Directions
Aft/Aftward/Abaft – towards the back of the boat.
Below – downstairs from the cockpit; generally below decks in the salon, galley or stateroom.
Forward – towards the front of the boat.
Port – left side of the boat when facing forward.
Starboard – right side of the boat when facing forward.
“Port” and “starboard” aren’t mere fancy words for “left” and “right”; they are accurate terms that eliminate confusion when people are facing different directions.
Places
Bilge – space beneath the bottom decks and the bottom of the hull. Usually the place where all the nasty stuff from the boat flows to. If you’re invited to take a tour of the bilge, the crew doesn’t like you.
Bow – the front (pointy end) of the boat.
Cockpit – the outdoor seating area at the rear (stern) of the boat. It’s where you’ll usually hang out when the weather is nice.
Galley – the kitchen and food preparation areas.
Head – the bathroom (specifically, the toilet). Aurelia Dawn has 2, one is the Master Head forward of the galley and abaft the Master Stateroom; the Guest Head is on the starboard side across from the stairs and forward of the VIP Stateroom/Salon.
Helm – the place where the propulsion and steering is controlled (the helmsman is the person doing the controlling, who may or may not be the captain, who always remains in command).
Salon – the living room. Aurelia Dawn is a modest vessel, and the salon is essentially co-located with the galley. There is an area abaft the galley with a low ceiling that is a salon area in the daytime and convertible into the VIP Stateroom for sleeping.
Stateroom – bedroom. Aurelia Dawn has two; the master (or owner’s) stateroom is forward in the bow. The VIP stateroom is abaft the stairs.
Stern – the rear section of the boat.
Things
Bilge Pump – an electical/mechanical device using suction or pressure to remove liquids (water, etc) from the nether regions of the bottom of the boat.
Blowers – motorized fans in the engine room to remove gas fumes prior to starting the engines or generator. Prevents explosion, a serious hazard to boats with inboard gasoline engines.
Cleat – chrome fitting in the deck to which docking ropes (mooring lines) are tied.
Deck – the floor that you walk on while aboard the boat.
Generator – gasoline powered engine that produces AC electricity for the boat.
Gunwale – (pronounced: “GUN’ell“) upper edge (lip) of the top side of the hull.
Hull – bottom and sides of the boat, the design and construction of which causes the boat to float. Aurelia Dawn’s is fiberglass.
Prop – Propeller. Aurelia Dawn has two of them. These are the things the engines turn to make the boat move. Also known as “screws”.
Seacock – Not sure why we need to include this one, but here we are. Valve that can be manually opened or closed and regulates the flow of water in a through-hull fitting. Primarily, these are the raw water intakes for the cooling systems for the engines and the air conditioning.
Shore Power – AC electricity delivered to the boat via 2 large yellow power cables and a breaker box on the dock.
Transom – the very rear (aft) structure of the boat (perpendicular to the water) that encloses the end of the cockpit and runs to the bottom of the hull. The name “Aurelia Dawn” is printed on the back of the transom, and guests board across the swim platform and through a gate in the transom.
Windlass – the motorized system for raising and lowering the anchor. The chrome capstan sitting on the bow of Aurelia Dawn is part of it.