Bight: The loop of a rope when doubled.
Bilge-pieces: Placed on a vessel's side to support her when grounding.
Blanketing: A slang term, used when one vessel covers or becalms another with her sails.
Board: The distance a vessel traverses before tacking when working to windward. To make a "sternboard" is to make way by the stern, as a vessel will often do in a tideway or when in irons. To go "by the board" is said of a mast when it is carried away.
Bobstay: A rope or chair with tackle and double blocks attached to the bowsprit end and stem of a vessel, and used to keep the bowsprit down when the jib is set.
Boom: The spar that extends the foot of fore-and-aft sails.
Bowline: A rope used to stretch taut the after leech of a sail when on a wind. A vessel is said to be on a bowline when close hauled.
Bowsprit: A spar that extends from the bows of a vessel. A "running" bowsprit is such as a cutter has, and is horizontal, and can be reefed at pleasure.
Brace: A rope by which a yard is worked.
Break off: A vessel when close-hauled is said to break off when the wind comes more ahead.