> In sailing, how deep is a fathom?And the answer: six feet. Photo credit: Kate RareyFathoms measure the depth of something in the water. Thelength of six feet comes from the distance between the tip of the middle fingerof the left hand, and the tip of the middle finger of the right hand, of theoutstretched arms of a large sailor.Sailing [https://www.askqotd.com/sailing/] is a sport whose understanding growsin large part from the ability to speak its language. While much of thevocabulary surrounding sailing is in relation to the wind, there are many wordswhich would be met with confused stares if spoken outside of a knowledgeablegroup of sailors (we're looking at you, "baggywrinkle[https://www.dvidshub.net/video/492436/coast-guard-cutter-eagle-baggywrinkle-explained]" and "cat-head"). Sailing's unique vocabulary draws from, in large part, necessity. Often,situations on the water that require quick-thinking or a quick response willalso require the ability to communicate this need with as few words as possible.As such, the terminology has been around since the practice began, hundreds ofyears ago.Among the most need-to-know terms in sailing are those which refer directionallyto the sides of the boat. If you're on board and looking towards the front, portis the left [https://www.askqotd.com/sailing/], while starboard is the right.Stern is the back, while the bow is the front. Easy enough, right? Not so fast. While the term for moving forward is "ahead," the term for movingbackward is "astern." Meanwhile, a right angle to the boat (on either side) iscalled "abeam," and changing direction into the eye of the wind is called"tacking" or "coming about." In sailing terminology, there isn't any real codeto the inverse of a direction, nor is there really any code whatsoever. Beyondthe terms we've mentioned, there are hundreds more. Learn more about the use ofsailing terminology here [https://www.lifeofsailing.com/post/sailing-terms].