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F  Fair In good condition.    Fairlead A fitting designed to control the direction of a line with minimal friction.    Fall Off Also bear away or bear off. A boat falls off the wind when it points its bow further from the eye of the wind. The opposite of heading up.    Fastening An item such as a nail, screw, rivet or other device used to fasten objects together.    Fathom A nautical measurement equaling 6 feet (182 cm). Usually used to measure depth.    Fathometer A brand name for a depth measuring device.    Fcc Rules Federal Communications Commission Rules governing radio equipment and operation in the United States.    Feathering A propeller that can have the pitch of its blade changed to reduce drag when not in use. Also see folding and variable pitch propellers.    Feet More than one foot. A foot is a unit of measurement used primarily in the United States. 1 foot equals 30.48 centimeters.    Fend Off To push a boat away from another boat or dock by hand.    Fender A cushion hung from the sides of a boat to protect it from rubbing against a dock or another boat.    Fetch The distance that wind and seas (waves) can travel toward land without being blocked. In areas without obstructions the wind and seas can build to great strength, but in areas such as sheltered coves and harbors the wind and seas can be quite calm. Fetch is also used to describe the act of sailing to a location accurately and without having to tack.    Fiberglass A construction method using layers of woven glass mats that are bonded together with an epoxy (glue).    Fid A pointed tool used to separate strands of rope.    Fiddle A small rail on tables and counters used to keep objects from sliding off when heeled or in heavy seas.    Figure-Eight A type of knot that can be used to stop a line from passing through a block or other fitting.    Fin Keel A keel that is narrow and deeper than a full keel.    Finger Pier A small pier that projects from a larger pier.    Fisherman Anchor Kedge anchor. A traditionally shaped anchor having flukes perpendicular to the stock of the anchor and connected by a shank. These are less common than modern anchors such as the plow and lightweight anchors.    Fix An accurate position of the vessel, as determined by any reasonably accurate method, such as by taking visual bearings.    Flake To fold a sail in preparation for storage.    Flame Arrester A device used to prevent or stop unwanted flames.    Flare A device which burns to produce a bright light, sometimes colored, and usually used to indicate an emergency.    Flashing Used to describe a light that blinks on and off in regular patterns.    Flemish To coil a line flat on the deck in spirals.    Flinders Bar An iron bar mounted on or near the compass to correct for magnetic deviation in steal hulled ships.    Flood Tide The incoming tide where the water comes in from the sea, lowering the water level.    Flotsam Debris floating on the water surface.    Fluke (1) The broad flat parts of an anchor that are designed to grab and hold in the bottom. (2) Also a fin on a whale.    Flush Deck A deck that is not obstructed by a cabin.    Flying Bridge A high position from which to steer a boat.    Folding A propeller having blades that fold up when not in use to reduce drag. Also see feathering and variable pitch propellers.    Following Sea A sea with waves approaching from the stern of the boat.    Foot (1) The bottom edge of a sail. (2) sailing slightly more away from the wind than close hauled to increase the boat speed. (3) A unit of measurement used primarily in the United States. 1 foot equals 30.48 centimeters. Units of more than 1 foot are known as feet.    Fore Toward the bow (front) of the vessel.    Fore and Aft Running along the length of the boat.    Fore and Aft Sail The more common position of the sail with its length running along the ship's length as opposed to a sail such as a square sail which is mounted across the width of the vessel.    Forecabin The cabin towards the front of the vessel.    Forecast A weather prediction.    Forecastle Also fo'c'sle or fo'csle. Pronounced fo'csle. The most forward below decks area of a vessel.    Foredeck The forward part of the deck.    Foremast The forward mast of a two or more masted vessel.    Forepeak The furthermost forward storage area of a vessel.    Foresail A sail placed forward of the mast, such as a jib.    Forestay A line running from the bow of the boat to the upper part of the mast designed to pull the mast forward. A forestay that attaches slightly below the top of the mast can be used to help control the bend of the mast. The most forward stay on the boat is also called the headstay.    Forestaysail A sail attached to the forestay as opposed to a jib which is attached to the headstay.    Foretriangle The space between the mast, the deck, and the headstay.    Forward Toward the bow (front) of the boat.    Forward Quarter Spring Line A mooring line running forward from the stern of the boat. The forward quarter spring line prevents the boat from moving backward while moored. The after bow spring line does the opposite.    Foul When a line ends up somewhere it does not belong and becomes jammed. Lines can foul on blocks, winches and other objects on a boat.    Founder Used to describe a boat that is having difficulty remaining afloat. "The boat foundered and then sank."    Fractional Rig A type of rig where the jib attaches below the top of the mast.    Freeboard The distance between the top of the hull and the waterline.    Freeing Port An opening in the rail (bulwarks) along the deck to allow water to drain.    Freestanding Mast A mast made out of exotic materials so that it can support itself without the use of stays. See fully stayed mast.    Fronts Used in meteorology to describe bounderies between hot and cold air masses. This is typically where bad weather is found.    Full and by Sailing as close to the wind as possible with full sails.    Full Keel A keel that runs the length of the boat. Full keels have a shallower draft than fin keels.    Fully Battened A sail having battens that run the full horizontal length of the sail.    Fully Stayed A mast supported by the use of lines known as stays and shrouds.    Furl To lower a sail. Sails are sometimes partially furled to reduce the amount of sail area in use without completely lowering the sail. This is usually known as reefing.