- camber
- Curvature of a sail.
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- can buoy
- Cylindrical navigation buoy with a flat top, generally green in color.
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- capsize
- To flip a boat over.
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- capstan
- A winch used for hauling heavy objects such as anchors.
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- cast off
- To unfasten all lines in preparation for departure.
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- casting platform
- Elevated deck clear of obstruction used by anglers to make casts, often equipped with pedestal chairs.
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- catamaran
- A twin hulled boat, either power or sail.
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- catboat
- Small, simple sailboat with one mast and sail set far forward.
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- cavitation
- Inefficient low-pressure pockets on propellers form bubbles that collapse against the blades resulting in premature wear.
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- center console boat
- Fishing boat with the helm station located amidships for maximum walk-through space around the perimeter of the boat.
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- centerboard
- A keel-like pivoting device, typically in a trunk, that can be lowered or raised to act as a keel.
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- channel
- The navigable portion of a waterway.
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- chart plotter
- Electronic navigation device that displays charts for use in plotting a course.
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- chart recorder
- An electronic depth sounder that records bottom structure data on paper.
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- charts
- Paper or electronic navigation maps.
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- chine
- Portion of the hull where the bottom and sides intersect (can be rounded or angled).
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- chopped fiberglass
- Fiberglass strands cut and simultaneoulsy mixed with resin by and applied to a boat mold by using a chopper gun.
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- chumming
- Placing fish or fish parts in the water to attract gamefish.
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- class I hitch
- Trailer hitch with a weight-carrying capacity up to 2,000 pounds; available as a bumper mount, step bumper or bumper/frame mount.
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- class II hitch
- Frame-mounted trailer hitch with a weight-carrying capacity of up to 3,500 pounds.
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- class III hitch
- Frame-mounted trailer hitch with a weight-carrying capacity of up to 5,000 pounds.
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- class IV hitch
- Frame-mounted trailer hitch with a weight-carrying capacity of up to 10,000 pounds.
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- cleat
- Hardware piece on a boat or a dock to which lines are attached.
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- clew
- The after-most corner of a sail.
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- close-hauled
- Sailing as close to the wind as possible.
CLR Marine
Your home for marine electronics and supplies.
- coaming
- A raised edge, as around the cockpit or around a hatchway, to keep water out.
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- Coast Guard safety package
- Basic safety gear required by federal law consisting of personal flotation device, throwable flotation device, visible distress signals, fire extinguisher and a horn, whistle or bell.
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- cockpit
- Deck space for the crew of a boat, typically recessed.
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- COLREGS
- Coast Guard term for the navigation rules of the road; full name is International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
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- come about
- To tack or change heading relative to the wind.
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- companionway
- Entryway from the deck to the belowdeck cabin area.
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- convertible
- A bluewater fishing boat typically more than 35 feet long with a full cruising salon, a fish-fighting cockpit and many other saltwater fishing features.
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- coring material
- Any of a variety of lightweight materials used between layers of fiberglass laminates to add strength.
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- Corinthian
- Amateur yachtsman.
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- counter rotation
- The act of two propellers spinning in opposite directions on a single shaft.
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- coupler
- Component on a boat trailer that connects to the hitchball.
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- course
- Direction in which a boat is steered.
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- cruiser
- A boat with overnight accommodations.
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- cuddy cabin
- Belowdecks accommodations in the bow area for overnighting and stowage.
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- cure
- Hardening process for resin-soaked fiberglass laminates.
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- curtains
- Attachable front and side enclosures that protect the helm area from weather.
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- cutter
- Single-masted sailboat similar to a sloop, but with the mast farther aft to allow for a double headsail.