Handy Nautical Phrases & TermsHaving the right nautical phrases and commands can make giving orders less of a chore. If you and your crew understand the same terms giving commands such as these can really help in the long run, and can save explaining things in a long and drawn out way.
Nautical phrases and sayings were developed with that in mind. Many of the nautical sayings we know are quite archaic and have no real use or meaning on a modern day boat. However some of them are quite useful for simply getting a job done.
Equipping yourself with these nautical sayings and phrases and asking your crew to do the same will mean that you can communicate quickly and easily. That way everyone knows what is meant!
Below is a list of nautical phrases and sayings which can be used on board a ship or a boat;
Anchors aweigh - This is usually referring to a ships ropes being cut. The boat is now ready to set sail.
All hands on deck - A command asking everyone to report to their stations and get ready for action. For example if there is a storm and things are needed to be done quickly a captain might shout 'All hands on deck'.
Abaft - This means towards something. For example 'abaft the beam' means towards the beam.
Ahoy - This is a nautical term for a shout or a cry to attract attention. 'Boat ahoy' means that there is a boat ahead.
Beam ends - This is the sides of a ship
Bear down - Simply means to turn away from the direction that the wind is blowing.
Chock-a-block - If a ships riggings are pulled to tight and you can't tighten them anymore you will say that they are 'chock-a-block'.
Eye-splice - A loop at the end of the rope.
Footloose - An unsecured sail.
Galley - A nautical term for the kitchen of a boat.
Give a wide birth - To ensure that there is a safe amount of distance between the ship and another or an object.
Hit the deck - To drop down so as to avoid imminent danger.
Knots speed - The speed of a boat is measured in knots.
Length overall (LOA) - The overall length of a boat
May day - A nautical command meaning trouble. From the French 'm'aidez' which literally means 'help me'.
Outward bound - This means that a ship is leaving the port and heading for the open seas
POSH - Port Out, Starboard Home. Originally an instruction for luggage handlers on where to place passengers luggage.
Relative bearing - This is the bearing that is relative to the ships direction. So, for example you may say a boat is clockwise in relation to a ships 'relative bearing'.
Seaworthy - This denotes if a boat or ship is worthy or capable of sailing at sea.
Shake a leg - This nautical term means to move quickly.
Weather the storm - This simply means to wait the storm out.
Whole nine years - Meaning all sails are up. Tall ships usually have three sails, three yards each so in total there are nine yards of sail.
A lot of these nautical terms still hold meaning on-board today. Some are common expressions used today, but many are simply for fun!
Did you see the streets? Just the streets There were thousands of them! And how do you do it down there? How do you choose just one? One woman, one house, one piece of land to call your own, one landscape to look at, one way to die... Land is a ship too big for me. It's a woman too beautiful; it's a voyage too long, a perfume too strong. It's a music I don't know how to make.
