Imagine that you find yourself at the dock next to a beautiful sailing yacht. An experienced skipper smiles at you and invites you aboard: “Welcome! I will now give you a tour of the yacht and introduce you to the main parts of the yacht and terms from the world of yachting.” This tour will be an exciting journey through the vessel—from bow to stern, top to bottom. The skipper will show you every detail, sharing practical tips from our yachting school. Ready? Then step onto the deck!
At the Dock: First Look at the Yacht
We begin the inspection at the dock, where the yacht gently sways on the waves, moored with strong ropes. The skipper first draws your attention to two important points of the boat: bow and stern. The bow is the front part of the yacht. The stern is, accordingly, the rear part. These words you will hear constantly. For example, the captain might say: “Go to the bow” – meaning, go to the front part of the deck, or “Secure the rope at the stern” – do something in the area of the stern. Simply put, the bow is in front, the stern is at the back.
Approaching closer, you notice metal cables stretched along the sides of the yacht – these are rails, serving as handrails and barriers along the edges of the deck. The skipper notices your interest and adds: “Hold onto the rails when walking on the deck, it’s safer.” At the very bow, there is a shiny metal semicircle – the relief, a bow handrail that is convenient to hold while looking forward.
Before boarding, the skipper shows how the yacht is secured to the dock. Strong ropes – mooring lines – stretch from the yacht to the shore, fixing its position. At the bow and the stern, mooring ends are secured to prevent the yacht from moving forward-backward and sideways. These ends dampen the rocking on the waves and keep the yacht in place. “Remember,” says the skipper, “bow means somewhere in front of the boat, and stern – behind it. For example, a buoy at the bow is right ahead along the course, and another vessel at the stern is behind us.”
Now that the basic orientation concepts are mastered, it’s time to board. Carefully stepping over the side (not forgetting to hold onto the rail), you find yourself on the deck – the upper flat surface of the yacht. The skipper leads you forward along the yacht, to the very bow, and begins a detailed narration.
Bow Area: Anchor and Its Equipment
Having reached the bow of the yacht, that is, the foredeck, you immediately notice an impressive metal hook protruding from the front of the boat. “This is the anchor,” says the skipper with respect. The anchor is a loyal friend of every yachtsman: a heavy iron “cat’s claw” that hooks into the seabed and holds the vessel in place when you need to stop in the middle of a bay or spend the night away from the dock. The skipper leans down and shows how the anchor is attached to a special device – the anchor locker or platform on the bow, so that during sailing it is tightly fixed and does not swing against the hull.
Next to the anchor, you see a toothed drum with a motor and a chain leading into the depths of the boat. “This is the anchor windlass,” explains the skipper. The anchor windlass (sometimes called a spool) is a mechanism that helps raise and lower the anchor. Imagine: the anchor rope or chain can be dozens of meters long, and the anchor itself is quite heavy. In the past, sailors manually pulled the ropes, but on a modern yacht, it’s enough to press a button – and the electric windlass will start winding the chain, lifting the anchor from the seabed. “But always watch your hands,” warns the skipper, “the chain moves with force, don’t let your fingers get caught.”
The skipper opens a hatch on the deck right behind the anchor windlass. Inside – a pile of heavy chain and rope. “This is the anchor locker,” he shows. Here is stored all the anchor gear (chain, rope) when the anchor is raised. This locker is located deep near the bow inside the hull. If you peek inside, you’ll see dirty chain links – sometimes silt and sand are lifted with the anchor from the seabed. After anchoring, the skipper always washes the chain with a bucket or hose, removing the dirt before storing it in this compartment. Otherwise, the bow cabin (right below us) will have a “sea” and algae smell!
While we are at the bow, the skipper draws your attention to another detail: on the deck on the sides are small T-shaped benches – these are cleats (also called decks) for mooring. This is where mooring lines are tied when the yacht is at the shore, or the end of the anchor rope is tied when necessary. You also notice that the deck surface is rough like sandpaper – this is an anti-slip coating to prevent feet from slipping when everything is wet.
The bow area is explored, and the skipper suggests moving further along the foredeck – as yachtsmen call the front part of the deck from the bow to the mast. You cautiously move along the narrow passage, holding one hand onto the rail, the other – onto the handrails on the roof of the superstructure.
Along the Deck to the Middle of the Yacht: Hatches, Portholes, and the Cabin
Moving toward the middle of the yacht, you notice several flat windows on the deck, embedded flush with the surface. “Be careful, don’t step right on these hatches,” warns the skipper. Hatches are opening windows in the deck, like covers that lead into the rooms inside the yacht. They provide light and ventilation to the cabins. Currently, they are tightly closed, but on a hot day, you can slightly open them to air out the living space. Keep in mind: before setting sail or in rainy weather, hatches must be secured (tightly closed and fastened), otherwise water may flood in. The skipper jokes: “Want to experience fresh water mixed with salt? Leave the hatch open during a storm!” You laugh and remember – checking hatches before departure is very important.
You look up and see small round or oval windows along the sides of the yacht's hull. The skipper explains: “These are portholes – deck windows. They also let light into the cabins and allow you to look outside while lying in bed. Some portholes can open, providing fresh air in the heat. But, like hatches, they must be closed in open sea to prevent waves from splashing inside.” You nod, understanding that a yacht is like a home on water: in good weather, windows and doors are open; in bad weather – airtight.
Under your feet, the deck rises slightly with a slope – you step onto the roof of the superstructure in the middle of the yacht. The skipper strokes its surface with his hand and says: “This elevated part with windows is called the cockpit. Essentially, it’s the top of the cabin, a small superstructure on the deck. The cockpit provides vertical space inside the salon so you can stand upright, and daylight streams in through its portholes.” You peek into the darkened cabin panes and see a table and sofas – there is the main cabin (salon) of the yacht. “The cockpit is often equipped with such handrails or special covers to allow safe walking,” adds the skipper, showing you the sturdy handles along the edges of the cockpit, which you can hold onto when moving across the deck.
Mast, Sails, and Rigging
Now your attention is drawn to the tall mast rising in the center of the yacht, reaching toward the sky. “This is the heart of the sailing yacht – the mast,” says the skipper, raising his head upward. The main sails are attached to the mast. From the top of the mast to the bow stretches a steel cable – the shroud, which holds the mast from bending backward. On the sides run the stays – side supporting cables that prevent the mast from falling overboard. In the middle of the mast, you see horizontal braces – spreaders, which channel the stay cables outward, giving the entire structure rigidity.
At the base of the mast is attached a thick horizontal beam – the boom. “The lower edge of the main sail is held by the boom,” explains the skipper. He warns: “Never stand in the path of the boom, especially during turns, or you might get a serious blow to the head. This beam moves freely across the boat when we tack under sail.” You imagine how the boom cuts through the air above the cockpit and instinctively decide to remember: during a maneuver, it’s better to bend lower.
On the mast, twisted and secured ropes are also visible. The skipper points out: “That rope over there that raises the sail up is the halyard. And those that control the sail’s position left and right are called sheets.” You memorize two important concepts: halyards are used to raise/lower sails, and sheets pull the sails and change their angle to the wind. Currently, the sails are lowered, rolled up at the mast and on the boom, so the sheets are slack and hang freely, and the halyards are secured with special cleats. But during sail, the crew will adjust (tighten) these lines to set the sails with the wind.
“Pay attention,” says the skipper, “to the metal cylinders with handles on both sides of the cockpit and on the mast. These are winches. They come in different types. The ones we have at hand in the cockpit are sheet winches. Through them run the sail sheets. When you need to pull the sail tighter, we wind the sheet onto the winch drum and turn a special handle – so even a fragile person can handle the load, using the mechanism as a lever. The skipper places the handle on one of the winches and invites you to try turning it. You turn it – the drum snaps, the sheet tightens, feeling a strong force. “Imagine holding this rope by hand when the wind is blowing into the sail, it’s very difficult,” says the skipper. “The winch makes life easier for us.””
In addition to sheet winches, there are other winches – for example, on the mast are winches for halyards, used to raise sails. But the operating principle is similar for all. The skipper shows how to secure a rope in a special cleat next to the winch so it doesn’t slip back. Now the sail (even though it’s currently lowered) would be reliably fixed in the desired position.
Cockpit: The Yacht’s Control Center
You continue your journey and find yourself in a recess in the aft half of the deck. This is the cockpit – an open area from where the yacht is controlled. Here, during sailing, the crew is usually located: someone works with the sails, someone rests, and the helmsman holds the course. The cockpit is surrounded by benches, beneath which are spacious storage boxes – lockers. These lockers usually hold various items: from mooring ends and spare ropes to food or diving equipment. The skipper taps his hand on the lid of a locker: “Here we have life jackets and tools, just in case.”
In the middle of the cockpit, there is a large round helm made of stainless steel and wood. “This is our helm or wheel,” introduces the skipper. With the help of the helm (or a tiller handle on smaller yachts), the helmsman directs the vessel’s movement. The skipper places his hands on the rim of the helm and turns it left-right – you feel how far back in the water the rudder responds. When the yacht sails under sail or by motor, the person at the helm will maintain the course by turning the wheel. Trying to slightly turn the helm yourself, you smile – it instantly feels like you’ve become the captain of a large ship.
In front of the helm, on the cabin crossbar or on a special bench, are instruments and navigation devices: a compass, an electronic chart plotter (a screen with an electronic map), instruments showing speed, depth, wind strength and direction. The skipper explains the purpose of each: “A compass – to know the course, a chart plotter – like a GPS navigator, but marine, an echo sounder shows the depth under the keel, a wind indicator – showing where and how the wind is blowing. But don’t worry about all this, the main thing now is to learn the basic parts of the yacht.”
Stern Area: Bathing Platform and Dinghy
We are almost at the very stern. The skipper points back: “Look at the stern area of our yacht.” Here are several interesting details. Firstly, at the transom (the very rear slice of the hull) you see a small fold-down platform right above the water. “This is the bathing platform,” says the skipper. It serves for bathing and convenient boarding from the water. Imagine: a hot day, the yacht is anchored in a picturesque bay, the water around is clear and inviting. You lower this platform (if it’s fold-down; on many modern yachts it’s fixed and always available) – and the stern turns into a convenient “beach.” It’s easy to descend into the water to swim, and then climb back aboard using a small ladder. “A favorite resting place is sitting on the platform, dangling your feet in the water,” winks the skipper. Also, from the platform, it’s easy to board after diving or descend into the water with a mask and fins.
Next to the platform, and sometimes directly on it, a small motorboat is usually attached – the yacht's personal “dinghy.” The skipper claps his hand on the inflatable sides of the small boat, tied at the stern: “This is our dinghy, in English they call it a dinghy.” A dinghy is a small inflatable boat with an outboard motor. What is it for? Imagine you’re anchored away from shore, for example, near a beautiful uninhabited island or just in a bay without a dock. You can’t reach the shore directly from the yacht – it’s too shallow or there’s no space. Here comes the dinghy to the rescue: you sit in it and quickly reach the shore with a small motor. It’s like a “car” for the yacht. Additionally, the dinghy can carry provisions from shore, scout routes in shallow waters, and simply be ridden for pleasure.
The skipper notes: “It’s important to always tie the dinghy securely to the yacht, especially at night. Otherwise, it might drift away – we wake up, and the car is gone!” You laugh, imagining how a runaway boat could leave the yachtsmen without a means to reach land. Usually, the dinghy is either towed with a rope from the stern, suspended on special cranes (booms), or – if there’s space – lifted onto the deck or platform.
Scanning the stern, you also notice a frame with taut cables behind the cockpit – the stern railing, also the rear part of the rail barrier. Often, a life ring, a stern lantern, and a flagpole with a flag are attached to it. Seemingly minor, but in an emergency, a life ring hanging conveniently on the railing can save the life of someone who has fallen overboard.
Our deck tour has come to an end: from the bow with the anchor to the stern with the dinghy, you now know every part. It’s time to look inside the yacht and see how it’s arranged from within.
Going Inside: Cabins, Galley, and Amenities
We return to the cockpit, where the entrance to the internal rooms of the yacht is located. In an ordinary house – this is a door, but on a yacht everything is arranged in a special way. The skipper points to a sliding hatch in the roof of the cockpit and a couple of wooden panels covering the opening: “Before you is the entrance to the cabin, it’s closed from above with a sliding branderluke, and in front – removable boards called branderchief.” You notice that the branderluke is essentially a hatch-cover that slides back, opening the opening. And the branderchief – one or two panels inserted into the vertical opening to close the “door.” In bad weather, especially if waves wash over the deck, these panels and the cover protect the cabin from flooding with water. The skipper removes the branderchief panels (you just need to lift them from the slot) and swings the hatch-cover back. Now the passage is free: in front of you is a descent down a small ladder – the pathway – into the internal space of the yacht.
Descending the pathway inside, you enter a cozy space, often called the salon or cabin. This is the main common cabin where the crew gathers to eat, rest, and chat. Along the sides are soft bench-berths, and in the center – a folding table. Everywhere you can feel the maritime atmosphere: furniture corners are rounded to prevent injuries during rocking, on the shelves – special stoppers holding books and instruments.
Immediately to the right of the stairs, you see a small room with a sink and a stove. “Take a look, this is the galley, in other words – the yacht’s kitchen,” says the skipper. The galley is usually compact but very functional. It has a sink with a pump for drawing fresh water from tanks, cupboards for dishes, and the main thing – a gas stove on a Swivel Mount. You ask in surprise, what does “on a swivel mount” mean? The skipper gladly demonstrates: the stove is not rigidly fixed to the countertop but installed on hinges, so it can sway while staying always horizontal. If the waves rock the yacht and it heels to one side, the gimbal stove automatically tilts in the opposite direction so the kettle and pans don’t slide off. “That way, soup won’t spill out of the pot, even when the yacht is really storming,” smiles the skipper. He shows a lock: “We secure the stove with this when we don’t need it to sway – for example, in the marina or when cooking something in calm water.”
In the galley, there is always a safety system for gas use: a shut-off valve and leak detectors. The skipper points to the orange cylinder: “Gas is stored here, in a special locker with ventilation outward, which is safer.” You note that safety and space-saving are very well thought out on the yacht: every item is in its place and often performs multiple functions.
Opposite the galley is usually a small table with instruments and maps – the chart table. Here is stored navigation equipment, nautical charts, a radio, and other little essentials for the journey. Although in our age of tablets and electronic maps many chart tables are empty, the tradition remains: papers and instruments are always at hand.
The skipper invites you to move forward through a small door. You enter a cozy room – the bow cabin. Here, two sleeping bunks spread out in a V-shape toward the bow. “This is the bow cabin,” he says. On a long journey, crew members or guests might sleep here. There is lighting through a hatch in the ceiling (remember the hatch on the foredeck we saw outside?), and small portholes along the sides. Space is limited, but enough to settle in for the night.
You return back through the salon to the pathway. On the left side, next to the descent, you discover another door – you peek inside. There is a toilet and a sink – in sailors' language, a head. The room is small, but everything necessary is in place: a toilet (which manually pumps the contents into the sea), a sink, a mirror, a cabinet with small items. The skipper warns: “Rule number one – never throw anything extra into the head, or the pump will clog, and hello, repairs!” You understand that even in such a romantic activity as yachting, there are prosaic nuances.
So, we’ve inspected the internal space. Through the cockpit above us – those very windows you saw outside – sunlight pours in, making the salon bright. Hatches are slightly open, a fresh breeze is blowing. Very cozy and unusual: surrounded by water, and inside – like a tiny apartment with everything necessary for living away from the shore.
Orientation and Crew: Important Yacht Management Terms
The tour is coming to an end, and finally, the skipper decides to introduce you to a few more expressions that are often used on the yacht when managing and communicating within the crew. You ascend again to the cockpit, and the skipper, sweeping his arm towards the horizon, says:
- “Bowwards” – means straight ahead along the yacht’s course, in the direction of the bow. If someone shouts: “Dolphin bowwards!” – it means look forward, in front of the yacht.
- “Sternwards” – means directly behind the yacht, in the direction of the stern. For example, “a wave sternwards” means a wave is catching up from behind.
- “Abeam” – means to the side of the yacht, roughly at a right angle to its course, at the level of the mid-hull. You can specify the side: “on the port abeam” – that is, directly to our left, and “on the starboard abeam” – to the right. If the skipper says: “Buoy on abeam,” look for a buoy beside the boat, perpendicular to the course.
These terms help the crew quickly orient themselves and understand each other. Instead of pointing and shouting “over there!”, sailors use indicators relative to the bow and stern. So any crew member immediately understands which direction is being referred to. On a yacht, there are no notions of “forward-backward-left-right” relative to a person – everything is tied to the hull: bow, stern, right and left sides.
By the way, you probably noticed that on a yacht the right and left sides are also called in a special way: the right side and the left side. If you stand facing the direction of travel (looking toward the bow), the right side will be to your right, and the left side – to your left. These designations do not depend on where the person is facing – the right and left side of the vessel remain unchanged. So it’s better to get used to thinking in these terms from the start to avoid confusion. The captain won’t say “turn right” – he might say, for example, “keep slightly to the right, towards the right side.”
Finally, the skipper explains how roles are distributed on the yacht. The main here is the captain (also the skipper), that is, the narrator himself. He is responsible for the vessel and makes decisions. The rest on the yacht are the crew. Each crew member performs their task: someone manages the sails, choosing and trimming the sheets, someone stands at the helm (called the helmsman at that moment), someone works with the anchor at the bow, and someone supplies the lines or secures a comrade during maneuvers. “Even if you’re a beginner, there’s a job for you,” smiles the skipper. “For example, helping to pull sheets on the windlass or holding the sail during a turn so the topping lift shifts without snagging. Join our Inshore Skipper Sail training to master these skills.” Gradually, by participating in the team, you will learn everything in practice.
The skipper pats you on the shoulder: “Well, congratulations! You now know so much about our small ship. Bow, stern, sheets, winches, galley… Did I overheat your brain?” You laugh in response. It was indeed a lot of new information, but thanks to the tour of the yacht, everything you saw connected into a coherent picture.
Conclusion: First Steps in Yachting
And so our tour comes to an end. Just this morning, all these mysterious words – branderchief, galley, abeam – were foreign to you. And now, standing on the deck, you already navigate where everything is located and can even carry on a conversation with a seasoned sailor without feeling lost. Of course, there are still many discoveries ahead: you’ll still need to learn how to raise sails, catch the wind, sail on different courses – but that’s the next stage.
The Navi.training skipper says goodbye with a firm handshake and invites you to go out to sea in the upcoming weekend: “Practice is the best teacher. Now that you know the basics of terminology, it will be easier for you to understand commands and feel like part of the crew.”
You disembark with the feeling that you’ve visited another world. A world where the bow and stern are more important than the familiar “front” and “back,” where windows are called portholes, the kitchen – the galley, and the small boat – proudly named the dinghy. And this world beckons you back, to the deck, toward the wind, and new discoveries. Visit our yachting blog for more stories. Well, full ahead – rather, full sail – toward new knowledge and yachting stories!