Points of Sail
The area that is impossible to sail in
No sail zone or no go zone
tack
The watertight body of a boat
the hull
This knot is also a number
Figure 8 knot
Strings on your sail used to tell you how to trim your sail
telltales
When the wind is coming across the side of your boat
Beam reach
the head
the pole that holds the sail up
This knot is used to tie two lines together
square knot
The part of the boat that allows it to turn
rudder
When the wind is directly behind you
run
the back bottom corner of the sail
the clew
the line that pulls the sail in and out
the main/jib sheet
This knot is used to tie your boat to the dock
cleat hitch
The line used to tighten or loosen the foot of the sail
outhaul
Sailing upwind
Close hauled or close reach
the outside/trailing edge of the sail
the leech
The things you put your feet under when you sit on the side of the boat (the allow you to lean out over the water)
hiking straps
bowline
You push the rudder this direction to turn your boat to port
Starboard
The fastest point of sail
Beam reach
the inside/leading edge of the sail
luff
The line that is connected to the mast and boom and pulls the boom down
the vang
You use this knot to tie a boat to a dock when it doesn't have cleats
clove hitch
the youngest person to sail around the world alone (hint: she was dutch and only 14 years old)
Laura Dekker