Caribbean Beat — March/April 2019 (#156)
A calendar of events; music, film, and book reviews; travel features; people profiles, and much more.
A calendar of events; music, film, and book reviews; travel features; people profiles, and much more.
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need to know<br />
How You Say<br />
Nautical<br />
lingo<br />
The fine weather of <strong>March</strong> and <strong>April</strong><br />
comes with a slew of regattas across<br />
the <strong>Caribbean</strong>, from Antigua to Bequia<br />
to the British Virgin Islands. The<br />
exhilaration of slicing through the<br />
water and the flapping of sails in the<br />
wind entice many landlubbers <strong>—</strong> but if<br />
you’ve never set foot on a boat, some<br />
of the crew’s language may confuse<br />
you. Here’s a handy guide for those<br />
who can’t even tell mast from sail.<br />
Bow or stern?<br />
Let’s start with the most<br />
basic of basics: the bow is<br />
the front of the vessel, and<br />
the stern is the back<br />
Port or starboard?<br />
Facing the bow, port is your left, while<br />
starboard is your right<br />
Heeling<br />
When the boat tilts into the water, due to the<br />
force of the wind<br />
Gybe<br />
To change direction by turning the<br />
stern of the boat through the wind,<br />
in order for the wind to come from<br />
the other side of the vessel<br />
Tack<br />
Your nautical course relative to<br />
the wind: if it’s blowing over<br />
the port side, you are on a<br />
port tack. To tack as a verb,<br />
however, is to change<br />
direction by turning the<br />
bow of the boat through<br />
the wind<br />
Dima Oris/Shutterstock.com<br />
Ready about!<br />
Prepare the boat for tacking!<br />
Man overboard!<br />
Hope you’re wearing your lifejacket . . .<br />
30 WWW.CARIBBEAN-BEAT.COM
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