Glossary
You may come across the following words on navigational signs or in the guide books. Here are some translations for you.
- Abordage: collision
- Accoster: to berth or draw alongside
- Affluent: tributary
- Alternat: one–way alternately
- Amarré: to moor or make fast
- Amont: upstream
- Apparaux: mooring apparatus, and navigational equipment
- Arche mariniere: arch of bridge through which navigation is allowed
- Atterissement: collection of material which might form an islet or a beach
- Aval: downstream
- Avalant: going downstream
- Babord: on the port side
- Bac: ferry
- Bajoyer: sides of the lock
- Balisage: buoys marking the channel, and indicating dangers
- Barge de poussage: Boat which is pushing another
- Barre: helm
- Bateau: boat
- Batillage: boat’s wash, or an eddy
- Bief: stretch of canal between two locks
- Bief de partage: the highest stretch
- Cajolage:to use the current to manoeuvre the boat and hold the bow against the bank in order to moor.
- Chemin de halage: tow path
- Chomage: period of interruption of navigation whilst maintenance of the waterway is carried out. (Also means unemployment)
- Conducteur: helmsman
- Confluent: junction of two waterways
- Convoi: collection of several boats to be pushed or towed
- Descente sur nage: floating without propulsion with the aid of the current
- Duc d’Albe: mooring post, dolphin
- Espar: floating or fixed pole to indicate channel
- Engin flottant: refers to working machines, crane, dredger etc.
- Etablissement flottant: fixed pontoons
- Étiage: lowest level of the waterway
- Formation a couple: two boats side by side only one of which is motorised
- Gaffe: Boathook
- Haut fond: Shallow area
- Materiel flottant: Floating material which is not a boat
- Menue embarcation: Boat of less than 20 tonnes
- Montant: travelling upstream
- Mouillage: depth of canal
- Nolisage: hiring a pleasure boat
- Péniche: barge or commercial
- Poupe: stern
- Proue: prow or bow
- Radier: sill of the lock
- Sas: Basin of lock
- Taud: projecting iron sheet, corrugated iron
- Tirant d’air: air draught
- Tirant d’eau: water draught
- Tonnage: weight of boat in metric tonnes
- Trematage: action of passing another boat, overtaking
- Tribord: starboard
