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Nautical Terms

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Instructions: How well do you know sailing and nautical vocabulary?

  1. 1.

    What does the nautical term 'port' refer to?

    A
    The left side of the ship when facing forward
    B
    The front of the ship
    C
    The back of the ship
    D
    The right side of the ship when facing forward
  2. 2.

    What is the 'bow' of a ship?

    A
    The top deck
    B
    The front of the ship
    C
    The bottom of the ship
    D
    The captain's quarters
  3. 3.

    What does 'starboard' mean?

    A
    The right side of the ship when facing forward
    B
    The upper deck
    C
    The ship's steering wheel
    D
    The left side of the ship
  4. 4.

    What is the 'stern' of a ship?

    A
    The mast
    B
    The back or rear of the ship
    C
    The anchor area
    D
    The front of the ship
  5. 5.

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

    A
    To steer the ship
    B
    To communicate with other ships
    C
    To hold the ship in place in the water
    D
    To measure water depth
  6. 6.

    What does 'knot' mean as a unit of speed at sea?

    A
    One nautical mile per hour
    B
    Ten meters per second
    C
    One kilometer per hour
    D
    One statute mile per hour
  7. 7.

    What is the 'hull' of a ship?

    A
    The anchor chain
    B
    The sail system
    C
    The main body or shell of the vessel
    D
    The navigation room
  8. 8.

    What does 'galley' refer to on a ship?

    A
    The kitchen or cooking area
    B
    The sleeping quarters
    C
    The cargo hold
    D
    The navigation bridge
  9. 9.

    What does 'draft' (or 'draught') mean in nautical terms?

    A
    The depth of water a ship needs to float
    B
    A gust of wind at sea
    C
    The air flow through the ship's cabins
    D
    A preliminary map of a voyage
  10. 10.

    What is the 'helm' of a ship?

    A
    The anchor mechanism
    B
    The lookout platform at the top of the mast
    C
    The steering apparatus, including the wheel or tiller
    D
    The lowest deck of the ship
  11. 11.

    What does 'fathom' mean as a nautical measurement?

    A
    A unit of speed at sea
    B
    A unit of distance equal to one mile
    C
    A unit of depth equal to six feet
    D
    A unit of wind speed
  12. 12.

    What does 'leeward' mean?

    A
    Straight ahead
    B
    Away from the wind; the sheltered side
    C
    Toward the wind
    D
    Toward the shore
  13. 13.

    What does 'keelhaul' historically mean?

    A
    To load cargo into the hull
    B
    To repair the keel of a ship
    C
    To drag a person under the ship as punishment
    D
    To turn a ship around
  14. 14.

    What is a 'bulkhead' on a ship?

    A
    A decorative figurehead on the bow
    B
    The loading ramp
    C
    An upright wall or partition within the hull
    D
    The main mast
  15. 15.

    What does 'to batten down the hatches' mean?

    A
    To secure and prepare for difficult conditions
    B
    To drop anchor in a harbor
    C
    To set sail immediately
    D
    To open the ship's windows for ventilation

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