Reference · 61 terms

Glossary

The words of the sea and the ship in English, Spanish and French, each linked to the page that explains it. Below them are words that mean different things in different rooms of this handbook.

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English	Español	Français	Meaning
bow	la proa	la proue	The front end of a ship.
stern	la popa	la poupe	The back end of a ship.
port (side)	babor	bâbord	The left side, looking forward. Shown at night by a red sidelight.
starboard	estribor	tribord	The right side, looking forward. Shown at night by a green sidelight.
hull	el casco	la coque	The watertight body of a ship.
keel	la quilla	la quille	The backbone along the bottom centreline.
frame	la cuaderna	le couple	A rib of the hull.
deck beam	el bao	le barrot	A transverse girder under a deck.
floor (in the double bottom)	la varenga	la varangue	A transverse plate across the bottom at a frame.
strake	la traca	la virure	One continuous row of plates running fore and aft.
garboard strake	la traca de aparadura	le galbord	The strake next to the keel.
sheerstrake	la traca de cinta	la virure de carreau	The top strake of the side.
bilge	el pantoque	le bouchain	The turn of the hull where bottom meets side.
bilge keel	la quilla de balance	la quille de roulis	A fin at the bilge that damps rolling.
bulkhead	el mamparo	la cloison	A wall inside the hull; watertight bulkheads divide it into compartments.
deck	la cubierta	le pont	A floor of the ship; the upper deck closes the hull.
hatch	la escotilla	l’écoutille	An opening in a deck for cargo.
hold	la bodega	la cale	A space below deck for cargo.
bulwark	la amurada	le pavois	The wall above the deck edge.
rudder	el timón	le gouvernail	The blade at the stern that steers the ship.
length	la eslora	la longueur	The fore-and-aft size of the ship.
beam, breadth	la manga	la largeur (le bau)	The width of the ship.
depth (moulded)	el puntal	le creux	The height from keel to upper deck at the side.
draught (draft)	el calado	le tirant d’eau	How deep the ship floats: keel to waterline.
freeboard	el francobordo	le franc-bord	Height of the deck edge above the water, amidships.
displacement	el desplazamiento	le déplacement	The mass of the ship, equal to the mass of water it displaces.
load line	la línea de carga	la ligne de charge	The marks on the side showing how deep the ship may be loaded.
heel	la escora	la gîte	A sideways inclination caused by an outside force such as wind or a turn.
list	la escora permanente	la bande	A steady sideways inclination caused by the ship’s own loading.
metacentre	el metacentro	le métacentre	The point about which a ship’s buoyancy acts for small heels.
centre of buoyancy	el centro de carena	le centre de carène	The centroid of the underwater volume.
righting lever (GZ)	el brazo adrizante	le bras de levier de redressement	The arm of the couple that turns a heeled ship back upright.
course	el rumbo	le cap	The direction a ship is steered.
bearing	la demora	le relèvement	The direction of an object from the ship.
nautical mile	la milla náutica	le mille marin	Exactly 1852 m.
knot (speed)	el nudo	le nœud	One nautical mile per hour.
fathom	la braza	la brasse	Six feet, used for depths and rope.
log (speed)	la corredera	le loch	The instrument that measures a ship’s speed through the water.
sounding	el sondeo	le sondage	A measured depth of water.
latitude	la latitud	la latitude	Angle north or south of the equator.
longitude	la longitud	la longitude	Angle east or west of Greenwich.
tide	la marea	la marée	The rise and fall of the sea under the Moon and Sun.
swell	el mar de fondo	la houle	Waves that have travelled away from the wind that made them.
gale	el temporal	le coup de vent	Wind of force 8 on the Beaufort scale.
fog	la niebla	le brouillard	Visibility under 1 km.
buoy	la boya	la bouée	A floating mark.
lighthouse	el faro	le phare	A tower with a light that guides ships.
flag	la bandera	le pavillon	A signal or national flag.
pennant	el gallardete	la flamme	A tapering flag; the code pennants stand for numerals.
to anchor	fondear	mouiller	To let go the anchor and lie to it.
to berth	atracar	accoster	To come alongside a quay.
to sail (depart)	zarpar	appareiller	To leave port.
quay	el muelle	le quai	A landing place where ships lie alongside.
pilot	el práctico	le pilote	A local navigator who takes ships in and out of port.
crew	la tripulación	l’équipage	The people who work the ship.
boatswain	el contramaestre	le maître d’équipage	The petty officer in charge of deck work.
cargo	la carga	la cargaison	Goods carried by the ship.
freight	el flete	le fret	The charge for carrying goods, or the goods themselves.
bill of lading	el conocimiento de embarque	le connaissement	The receipt and contract for goods shipped.
manifest	el manifiesto	le manifeste	The list of the cargo on board.
customs	la aduana	la douane	The office that collects duties on imports.

Nouns are given with their article, because the gender comes with the word. Spellings and nautical senses checked in RAE and CNRTL. Some words have more than one equivalent at sea; the one given is the usual one in a ship’s papers.

One word, several meanings

pitch

Ship: the bow rising and falling as the ship rocks fore and aft
Code of life: the length of one full turn of the double helix: 3.4 nm for B-DNA
Shape: the distance between threads of a helix or screw

strand

Code of life: one of the two chains of a DNA double helix
Rope: a group of yarns twisted together, three or four of which make a rope

bearing

Navigation: the direction of an object, measured clockwise from north
Engineering: a part that carries a turning shaft

draught

Ship: how deep a ship floats (US: draft)
Weather: a current of air

Glossary

One word, several meanings

pitch

list

knot

twist

beam

sign

characteristic

strand

bearing

draught