Talk the Talk on Your Summer Sailing Holiday

By MedSailors Crew published on 21 July 2015

There is no pressure on a boating holiday to all of sudden become an expert sailor. But if you are keen to know your stern from your bow before you depart, here are some key terms to help you on your way.

It may sound odd, but when you are in open water there really is no such thing as left and right. As a result, the left becomes port and right becomes starboard. Just make sure that you always judge your port and starboard from the front of the boat to avoid going round in circles!

Sailing tips - learning the basics

Speaking of the front of the boat, on a sailing holiday this is known as the bow. It is from the bow that almost everything else can be measured, so this is the first thing you should determine when climbing aboard. Similarly, the back of the sailing boat is not the back – it is the stern.

Even those who have never been near a boat will probably know where the rudder is and what it does. Situated below the main body of the boat, a rudder is a flat offshoot which allows the vessel to be steered. Up on deck, you will find the boom – a horizontal extension of the mast, the boom controls the forward and backward movement of the boat.

It’s not an exhaustive list by any means, but something to get you thinking before your sailing holiday adventure begins.

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