How To Navigate Around a Boat Like a Pro: Everyday Boating Terminology
Ever visited a friend’s boat and wondered where the ‘galley’ is? Or perhaps you’ve always wondered why the toilet is in the ‘head’… And what the **** does ‘starboard’ mean?! Panic no longer, as Pippa Shaw spills the secrets of the boating scene so you can sound like a seafarer without ever leaving the shore…
Getting on a boat and into the open water in the UK is pretty simple. There are few, if any, requirements for any special qualifications and boat licences only need to be obtained for travelling inland or abroad. However, learning some basic boat anatomy and directions – for example, which side is starboard and which side is port – will make any boating experience much easier and safer.
For newcomers to the boating world, learning the proper boat part names can seem like an unnecessary challenge. After all, does anyone really still call a boat kitchen the ‘galley’? Learning a little ship anatomy will undoubtedly go a long way to impressing your fellow boaters and help you get more familiar with your vessel, but there are also genuine safety benefits to knowing the right words to use aboard.
Knowing the meaning of port and starboard can save a lot of miscommunication aboard, especially in a stressful situation – explaining what sides of the ship a rock is approaching, for example, needs to be communicated with no room for error. Similarly, asking a marina whether you’re berthing on the port or starboard can save you time and hassle when preparing your fenders and lines for berthing. Put simply, being able to name the parts of a boat quickly will ensure you minimise confusion both ashore and at sea.
Knowing your port and starboard, boat directions, and parts of a boat will help ensure a confusion-free and safe boating experience, whether travelling on a sailing yacht, power yacht, or canal boat.
What direction are you facing on a boat?
First things first, when you step aboard a boat, whether it’s a sailing yacht, power boat, Dutch barge, or anything else, you should really know which way you’re facing! But is it your left or mine?
When there are multiple members of crew on a boat, especially when at sea, it’s essential that everyone knows exactly what direction is being referred to. So, for that reason, seafarers have come up with some special words to streamline direction-giving and ensure everyone is on the same page, no matter where they’re facing.
Port vs Starboard
To save arguments about ‘left’ or ‘right’, seafarers came up with ‘port’ and ‘starboard’ to quickly communicate which sides of a boat they were referring to. This means that no matter which way the crew is facing, the direction always remains the same - it’s in relation to the boat, not the person.
When looking towards the front of the ship, the ‘port’ is on the left, and the ‘starboard’ is on the right. This can be tricky to remember, but the best way I learned to remember port and starboard is that ‘port’ and ‘left’ both have four letters, and ‘starboard’ and ‘right’ have more than four letters. Simple, right?
Port and starboard can also sound confusing as they almost sound like they don’t belong together, but there is value in that, too. In a stressful situation with a lot of noise from the sea, weather, sails, or motor, there’s a distinct benefit in using words that sound completely different to ensure there’s absolutely no confusion. This is the same reason why you use “correct” and “wrong” when talking on the radio – ensuring the sounds are very different helps ensure the correct meaning is portrayed.
But why is it called port and starboard? Well, the words are adapted from old English and have to do with how boats used to be designed.
In the early days of sailing, boats could only dock to physical ports on the left side, so ultimately, it became known as the ‘port side’ because it was the side the boat would port to.
In addition, before rudders were invented, boats were steered with an oar – usually located on the right side of the stern to suit a right-handed sailor. This also made it much easier to dock the boat on the left/port side.
This is also how we get the word ‘starboard’, adapted from the old English word ‘steorbord’, which roughly translates to “the side of the boat the steering oar was located” or “the steering side of the boat” – ‘steor’ meaning “steer” and ‘bord’ meaning “side of the boat”. So, historically, the starboard side would have been the side you steer on.
Knowing your port and starboard is essential for all types of boaters. Image credit: PSCopywriting (made with Canva)
Bow vs Stern
In addition to ‘port’ and ‘starboard’, boat owners also have special ways of referring to the front and back of the vessel. The ‘bow’ is the front of the boat, which is usually curved or pointed to allow the vessel to move more smoothly through the water and reduce resistance. This curvature provides the name for the front of a ship, as it’s believed to have come from the old English word ‘bugan’, which means ‘bent or curved’ and also the act of bending or curving something.
Interestingly, the word ‘bow’ has several meanings and distinct pronunciations in the English language, but these can all be associated with the old English word ‘bugan’. Think about it: any variation of the word ‘bow’ has been bent or curved in some fashion. Even ‘taking a bow’ involves bending!
In opposition, the ‘stern’ refers to the back of a boat and is believed to have come from the old Norse word ‘styra’, which means ‘to steer’. This later became ‘stjorn’, meaning ‘steering’, then ‘styrne’ in Old English, followed by ‘stern’ in Middle English. As the boat is steered from the back*, it makes sense that the ‘stern’ would refer to the back of the boat – as this was where all boats used to be steered from.
* Even if your vessel has a straight bow and is steered from the middle, the front part of the boat would still be referred to as the ‘bow’, and the back would still be the ‘stern’. The rest of the information about how the words came into existence is just an interesting history lesson!
The bow of the boat is the front - getting its name from the curved shape most boats favour, including this 2003 Interboat 19 - while the stern is the back of the boat.
Forward vs Aft
Now you have your port and starboard, bow and stern; you might start to feel like you’re learning your way around the boat. But why is the skipper suddenly changing it up to use ‘forward’ and ‘aft’? I thought ‘bow’ and ‘stern’ were the words for the front and back of the vessel.
Well, you’re mostly right. However, while the bow and stern relate to specific parts of the vessel, the forward and aft usually relate more to movement on a boat. For example, moving ‘forward’ (or ‘fore’) on a vessel would mean moving towards the bow. To move ‘aft’ (or ‘after’) would be to move towards the stern.
‘Aft’ and ‘stern’ may also be used slightly differently, as ‘aft’ would relate to the inside of the very back of the boat, whereas the ‘stern’ refers to the back of the boat from the outside. This is why you might hear boaters refer to an ‘aft cabin’ – a bedroom at the back of the boat – but never a ‘stern cabin’ – because the stern is outside!
Windward vs Leeward
In addition to port and starboard, you might also hear sailors and seafarers refer to the ‘windward’ or ‘leeward’ side of something. This something could be the boat itself, an island, or even a wind turbine*. It relates to the direction of the wind; the windward side of something is the side the wind is hitting, while the leeward side faces away from the wind.
*One top tip, if you’re sailing near wind farms, is to ensure you stick to the windward side (the side the wind is blowing from/hitting the object) because sailing leeward of them (down-wind from the object) will cause the wind turbines to “steal” the wind, leaving you with no options but to turn on the engine.
Windward and leeward are also what give leeboards their name. Leeboards are a type of centreboard (a type of keel often found on Dutch barges, narrowboats, or catamarans – see our article on keel types for more information) which are mounted on both sides of a boat’s hull. Only the leeward side leeboard will be lowered at a time to help provide directional stability against the wind.
Knowing what boaties mean by ‘windward’ and ‘leeward’ can be particularly useful for sailboats navigating around islands or wind farms as it lets you know whether you’re on the windy (windward) or sheltered (leeward) side of an object. If you choose to toilet alfresco, you’ll also want to make sure you’re heading to the leeward side of the boat (more on this later)! Photo by Pixabay.
What are rooms called on a boat?
It’s not just the ship directions that differ from land; boat owners also have special words to refer to the rooms inside the vessel. While some modern boaters shun the old words, knowing your way around a boat using the proper terms will never fail to impress – and some will still have a giggle when someone asks to use the ‘bathroom’ aboard.
Cabins
In simple terms, a ‘cabin’ is quite simply a room aboard a vessel. You might use the word ‘cabin’ to refer to a specific enclosed space – perhaps for sleeping – or to refer to the entire interior of the vessel, although it’s most commonly used to mean the former.
It’s likely that ‘cabin’ came from the Latin word ‘capanna’, which means “little house”.
Head
The ‘head’ refers to the ship’s toilet. This might seem like a strange word for a toilet, particularly in modern boats where the loo might not be at the front of the boat. However, like many boating terms, its origins can be found from the early days of sailing; the first reference to a ‘head’ can be found in Woodes Rogers’ book A Cruising Voyage Around the World, published in 1708.
But why is it called a head? Well, once upon a time, ships wouldn’t necessarily have an enclosed toilet, so sailors would relieve themselves by going over the side of the vessel. However, you don’t want to relieve yourself into the wind, so they’d try to find a position downwind, where the wind would blow the waste away from the ship and sailor. On old square-rigged sailing ships, the vessel usually travelled downwind – with the wind behind them – therefore, the crew would go “ahead” (or ‘forward’) to the boat's bow to relieve themselves.
Even when indoor plumbing came into effect on boats, toilets were still generally placed in the front of the vessel until very recently (and even today, most sea toilets are found further forward). So, the idea of ‘going to the head’ stuck and simply refers to the toilet/loo/bathroom (although, let’s be honest, ‘bathroom’ glamorises a boat toilet a bit!).
In boat terms, the ‘head’ means the toilet and comes from historical sailors going ‘ahead’ to the bow of the ship to relieve themselves. Even today, boat toilets are usually found towards the front of the ship.
Galley
On a boat, the ‘galley’ is the kitchen. Like much boating terminology, the word comes from historic ships that had stoves with furnaces called ‘gallery furnaces’ in them. This furnace served two purposes: 1. To heat the ship's interior; and 2. To cook on.
The word ‘galley’ is also associated with the long, flat ships preferred by the ancient Greeks and Romans. These ships had a dedicated area for cooking, carefully designed to provide optimum function and efficiency aboard.
Galley is now used to refer to the kitchen aboard any vessel, including aeroplanes, and can even be used to describe a long, narrow, space-efficient kitchen in a house or apartment.
Even in houses, a ‘galley’ kitchen usually relates to a long, thin, efficient kitchen that maximises the space available, like the one on this 2009 Najad 380. Galleys can be found aboard all types of ships and even some aircraft.
Salon
The word ‘salon’ (or ‘saloon’, depending on your preferences) most likely comes from the French ‘salon’, which means ‘living room’ or ‘lounge’. On a boat, this would refer to the largest room on the vessel and will likely include some seating (usually in the form of sofas) and a table at a minimum.
This is the social hub of the boat and offers an area for passengers and crew to relax and enjoy their leisure time during a passage.
You may also hear this room called the ‘main cabin’ on a boat.
The salon (or saloon) is the boat name for the living room, lounge, or main cabin. This is the social hub of the ship and will be used for relaxing, entertaining, and dining on this 1981 Moody 36CC.
Berth
Not to be confused with ‘berth’ as in ‘berthing your boat’, meaning to tie up your boat to a mooring, a sleeping berth on a vessel is the parts of the vessel dedicated to sleeping. This will usually mean some form of bedroom, but you might also see smaller yachts offering “four berths”, where two of them are sofas.
There are different types of berths on a boat, which will tell you what sort of sleeping arrangement you’ll be getting. I’ve outlined a couple of these below:
A “berth” on a boat usually relates to a bed of some description. These might be bunks, like aboard this 1991 Devonport Thomas Custom, a V-shaped bed in the bow, or even a double bed in an aft cabin.
V-berth
On most yachts, a bedroom can be found at the most forward part of the boat (the bow). To maximise the space in this area, the bed will often be capered to a point, giving it a triangular or ‘V’ shape. Sometimes, a triangle will be cut out of the middle aft end of the bed, giving it a more distinctive ‘v’ shape, which can be filled in with a detachable board and cushion to create a double bed.
You might also hear the v-berth being referred to as the ‘forepeak’, derived from the words ‘fore’ (meaning in the front) and ‘peak’ (meaning a pointed end).
A V-berth is pretty much what it says on the tin - a V-shaped bed fitted into the boat's bow to maximise space. Often, as is the case with this 1999 Starlight 35, the cushions in a V-berth will be removable so the space can be used in different ways.
Pilot berth
The pilot berth is another sleeping area, usually high up on the side of the main cabin. These berths will often have some sort of barrier to stop the sleeper from falling out. They are so-named because they would be used by the vessel's pilot to sleep without being too far away from the cockpit should they be needed.
Quarter-berth
On smaller yachts and sailing vessels, you might also find a quarter berth. This will usually be around the size of a single bed and is located at the aft of the boat, beneath the cockpit. Like the pilot berth, this bed would usually be used by the pilot/captain/skipper on long passages. Its position at the side and back of the boat means it’s not too harshly affected by the sea state, and its enclosed nature also ensures the skipper doesn’t end up rolling out of bed on every wave!
On smaller yachts, like this 1976 Shipman 28, the quarter berth usually fits on either the port or starboard side of the boat beneath the cockpit. For liveaboards, it’s commonly used for storage rather than sleeping, but can offer a comfortable mid-passage snoozing spot for singlehanded sailors.
Settee-berth
A settee-berth probably isn’t one modern boaters will come up with these days, but it’s worth mentioning as many boats for sale will include these when listing the number of berths the vessel holds.
As you can probably guess, a settee-berth is effectively a sofa bed but can be made more comfortable by removing the back of the sofa to widen the berth, and may have a leecloth (a sheet of canvas or other material that attaches to the open side of the bed) to stop the sleeper from falling out of bed in rough conditions or when the boat is heeled over.
Some vessels will also have a system to attach two sofas to create a large double bed in the main cabin. This generally wouldn’t be considered a ‘settee berth’, but is worth mentioning.
Some boats, such as this 1983 Kelt 9M, have settee berths. These are a bit like sofa beds; the backrest comes out to provide a wider bed area. A leecloth can be attached to prevent falls in rough conditions.
Aft cabin
If you’ve been paying attention to this article, an ‘aft cabin’ should require little description. Simply put, this is a bedroom located at the back of a boat. Aft cabins are usually large, comfortable rooms and would traditionally have been where a ship’s captain/owner would have their quarters.
Aft cabins are also renowned for being more comfortable, as the back of the boat is usually less affected by the sea state and won’t bounce around so much in strong winds or seas.
The aft cabin in this 2009 Contest 50CS spans the full width of the stern of the boat and offers plenty of space for the owners to spread out, including a full double bed
Cockpit
The ‘cockpit’ is the part of the boat where the ship’s pilot steers the boat. In yachts, this will usually be a recessed area at the back of the boat containing the steering wheel or tiller. Vessels suitable for single-handed use will be able to control much of the boat’s navigation from the cockpit, and they are often seen as one of the safest parts of a ship.
The word ‘cockpit’ has a few different possible origins, but the most likely is that it derived from the old name for a ship’s pilot: the coxswain*. So, the cockpit was a pit in which the pilot (the coxswain) would sit to drive the boat.
· *For those that are interested, the word coxswain translates most accurately as ‘boat servant’, coming from the Middle English word “cock” (a type of boat) and “swain” (meaning servant). The short form of “cox” was likely developed in 1869, but “cockswains” can be traced back to the early 14th century.
The cockpit of this 2000 J Boats J/120 offers a safe spot for crew while travelling. The boat will be steered from the cockpit, and much of the sail adjustments can also be done from here.
Doghouse / Wheelhouse
No, it’s not a place to put your husband or wife when they’re annoying you on a long passage. The doghouse refers to a hut-like structure built on the deck of a vessel. Historically, the doghouse would have provided additional sleeping quarters for the crew (or even slaves). But it could also refer to any raised structure to provide more headspace or even a raised indoor space from which to drive the boat.
The name ‘doghouse’ was given as the structures tended to resemble dog kennels. They were also generally small, humid, and relatively uncomfortable, offering little more than shelter to those inside – this is likely where the phrase ‘in the doghouse’ came from; meaning to be in an uncomfortable situation.
These days, you’re more likely to see reference to a wheelhouse as a raised structure from which a captain can pilot a boat. Modern wheelhouses are generally much more comfortable than the doghouses of history but retain the advantage of a high position and the best views.
Although the name ‘doghouse’ has been given over to mean ‘an uncomfortable situation’, the modern wheelhouses of boats like this 2016 Piper 49L are much more comfortable and offer a panoramic view of the scenery around you.
What does a marina need to know about your boat for berthing?
Knowing the right way to describe the various parts of a boat will certainly help you feel more at home around the water and help you keep up with seasoned sea dogs in the yacht clubs, but what about when you’re trying to book into a marina or harbour? The harbour master probably won’t care whether you have a v-berth or an aft-cabin, or if you’re steering from the cockpit or doghouse, but they will care about how much water your vessel needs and how big the boat is.
So, before I close off this article, I’ve included a few extra bits to help you answer some of the most commonly asked questions about your boat.
Draft
The draft of a vessel relates to how much water the boat needs in order to float. This is measured from the waterline (the point the water reaches on the boat when it’s floating) to the very bottom of the keels (if you have them) or the hull (if you don’t). In the UK, this is usually measured in metres but can also be measured in feet.
It’s rare you’ll need to measure this yourself – the draft of a vessel will usually be specified in the listing before you buy and in any paperwork referring to the boat.
Length (LOA)
This one is pretty straightforward. Marinas and harbours need to know how long your boat is to make sure you’ll fit in your designated mooring. Fees are also usually charged per metre, so knowing your boat’s length is essential.
When filling out paperwork, you might spot forms asking for your “LOA”. This simply means “Length Over All”, so your total length, which might include any hanging-off bits such as dinghies/tenders, davits, bowsprits, etc.
Beam
The ‘beam’ of a vessel relates to its width at its widest point. Not all harbours will ask for this, but it can be useful to know if you have a particularly ‘beamy’ (wide) vessel to ensure you’re not placed on a pontoon you can’t access. This information will be particularly vital for trimarans and catamarans who are attempting to enter a harbour through a lock or narrow entrance.
Sail vs power
I doubt I need to explain this one much, but marinas and harbourmasters will generally also want to know what type of boat you’re operating. A simple answer of “sailboat” or “powerboat” will usually suffice, so you don’t need to get too bogged down by all the different classifications of yacht vs bowrider vs cruiser, etc…
Remember, if you’re a sailor, most marinas don’t like you to use your sails within the harbour, but you’ll still be classed as a sailing vessel even when travelling under power.
Similarly, power boats should be careful to stick to the speed limits and watch their wake so as not to disturb other water-users and wildlife.
Whether you’re a sailing yacht, barge, or power boat, marinas and harbourmasters will need some information from you before you can enter. This will usually include your LOA, draft, and type of vessel at a minimum, so it’s worth memorising these measurements before approaching port.
It’s not just showing off, it’s staying safe.
Knowing the correct boat directions, rooms, and measurements won’t just make you sound like a seasoned seafarer; they can also be essential for the safety of the crew and vessel, as well as help you navigate in and out of harbours as well as out to sea.
For more tips on how to operate your boat safely, make sure you read our articles on the Rules of the Water to learn what side of the ‘road’ you should be driving on and when/who you need to give way to.
If you want to sound even more knowledgeable on the water, check out our guide to boating terminology or look up something specific in our glossary of boating terms.
