Nautical Terms

About Nautical Terms

Give your memory a workout with Nautical Terms: 15 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 5 easy, 5 medium, 5 hard questions, free to play right in your browser. How well do you know sailing and nautical vocabulary? Expect to spend about 7 minutes; every question comes with an explanation, so you learn something even when you miss.

A few sample questions

1. 1. What does the nautical term 'port' refer to?

   Answer: The left side of the ship when facing forward

   'Port' refers to the left side of a ship when you are facing the bow (front). It replaced the older term 'larboard' to avoid confusion with 'starboard.' Port is associated with the color red in navigation lights.

2. 2. What is the 'bow' of a ship?

   Answer: The front of the ship

   The bow is the forward-most part of a ship's hull. It is designed to reduce the resistance of the hull cutting through water and to improve the vessel's speed and efficiency.

3. 3. What does 'starboard' mean?

   Answer: The right side of the ship when facing forward

   'Starboard' refers to the right side of a ship when facing the bow. The term comes from the Old English 'steorbord,' meaning 'steering side,' as early ships were steered with a paddle on the right side. It is associated with the color green in navigation lights.

4. 4. What is the 'stern' of a ship?

   Answer: The back or rear of the ship

   The stern is the rear or back end of a ship. It is the opposite of the bow. The word comes from the Old Norse 'stjorn,' meaning 'steering,' as early rudders were mounted at the stern.

5. 5. What is an 'anchor' used for on a ship?

   Answer: To hold the ship in place in the water

   An anchor is a heavy device, typically made of metal, that is lowered to the sea floor to hold a ship in a fixed position. Anchors grip the bottom through their weight and design, preventing the vessel from drifting.

Things you'll learn along the way

• ✓A knot is a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour (approximately 1.15 statute miles per hour or 1.852 kilometers per hour). The term comes from the practice of measuring speed by counting knots in a rope trailed behind the ship over a set time.
• ✓The hull is the main structural body of a ship, the watertight shell that sits in the water. It provides buoyancy and supports the entire vessel. Hull design affects a ship's speed, stability, and cargo capacity.
• ✓The galley is the kitchen or cooking area on a ship. The term has been used since the days of ancient oar-powered warships (also called galleys). Ship galleys are designed to be compact and secure cooking equipment against the motion of the sea.