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Boating Glossary of Terms

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backing down: Maneuvering in reverse when offshore fishing while attempting to land a fish.
backstay: A support for the mast to keep it from falling forward.
bail: To remove water with a bucket or pump. Also, a component that controls fishing line on a spinning reel.
bait station: Area on a fishing boat for preparing bait.
baitwell: Compartment on a fishing boat for holding live bait, usually with a pump to circulate the water and an aerator to provide oxygen.
ballast: Weight added to the bottom of a boat to improve stability.
bass boat: Low-profile, outboard-powered boat, generally no more than 22 feet long and typically equipped with rod lockers, casting decks with pedestal seats and livewells.
bay boat: Low-profile, inshore fishing boat intended for use in protected coastal waters, and frequently made with rolled-edge construction.
beach catamaran: Small, lightweight sailboat less than 25 feet long that can be easily launched and retrieved from a beach.
beam: Measurement of a boat at its widest point. Also, a transmitted radio, sonar or radar signal.
bear off: To turn away from the wind.
bearing: Direction to an object.
beating: Sailing upwind.
berth: A place to sleep aboard a boat. Also, a boat slip.
bilge: Lowest section inside a boat's hull where water collects.
bimini top: A canvas cover over the helm or cockpit area.
bitt: Vertical post extending above the deck to secure docking lines.
bluewater fishing boat: Mid-size to large deep-V boats suitable for offshore fishing. They are typically fitted with outriggers, fish boxes, aluminum towers, a host of electronics and large fuel tanks.
boom: A spar attached to a sail at its foot.
bow: Forward portion of a boat.
bow eye: A stainless steel U-bolt on a boat's bow stem used to secure tow lines or trailer winch hooks.
bow stop: Rubber blocks on a boat trailer into which the boat's stem rests.
bowrider: A runabout boat with open-bow seating.
bowsprit: A spar extending forward of the bow on a sailboat.
breakaway lanyard: Emergency safety cable on a boat trailer that activates trailer brakes in the event the trailer comes detached from the tow vehicle while underway.
bridge clearance: Distance from waterline to a boat's highest point.
bulkhead: Transverse wall in a boat that usually bears weight and supplies hull support.
bunks: Long carpeted sections of a boat trailer that support the boat's weight.
buoy: An anchored floating object that serves as a navigation aid. Also used to mark a mooring spot.
burgee: Small flag that bears a yacht club's symbol.

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