bonnet—A narrow strip of canvas laced to the foot of sails on small vessels to increase their area in light winds. More common in mediæval times than now.
boom—The spar at the foot of a fore and aft sail. There are other booms for other uses, such as a boat boom—a spar projecting from the side of a ship and to which small boats floating in the water are made fast when the ship is at anchor.
bow—The front end of a vessel. The port bow is the left side of the front end, and the starboard bow is the right side.
bowline—A knot. For illustration see page [193].
bowsprit—The spar projecting from the bow of a ship and to which the fore stays are led from the foremast. It is a highly important part of a sailing ship’s rigging, but when used on power-driven ships, as it often is on steam yachts, it is more decorative than necessary.
boxing the compass—Repeating the points of the compass in order, starting from any point.
brace—Ropes on a square-rigged ship leading to the ends of the yards and used for the purpose of setting the yard at the proper angle to the mast are called braces.
breaker—A small water barrel.
breakers—Waves that curl over and break because of shallow water.
breakwater—An artificial bank or wall of any material built to break the violence of the sea and create a sheltered spot.