viva) is:
• The gunwale (regala):
• The “shell” forming the body of the vessel, not counting masts, rigging and superstructure, which may be wood, steel, aluminium, fibreglass, etc., is called:
• The thin metal pieces or wooden rails along both sides of ladders, poop, forecastle, bridge, etc., used for support, are called:
• When the anchor breaks out of the bottom, it is said to have:
• The submerged part of the hull is called:
• If we wanted to “adrizar” the boat, what would we be doing?
• What are the transverse members that join the frames and support the decks called?
• Which term describes the part of the hull above the waterplane?
• What is a “manguerote” on a boat?
• The stem (roda) is:
• When an anchor “hangs on the brake” over the side near the water, ready to let go, we say it is:
• What is trim (asiento)?
• What is the underwater hull (obra viva)?
• The holes that let water drain off the deck are called:
• The bows (amuras) are:
• "Escorar" is defined as the boat's movement of:
• The piece covering the top of the bulwark is called...
• The sternpost (codaste) is a:
• The strengthening members joining the ends of the frames side to side, supporting the deck, are called: