Okay, here’s a quick little quiz of sailing terms born from our Sailing Made Easy book. Test your sailing knowledge with these 5 questions – if you get them all right, the quiz will give you compliments. If you make a mistake, the quiz may act like a wise guy. Either way, it’s fun. Ready?
- What is the “clew” of a sail?
- The upper attachment point of a sailnope, that’s the “head”
- The long stretch of sail that parallels the boomno, that’s the “foot”
- The aft lower corner of a sailyou got it!
- The area where reef lines are attachedthat would be incorrect!
- Where is the “companionway” on a sailboat?
- The entrance from the cockpit or deck to the cabin correct-a-mundo!
- Synonymous with aft cabin – the rear cabin under cockpit nope -we made that up
- The walkway along the deck I’m afraid not
- In bigger boats it is the space located just before entering the engine room fooled ya!
- A “grommet” is…
- A very small screw inside most standing rigging hardware you thought that? No.
- A washer that provides spacing in a standard winch incorrect, a washer in a winch is a washer in a winch
- A tell tale that gets stuck to a sail and is of no use perhaps you don’t know what a grommet is
- A metal ring set into a sail you got the smarts!
- What’s a “spar”?
- Slang for boathook it is not that
- A pole used to support a sail your brain is working!
- A pole used to fold sails I don’t think that exists!
- A term describing a young sailor you can call them that but that’s wrong
- A “block” in sailing means
- Stealing another sailor’s wind that would be incorrect
- A wooden shimunderstandable choice but no
- A pulley we have a winner!
- A fastener that secures running rigging to standing rigging uh, no.
Click on an answer above to start!

Here are the results of the first quiz – only 50% of you got all the answers right. Let’s hope you can do better in the next quiz.
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