Navigating in Europe requires understanding nautical, sea, and boat vocabulary in English.
Welcome aboard this English/French glossary dedicated to sea enthusiasts and sailors seeking maritime knowledge. Whether you are an experienced sailor or a beginner, this glossary is designed to guide you through the fascinating world of recreational sailing.
Sailing on the water can be a rewarding experience, but it can also be complex, especially when faced with specific terminology. This glossary aims to demystify the secrets of the sea by providing clear and concise explanations of essential maritime terms.
Whether you are curious about the intricacies of nautical knots, sailing maneuvers, or different types of vessels, this glossary will guide you through a wide range of terms in English and French, helping you better understand the art of recreational sailing.
Each entry in this glossary offers a precise definition of the nautical term, along with its French equivalent, ensuring comprehensive understanding for all French-speaking sailors. Whether you are planning an offshore adventure or a coastal getaway, this glossary will provide you with the tools you need to sail with confidence.
Prepare to explore this world rich in maritime vocabulary. May this glossary be your linguistic compass in the universe of the oceans, and may each term discovered be another step toward mastering the art of recreational sailing.
Below, you will find a glossary of nautical and sailing terms in French, along with their English translations, as well as Spanish and German equivalents.
If you wish to know the definitions of nautical terms, you can refer to the nautical dictionary.
| Français | Anglais | Espagnol | Allemand |
|---|---|---|---|
| abattre | To Bear Away | Orzar | Abfallen |
| adonner | to lift | arreciar | auffrischen |
| accastillage | deck hardware | herrajes | Beschläge |
| affaler | haul down | arriar | fallen |
| allure | point of sail | rumbo | Kurs zum Wind |
| amarres | Lashing | amarras | Festmacherleinen |
| amer | Seamark | marca | Seezeichen |
| amure | Tack | amura | Schotseite |
| annexe | Tender | auxiliar | Beiboot |
| apparailler | To sail | zarpar | ablegen |
| ariser, prendre un ris | To reef | tomar rizos | reefen |
| babord | port | babor | Backbord |
| babord amure | port tack | amurado a babor | Backbordbug |
| balancine | lift / uphaul | amantillo | Baumniederholer |
| balcon arrière | pushpit | barandilla de popa | Heckreling |
| balcon avant | pulpit | barandilla de proa | Pülpit |
| balisage | buoyage | balizamiento | Betonnung |
| banc de sable | sand bar | banco de arena | Sandbank |
| baromètre | barometer | barómetro | Barometer |
| barre | tiller | caña del timón | Pinne |
| barre d’écoute | traveller | carro de escota | Schotwagen |
| barre de flèche | spreader | barra de cruceta | Saling |
| barre de hune | topmast spreader | cruceta de juanete | Marsaling |
| barre du gouvernail | tiller | caña del timón | Ruderpinne |
| barre à roue | ship’s wheel or steering wheel | rueda del timón | Schiffsrad |
| barres de flèche | cross trees | crucetas | Salings |
| barreur | helmsman | timonel | Steuermann |
| barrot | beam | baos | Spant |
| bas hauban | lower shroud | obencadena baja | Unterwante |
| bas étai | baby stay | estay bajo | Unterstag |
| basse mer | low water | bajamar | Niedrigwasser |
| basse pression | low pressure | baja presión | Tiefdruck |
| basse tension | low voltage | baja tensión | Niederspannung |
| bassin | basin | dársena | Becken |
| bastaque | running backstay | retroestay móvil | bewegliche Achterstage |
| bateau | boat | barco | Boot |
| bateau de comité | committee boat | barco de comité | Wettfahrtboot |
| bateau de sauvetage | rescue boat | barco salvavidas | Rettungsboot |
| batterie | battery | batería | Batterie |
| bau | beam | viga | Balken |
| beaupré | bowsprit | bauprés | Bugspriet |
| ber | cradle | soporte | Stütze |
| bidon d’essence | petrol can | bidón de gasolina | Benzinkanister |
| biquille | bilge keel or twin-keel | quilla gemela | Doppelschwert |
| bitte d’amarrage | bollard | noray | Pollerdock |
| BMS | severe weather warning | aviso de mal tiempo | Schwerwetterwarnung |
| bon plein | beat | ceñida | Amwindkurs |
| bord | tack | amura | Schotseite |
| border | planking | forrar | Beplankung |
| bordure | foot (sail) | pujamen | Unterliek |
| bossoir | davit | grúa de salvamento | Davits |
| bouchain vif | chine | quilla viva | Kimmkante |
| bouline | bowline | bolina | Bulinleine |
| boulon | bolt | perno | Bolzen |
| bout | rope | cabo | Tau |
| bout-dehors | Bowsprit | botalón | Bugspriet |
| bouée | buoy | boya | Boje |
| bouée de sauvetage | life-buoy | salvavidas | Rettungsring |
| bras | brace | braza | Bras |
| brisant | breaker | rompiente | Brecher |
| brise | breeze or medium air | brisa | Brise |
| brise de mer | sea breeze | brisa marina | Seewind |
| brise de terre | land breeze | brisa terrestre | Landwind |
| brise légère | light breeze | brisa ligera | leichte Brise |
| broche d’étrier | clevis pin | pasador de grilletes | Schäkelstift |
| brume légère | haze or mist | neblina | leichtes Nebel |
| bulletin au large | weather report | parte meteorológico | Wetterbericht |
| béquille | beaching leg | pata de orza | Strandstütze |
| bôme | boom | botalón | Baum |
| cadène | Chain plate | cadenote | Kettenplatte |
| chandelier | stanchion | candeleros | Stütze |
| cagnards | dodgers | protectores | Sprayhood |
| chaumards | Fair lead | guías | Leitrolle |
| chariot de grand voile | Mainsheet traveller | carro de mayor | Großschotwagen |
| cape | cape | cabo | Kap |
| choquer | To ease off | aflojar | fieren |
| corps-mort | Moorings | muertos | Grundgewicht |
| compas | compass | brújula | Kompass |
| dessaler | to capsize | zozobrar | kentern |
| demâter | Dismast | desarbolar | entmasten |
| drisse | halyard | driza | Fall |
| démanilleur | shackle opener | abregrilletes | Schäkelöffner |
| dérive | drift | deriva | Abdrift |
| dérive-sabre | dagger-board | orza abatible | Schwert |
| enrouleur | roller furler | enrollador | Rollreffanlage |
| empanner | gybe | virar por avante | halsen |
| emerillon | swivel | giratorio | Wirbel |
| en amont | upstream | río arriba | flussaufwärts |
| écoute | sheet | escota | Schot |
| epissure | Splice | empalme | Spleiß |
| etarquer | To harden up | tesar | straff ziehen |
| étai | forestay/stay | estay | Vorstag |
| etrave | Bow | proa | Bug |
| en avant | ahead | hacia adelante | voraus |
| faseyer | To lift | flamear | killen |
| filière | guard line | línea de vida | Sicherheitsleine |
| foc | jib | foque | Fock |
| galhauban | Intermediate shrouds | galápagos | Mittelwanten |
| gite | Heeling | escora | Krängung |
| guindant | luff | grátil | Vorliek |
| gouvernail | Rudder | timón | Ruder |
| genois | genoa | génoa | Genua |
| grand voile | mainsail | vela mayor | Großsegel |
| guindeau | anchor winch | molinete | Ankerwinde |
| gréement | Rigging | jarcia | Takelage |
| gréement dormant | standing rigging | jarcia firme | stehendes Gut |
| gréement courant | running rigging | jarcia de labor | laufendes Gut |
| hale-bas | downhaul/kicking strap/kicker | amantillo | Niederholer |
| hauban | shroud | obencadena | Want |
| hisser | hoist | izar | hissen |
| lest | ballast | lastre | Ballast |
| lofer | head up/luff/round up | orzar | anluven |
| louvoyage | tacking | virar por redondo | Kreuzen |
| louvoyer | tack | virar | wenden |
| manille | Shackle | grillete | Schäkel |
| montée | rise | subida | Anstieg |
| marée | tide | marea | Gezeiten |
| mouiller | anchor to | fondear | ankern |
| mortes-eaux | neap | mareas muertas | Nipptide |
| noeud | knot | nudo | Knoten |
| noeud de chaise | bowline knot | nudo ballestrinque | Palstek |
| nable de pont | Deck fitting | herraje de cubierta | Decksbeschlag |
| pataras | back stay | pata de gallina | Achterstag |
| pare-battage | fender | defensa | Fender |
| pied, pieds | foot, feet | pie, pies | Fuß, Füße |
| passe-coque | Sea-cock | grifo de fondo | Seeventil |
| piano | piano | piano | Piano |
| pleine mer | high water | pleamar | Hochwasser |
| point d’écoute | Clew | puño de escota | Schothorn |
| point de drisse | Head | puño de driza | Hals |
| point d’amure | Tack | puño de amura | Schothorn |
| poulie | block | polea | Block |
| poupe | stern | popa | Heck |
| proue | prow | proa | Bug |
| près | beating/close-hauled | ceñida | Amwindkurs |
| puits de dérive | centre/dagger-board casing | caja de orza | Schwertkasten |
| quille | keel | quilla | Kiel |
| refuser | To head | caer a sotavento | abfallen |
| ridoir | Turnbuckle | tensor | Spannschloss |
| ris | Reef | rizos | Reff |
| safran | Rudder | timón | Ruderblatt |
| s’ancrer | anchor | anclar | ankern |
| spi | spinnaker | espínaker | Spinnaker |
| tangon | spinnaker pole | tangón | Spinnakerbaum |
| taquet | Cleat | cornamusa | Klampe |
| taquet coinceur | Clam cleat | clema | Klemmklampe |
| tirant d’eau | Draft | calado | Tiefgang |
| tourmentin | Storm jib | tormentín | Sturmfock |
| tribord | starboard | estribor | Steuerbord |
| vent vrai | True wind | viento real | wahrer Wind |
| vent arrière | Running | viento en popa | Rückenwind |
| vent apparent | Apparent wind | viento aparente | scheiner Wind |
| vent debout | Wind ahead | viento de proa | Gegenwind |
| virer de bord | go about/change tack | virar por redondo | wenden |
| vit de mulet | gooseneck | car de escota | Gösch |
| vives-eaux | spring | mareas vivas | Springtide |
| winch | winch | winche | Winsch |