Boaters Alphabet (W)

This is one of an occasional series of entries into my blog. The "Boaters Alphabet" today's letter is W and is for Wake, the waves created by a moving boat. The best sight to be seen looking backwards is a sunset wake marking your passage through the water.

  OneEighteen

is for waves created by the wind or by the bow as you move along on your boat. Waves are also a cheery acknowledgement to a gongoozeler on the bank.

is for Wine a fine drink to be savoured and shared at the end of the day. Moving and crewing a  boat along the rivers and canals is not easy. Its a hard life, someone has it to do - today it was my turn.

Cheers - bottoms up!


Waterline - The intersection of the hull and the surface of the water.
Windlass - A device used for to raise and lower a lock paddle.
Wardroom  - quarters for ship's crew. 
Washboard - broad thin plank along ship's gunwale to keep out water. 
Waveson  - goods floating on the sea after a shipwreck. 
Wear -  to turn a ship's stern to windward to alter its course. 
Weatherboard -  weather side of a ship. 
Weatherly  - able to sail close to the wind with little leeway.
Wheelhouse -  shelter where the ship’s steering wheel kept.
Whipstaff  - vertical lever controlling ship’s rudder.
Windbound -  hindered from sailing by contrary winds.
Winch - used to raise a ship's anchor.
Windjammer -  large sailing merchantman, especially in the last days of commercial sailing.
Wake - the swell or waves caused by a boat passing through water.
Warp - To pull the stern of a vessel to one side while at anchor.
Wash - the turbulence behind a vessel or from its propeller.
Watch -  a period of time during which a part of the crew or watch is on duty.
Water Tank - water held in tanks on board a vessel.
Wave - undulations of the sea.
Way - movement of a vessel through the water such as headway, sternway or leeway.
Weigh Anchor - to heave up an anchor preparatory to sailing.
Well - a place in the ship's hold for the bilge pump.
Wharf - a structure built so that vessels may be moored alongside to load or unload.
Wheel - a circular, usually with spokes, a hand wheel for controlling the rudder on a vessel.
Windlass - a winch mechanism.
Wind's Eye - the direction from which the true wind comes.
Wind - Pronounced with a long "I" as in "Find" - to turn a vessel end for end.
Windward - upwind.
Work boat - a vessel used for chores like ferrying stores or moving moorings.


Later....