Nautical Terms: A Creole Queen Glossary
If you overhear the captains of the Creole Queen talking to each other, you might have no idea what they’re saying unless you’re a member of the Coast Guard, depending on the topic of conversation. If that conversation has anything to do with the vessel itself, you’re likely to hear at least one of the terms below. To get in on the lingo, we asked our own Captain Brian Clesi to give us a rundown of the nautical terms relevant to the Creole Queen. Here’s some insight into what it’s like to talk like a riverboat captain!
Nautical Speak, Explained
Bow – Forward section of the vessel
Aft/Stern – Rear section of the vessel
Port – Left side facing forward
Starboard – Right side facing forward
Overhead – Ceiling of the vessel
Deck – Floors of the vessel
Ladder – Stairways
Aye, aye – A reply to indicate that a message is understood and will be addressed
Beam – Width of the vessel at the widest point
Bearing – direction of a point in reference to the vessel
Berth – Vessels docked location
Bollard – A metal or wooden post used to fasten lines of the vessel to a berth
Bridge/Pilothouse/Wheelhouse – Command center of the vessel for maneuvering and operations
Buoy – An anchored, floating object with a defined shape and color to help determine a vessels position on the water
Compass – A navigation tool used to determine direction using Earth's geographic or magnetic poles
Bulkhead – Walls of the vessel
Fid – A tapered wooden tool used to separate strands of line for splicing
Galley – The kitchen of a vessel
Hull – The shell and framework of a vessel
Keel – The central structural basis of the hull
Knot – A unit of speed (1 Knot=1.15 Nautical Mile)
Line – Rope used on a vessel
Monkey's Fist – A ball tied out of line placed at the end of a heaving line to provide weight
Heaving line – A small rope used to pull larger, heavier lines to the dock from a vessel
Heading – The direction a vessel is traveling according to a compass from 0 to 360 degrees