Nautical Dictionary
Nautical Glossary - Maritime Terminology
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
- Iceberg
- A floating island of ice. Only one-ninth of the total mass of an iceberg is visible above water level.
- ICW
- See Intracoastal Waterway.
- Idler
- Member of a crew who works all day but does not keep the normal watches.
- In Irons
- A sailboat with its bow pointed directly into the wind, preventing the sails from filling properly and stopping the boat. It can be very difficult to get a boat that is in irons back under sail. also known as "In Stays".
- In Soundings
- A vessel is in soundings when she is in sufficiently shallow water for soundings to be made and used as an aid in the vessel's navigation.
- Inboard
- (1) Toward the center of the boat. (2) An engine that is mounted inside the boat.
- Inches of Mercury
- A unit used when measuring atmospheric pressure. 33.86 millibars.
- Indiaman
- Any of the large sailing ships engaged in the British trade with India from roughly 1600 to 1880.
- Indulgence Passenger
- Person given a passage in one of H.M. ships; usually on compassionate grounds.
- Inflatable
- A dinghy or raft that can be inflated for use or deflated for easy stowage.
- Inland Rules
- Navigation rules governing waters inside designated demarcation zones
- Inland Waters
- Term referring to lakes, streams, rivers, canals, waterways, inlets, bays, etc.
- Inshore
- Near or toward the shore
- Inspection Port
- A watertight covering, usually small, that may be removed so the interior of the hull can be inspected or water removed.
- International Code of Signals
- A set of radio, sound, and visual signals designed to aid in communications between vessels without language problems. It can be used with Morse Code, with signal pennants, and by spoken code letters.
- International Date Line
- The line of longitude 180 degrees opposite Greenwich, England, located in the Pacific that marks the date change
- International Rules
- Navigation rules governing waters outside designated demarcation zones
- International Waterways
- Consist of international straits, inland and interocean canals and rivers where they separate the territories of two or more nations.
- Intracoastal
- Domestic shipping routes along a single coast.
- Intracoastal Waterway
- A system of rivers and canals along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States allowing boats to travel along them without having to go offshore.
- Inverter
- Electrical power converter; converts square-wave DC current to sine-wave AC current
- Irish Hurricane
- Old sailor's term for a flat calm with no wind.
- Irish Pennants
- Loose ends of line left hanging over a ship's side.
- Iron Genny
- Auxiliary engine
- Isinglass
- The clear, soft plastic material used for dodger window panels
- Isobars
- Lines drawn on a weather map indicating regions of equal pressure. When the lines are close together, this indicates a rapid change in air pressure, accompanied by strong winds.
- Isobath
- Line on a chart linking points of equal depth. also known as a Depth Contour.
- Isogonic Lines
- A line connecting points of equal magnetic variation on a map.
- Itinerary
- A schedule of all ports to be visited on a ship's cruise, with dates of arrival and departure and the local agents' names and addresses