Sailing basics

Sailing uses an almost unique language: A large number of basic terms in the sailing world have often never been heard by a layman. There are not only the designations of boat parts and the names of manoeuvres, but also other basic sailing terms that are generally used in shipping.

We have listed the basic terms most frequently used by non-professionals (e.g. on a sailing trip) and tried to explain them as simply as possible for you. We have organised the basic sailing terms alphabetically within the category.

Basic sailing terms: General terms

Beaufort: A unit of measurement for wind force when sailing.

Knots: A unit of measurement that indicates speed in nautical miles.

Heeling: When the wind pushes the sailing boat into an inclined position while sailing, this is known as heeling.

Mole: The protective wall of the harbour.

Mooring : The anchor line attached to the ground in the harbour with which the sailing boat can be moored.

Bowline: A secure knot used to attach the sailing boat to a buoy while sailing.

Bollard: Small, thick poles to which the sailing boat can be secured in the harbour.

Trim : The adjustment (alignment, inclination, bending) of the sailboat while sailing. The trim can be influenced by the sail position and the weight (the crew).

Weaving rope: A knot with which the sailing boat can be tied to a bollard after sailing or with which the fenders are attached to the boat.

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Basic sailing terms: Boat parts

Dirk : The outer line on the main boom with which it is held horizontally. The keel is often not present on smaller sailing boats.

Halyards: Lines with which the sails can be furled or hauled.

Fender : The plastic body filled with air that is attached to the side of the boat to ensure clearance from other boats / the quay when mooring and also serves as a shock absorber.

Main boom: The large, horizontal branch to which the sail is attached. The boom can be used to adjust the sail as required.

Mainsail : Depending on the type of sailing ship, either the larger of the two sails on the mast or the lowest of the many sails on the main mast.

Keel : The spine of the ship, so to speak, and the part that lies deepest in the water. The keel is a central line running from bow to stern.

Cleat: A T-shaped attachment point for lines on the sailing ship.

Mast: The large vertical pillar on the ship to which the sails are attached.

Tiller: A stick used to steer the rudder.

Rudder : The rudder is located under the sailboat at the stern and is used to steer the boat when sailing.

Sheet: This line is used to adjust the sail.

Sea railing: The railing that runs around the boat to prevent it from going overboard while sailing.

Sailing basics: Sailing manoeuvres

Drop: If you turn away from the wind when sailing, this is called dropping (lee = side facing away from the wind).

Cast off: Starting from the mooring. It is important to haul in the fenders after setting off.

Mooring: Moving into the berth until the sailing ship is correctly moored.

Luffing: Turning the sailing boat towards the wind while sailing is called luffing (windward = side facing the wind).

Shooting up: If you turn the sailing boat towards the wind and stop with the bow pointing into the wind, the wind can no longer exert any pressure on the sails of some sailing boats - the sailing boat is brought to a resting position.

Furling: Letting out / yielding the sails or lines in a controlled manner (for example, the lines must be fished to set the sail so that the wind can billow the sail).

Planing: Gliding while sailing is only possible with sailboats that are shaped for this purpose; at high speed, the bow lifts slightly out of the water and you glide quickly over the water with little resistance. However, at least 3-4 Beaufort wind force is required for planing.

Jibe: The sailing boat makes an arc, with the stern pointing in the direction of the wind, so that the sails are led on the other side of the boat at the end of the manoeuvre.

Haul: Pulling in / tightening the sails or lines (for example, to reduce the sail area, the sails must be hauled in to give the wind less surface to attack).

MOB: Short for "man overboard", a sailing manoeuvre in which the sailor who has fallen into the water is located and brought back on board in a controlled manner.

Reefing: The "reefing" / retracting of sails to reduce the surface area of the sail and thus provide less surface area for the wind to attack.

Tacking: The sailing ship makes an arc, with the bow pointing in the direction of the wind. The wind coming from the front slows the sailing boat down more than when jibing.

If you want to learn more about sailing, we recommend a sailing course on Mallorca.