Printable Free Nautical Word Search

A sailing puzzle of boat, knot and harbor words that prints with its answer key.

Name Date

Nautical Word Search

Find every word hidden in the grid. Words go across and down.

0 of 15 words found

RSIBEOACRIKNILM

AWNBWESOUAZDEOA

HJVTHULLSDSORES

SZCUASTARBOARDT

THPORTWHJBSLMXB

UNCOFLIGHTHOUSE

DSEEDXASQYKNOTP

MTEQSELOHCHIHEN

CHARTRNIWOMSRRL

LESDDCOMPASSFNE

EWNEHRSDECKHAND

AJBOWSKIPPERSDN

TISQTWWTNNFIPBE

RBKSCMHHAYBBAOU

OANTIRENREYRSJK

This grid is wider and taller than its box. Slide it to see every letter.To drag, hold the first letter for a moment, then slide.Keyboard: Tab to the grid, arrow keys to move, Enter on the first and last letter.

PortPORT
StarboardSTARBOARD
BowBOW
SternSTERN
KnotKNOT
CleatCLEAT
MastMAST
JibJIB
HullHULL
CompassCOMPASS
ChartCHART
LighthouseLIGHTHOUSE
WharfWHARF
SkipperSKIPPER
DeckhandDECKHAND

15 of 27 words from the Nautical list.

Write a ship's log entry for today. Use three words from the list.

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Word list

Large print Lower-case letters Name and date line on paper

The puzzle changes as you go. See the puzzle

Answer key: Nautical Word Search

RSIBEOACRIKNILM

AWNBWESOUAZDEOA

HJVTHULLSDSORES

SZCUASTARBOARDT

THPORTWHJBSLMXB

UNCOFLIGHTHOUSE

DSEEDXASQYKNOTP

MTEQSELOHCHIHEN

CHARTRNIWOMSRRL

LESDDCOMPASSFNE

EWNEHRSDECKHAND

AJBOWSKIPPERSDN

TISQTWWTNNFIPBE

RBKSCMHHAYBBAOU

OANTIRENREYRSJK

PORT, STARBOARD, BOW, STERN, KNOT, CLEAT, MAST, JIB, HULL, COMPASS, CHART, LIGHTHOUSE, WHARF, SKIPPER, DECKHAND

Next step Print the geography word search Make a word search from your own sailing words

All 134 words

Directions on Board 13

Aft Toward the back of a boat.
Alongside Right next to a dock or another boat.
Amidships In the middle of a vessel, halfway between its two ends.
Beam The widest part of a boat, measured from side to side.
Below Down inside the boat, under the deck.
Bow The front end of a boat.
Fore Toward the front of a boat.
Leeward The sheltered side, away from where the breeze comes.
Port The left side of a boat when you face the front. Its night light is red.
Starboard The right side of a boat when you face the front. Its night light is green.
Stern The back end of a boat.
Topside Up on the open deck.
Windward The side the breeze is blowing from.

Show all 134 words (121 more)

Knots and Lines 16

Bight A loop or curve in the middle of a rope.
Cleat A fitting with two horns that a rope is wound around to hold it.
Coil Rope laid in neat loops so it runs out without a tangle.
Fender A cushion hung over the side to protect the hull at a dock.
Figure eight A stopper tied at the end of a rope, named for the number it looks like.
Halyard The rope that hoists a sail or a flag.
Hawser A very thick rope for towing or tying up a ship.
Hitch A way of tying a rope to a post, a ring or another rope.
Knot A fastening tied in rope. Also a speed of one nautical mile an hour.
Lanyard A short cord that keeps a tool or a whistle from being lost.
Line A rope with a job to do on a boat.
Marlinspike A pointed metal tool that opens the strands of a rope.
Painter A short rope at the front of a small boat, used to tie it up.
Sheet The rope that pulls a sail in or lets it out. It is not the sail.
Splice To join two ropes by weaving their strands together.
Winch A drum turned by a handle that winds in a rope.

Sails and Hull 19

Ballast Heavy weight carried low in a ship to keep it steady.
Batten A long, thin, bendy strip set into a sail to help it keep its shape.
Bilge The lowest part inside the hull, where water collects.
Boom The pole along the bottom edge of a sail.
Centerboard A plate that swings down through a slot in the bottom of a small sailboat and lifts for shallow water.
Hull The body of a boat, the part that floats.
Jib A three-cornered sail set in front of the main one.
Luff The front edge of a sail, the one nearest the breeze.
Mainsail The largest piece of canvas on most boats, hoisted behind the mast.
Mast The tall pole that holds up the sails.
Regatta A series of boat races.
Rudder The flat blade at the back, under the water, that steers a boat.
Shroud A wire or rope that holds the mast up from each side.
Spar Any pole that holds or spreads a sail.
Spinnaker A big, light, balloon-shaped sail for running before the breeze.
Tack To turn the front of a boat through the breeze so it fills the other side.
Telltale A bit of yarn or ribbon on a sail that shows how the air is flowing.
Tiller The bar a sailor pushes or pulls to steer a small boat.
Trim To adjust the sails so they catch the breeze well.

Navigation 21

Beacon A fixed light or mark that guides ships or warns of danger.
Bearing The direction of one object from another, given in degrees.
Buoy An anchored float that marks a channel or a hazard.
Chart A map of the sea that shows depths, rocks and coastlines.
Chronometer A very exact clock once carried on ships to work out how far east or west they were.
Compass An instrument with a needle that points to magnetic north.
Course The route a boat is steered along.
Dead reckoning Working out where you are from your speed, your direction and the time passed.
Doldrums A calm belt near the equator where sailing ships could sit for days without a breeze.
Ebb The flow of the tide going out.
Fathom A depth of six feet.
Foghorn A loud, deep signal sounded when ships cannot see each other.
Heading The direction a boat is pointing.
Landfall The first sight of shore after a sea trip, or the arrival there.
League An old measure of distance. At sea it was three nautical miles.
Lighthouse A tower with a bright lamp that warns and guides ships at night.
Logbook The written record of a voyage, kept day by day.
Mayday The spoken distress call. It was chosen to sound like French words meaning help me.
Nautical mile A sea distance of 1,852 meters, a little more than the land unit of 5,280 feet.
North Star The bright point of light that stays almost above the top of the globe, used to find direction at night.
Semaphore Signaling by holding two flags in different positions.

Kinds of Boats 18

Barge A long flat-bottomed boat for carrying heavy loads.
Catamaran A boat with two hulls side by side.
Clipper A fast merchant sailing ship of the mid-1800s. Many raced home with tea from China.
Cutter A sailing boat with one mast and two or more sails in front of it.
Dinghy A small open boat, often carried or towed by a bigger one.
Ferry A boat that carries people and cars across water on a regular run.
Fleet A group of ships that sail together.
Freighter A ship built to carry goods.
Icebreaker A ship with a strong front that clears a path through frozen water.
Ketch A sailing boat with two masts, the shorter one behind the taller.
Sailboat A craft moved by the wind.
Schooner A sailing ship with two or more masts, rigged with sails set along its length, not across it.
Skiff A small, light, open boat.
Tanker A ship built to carry liquid in bulk.
Trawler A fishing boat that drags a net behind it.
Tugboat A small, strong vessel that pushes or pulls big ships.
Windjammer A big cargo sailing ship with three or more masts, often with an iron hull.
Yacht A boat built for pleasure trips or racing.

In the Harbor 14

Anchor A heavy hooked weight on a chain that holds a boat in place.
Berth A ship's place at a dock. Also a bed on board.
Bollard A short, thick post on a dock that ropes are tied to.
Breakwater A wall built out into the sea to shelter a harbor from waves.
Dry dock A basin that is drained of water so a ship can be built or repaired.
Gangway The movable bridge people walk across between ship and shore.
Harbor A sheltered place where ships can stay safely.
Marina A harbor with docks and services for small pleasure boats.
Mooring A fixed place where a boat is tied up, or the gear that holds it.
Quay A stone or concrete landing place beside the water. Most often said like key.
Shipyard A place where ships are built and repaired.
Slipway A ramp for sliding boats into and out of the water.
Stevedore A worker who loads and unloads ships.
Wharf A platform built along the shore where ships load and unload.

The Crew 14

Aye aye A sailor's reply that means the order is understood and will be carried out.
Bunk A narrow bed built against a wall.
Coxswain The person who steers and commands a rowing crew or a ship's boat.
Deckhand A crew member who does the hands-on work of a ship, such as handling lines.
Eight bells The strokes that mark the end of a four-hour turn on duty.
Helmsman The crew member at the wheel or tiller, who steers the boat.
Mariner Another word for a sailor.
Old salt A nickname for a sailor with many years at sea.
Purser The ship's officer who looks after money and passengers.
Sea legs The knack of keeping your balance on a moving deck.
Shipmate A fellow member of the same crew.
Skipper The person in command of a boat.
Steward A crew member who looks after passengers and meals.
Watch A turn on duty, usually four hours. Also the crew who share it.

Sayings from the Sea 19

Aloof Distant and not friendly. It began as an order to keep the front of the ship toward the breeze.
Bitter end The very last part. On a ship, the inboard end of the anchor cable.
By and large On the whole. It comes from a ship that sails well both close to the breeze and with it behind.
Chock-a-block Packed full. At sea, said of hoisting gear hauled so tight that its two pulleys touch.
Cut and run To hurry away. At sea, to sever the anchor cable and leave at once.
Even keel Steady and calm. At sea, said of a ship that floats level.
Flagship The best or most important of a group. First, the vessel that carries a fleet's commander.
Hand over fist Quickly and in large amounts. It first described a fast way of climbing or hauling on a line.
Headway Progress. At sea, the forward movement of a ship.
High and dry Left without help. At sea, said of a ship stranded out of the water.
Jury rig To make a quick fix with whatever is at hand. At sea, to put up makeshift masts and sails.
Learn the ropes To find out how a job is done. A new sailor had many lines to master.
Leeway Room to spare. At sea, the sideways drift of a ship pushed by the breeze.
Mainstay The chief support of something. On a ship, a strong rope that steadies the biggest mast.
Offing In the phrase that means coming soon. At sea, the distant water that can be seen from shore.
Plain sailing Something easy. At sea, a passage through waters free from hazards.
Shipshape Neat and in good order. Sailors had to keep their small quarters this way.
Taken aback Surprised. At sea, said of a ship when a sudden shift of wind presses its sails against the mast.
Under way Already started. At sea, said of a vessel that is moving and not anchored or tied up.

How this list was compiled: Own work: the word list and every clue were written for this page. Word meanings were checked on 9 October 2026 against each word's entry in Wiktionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/starboard and the entries for the other words), and the sea meanings of the sayings follow the Wiktionary entries and their etymologies. Facts in the clues were checked the same day against these English Wikipedia articles: Port and starboard (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_and_starboard), Navigation light, Knot (unit), Ship's bell, Mayday, Marine chronometer, Figure-eight knot, Centreboard, Ketch, Clipper, Windjammer, Sail batten, Cleat (nautical), Dry dock and Polaris. Licence: own work

How it works

Port, Starboard, Bow, Stern, Knot, Anchor, Mast and Compass are on the list this printable free nautical word search opens on. Every word has a clue, and one list holds everyday sayings that have a second meaning at sea.

Read the full guide

Seven lists, from the bow to the harbor

Directions on Board has Fore, Aft, Windward and Leeward. Knots and Lines has Hitch, Splice, Halyard and Cleat. Sails and Hull has Jib, Boom, Tiller and Spinnaker. Navigation has Chart, Buoy, Fathom and Dead reckoning. Kinds of Boats has Ketch, Tugboat and Catamaran, In the Harbor has Wharf, Quay and Bollard, and The Crew has Skipper and Coxswain.

An eighth list: Sayings from the Sea

It holds nineteen sayings. Leeway is the drift of a ship pushed off its course by the wind, the bitter end is the inboard end of an anchor cable, and a ship taken aback has its sails pressed against the mast by a sudden shift of wind.

A sheet is a rope, not a sail: it is the line that pulls a sail in or lets it out.
Quay is most often said like key, so pupils who know the word by ear may not spot it in the grid.

Questions and answers

Is the nautical word search free to print?

Yes, with nothing to sign up for. Press Print or save as PDF. Page one is the puzzle with a name and date line and a ship's log task, and page two is the answer key, on Letter or A4.

What words are in the nautical word search?

134 words and phrases, from Aft and Jib to Dead reckoning and Hand over fist. It is a classroom list: no weapon and no drink word is in it, and no ship, navy or person is named.

What do port and starboard mean?

Port is the left side of a boat when you face the bow, and starboard is the right. From dusk to dawn the port side shows a red light and the starboard side a green one. Source: Wikipedia, Port and starboard, read 9 October 2026.

Is there an easier list for younger sailors?

Yes. Short and Easy has 12 words of 3 to 5 letters, among them Bow, Aft, Mast, Hull, Jib and Buoy, and on the Easy level words run only across and down.

All 134 words

Directions on Board 13

Knots and Lines 16

Sails and Hull 19

Navigation 21

Kinds of Boats 18

In the Harbor 14

The Crew 14

Sayings from the Sea 19

How it works

Seven lists, from the bow to the harbor

An eighth list: Sayings from the Sea

Questions and answers

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