AP-Aft Perpendicular

FP-Forward Perpendicular
LOA- Length overall
LBP-Length Between perpendiculars
STABILITY AND HYDROSTATICS
DOUBLE BOTTOM CONSTRUCTION
SINGLE BOTTOM CONSTRUCTION

After perpendicular: AP, the point where the aftermost section crosses
the design water line (DWL). On commercial vessels, generally located
on the vertical rudder post.

Abaft - Behind

Abeam - Area on either side of a ship near the mid section.

About - Direction of travel opposite to that being traveled. "Come
About" is to change course 180°.

Aero-Beacon - A modern type of light presently used in many
lighthouses to produce a characteristic. Also used in many airport
beacons.

Aft - Toward the stern or back area of a vessel.

Ahead - In front of or forward of

Aid to Navigation - Markers, buoys, lights, fog signals, and electronic
systems such as G.P.S. & loran. Used to assist mariners in fixing their
positions, aid in marking landfalls, mark dangerous shoals and rocks and
to enable ships to keep within a channel.

Amidships - Center or middle of a vessel in either length or width.

Avast - Stop

Beam: The maximum breadth of the hull.

Bow: The forward end of the ship.

Bulbous bow: A prominent appendage attached to the bow in order
to reduce resistance and thus reduce required horsepower.

Buoyancy force: A ship displaces a certain amount of water and the
pressure of the water on the external surface of the underwater body
causes this upward force.

Buttock lines: Regularly spaced reference planes cutting the ship's
hull parallel to the centerline, generally spaced one, two or four feet
apart.

Beam - Width of a vessel at it's widest point.

Binnacle - Pedestal that houses a compass and sometimes a light
near the helm (steering wheel) of a ship.

Bow - Front of a vessel.

Bridge - Area of a ship from which the vessel is steered and
navigated. Sometimes referred to as the Pilothouse

Bulkhead - Wall or partition dividing a ship into compartments. Also
part of the skeleton (ribs) of a ships structure.

Bulwark - Part of the hull of a ship that extends above the main deck
from bow to stern forming a rail.

Bunker - Compartment used for storing fuel.

Coefficients of form: Geometric qualities used to describe the ship
more precisely. Presented as ratios or dimensionless coefficients. The
most common being the block coefficient, Cb, which is equal to the
displacement divided by the length times beam times draft.

Davit - A boom or crane type device used to raise and lower objects.
Commonly used for lifeboats.

Day-Mark - Unique color and/or pattern that identifies an aid

Depth: The vertical distance from the baseline, or keel, to the top of the
freeboard deck, measured at mid-length of the vessel.

Displacement: The weight of the water displaced by the vessel. Salt
water equals 64 pounds per cubic foot.

Draft: The depth of the vessel below the waterline measured vertically
to the lowest part of the hull or other reference point. Forward, aft, and
mean draft are commonly found.

Forward perpendicular: FP, the point where the design waterline crosses the
forward most section of the hull.

Gravity force: Downward force equal to the sum of all the weights on the ship.
Acts at the center of gravity, point G on the diagram.

Gross tonnage: A measure of the capacity of the ship in which 1 ton is equivalent
to 100 cubic feet.

Heel: The inclination of the vessel to one side vice roll, which is the angular
motion in waves.

Keel: The principal fore and aft component of a ship's framing, located along the
centerline of the bottom.

Length Between Perpendiculars: The length between the forward and aft
perpendiculars.

Length Overall: The extreme length of a ship measured from the foremost point
to the aftermost point.

Long ton: Equal to 2,240 pounds.

Metacenter: The point where the intersection of a vertical line drawn through the
center of buoyancy of a slightly listed vessel intersects with the centerline plane.

Metacentric height: The distance between the center of gravity and the
metacenter.

Planimeter: A tool used to measure the distance around a section in order to
develop accurate lines drawings.

Port: The left hand side of the ship.

Inboard - Toward the center of a ship. Also in smaller vessels, an engine mounted inside the
vessel driving a propeller shaft through the hull.

Keel - The spine of a ship that runs from bow to stern at the lowest point.

Lee (Leeward) - Direction the wind is blowing relative to the ship. The side of the ship
opposite that of which the wind is coming from is known as the Lee side.

Lighthouse - A tower used as an aid to navigation marking a hazard or point of entrance.
Usually consisting of a very bright light atop a tower and often a foghorn or siren and radio
beacon.

Lightship - A vessel used to mark a hazardous area and/or guide shipping traffic, anchored in
position with a mast mounted beacon and equipped with a steam whistle for fog warning.

List - To lean exceedingly to one side or the other.

Log - A book for maintaining complete daily records,

Loran - Long range aid to navigation. Operates off of (3) land based radio towers to
triangulate location.

Mooring - The means of tying a vessel to a pier, dock buoy or other vessel.

Navigation - Directing the course of a vessel.

Port - A Harbor or Port of Call providing protection for vessels. Also the Left side of a vessel,
marked by a red light or day-mark.

Porthole - A round window in the side of a vessel that may be opened or tightly closed to seal
out water.

Quarter - Either side of a ship near the stern. "Quartering Seas" are waves approaching from
the front of the ship at an angle.

Radio Beacon - A land based, fixed radio beacon that aids navigation by sending a radio
signal. Vessels can determine

Resistance: A force that opposes the forward motion of a ship through
the water. Broken down into frictional and residual, where residual
includes air and eddy-making resistance, but is primarily wave-making
resistance.

Section: The intersections with the hull of transverse planes
perpendicular to the centerline plane of the ship.

Stability: The tendency of a ship to remain upright or the ability to return
to normal upright position when heeled by the action of waves, wind,
etc.

Starboard: The right hand side of the ship.

Stern: After end of the ship.

Superstructure and deckhouse: The structures built above the hull form,
ie. pilothouse and accomodation areas.

Table of Offsets: Table of coordinates of a ship's form, ie. height above
the baseline and half-breadths at each section.

Waterlines: The line of the water's edge when the ship is afloat.

Weights and splines: Small weights and plastic pieces used to draw "fair"
lines for ship's lines drawings.

Deck - Floor or horizontal surface extending from one side of a ship to
another.

Draft - The depth a vessel extends below the waterline.

Ebbing - A tide falling or moving from high to low water.

Forecastle - The crew's quarters at the bow of a merchant ship or on a
sailing vessel, the upper deck located forward of the foremast.

Foremast - The forward most mast of a sailing vessel.

Forepeak - The area below the forecastle, near the bow.

Forward - Toward the front or bow of a ship.

Freeboard - Distance from the waterline to the top of the main deck.

G.P.S. - Global Positioning System that operates off of at least (3)
satellites to triangulate location and elevation.

Gunwale - The top of the Bulwark or side rail.

Hatch - A cover used to close and seal a hatchway or opening.

Hatchway - An opening in the deck through which cargo is transferred or
persons enter and exit.

Hold - An area below decks used for storage of cargo.

Hull - The frame or body of a ship below the main deck.

Range Lights - Two lights or Day-Marks, located a distance apart, visible from one
direction only. When one light is visible directly above the other, you are in the
marked channel for safe passage.

Reef - A ridge of rocks, sand, or coral at or near the surface of a body of water.

Seaworthy - A vessels ability to operated in conditions usually found when out to sea.

Ship's Bell - A bell used to signal the time on a ship. Generally constructed of brass.

Shipshape - A vessel operating in a clean, organized & proper order.

Shoal - An area of rocks or sand at or near the surface of a body of water.

SOS - A distress signal.

Starboard - The right side of a vessel, marked by a green light or day-mark.

Stem - The forward most part of a ship.

Stern - The aft part of a ship.

Tide - The regular rise and fall of the water level along a seacoast or in an ocean port.
Gravitational attraction of the moon is the primary cause of tides. With the moon
orbiting the earth every 24 hours and 50 minutes, low and high tides are about 12
hours and 25 minutes apart.

Waterline - The point at which the water reaches on a vessel when floating.

Windward - The side of a vessel that is nearest the direction the wind is coming from.