Atlantic Maritime Academy

“Sabby the Lingo?”  Maritime Language – XXVII

• Wake - Moving waves, track or path that a boat leaves behind it, when moving through the water; the track of disturbed water a boat leaves as it moves.
• Warming the Bell - Striking "bells" a little before the proper time at the end of a watch. More generally, doing something unjustifiably or unnecessarily early.
• Warp - (1) To warp is to move a vessel by lines - move a boat by hauling on lines attached to docks or anchors. (2) The longitudinal threads in canvas and other textiles. (3) Hawser used when warping. (4) The line by which a boat rides to a sea anchor. (5) Mooring ropes.

• Warrant Officer - A range of ranks above enlisted men and below commissioned officers, usually having specialized knowledge and skills. ¹
  
• Washing Down - Said of a vessel when she is shipping water on deck and it is running off through scuppers and freeing ports.
  
• Watch Buoy - A buoy moored near a Lightship from which she can check her position to make sure that she has not moved by dragging.
  
• Waterline - The line where the water comes to on the hull of a boat. Design waterline is where the waterline was designed to be, load waterline is the waterline when the boat is loaded, and the painted waterline is where the waterline was painted. Actual waterline is where the waterline really is at any given time.
  
• Waterline Length - The length of the boat at the waterline.
  
• Waveson - Goods floating on surface of sea after a wreck.
  
• Way - A vessel's movement through the water; such as headway, sternway, or leeway.
  
• Way Enough - Order given to a boat's crew when going alongside under oars. Denotes that boat has sufficient way, and that oars are to be placed inside the boat.
  
• Waypoint - A charted feature or chosen position on a chart
  
• Ways - The framework of timber, etc., on which a vessel is built, from which she is launched into the water.
  
• Wear - 1) To wear a boat is the operation of bringing a sailing vessel onto the other tack by bringing the wind around the stern, as opposed to tacking, where the wind is brought around the bow. 2) In respect to the flying of flags, a ship flies her national flag or ensign, but wears a personal flag.
  
• Weather Helm - The natural tendency of a sailboat to come up into the wind. The helm must be held over to keep the boat from coming up in the direction of the wind.
  
• Weatherly - A sailing vessel is said to be weatherly when she can sail closer to the wind than the average, thus gaining an advantage when the destination is to windward.
  
• Weigh Anchor - To raise anchor in preparation for departure.
  
• Well Found - Said of a vessel that is adequately fitted, stored, and furnished.
  
• Wet Dock - Repairs made without removing the vessel from the water.
  
• Wet Locker - A locker equipped with a drain so that wet clothes can be stored in it without damaging other objects in the boat.
  
• Wetted Surface - The whole of the external surface of a vessel's hull that is in contact with the water in which she is floating.
  
• Whack - An old term for a seaman's daily rations.
  
• Wharf - Man-made structure of wood or stone parallel to the shoreline, used for loading and offloading of cargo,  embarkation and disembarkation of passengers, or making fast. Virtually the same as a quay, except a quay is generally built only of stone.
  
• Where Away? - Inquiry addressed to a look-out man, demanding precise direction of an object he has sighted and reported.
  
• Whistling for Wind - Based on an old tradition that whistling at sea will cause a wind to rise.
  
• Whistling Psalms to the Taffrail - Nautical phrase that means giving good advice that will not be taken.
  
• White Horses - Fast-running waves with white foam crests.
  
• Wholesome - Said of craft that behaves well in bad weather.
  
• Wide Berth - To avoid something by a large distance.
  
• Wind Dog - An incomplete rainbow, or part of a rainbow. It is supposed to indicate approach of a storm.
  
• Wind Shadow - The wind being blocked by a land mass, obstruction, or sails from another boat. This creates a windless area on boats downwind away from them.
  
• Winding - Turning a vessel end for end between buoys, or along-side a wharf or pier.
  
• Windward - Towards the wind. Windward is an adjective meaning the direction from which the wind is blowing. The windward side of a boat is the one which the wind hits first. "Sailing to windward" means sailing towards the wind. Opposite of leeward.
  
• Wrack - (1) To destroy by wave action. (2) Seaweed thrown ashore by sea.