| Sailing terms beginning with T |
| Tack |
| Sail a zig-zag course towards the wind. Also means the lower part of a sail. |
|
| Tackle |
| A system of ropes and blocks used to obtain a mechanical advantage or purchase. |
|
| Telltales |
| Short pieces of yarn attached to the shrouds, or the sails. At the shrouds they indicate the direction of the
wind (the apparent wind), and at the sails they help to check the air flow over the sail, so that proper
trimming is easier. |
|
| Thwart |
| Crosswise member to provide hull stiffness and form a seat in a boat. |
|
| Tiller |
| A spar attached to the rudder by the rudder head, used to control the direction of the boat. Another
possibility for steering mechanism is a steering wheel. |
|
| Topping Lift |
| Rope used to support the boom when it is not held by the fully hoisted sail. |
|
| Topsides |
| The part of the hull above the water. |
|
| Trampoline |
| The space on a catamaran, usually made of some kind of mesh, located between the two hulls. It's a
place for the crew (like a cockpit on dinghies and cruisers). |
|
| Transit |
| Two or more objects observed in line. Used for navigation. |
|
| Transom |
| Board forming the flat aft end of a hull. |
|
| Trapeze |
| Belt/seat arrangement slung from the mast to support a person outboard with his feet on the gunwhale. Give greater
leverage when using body weight to balance the boat. |
|
| Traveler |
| A track (usually metal) with a fixture sliding on it. The fixture holds the main sheet (usually), and the
sliding allows for changing angles of the sail. |
|
| Trim |
| How a boat floats, its attitude. |
|
| Trimaran |
| A three hulled boat. |
|
| Turnbuckle |
| Tensioning device using right handed and left handed threads for adjustment. Also called a rigging screw when used on shrouds. |
|
| True Wind |
| The strength and direction of the actual wind blowing. While sailing, the true wind is never felt - it is
always a combination of the true wind, and the boat's speed (called the apparent wind), and it is always a little
forward to the true wind. |
|
| Trysail |
| A very small sail, used in a very heavy weather instead of a mainsail. |
