Hunter 44DS User manual

HUNTER OWNER’S MANUAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 of 3
INTRODUCTION PAGE
· Warranty Registration Form………………………………………
· Hunter Warranty………………………………………….…………
· Brief History………………………………………………………….
· Glossary of Sailing Terms….………………………………………
· Explanation of Symbols and Labels………………………………
1
2-3
4
5-8
9
GENERAL HANDLING AND OPERATION
· Safe Boating Tips…………………………………………………..
· Pre-Departure Checklist……………………………………………
· Float Plan……………………………………………………………
· After Sailing Check List………………………………….…………
· Docking and Anchoring…………………………………………….
· Diesel Engine and Motoring……………………………………….
· Electrical System……………………………………………………
· Cook Stove…………………………………………………………..
· Toilet…….……………………………………………………………
· Opening Hull Ports………………………………………………….
· Pumps………………………………………………………………..
· Water System Operation………………………………….……….
· Waste Discharge………………………………………….………..
· Environmental Considerations…………………………………….
10-11
12
13
14
15
16-17
17-18
19
19
19
20
20
21
22
MAINTENANCE
· Instructions for Preparation for Bottom Painting………………...
· Engine, Transmission, and Drive train……………………………
· Compasses………………………………………………………….
· Steering Systems…………………………………………………..
· Electrical Systems………………………………………………….
· Plumbing Systems………………………………………………….
· Fuel Systems………………………………………………………..
· General Care………………………………………………………..
· Fabric Care………………………………………………………….
· Electrolysis and Galvanic Protection……………………………..
· Teak Care……………………………………………………………
· Storage/Winterization……………………………………………...
· Certification Details…………………………………………………
· Lightning Warning…………………………………………………..
23
24-25
26
26
26
27
27
28-29
29
30
30
31-33
34
35

HUNTER OWNER’S MANUAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT’D)
2 of 3
DESCRIPTION OF MODEL
· Profile with Rig and Sail Dimensions……………………………..
· Dimensions, Capacities, etc……………………………………….
· Deck Plan and Hardware…………………………………………..
· Deck Hardware Parts Listing………………………………………
· Accommodation Plan……………………………………………….
· Dinette Table Operation……………………………………………
· Lifting Points…………………………………………………………
· Running Rigging Layout……………………………………………
· Mainsheet Rigging………………………………………………….
· Arch Installation……………………………………………………..
· Boom and Reefing Details…………………………………………
· Running Rigging Specifications…………………………………..
· Rig Description……………………………………………………..
· Standing Rigging Layout……...……………………………………
· Spreader Details…………………………………………………….
· Standing Rigging Specifications…………………………………..
· Standing Rigging Attachments…………………………………….
· Rig Tuning Instructions…………………………………………….
· Spinnaker Details…………………………………………………...
· Engine Compartment Details……………………………………...
· Shaft and Propeller…………………………………………………
PAGE
36
37
38
39
40A-40C
41A
41B
42A-1&2
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52-53
54
55
56
SYSTEMS AND CIRCUITS
· Potable Water System……………………………………………..
· Waste System……………………………………………………….
· Bilge Pumping System……………………………………………..
· Through Hulls, Seacocks, and Valves……………………………
· Fuel System…………………………………………………………
· Propane System…………………………………………………….
· Electrical System
(See Electrical System Table Of Contents)………
· Steering System…………………………………………………….
· Anchoring Arrangement……………………………………………
· Index………………………………………………………………….
PAGE
57
58
59
60
61
62
63A-1
66-68
69
70

HUNTER OWNER’S MANUAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT’D)
3 of 3
EQUIPMENT MANUALS AND INFORMATION
· Engine Manual
· Knotmeter and Depthsouder
· VHF Radio (except where not provided)
· Compass Information
· Stereo Manual
· Furling System Manual
· Marine Rigging Guide
· Winch Maintenance Guide
· Steering Maintenance Guide
· Sail Maker Information
· Water Strainer
· Bilge Pump
· Toilet Manual
· Stove Manual
· Hot Water Manual
· Microwave Manual (except where not provided)
· Other:

Welcome to
THE HUNTER MARINE FAMILY
PAGE 1
Congratulations on your new sailing yacht
manufactured by Hunter Marine. We have
engineered and constructed your boat to be as
fine a yacht as any afloat. In order to get the best
performance and most enjoyment from your boat
you should be familiar with its various elements
and their functions. For your sailing pleasure and
safety, please take time to study this manual.
We stand behind the quality of your boat with a
warranty, which you should review. To insure the
validity of your warranty, please complete the
attached card and send it to us within ten (10)
days of the purchase date. Section 15 of the U.S.
Federal Boat Safety Act requires registration of a
boat’s first owner. The warranty data should also
be recorded in the space below for your own
reference.
This manual has been compiled to help you
operate your craft with safety and pleasure. It
contains details of the craft; equipment supplied
or fitted, systems, and information on operation
and maintenance. Please read it carefully, and
familiarize yourself with the craft before using it. If
this is your first sailboat or you are changing to a
type of craft you are not familiar with, please
ensure that you obtain proper handling and
operating experience before you assume
command of the craft. Your dealer or national
sailing federation or yacht club will be pleased to
advise you of local sea schools or competent
instructors.
PLEASE KEEP THIS MANUAL IN A SAFE
PLACE AND HAND IT OVER TO THE NEW
OWNER IF YOU SELL THE CRAFT.
You should also complete the warranty cards for
your engine, stove, head, electric water pump
and other accessories. These are enclosed in the
manufacturers’manuals that are packaged with
your owner’s manual.
OWNER INFORMATION CARD
HULL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER IS ON THE STARBOARD AFT SIDE OF THE HULL OR TRANSOM.
THIS NUMBER MUST BE GIVEN IN ALL NECESSARY CORRESPONDENCE.
HULL NO. DATE DELIVERED TO OWNER
YACHT NAME
OWNER NAME
STREET ADDRESS
CITY STATE/COUNTRY ZIP CODE
HOME PORT
ENGINE MODEL SERIAL NO. PROPELLER SIZE
DEALER PHONE
STREET ADDRESS
CITY STATE/COUNTRY ZIP CODE

HUNTER MARINE
LIMITED WARRANTY
PAGE 2
LIMITED ONE-YEAR WARRANTY
Hunter Marine warrants to the first-use
purchaser and any subsequent owner during
the warranty period, that any part
manufactured by Hunter will be free of
defects caused by faulty workmanship or
materials
for a period of twelve (12) months from the
date of delivery to the first-use purchaser
under normal use and service. During this
period, Hunter will repair or replace any part
judged to be defective by Hunter.
LIMITED FIVE-YEAR HULL STRUCTURE
AND BOTTOM BLISTER WARRANTY
Hunter warrants to the first-use purchaser
and any subsequent owner during the
warranty period that the hull of each boat will
be free from structural defects in materials
and workmanship for a period of five (5)
years from the date of delivery to the first-
use purchaser under normal use and
service.
This limited warranty applies only to the
structural integrity of the hull and supporting
pan/grid or stringer system. Hulls, pan/grid
or stringers modified in any way or powered
with engines other than the type and size
installed or specified by Hunter are not
covered by this limited warranty. The
obligation of Hunter under this limited
warranty is restricted to the repair or
replacement of hulls that are determined to
be structurally defective.
Hunter also warrants to the first-use
purchaser and any subsequent owner during
the warranty period that the boat will be free
from gel-coat blistering on underwater
surfaces of the hull, excluding the keel and
rudder, for a period of five (5) years from the
date of delivery to the first-use purchaser
under normal use and service. During this
period, Hunter will supply or reimburse an
authorized Hunter dealer for all of the parts
and labor required to repair a blistered
underwater surface of the hull. The labor
cost reimbursement will be based on the
Labor Allowance Schedule established by
Hunter. However, if a non-Hunter dealer
performs the repair, the repair cost must be
authorized by Hunter in advance and be
based on a reasonable number of hours as
determined by Hunter. Transportation,
hauling, launching, bottom paint, storage,
dockage, cradling rental, rigging and
derigging, or other similar costs will not be
paid by Hunter. We recommend that the
repair be done during a seasonal haul out
for service or storage.
The bottom blister warranty is void under
the following circumstances:
(1) If the gel-coat has been sanded,
sandblasted, or subjected to abrasion or
impact.
(2) If the instructions provided in the
Hunter Owner’s manual regarding bottom
preparation techniques are not followed.
RESTRICTIONS APPLICABLE TO WARRANTIES
These limited warranties do not cover the
following:
(1) Paint, window glass, gel-coat,
upholstery, engines, engine parts, bilge
pumps, stoves, blowers, pressure water
pumps, propellers, shafts, rudders, controls,
instruments, keels and equipment not
manufactured by Hunter. Any warranty
made by the manufacturer of such items will
be, if possible, given on to the first-use
purchaser.
(2) Problems caused by improper
maintenance, storage, cradling, blocking,
normal wear and tear, misuse, neglect,
accident, corrosion, electrolysis or improper
operation.
THIS WARRANTY IS EXPRESSLY IN LIEU
OF ANY AND ALL OTHER REMEDIES
AND WARRANTIES EXPRESSED AND
IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES
OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS.
SOME STATES OR COUNTRIES DO NOT
ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN
IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO THE
ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO
YOU. THE PURCHASER

HUNTER MARINE
LIMITED WARRANTY
PAGE 3
ACKNOWLEDGES THAT NO OTHER
REPRESENTATIONS WERE MADE TO HIM OR HER WITH RESPECT TO THE QUALITY AND FUNCTION OF THE BOAT.
ANY CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES THAT
MAY BE INCURRED ARE EXCLUDED AND
JUDGED DEFECTIVE BY HUNTER.
SOMESTATES OR COUNTRIES DO NOT
ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF INCIDENTAL
OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE
ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAY
NOT APPLY TO YOU. THIS WARRANTY
GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND
YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS
THAT VARY FROM STATE TO STATE OR
COUNTRY TO COUNTRY.
WARRANTY REGISTRATION
These limited warranties shall not be
effective unless the Hunter Warranty
Registration Form and Pre-Delivery Service
Record, which are furnished with each new
boat, are filled out completely and returned
to Hunter within fifteen (15) days of delivery.
Responsibility for sending the completed
Registration Form remains with the dealer.
It is critical that the Warranty Registration
Form is signed by both the dealer and the
owner and returned to Hunter. Warranty
coverage cannot be initiated until Hunter
receives the completed form. All repairs
and/or
replacements will be made by an authorized
Hunter dealer, or at the option of Hunter, at
the Hunter plant. If the repairs are of such a
nature that the warranty work must be
performed at the Hunter plant, the owner
shall pay transportation costs to and from
the Hunter plant. The labor cost
reimbursement will be based on a labor
allowance schedule established by Hunter
and where not applicable, on a reasonable
number of hours as determined by Hunter.
An authorized Hunter service representative
must approve any repairs and replacements
in advance.
TRANSFER OF LIMITED WARRANTIES
Limited warranties will be transferred to a
subsequent purchaser of the boat if:
(1) The subsequent purchaser gives
Hunter written notice of transfer of
ownership within thirty (30) days of the
transfer.
(2) The notice shall include the
name, address and telephone number of the
subsequent purchaser, the date of
purchase, the hull number, and the name of
the seller of the boat.
Hunter will mail notice of expiration dates of
the limited warranties to the subsequent
owner. The transfer of the ownership of the
will not extend the expiration dates of the
limited warranties.
EPOXY BARRIER COAT
Should a customer wish to have an epoxy
barrier applied to the hull, ( ex. Interlux
Interprotect 1000/2000, West Systems, VC
Tar), this will not void the five-year blister
warranty. This refers to epoxy barrier
coatings as mentioned above, not epoxy
primer paints.
If an epoxy barrier coat is applied to a
Hunter vessel, it must be registered with the
Warranty Department prior to application of
the product. If the dealer applies bottom
paint only, sanding will not be allowed and
the no sanding system must be used.
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY
During the first year of ownership, the first
purchaser will receive two Customer
Satisfaction Surveys: the first (CSS #1) will
be received shortly after taking delivery and
focuses on the customer’s experience with
the dealer and commissioning of the boat,
and the owner’s initial satisfaction. The
second survey (CSS #2) is given nine to ten
months into ownership, and primarily gives
the customer an opportunity to evaluate
dealer service capability and the boat’s
functional systems and characteristics. Both
surveys are contingent upon receipt of the
first purchaser’s Warranty Registration form.

HUNTER MARINE’S OWNER AND FOUNDER
WARREN R. LUHRS
BRIEF BACKGROUND
PAGE 4
Warren Luhrs was born in East Orange,
New Jersey in 1944 into a family with an
established tradition in the maritime and
transportation industries. His great-
grandfather, Henry, was a railroad and
clipper-shipping pioneer in America,
while his great-uncle John helped build
the famous St. Petersburg to Moscow
railroad for Czar Alexander II.
Henry Luhrs owned shares in twenty-
two different ocean-going vessels –
barks, brigs, and schooners - and was
the principal owner of the bark Sophia
R. Luhrs, named for his wife. He was
also a partner with Albert Sprout, who
managed the shipyard where the Sophia
R. Luhrs was built in Melbridge, Maine.
Warren Luhrs’father Henry worked at a
small boat manufacturer in Morgan,
New Jersey, and later started his own
company, continuing the Luhrs’family
sea tradition during the great
depression. During World War II he
repaired boats and installed ice
sheathing on their bows for the Coast
Guard.
After the War, Henry built 27-foot fishing
boats and in 1948 began to construct
custom-built pleasure craft. He then
turned to skiffs and in 1952 incorporated
as Henry Luhrs Sea Skiffs, where he
constructed lapstrake sea skiffs using
assembly-line techniques. Henry
personally “shook down”his prototypes
on family trips up the Hudson River to
Lake Champlain.
The sea skiff is a class of boat that has
been very popular, owing to its
seaworthiness. It features a sharp bow,
which reduces pounding in surf or
choppy seas, and a hull whose forward
section is rounded below the waterline
to increase stability in rough water or a
following sea. Such skiffs can either be
smooth sided or of a lapstrake
construction.
Inspired by Henry Ford, Henry Luhrs’
aimed to give the average man the
opportunity to enjoy the luxury of
boating by building an affordable and
reliable boat. He was both designer and
engineer, and his progressive new
models exhibited his talent for
innovation. He successfully changed the
line of the bow from straight to curved at
a time when the industry trend was a
straight square effect, and he is believed
to be the first designer-builder to
popularize a small boat with a fly bridge.
In 1960, Luhrs acquired the Ulrichsen
Boat Company of Marlboro, New
Jersey. It was here that Luhrs’Alura
fiberglass division was located. In 1965,
Henry sold his company to Bangor
Arrostook Railroad, which was to
become the recreational conglomerate
Bangor-Punta. It was also during this
period that Silverton of Tom’s River,
New Jersey was purchased by John and
Warren Luhrs.
Today, Warren R. Luhrs and his brother
John own the Luhrs Group of marine
manufacturers, which consists of
Silverton Marine, Mainship Motor
Yachts, and Luhrs Fishing Boats with its
Alura division, as well as Hunter Marine,
which exclusively manufactures
sailboats.
In January of 1996, the Luhrs family
transferred a portion of the Luhrs Group
to its employees through an ESOP
program.

GLOSSARY OF SAILING TERMS
PAGE
5
A
Aback: describes a sail when the wind
strikes it on the lee side.
Abaft: towards the boat’s stern.
Abeam: at right angles to the center-
line of the boat.
Aft: at or near the stern.
Amidships: the center of the boat,
athwartships and fore and aft.
Anti-fouling: a poisonous paint
compound used to protect the
underwater part of a hull from marine
growths.
Apparent wind: The direction and
speed of the wind felt by the crew. It
is a combination of true wind and that
created by the movement of the boat.
Astern: behind the boat; to go astern
is to drive the boat in reverse.
Athwartships: at right angles to the
fore and aft line of the boat.
B
Back: when a wind backs, it shifts
anticlockwise.
Back a sail: to sheet it to windward
so that the wind fills on the side that
is normally to leeward.
Backstay: a stay that supports the
mast from aft and prevents its forward
movement.
Ballast: extra weight, usually lead or
iron, placed low in the boat or
externally on the keel to provide
stability.
Ballast keel: a mass of ballast bolted
to the keel to increase stability and
prevent a keel boat from capsizing.
Batten: a light, flexible strip fed into a
batten pocket at the leech of the sail
to support the roach.
Beam: 1, the maximum breadth of a
boat; 2, a transverse member that
supports the deck; 3, on the beam
means that an object is at right
angles to the centerline.
Bear away: to steer the boat away
from the wind.
Bearing: the direction of an object
from an observer, measured in
degrees true or magnetic.
Beat: to sail a zigzag course towards
the wind, close-hauled on alternate
tacks.
Delay: to make fast a rope around a
cleat, usually with a figure-of-eight
knot.
Bend: 1, to secure a sail to a spar
before hoisting; 2, to moor a boat; 3,
a sleeping place on board.
Bight: a bend or loop in a rope.
Bilge: the lower, round part inside the
hull where the water collects.
Block: a pulley in a wooden or plastic
case, consisting of a sheave around
which a rope runs. It is used to
change the direction of pull.
Boot-topping: a narrow colored
stripe painted between the bottom
paint and the topside enamel.
Bottlescrew: see Rigging screw.
Broach: when a boat running
downwind slews broadside to the
wind and heels dangerously. It is
caused by heavy following seas or
helmsman’s error.
Broad reach: the point of sailing
between a beam reach and a run,
when the wind blows over a quarter.
Bulkhead: a partition wall in a boat
normally fitted athwartships
C
Caulk: to make the seams between
wooden planks watertight by filling
with cotton, oakum or a compound.
Cavitation: the formation of a vacuum
around a propeller, causing a loss in
efficiency.
Center-board: a board lowered
through a slot in the keel to reduce
leeway.
Center-line: center of the boat in a
fore and aft line.
Center of effort (COE): the point at
which all the forces acting on the sails
are concentrated.
Center of lateral resistance (CLR):
the underwater center of pressure
about which a boat pivots when
changing course.
Chain pawl: a short lug which drops
into a toothed rack to prevent the
anchor chain running back.
Chain plate: a metal plate bolted to
the boat to which the shrouds or
backstays are attached.
Chart datum: reference level on a
chart below which the tide is unlikely
to fall. Soundings are given below
chart datum. The datum level varies
according to country and area.
Chine: the line where the bottom of
the hull meets the side at an angle.
Cleat: a wooden, metal or plastic
fitting around which rope is secured.
Clevis pin: a locking pin through
which a split ring is passed to prevent
accidental withdraw.
Clew: the after, lower center of a sail
where the foot and leech meet.
Close-hauled: the point of sailing
closest to the wind; see also beat.
Close reach: the point of sailing
between close-hauled and a beam
reach, when the wind blows forward of
the beam.
Close-winded: describes a boat able
to sail very close to the wind.
Coaming: the raised structure
surrounding a hatch, cockpit, etc.,
which prevents water entering.
Cotter pin: soft, metal pin folded back
on itself to form an eye.
Course: the direction in which a
vessel is steered, usually given in
degrees; true, magnetic or compass.
Cringle: 1, a rope loop, found at
either end of a line of reef points; 2, an
eye in a sail.
D
Dead run: running with the wind
blowing exactly aft, in line with the
center-line.
Deviation: the difference between the
direction indicated by the compass
needle and the magnetic meridian;
caused by object aboard.
Displacement: 1, the weight of water
displaced by a boat is equal to the
weight of the boat; 2, a displacement
hull is one that displaces its own
weight in water and is only supported
by buoyancy, as opposed to a
planning hull which can exceed its
hull, or displacement, speed.
Downhaul: a rope fitted to pull down
a sail or spar.
Draft: the vertical distance from the
waterline to the lowest point of the
keel.
Drag: 1, an anchor drags when it fails
to hole; 2, the force of wind on the
sails, or water on the hull, which
impedes the boat’s progress.

GLOSSARY OF SAILING TERMS
PAGE
6
Drift: 1, to float with the current or
wind; 2, US the speed of a current
(rate UK); 3, UK: the distance a boat
is carried by a current in a given time.
Drogue: a sea anchor put over the
stern of a boat or life raft to retard drift.
Drop keel: a retractable keel which
can be drawn into the hull, when
entering shallow waters and
recovering on to a trailer.
E
Eye of the wind: direction from which
the true wind blows.
F
Fair: well-faired line or surface is
smoother with no bumps, hollows or
abrupt changes in directions.
Fairlead: a fitting through which a line
is run to alter the lead of the line.
Fathom: the measurement used for
depths of water and lengths or rope. 1
fathom = 6 ft. or 1.83m.
Fid: a tapered tool used for splicing
heavy rope and for sail-making, often
hollow.
Fiddle: a raised border for a cabin
table, chart table etc., to prevent
objects falling off when the boat heels.
Fix: the position of the vessel as
plotted from two or more position
lines.
Forestay: the foremost stay, running
from the masthead to the stemhead,
to which the headsail is hanked.
Freeboard: vertical distance between
the waterline and the top of the deck.
G
Genoa: a large headsail, in various
sizes, which overlaps the mainsail and
is hoisted in light to fresh winds on all
points of sailing.
Gimbals: two concentric rings,
pivoted at right angles, which keeps
objects horizontal despite the boat’s
motion, e. g. compass and cooker.
Go about: to turn the boat through the
eye of the wind to change tack.
Gooseneck: the fitting attaching the
boom to the mast, allowing it to move
in all directions.
Goosewing: to boom-out the headsail
to windward on a run by using a
whisker pole to hold the sail on the
opposite side to the mainsail.
Ground tackle: general term used for
anchoring gear.
Guard rail: a metal rail fitted around
the boat to prevent the crew falling
overboard.
Gudgeon: a rudder fitting. It is the eye
into which the pintle fits.
Guy: a steadying rope for a spar; a
spinnaker guy controls the fore and aft
position of the spinnaker pole; the
foreguy holds the spinnaker pole
forward and down.
Gybe: to change from one tack to
another by turning the stern through
the wind.
H
Halyard: rope used to hoist and lower
sails.
Hank: fitting used to attach the luff of
a sail to a stay.
Hatch: an opening in the deck giving
access to the interior.
Hawes pipe: see Navel pipe.
Head-topwind: when the bows are
pointing right into the wind.
Headfoil: a streamlined surround to a
forestay, with a groove into which a
headsail luff slides.
Heads: the toilet.
Headway: the forward movement of a
boat through the water.
Heave-to: to back the jib and lash the
tiller to leeward; used in heavy
weather to encourage the boat to lie
quietly and to reduce headway.
Heaving line: a light line suitable for
throwing ashore.
Heel: to lean over to one side.
I
Isobars: lines on a weather map
joining places of equal atmospheric
pressure.
J
Jackstay: a line running fore and aft,
on both sides of the boat, to which
safety harnesses are clipped.
Jury: a temporary device to replace
lost or damaged gear.
K
Keel: the main backbone of the boat
to which a ballast keel is bolted or
through which the centerboard
passes.
Kicking strap: a line used to pull the
boom down, to keep it horizontal,
particularly on a reach or run.
L
Lanyard: a short line attached to one
object, such as a knife, with which it is
secured to another.
Leech: 1, the after edge of a triangle
sail; 2, both side edges of a square
sail.
Leehelm: the tendency of a boat to
bear away from the wind.
Lee shore: a shore on to which the
wind blows.
Leeward: away from the wind; the
direction to which the wind blows.
Leeway: the sideways movement of a
boat off its course as a result of the
wind blowing on one side of the sails.
Lifeline: a wire or rope rigged around
the deck to prevent the crew falling
overboard.
Limber holes: gaps left at the lower
end of frames above the keel to allow
water to drain to the lowest point of
the bilges.
List: a boat’s more or less permanent
lean to one side, owing to the
improper distribution of weight, e.g.,
ballast or water.
Log: 1, an instrument for measuring a
boat’s speed and distance traveled
through the water; 2, to record in a
book the details of a voyage, usually
distances covered and weather.
Luff: the forward edge of a sail. To luff
up is to turn a boat’s head right into
the wind.
Luff groove: a groove in a wooden or
metal spar into which the luff of a
headsail is fed.
Lurch: the sudden roll of a boat.
M
Marlin spike: a pointed steel or
wooden spike used to open up the
strands of rope or wire then splicing.
Mast Step: the socket in which the
base of the mast is located.
Measured mile: a distance of one
nautical mile measured between
buoys or transits/ranges ashore, and
marked on the chart.

GLOSSARY OF SAILING TERMS
PAGE
7
Member: a part of the skeleton of the
hull, such as a stringer laminated into
fiberglass hull to strengthen it.
Meridian: an imaginary line encircling
the Earth that passes through the
poles and cuts at right angles through
the Equator. All lines of longitude are
meridians.
Mizzen: 1, the shorter, after-mast on a
ketch or yawl; 2, the fore and aft sail
set on this mast.
N
Navel pipe: a metal pipe in the
foredeck through which the anchor
chain passes to the locker below.
Noon Sight: a vessel’s latitude can
be found, using a sextant, when a
heavenly body on the observer’s
meridian is at its greatest altitude. The
sight of the sun at noon is the one
most frequently taken.
O
Off the wind: with the sheets slacked
off, not close-hauled.
On the wind: close-hauled.
Out haul: a rope used to pull out the
foot of a sail.
Overall length (LOA): the boat’s
extreme length, measured from the
foremost past of the bow to the
aftermost part of the stern, excluding
bowspirt, self-steering gear etc.
P
Painter: the bow line by which a
dinghy, or tender, is towed or made
fast.
Pintle: a rudder fitting with a long pin
that fits into the gudgeon to form a
hinged pivot for the rudder.
Pitch: 1, the up and down motion of
the bows of a boat plunging over the
waves; 2, the angle of the propeller
blades.
Point of sailing: the different angles
from which a boat may sail; the boat’s
course relative to the direction of the
wind.
Port: the left-hand side of the boat,
looking forward (opp. of starboard).
Port tack: a boat is on a port tack
when the wind strikes the port side
first and the mainsail is out to
starboard. A boat on the port tack
gives way to a boat on a starboard
tack.
Position line/ Line of position: a line
drawn on a chart, as a result of taking
a bearing, along which the boat’s
position must be i.e. Two position
lines give a fix.
Pulpit: a metal guard rail fitted at the
bows of a boat to provide safety for
the crew.
Pushpit: a metal guard rail fitted at
the stern.
Q
Quarter: the portion of the boat
midway between the stern and the
beam; on the quarter means about 45
degrees abaft the beam.
R
Rake: the fore and aft deviation from
the perpendicular of a mast or other
feature of a boat.
Range: 1, see transit; 2, of tides, the
difference between the high and low
water levels of a tide; 3, the distance
at which a light can be seen.
Rating: a method of measuring
certain dimensions of a yacht to
enable it to take part in handicap
races.
Reach: to sail with the wind
approximately on the beam; all sailing
points between running and close-
hauled.
Reef: to reduce the sail area by
folding or rolling surplus material on
the boom or forestay.
Reefing pennant: strong line with
which the luff or leech cringle is pulled
down to the boom when reefing.
Rhumb line: a line cutting all
meridians at the same angle; the
course followed by a boat sailing in a
fixed direction.
Riding light to anchor light: an all-
around white light, usually hoisted on
the forestay, to show that a boat under
50 ft. (15m.)is at anchor. It must be
visible for 2 mls. (3 km.).
Rigging screw: a deck fitting with
which the tensions of standing rigging,
e.g. stays, shrouds, etc. are adjusted.
Roach: the curved part of the leech of
a sail that extends beyond the direct
line from head to clew.
Run: to run with the wind aft and with
the sheets eased well out.
Running rigging: all the moving
lines, such as sheets and halyards,
used in the setting and trimming of
sails.
S
Scope: the length of rope or cable
paid out when mor anchoring.
Scuppers: 1, holes in the toe rail that
allow water to drain off the deck; 2,
drain cockpit through hull.
Seacock: a valve that shuts off an
underwater inlet or outlet passing
through the hull.
Seize: to bind two ropes together, or a
rope to a spar, with a light line.
Serve: to cover and protect a splice or
part of a rope with twine bound tightly
against the lay.
Serving mallet: tool with a grooved
head, used when serving a rope to
keep the twine at a constant and high
tension.
Set: 1, to hoist a sail; 2, the way in
which the sails fit; 3, the direction of
tidal current or steam.
Shackle: a metal link with a
removable bolt across the end; of
various shapes: D, U.
Sheave: a grooved wheel in a block
or spar for a rope to run on.
Sheet: the rope attached to the clew
of a sail or to the boom, enabling it to
be controlled or trimmed.
Shrouds: ropes or wires, usually in
pairs, led from the mast to the chain
plates at deck level to prevent the
mast falling sideways; part of the
standing rigging.
Sloop: a single-masted sailing boat
with a mainsail and one head sail.
Spar: a general term for any wooden
or metal pole, e.g., mast or boom,
used to carry or give shape to sails.
Spindrift: spray blown along the
surface of the sea.
Spinnaker: a large, light, balloon
shaped sail set when reaching or
running.
Splice: to join ropes or wire by
unlaying the strands and interweaving
them.
Split pin: see cotter pin.