Zozza 293 Posted August 27, 2023 Share Posted August 27, 2023 Lazy Sunday arvo, and just thought I'd raise a topic that has intrigued me for years. I grew up in a non-yachting family, never belonged to a yacht club, not part of the boat building or design scene in NZ any way....I learnt nautical terms from overseas books, American and British, some European, and in all the overseas literature 'topsides' are the sides of the boat above the water line, ie the sides of the hull above the water. In NZ I have come to realise when sailors and boatbuilders talk about 'topsides' they are talking about the deck and or cabin. This has lead to some amusing moments in the past when I have been talking to kiwi sailors before we finally figure out we are talking about two different areas of a boat. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrytom 643 Posted August 27, 2023 Share Posted August 27, 2023 Topsides,from the waterline to deck joint imo ,deck is deck and cabinsides coamings top of cabin coachroof,then a bit confusion.The raised bits around the cockpit that hold winches etc are coaming too Probably incorrect though 1 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Zozza 293 Posted August 27, 2023 Author Share Posted August 27, 2023 Here is a case in point on this Trademe advert: "The topsides are suffering from a lack of paint and varnish and while retrievable at the moment, it is sacrilege for me to let her languish much longer" https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/yachts/keeler/listing/4295481284 He's definitely meaning the cabin / cabinsides, but refers to them as topsides.... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Psyche 633 Posted August 27, 2023 Share Posted August 27, 2023 Topsides means the hull between the waterline and deck, people who use the term for the cabin and decks are misguided. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrytom 643 Posted August 27, 2023 Share Posted August 27, 2023 2 hours ago, Zozza said: Here is a case in point on this Trademe advert: "The topsides are suffering from a lack of paint and varnish and while retrievable at the moment, it is sacrilege for me to let her languish much longer" https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/yachts/keeler/listing/4295481284 He's definitely meaning the cabin / cabinsides, but refers to them as topsides.... lets see what he comes back with,asked the question🤣 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Luigi Vercotti 7 Posted August 27, 2023 Share Posted August 27, 2023 Same with lee cloths. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Zozza 293 Posted August 27, 2023 Author Share Posted August 27, 2023 and same with full keel....my boat technically has a long fin keel with a cut away forefoot, but you rarely will see that description given... and then we have "rope" v "line". "rode v scope" "Roe v Wade"....woops - wrong forum. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ex Machina 366 Posted August 27, 2023 Share Posted August 27, 2023 I got lambasted on SA by a Texan boatbuilder for using the term pushpit . Apparently they called it the aft pulpit/aft safety rail or some other things. He really hurt my feelings 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Addem 95 Posted September 4, 2023 Share Posted September 4, 2023 On 28/08/2023 at 8:29 AM, Ex Machina said: I got lambasted on SA by a Texan boatbuilder for using the term pushpit . Apparently they called it the aft pulpit/aft safety rail or some other things. He really hurt my feelings Not surprised. I gave up on SA long time ago. It is the wild west of the Web in my view. No wonder a Texan feels at home there. Nautical terms are intended to be clear and definitive to avoid confusion. Hence, there are no ropes on a boat. But when you broach and are laying on your topsides you are also laying on your beam ends. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrytom 643 Posted September 4, 2023 Share Posted September 4, 2023 4 hours ago, Addem said: Not surprised. I gave up on SA long time ago. It is the wild west of the Web in my view. No wonder a Texan feels at home there. Nautical terms are intended to be clear and definitive to avoid confusion. Hence, there are no ropes on a boat. But when you broach and are laying on your topsides you are also laying on your beam ends. There 7 ropes on a sailing ship,1 is a bell rope, buggered if I can remember the rest. Arr bolt rope ,the rope sewn in to foot of sail that slides along boom,foot rope on a yard.most are from sailing ships,Learnt it at sea scouts 45 yr ago.might have to google it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,587 Posted September 4, 2023 Share Posted September 4, 2023 We have a dinghy string. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrytom 643 Posted September 4, 2023 Share Posted September 4, 2023 3 hours ago, Black Panther said: We have a dinghy string. painter ,buggered if I know why, but when you give another vessel a towing line it becomes a tow rope Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,587 Posted September 4, 2023 Share Posted September 4, 2023 Doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely as dinghy string. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Romany 162 Posted September 4, 2023 Share Posted September 4, 2023 I'm constantly offended by the use of the word "yacht" when describing those bloody big stink pots that seem to be in favour by the wealthy and tasteless morons. IMHO yachts have sticky up things - you know - sail poles. I'd like to blame the USAeans for it but I'm not sure that other northern hemisphere twats didnt start it. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jon 360 Posted September 4, 2023 Share Posted September 4, 2023 Our dinghy string is a “Decorator” as it can not only paint but also hang wall paper 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,587 Posted September 4, 2023 Share Posted September 4, 2023 Sneaking of Americans., what's the difference between a Cunningham and a downhaul, a boom vang and a kicking strap, a brace or a guy, a foreguy or a dowhhaul? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Addem 95 Posted September 4, 2023 Share Posted September 4, 2023 There are indeed 7 ropes: per https://classic-sailing.com/article/how-many-ropes-boat/. Bell rope Bolt rope Tow rope Foot rope Man rope Top rope Heel rope. A Cunningham is not a downhaul. A downhaul is used to pull down a yard. The Cunningham (designed by a kiwi) is used to tighten the bottom luff of a sail. The other duplication terms developed due to local usage. Boom vang appears to be a Dutch term (where we get lots of sailing terms) and Kicking strap an English one- both meaning to stop the boom from kicking up. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Addem 95 Posted September 4, 2023 Share Posted September 4, 2023 Yacht is Dutch for fast ship (another Dutch word) and i understand that Americans began using 'sail boat' to distinguish from steamers. So yacht started to be reserved luxury or racing classes. English were more traditional and stuck the older usages. Something like that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
syohana 37 Posted September 5, 2023 Share Posted September 5, 2023 3 hours ago, Addem said: Yacht is Dutch for fast ship (another Dutch word) and i understand that Americans began using 'sail boat' to distinguish from steamers. So yacht started to be reserved luxury or racing classes. English were more traditional and stuck the older usages. Something like that. Actually Yacht comes from Jacht which is dutch for "hunt" (if you go back far enough "hunt" and "jacht" are actually the same word, the sound just gradually changed apart in English and Dutch). The very first boats used exclusively for pleasure/leisure in the Netherlands rather than for commercial, military or transport purposes were for wealthy people to go hunting (mostly shooting ducks). So hunting boats were the only pleasure craft and the name eventually stuck to all pleasure craft, then got adopted into English because we didn't have our own word for pleasure craft. ... back on topic, Topsides are only the sides between the waterline and the bulwarks or toe rail. Definitely cannot include decks or coachroof. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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