Glossary of nautical terms

U

U – Uniform U – Uniform The single-letter signal is one that every skipper should know because it may be of some importance to him. If U (dot-dot-dash) is made to you by light, sound or flag, it means, ‘You are running into danger’. But be careful not to confuse…

V

V – Victor V – Victor V Signalled by any means, this one letter tells the world, ‘I require assistance’, Compare with W, and also note that this is not a signal of dire distress (as the letters NC would be). In Morse code V is ••• – and in…

W

W-whiskey W-whiskey As a single-letter the signal means, ‘I require medical assistance’, and could therefore be one worth committing to memory. The Morse code .- – may be made by any means, which in practice implies either light or sound. In the phonetic alphabet the word is whiskey, which is…

X

X (X-ray) X (X-ray) The single letter, which may be signalled by any means, conveys the message, ‘Stop carrying out your intentions and watch for my signals’. In phonetic it is called X-ray, and in Morse it is ‘-..-‘. XTE/XTK XTE/XTK Cross Track Error. The distance a boat is away…

Y

Y (Yankee) Y (Yankee) Means ‘I am dragging my anchor’, and that could be very significant if you yourself should be lying astern of a large vessel making Y. The phonetic is Yankee and the Morse ‘-.- -‘. Yacht, yachtsman etc Yacht, yachtsman etc Here we have the most difficult…

Z

Z (Zulu) Z (Zulu) As signal it means, ‘I require a tug’. But when shown by a fishing vessel (which you will recognise by her lights or shapes), it means, ‘I am shooting my nets’. In Morse code the signal is ‘–..’ and in phonetic the word is Zulu. Z-drive…

Harmattan

An easterly wind which occasionally blows during the dry season (December, January, February) on the west coast of Africa, coming off the land instead of the more normal wind which blows off the sea. It is a very dry wind, usually accompanied by dust storms which the wind has picked…

Jill about

To move around idly with no set course