Maritime English Reference: Phrasal Verbs, Nautical Terms, Navigation
Essential Maritime Phrasal Verbs
- Keep away: mantener distancia (to maintain distance)
- Keep on: continuar (to continue)
- Keep out: prevenir la entrada (to prevent entry)
- Keep out: permanecer fuera (to stay outside)
- Lay in: proveer con cantidad (to provide with a quantity)
- Lay down: diseñar (to design/establish)
- Lay off: despedir (to dismiss/lay off)
- Lay up: tener el barco fuera de uso (to lay up a ship)
- Lie off: alejarse (to stand off)
- Lie to: encarar (to head into the wind/sea)
- Lie up: amarrado (to be moored/tied up)
- Look out: vigía (to be vigilant/lookout)
- Make for: mover hacia (to move towards)
- Point out: indicar (to indicate)
- Put off: posponer (to postpone)
- Put on: encender (to turn on)
- Put out: apagar (to extinguish/put out)
- Set up: establecer (to establish)
- Sign on: enrolar (to sign on/enroll)
- Sign off: desenrolar (to sign off/disembark)
- Stand by: estar preparado (to be ready/stand by)
- Strike out: quitar (to remove/strike out)
- Take out: obtener (to obtain)
- Take over: hacerse cargo (to take charge)
- Take to: gustar (to take a liking to)
- Tell off: regañar (to scold)
- Wish for: desear (to wish for)
- Work on: trabajar en algo (to work on something)
- Account for: explicar (to explain)
- Allow for: tener en cuenta (to allow for/consider)
- Blow away: arrastrar (to blow away/sweep away)
- Break down: averiarse (to break down/malfunction)
- Break down: colapsar (to collapse)
- Break down: subdividir (to subdivide)
- Call at: visitar (to visit a port)
- Carry away: llevar (to carry away/sweep away)
- Call for: requerir (to call for/require)
- Find out: averiguar (to find out)
- Get at: ser capaz de alcanzar (to be able to reach)
- Get at: significar (to imply/mean)
- Get on: mejorar (to improve/get along)
- Get to: llegar (to arrive)
- Get to: llevar algo a alguien (to take something to someone)
- Go down: hundirse (to sink)
- Hold on: sujetar (to hold tight)
- Hold on: esperar (to wait)
Navigational & Mathematical Structures
- Multiply five by eight and divide the product by seven.
- Five eighths multiplied by a third.
- Add five to eight and multiply the sum by seven.
- One mile equals one point six one kilometers.
- A scale of five to eight.
- Eight point five divided by seventeen.
- A bearing of eighty degrees, five minutes.
Basic Mathematical Operations & Terms
- Addition: to add
- Subtraction: to subtract
- Multiplication: to multiply (by)
- Division: to divide (by)
- Equal (to)
- The product
- *ths* (as in eighths)
- A third
- The same as…
Core Nautical Terminology
- Abeam: de través (across the beam)
- Aboard: a bordo (on board)
- Above deck: en cubierta (on deck)
- Abreast: al lado del barco (alongside the ship)
- Aft: a popa (towards the stern)
- Ahead: hacia delante (forward)
- Aloft: en lo alto (up high)
- Amidships: en medio (in the middle)
- Astern: hacia popa (behind the stern)
- Below: bajo cubierta (below deck)
- Dead ahead: directamente al frente (directly ahead)
- Headway: avance (forward motion)
- Inboard: a bordo (inside the ship)
- Lee: sotavento (leeward side)
- Leeward: de sotavento (downwind)
- Leeway: a la deriva (drift)
- Overboard: por la borda (over the side)
- Stem: roda de proa (bow stem)
- Windward: a barlovento (upwind)
- Berth: dársena (dock/berth)
- Dock: muelle (dock/pier)
- Jetty: embarcadero (jetty/pier)
- Pier: muelle (pier)
- Fairway: canal (channel)
- Stowage: estiba (stowage)
Key Maritime Verbs for Seafarers
- Beach: varar (to run aground)
- Belay: amarrar (to secure a rope)
- Berth: amarrar (to moor/dock)
- Dock: atracar (to dock)
- Drag: garrear (to drag anchor)
- Dredge: dragar (to dredge)
- Drop anchor: tirar el ancla (to drop anchor)
- Ease: reducir (to reduce tension/speed)
- Fasten: atar (to tie/fasten)
- Give way: dar paso (to give way/yield)
- Go ahead: ir hacia delante (to go forward)
- Ground: embarrancar (to run aground)
- Heel over: escorar (to list/heel)
- Issue: emitir (to issue)
- List: escora (to lean to one side)
- Manoeuvre: maniobrar (to maneuver)
- Moor: amarrar (to moor)
- Muster: reunir (to gather/muster)
- Pull up anchor: recoger el ancla (to weigh anchor)
- Sail: navegar (to sail)
- Sink: hundirse (to sink)
- Stand watch: hacer guardia (to keep watch)
- Steer: dirigir (to steer)
- Stow: estibar (to stow)
- Tow: remolcar (to tow)
Advanced Navigational Vocabulary & Concepts
- Bearing: Clockwise angle between magnetic North and the direction of an object.
- Prime Meridian: Zero line of longitude.
- Dead Reckoning: Method of calculating a position based on course and speed.
- Coordinates: Sets of numbers which identify a position.
- Parallel: Line of latitude.
- Scale: Ratio of distance on a chart to real distance.
- Track Made Good: Actual route traveled.
- Sounding: Depth of water.
Maritime Journey Log: Cádiz to Cuba Voyage
We left the port of Cádiz in southern Spain on June 5, stopping in the Azores and arriving in the Canary Islands on June 22. We then set course for the Cape Verde Islands.
On July 10, we traveled southwest from the Cape Verde Islands, but the wind dropped, and we drifted for six days until the wind returned.
On July 17, we steered southwest, then changed course north by east and headed for Guadeloupe. We sighted an island, observing two large peaks. From these landmarks, we identified our position as Grenada.
We took on water on the south coast of Grenada and later continued our journey along the coast of the Paria Peninsula. Later in August, we reached the island of Tortuga. After a short rest, we headed for Cuba on a northwest by north course.
Notice to Mariners: Dover Strait Wreck Relocation
Notice No. 10/24 C07
South East Coast of England
Dover Strait Traffic Separation Scheme
Varne Bank Wreck: WWII Submarine
Original Position: Latitude 50° 58′.102 N, Longitude 01° 22′.315 E (WGS 84 Datum)
Mariners are advised that, further to Trinity House Notice to Mariners 07/24 C05 dated March 12, 2024, the wreck of a Second World War submarine, formerly located in the above position within the southwest-bound lane of the Dover Strait Traffic Separation Scheme, south of the Varne Bank, has been relocated to the following position: Latitude 50° 58′.35 N, Longitude 01° 24′.02 E.
The clearance depth over the wreck in its new position is in excess of 28 metres L.A.T.
The works vessel Seafarer, the tug Ocean Guardian 12, and the guard vessel THV Sentinel have now vacated the site.