Boating Glossary of Terms

mainsail: The largest regular sail on a sailboat.
make fast: To secure a line.
marinization: The addition of marine components to automotive engines.
mast: Vertical spar that supports sails.
MAYDAY: A radio distress call.
megayacht: A large, luxurious yacht, typically longer than 100 feet
midships: Location near the center of a boat.
mizzen mast: A shorter mast located aft of the main mast on a yawl or ketch.
modified-V hull: A modification of the deep-V hull shape with a deadrise of less than 20 degrees.
mold: A hollow reinforced cavity that is the mirror-image or reverse-image of the boat and into which fiberglass, gel coat and resin are laid during composite-hull construction.
monohull: A boat with a single hull.
mooring: Permanent ground tackle fixed to a buoy that boats can tie to.
motorsailer: A hybrid boat that has sails and powerful engines.
motoryacht: A large powerboat greater than 40 feet with luxurious interior accommodations for long-range cruising.
multihull: A boat with more than one hull, such as a catamaran or trimaran.

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