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Lacing .... Light line used for attaching sails to spars, awnings to
frameworks, etc. Laid rope .... Also called a three strand rope. A strong flexible rope produced by twisting three strands of twisted strands in the opposite direction. Land breeze .... A breeze that blows from the land to the sea. Landfall .... The first approach to land following a voyage. Lanyard .... A short length of line used to secure an object. Laser 5000 .... A high performance racing dinghy. Lash .... To secure with a line. Lashing .... A rope that is used to secure an object. Lateral system of buoyage .... A series of buoys laid along the edges of a channel to define the limits of safe navigation. Buoyage. Latitude .... The distance north or south from the equator measured in degrees. Lay .... The direction of the twist in the strands of a rope. Lay .... To be able to steer a straight course without diverting from the straight line. Lay up .... To decommission or store a vessel out of the water Lazy guy A guy rope that is not in use, one that is not under strain. Lazyjacks .... Ropes that run from the mast to the boom, which assist to stow the sail as it is lowered. Lead .... A lead weight attached to a line used to measure depth and to access the nature of the bottom. Lead .... The path taken by a rope, often between a sail and a fairlead or a winch. Leading line .... The line joining two navigational leading marks. Used when navigating a channel or entering a harbour. Lee .... The side away from the direction of the wind. Lee .... To be in the lee of land or another vessel etc. is to be sheltered from the wind by it. Leeboard .... A board fitted to the side of a bunk to stop the occupant from falling out. Leeboards .... Boards rigged on either side of a sailing vessel that act in the same way as a centreboard to prevent sideways movement. Leech .... The after edge of a sail. Leecloths .... A canvas cloth that is fitted along the edge of a bunk to stop the occupant from falling out. Lee helm .... When the natural tendency of a vessel is to turn away from the wind. Lee shore .... Shore onto which the wind blows. Leeward .... The direction away from the wind, downwind. Leeway .... The sideways drift of a vessel, the result of the side force of the wind. Let fly .... To let a sheet go completely spilling the wind. Levanter .... A strong Easterly wind blowing into the Straits of Gibraltar. Leveche .... A hot Southerly wind blowing into the Western Mediterranean from North Africa. Lie .... To come virtually to a halt head to the wind. Lie off .... To stand at a distance from another ship or from the shore. Life-buoy .... A buoyant support, usually a ring or horseshoe used to keep someone afloat in the water. Lifeline .... A line usually attached to a buoy used for life-saving. Life jacket, life-belt .... A jacket or belt, inflatable or made of buoyant material designed to keep someone afloat in the water. Lift .... When the wind strikes a sail from the leeward side so that it is no longer full it is said to lift. Lifting keel .... A keel that may be raised, to reduce draught. Thus enabling a sailing vessel to enter into shallow water. Light house .... A tower or other structure containing a beacon, to guide or to warn vessels of hazards at sea. Light ship .... A stationary vessel carrying a light, used as a navigational aid. Lighter .... A flat bottomed vessel used for transferring goods from ship to ship or to the dock. Lima .... The letter L in the phonetic alphabet. Phonic Alphabet. Limber hole .... Holes in the frames that form a hull allowing the water to drain to the lowest part of the bilges. Line of position .... A line drawn on a chart along which a vessel is situated. List .... If a vessel leans to one side it is said to list. Usually the result of a shift of weight. LOA .... Length Overall. The overall length of a vessel. Lock .... A area of a waterway between two sets of flood gates, which can be filled or emptied to enable a vessel to be raised or lowered to a different level. Log .... A device which measures the distance travelled through the water by a vessel. Log .... A detailed record or diary kept of progress and all events on board a vessel. Logbook .... The book in which a record of all happenings on board is kept. Longitude .... The distance East or West from the Greenwich meridian, measured in degrees. Long keel .... A keel that runs from half to three quarters the length of the hull. Loop .... A loop is formed in a rope by making a circle without the rope crossing itself. Loose .... To loose a sail, is to unfurl or set it. To loose a rope is to let it go. Loose footed .... A sail is said to be loose footed when it is not attached to the boom. Low water .... The level of the water surface when the tide is out, or at it's lowest. Luff .... The forward edge of a sail. Luff ....When a sail is set too close to the wind and is beginning to lift it is said to luff. Luff up .... To come towards the wind. Lugger .... A vessel usually two or three masted, rigged with lugsails. Lugsail .... A four sided sail which is hoisted from a yard. Luke .... A type of fisherman's anchor. Anchor Types. Lundy .... The name given to a sea area situated in the Bristol Channel. LWL .... Length Waterline. The length of a vessel measured at water level. |