Bight. A curve, noose or slack portion of rope.
Bitts. Upright pieces of timber or metal to which ropes or cables are fastened.
Blocks. Contrivances with sheaves or rollers through which ropes are passed to make them move readily.
Block and block. When two blocks of a tackle are brought as close together as possible.
Block and tackle. Blocks with the ropes rove through them.
Board. The distance made on a tack.
Bobstay. A stay from the cutwater to the bowsprit-end.
Bolt rope. The rope sewn around the edges of sails.
Boom. A spar at the bottom or foot of a sail. A spar extended from a vessel’s side to which small boats are fastened. A raft of logs in a river fastened together to hold other logs in place.
Bowline. A line used on square sails to extend the forward edge of the sail when running close to the wind. To Sail on a Bowline is to sail close to the wind.