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| Word |
Description |
| A/D converter |
A device that changes an analog signal (such as voltage) into a digital signal (discrete data values.) |
| abaft |
Toward the rear (stern) of the boat. |
| abeam |
At right angles to the keel of the boat, but not on the boat. |
| aboard |
On or within the boat. |
| above deck |
On the deck (not over it - see Aloft) |
| abreast |
Side by side; by the side of. |
| accelerometer |
A sensor that measures acceleration. Acceleration can be due to gravity or changing motion. Acceleration is measured in units of earth's gravity (G's) or meters per second squared. |
| accuracy |
In navigation, a measure of the error between the point desired and the point achieved, or between the position indicated by measurement and the true position [compare with precision] |
| additional secondary factor |
In Loran-C, a correction in addition to the secondary phase factor correction for the additional time (or phase delay) for transmission of a low frequency signal over a composite land-seawater path when the signal transit is based on the free-space velocity. |
| address field |
For sentences in the NMEA 0183 standard, the fixed length field following the beginning sentence delimiter "$" (HEX 24). For approved sentences, composed of a two-character talker identifier and a three-way character sentence formatter. For proprietary sentences, composed of the character "P" (HEX 50) followed by a three-character manufacturer identification code. |
| adrift |
Loose, not on moorings or towline. |
| aft |
Toward the stern of the boat. |
| aground |
Touching or fast to the bottom. |
| ahead |
In a forward direction. |
| aids To navigation |
Artificial objects to supplement natural landmarks indicating safe and unsafe waters. |
| AIS |
Universal Shipborne Automatic Identification System (AIS). AIS operate primarily on VHF radio frequencies, with a coverage range of 20 to 30 nautical miles. AIS provides a means to automatically exchange information between ships and with hore stations, information that can be used for identification purposes or for monitoring and tracking the movements of ships. Ship information updates range from between every 2 seconds to 6 minutes, depending upon the speed of the ship. Information broadcast by each AIS equipped ship and an information from land such as from Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) is automatically received by each AIS equipped ship within VHF radio range. |
| alee |
Away from the direction of the wind. Opposite of windward. |
| aloft |
Above the deck of the boat. |
| amidships |
In or toward the center of the boat. |
| anchorage |
A place suitable for anchoring in relation to the wind, seas and bottom. |
| apparent wind |
The speed and relative direction to from which the wind appears to blow with reference to a moving point (also called Relative Wind). |
| approved sentence |
An NMEA 0183 sentence that has been approved for general use by the NMEA general assembly and is listed in this standard and attached Appendices. |
| arrival alarm |
An alarm signal issued to indicates arrival at or at a pre-determined distance from a waypoint (see Arrival Circle). |
| arrival circle |
An artificial boundary placed around the destination waypoint of the present navigation leg, the entering of which will signal an arrival alarm. |
| arrival perpendicular |
Crossing of the line which is perpendicular to the course line and which passes through the destination waypoint. |
| ASCII |
American Standard Code for Information Interchange. A 7 bit wide serial code describing numbers, upper and lower case alpha, characters, special and non-printing characters. See American National Standards Institute documents ANSI X 3.15, ANSI X 3.16 and ANSI 3.4. |
| astern |
In back of the boat, opposite of ahead. |
| athwartships |
At right angles to the centerline of the boat; rowboat seats are generally athwart ships. |
| atomic time |
Time obtained by counting cycles of a signal in resonance with certain kinds of atoms. |
| autopilot |
An automatic device for steering a vessel so as to maintain its heading in an intended direction. Mechanical means are used to steer the rudder. A navigation system is often connected to correct for track errors, or to select new destinations. |
| aweigh |
The position of anchor as it is raised clear of the bottom. |
| azimuth |
The horizontal direction of a celestial point from a terrestrial point, expressed as the angular distance from a reference direction, usually measured from 000° at the reference direction through 359°. |
