personal flotation device (PFD)
A safety vest or jacket capable of keeping an individual afloat.
personal watercraft (PWC)
A small, lightweight craft designed to be either sat-on or stood-on with motorcycle-like handlebars and squeeze throttle, usually jet-propelled.
piling
A post driven into the ground below the waterline to support a pier, dock, etc.
pilot house
A fully enclosed helm compartment.
pitch
Theoretical distance a propeller would travel in one revolution. Also, the rise and fall of a boat's bow and stern.
planing hull
A boat hull designed to ride on top of the water rather than plowing through it.
pleasure boating
Recreational day boating in runabouts, deck boats, pontoon boats, bowriders and sportboats.
plot
To plan a navigation course using a chart.
poling platform
Small elevated stand on a flats boat used by a fisherman to silently pole through shallow water and scout for fish.
pontoon boat
A type of boat with a flat deck attached to airtight flotation tubes or logs.
port
The left side of a boat when facing the bow. Also, a marina harbor or commercial dock.
power catamaran
A multihulled powerboat with two identical side-by-side hulls.
power cruiser
A powerboat with overnight accommodations, typically up to 40 feet long.
propeller
A rotating multi-blade device that propels a boat through the water.
pulpit
Forward deck and railing structure at the bow of a boat.
PWC
See personal watercraft.