Cutter: A single-masted boat, rigged fore and aft.
Deck: What you walk on aboard a boat or ship.
Depth sounder: Electronic echo-location device to measure water depth.
Dinghy: A small boat made of either hard or inflatable material used to transport crew or passengers from their anchored boat to land.
Dodger: A canvas or wooden cover (sometimes a wooden frame covered with canvas), usually covering the width of the cockpit and extended aft.
Drogue: Any of several heavy devices lowered into the water to slow a vessel.
EPIRB: Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. A device that sends out a radio signal to alert search and rescue services.
Foredeck: Part of the deck that lies forward of the mast.
Forecastle: Pronounced "fo'c's'l," Under the foredeck of a vessel, often where the boat’s sleeping quarters are situated.
Foremast: A mast forward of the mainmast of a sailing vessel.
Forestay: A steel cable that runs from the top of the mast to the tip of the bowsprit to support the mast.
Freeboard: The part of the hull that is above water.
Galley: The boat’s kitchen.
Gimbal: Hinges on which stove, compass or lamp hangs that help to keep them level as the boat rolls.
GPS: Global Positioning System A satellite-based navigation system that uses transmitted signals and mathematical triangulation to pinpoint location.
Ground tackle: An anchor for boats.
Halyard: A line run through a pulley up the mast that is used to hoist a sail or flag.
Hatch: An opening into the boat, as a doorway would be to a house.
Hawsepipe: A deck opening near the bow of the boat where the anchor chain passes through.
Head: A marine toilet or bathroom.
Heave to: A maneuver to stop or slow down a boat in rough weather by setting the sails to keep the bow pointed toward the wind.
Heeling: Boat leaning to one side due to wind pressure.
Helm: The steering mechanism, either a wheel or tiller
Hull: The watertight body of a ship or boat.
Jib: A triangular staysail that sets ahead of the foremast.
Jibe: To change course by bringing the stern across the wind.
Keel: A structure, usually weighted with lead, that extends vertically into the water below the boat to provide stability.
Knot meter: A instrument mounted in the cockpit that shows the speed of the boat in relation to the water, and distance traveled.
Ladder: A boat’s staircase.
Lazarette: A large storage area in the stern of the boat.
Lee cloth: A piece of material such as canvas or netting from the side or bottom of a berth to the overhead to keep a sleeper in the berth.
Leeward: Downwind from the point of reference. Opposite of windward.
Lifeline: A line usually about 6 feet long attached to a harness worn by a sailor. The lifeline can be clipped to padeyes that are bolted to key areas of the boat. Lifeline is also a term for the wire railing on a boat.
List: Leaning to one side due to an uneven load.
Line: A length of rope. There is no “rope” on a boat, only “line.”
Log: A running written record of the boat’s activities, including position, speed, taking on fuel, making repairs.
Loran-C: A radio navigation system that allows a receiver to determine its position by listening to low frequency radio signals transmitted by fixed land-based radio beacons.
Mainsail: Sail located behind the main mast of a sailing vessel.
Mainsheet: The line that adjusts the mainsail.
Mast: A tall spar erected more or less vertically on the center-line of a boat.
Overhead: The boat’s ceiling.
Padeye: A device bolted or welded to the deck that a line, such as a safety or lifeline, runs through.
Poop Deck: The aft-most, raised weather deck on a ship.
Pooped: When a wave or seas break over the stern of the boat.
Port: The left side of the boat when facing forward.
Porthole: A boat window that can be opened
Portlight: A boat window that cannot be opened.
RDF: Radio Direction Finder, a navigational aid establishing a fix by means of the bearings of two known radio station signals.
Reef or Reefing: Reducing the size of the sail to make it smaller in strong winds.
Rode: Rope or chain attached to the anchor.
Roller furling: A method of rolling up or letting out the jib from the cockpit, rather than manually from the foredeck.
Rudder: A flat, movable piece of wood or metal attached to a boat, used for steering.
Run: Sailing downwind with the wind coming from directly behind the boat.
Sat Nav: Satellite navigation system that gives the boat’s position.
Schooner: A sailing boat with two or more masts, typically the foremast smaller than the main mast.
Scupper: An opening in the side of a boat at deck level to allow water to run off.
Self-steering gear: Equipment used on ships and boats to maintain a chosen course without constant human action.
Sheet: A line (rope) that is used to control the movable corners (clews) of a sail.
Sloop: A sailing vessel with a single mast and a fore- and aft-rig.
SSB: Single Sideband Radio. A radio that can transmit and receive over thousands of miles, such as a ham radio.
Stanchion: Stainless steel short vertical poles that run along the perimeter of a boat’s deck through which lifelines run.
Snubber: A stretchable line attached between two long pieces of rode to absorb anchor line strain and soften the impact of waves or tidal pull.
Spar: A pole made of wood, metal or lightweight materials used to support sails.
Starboard: The right side of the boat when facing forward.
Staysail: An auxiliary sail, often triangular, set on a forestay.
Stern: The rear of a vessel.
Tack: To change course by bringing the bow across the wind when sailing windward.
Transom: The back of the boat, the most aft part of the boat.
V-berth: A V-shaped bunk in the bow.
VHF radio: A short-distance radio with a range of about 20 miles used for ship to ship communication.
Waterline: The line where the hull meets the surface of the water.
Windvane: A flat paddle that catches the wind’s direction and automatically adjusts the self-steering gear.
Windward: Upwind from the point of reference. Opposite of leeward.
Wing and wing: A way to set the sails so that they extend straight out from the sides of the boat, using the boom and whisker pole.
Whisker pole: An aluminum pole that hooks onto the mast to hold the jib to take advantage of wind coming from behind for downwind sailing.
Yawl: A two-masted fore- and aft-rigged sailboat with the mizzen mast located aft of the rudder post.
Acknowledgments
So many people have contributed to my writing vocation, it would be impossible to list them all. Certainly, my husband Bruce is at the top of the list. His encouragement has given me the freedom to follow my heart’s desire. Monetary concerns are low on Bruce’s list of priorities, which is a good thing, as most writers will tell you. In addition to his moral support, Bruce, as my first reader, has helped me develop ideas into a readable form. Bruce also has taken on the task of graphic design for my last three books. Sailing with Impunity’s graphics have been extensive and time-consuming.
My deepest thanks and appreciation to Patricia Bloom and Robert Mottram for their time and expertise in helping me fine-tune this memoir. They have gone far beyond friendship to help me make Sailing with Impunity all it could be.
My critique group—Mary Ann Hayes, Gloria MacKay, Erika Madden, Margo Peterson, Lani Schonberg, Val Schroeder, Peggy Wendel and Darlene Dubay—have been a constant source of inspiration and encouragement, sprinkled with gentle con
structive criticism. I don’t send out anything, books, articles, even blog posts, without first running them past my critique group.
My children, Byron, Jeffrey, Bonnie and Robin, and my extended family, have given me strength through their love and devotion. I am so thankful for them. My friends and my writing community have cheered me on, giving me their nod of approval and guidance, allowing me to proceed with confidence.
My deepest thanks to you all.
About the Author
Award-winning author Mary E. Trimble, in addition to sailing the South Pacific, served for two years in Africa with the Peace Corps, and more recently retired from the American Red Cross after volunteering for 20 years. Her experiences also include crewing on the tall ship M.S. Explorer as purser and ship’s diver, and she served as Admission Director for a professional deep-sea diving school. After obtaining a degree in Computer Science, she worked as a programmer/analyst at the corporate headquarters of a large insurance company. Sailing with Impunity is Trimble’s fifth book and second memoir. More than 400 of her articles have appeared in numerous publications. She and her husband, Bruce, enjoy rural life on Camano Island, Washington.
www.MaryTrimbleBooks.com
Other books by Mary E. Trimble
Praise for Tubob: Two Years in West Africa with the Peace Corps
“Trimble’s honesty in describing her two years in Africa, both the trials and the triumphs, makes the book interesting and engaging. It provides a valuable view of The Gambia, while at the same time showing the strengths and weaknesses of the Peace Corps.”
—Story Circle Circle Book Reviews
“This memoir is thoughtful, enlightening and entertaining—so beautifully detailed the reader comes away convinced that they were there with the Trimbles on their two-year stay.”
—Irene Bennet Brown, Award-winning novelist
Praise for Tenderfoot
“The explosion of Mount St. Helens is listed as the most devastating volcanic event in the history of the United States. There’s plenty of romance and vivid descriptions of ranch life. And always in the background, the dangerous rumbings of a volcano threatening to blow its top. When it does, the book takes a thrilling life and death turn.”
—Skagit Valley Herald
“Tenderfoot is a story about love: love of the land, love of each other and love that forgives and moves on, reaching past the comforts of familiarity into the tempest of the unknown where love and life truly bloom. A page turner and a delight.”
—Jane Kirkpatrick, Award-winning novelist
Praise for McClellan’s Bluff
“The author proves her gift for confronting the complexities teens face as they learn to define their identities and establish their independence as young adults. McClellan’s Bluff comes very highly recommended.”
—Word Weaving
“A marvelous read. Accurately capturing the emotions, fears and thoughts of a teenager, Ms. Trimble takes readers on a journey of discovery and fun. A journey that is both heart-warming and heart-wrenching.”
—Library Reviews
Praise for Rosemount
“Having worked with adolescents in various treatment centers for the past 10 years, I can verify that the author did not exaggerate the thought processes or the behaviors of the teenager possessed by an idea. Mary Trimble does an excellent job in capturing the challenge both of being a teen and dealing with one.”
—Women on Writing
“Rosemount is a wonderful young adult novel about teenage angst, deftly portrayed by Trimble's skill and perception. She succeeds in expressing the many uncertainties and attitudes of today's teenagers in a way that will invite understanding and acceptance.”
—Amazing Authors
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