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Let’s continue with our glossary of important nautical terms that you should know. Here we have all of the most important words and phrases beginning with the letters G, H and I.

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G

Gaff – In terms of a rig, the spar that supports the top edge of a four-sided fore-and-aft mounted sail. In terms of fishing, a hook attached onto a long pole that is used to haul in fish.

Galley – The kitchen aboard a ship.

Gangplank – A portable bridge that is used for boarding or exiting a ship, may also be known as a brow.

Gangway – Allows passengers to leave or board a ship, an opening within the bulwark of the ship.

Gasket – When stowed, a rope that is used to secure a sail.

Gear – The sails and rigging on a vessel.

General quarters – The same meaning as ‘battle stations.’

Going about – Going through the wind and changing from one tack to another.

Gooseneck – A fitting that attaches the mast to the boom and allows it to move freely.

Grave – Referring to cleaning the bottom of a ship.

Great circle – Refers to the shortest distance between two points on a globe.

Ground – The seabed.

Grounding – The moment when a floating ship touches the seabed, it goes ‘aground’.

Growler – An iceberg or floe which is only barely visible above the waterline.

Gunter – The hoops or beads that secure a gaff to the mast vertically.

Gunter rig – A ship that has a mainsail that is gunter-rigged.

Gunter-rigged – A sail that is raised using a gunter.

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H

Halyard – A rope that is used for hoisting any sail.

Hand – The act of furling a sail.

Hand bomber – A vessel that uses coal-fired boilers which are shovelled in by hand.

Hangar deck – An enclosed deck that is used to service and store aircraft aboard a ship.

Harbour – Where ships are stored and can shelter from the weather. They are both man-made and natural.

Hatchway, hatch – An opening in the ship’s deck which is used to load cargo and for access to the lower deck. It is a covered opening.

Haul – To steer a ship closer to the direction of the wind.

Head – The uppermost and foremost portion of a ship.

Head sea – When the direction of the waves directly opposes the direction of the ship.

Heading – The direction the nose is pointing.

Headsail – A sail which is flown in front of the most forward mast.

Heave – The transient, vertical and up-and-down motion of a vessel.

Heave down – Turning a ship on its side, usually used for cleaning.

Heel – The lean of a ship, caused by the wind’s force on said ship.

Helm – The steering mechanism of a ship.

Helmsman – The person in charge of steering a ship.

Hoist – The height, measured next to the mast, of a fore-and-aft sail.

Hold – A place for storage on a ship, usually below decks but may extend upwards.

Home port – The port where a ship is based, not to be mistaken as the port of registry.

Hull – The shell of a ship which makes it float.

Hull speed – The most efficient speed that a displacement-hulled vessel can make.

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I

Icebreaker – A specially designed ship that moves through ice-covered waters.

Icing – When cold temperatures occur with high wind resulting in a spray that is blown from the sea and freezes immediately.

Idlers – People within the ship’s company that do not have to serve watch.

In irons or in stays – When a ship loses its forward momentum while moving into the window. It loses its ability to steer.

Inboard – Something that is in the ship.

Inboard motor – A motor that is within the hull. They usually drive a fixed propeller that protrudes through the stern. Mostly found on larger ships.

Inshore – A wind that is blowing from the sea toward the land, or something that is near the shore in terms of sight.

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