Wake - The swell caused by a boat passing through water
Category: - Maritime

Warfinger - A man in charge of a docking facility. He authorizes ships to dock, and collects fees from them for docking, and is responsible for arranging for repairs to the dock.
Category: - Maritime

Warm Front - A front that moves in such a way that the warmer air replaces the colder air.
Category: - Weather

Watch - The day at sea is divided into six four hour periods. Three groups of watchstanders are on duty for four hours and then off for eight, then back to duty. Seamen often work overtime during their off time.
Category: - Maritime

Water Line - Any one of certain lines of a ship parallel with (and at various heights above) the base line. In half-breadth plans the waterlines are smooth curves showing the shape of the ship; in profile plans they a re projected as straight lines
Category: - Maritime

Watertight - So riveted, caulked, or welded as to prevent the passage of water.
Category: - Maritime

Wave - In meteorology, the intersection of warm and cold fronts.
Category: - Weather

Ways - Timbers, etc., on which a ship is built or launched.
Category: - Maritime

Weather - State of the atmosphere with respect to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness. Also, weather is the meteorological day-to-day variations of the atmosphere and their effects on life and human activity. It includes temperature, pressure, humidity, clouds, wind, precipitation and fog.
Category: - Weather

Weather Deck - A deck exposed to the weather.
Category: - Maritime

Weather Report - A weather report is a statement of the actual weather conditions observed at a specific time at a specific site.
Category: - Weather

Weather Warning - Announcements separate from and supplementary to routine forecasts issued to warn of weather conditions that may endanger lives, property and the welfare of the general public. Warnings are broadcast by the media, on the Weatheradio Canada System and by the Coast Guard. They are issued for snowstorms, blizzards, heavy blowing snow, heavy rains, frost, cold waves, freezing rain, severe thunderstorms and strong winds - according to thresholds established for local and regional public needs. In Vancouver a warning might be issued for an expected snowfall of 5 cm or more while in Halifax a warning would only be issued for 15 cm or more of snow.
Category: - Risk - Weather

Weigh Anchor - To raise the anchor
Category: - Maritime

Well - A cofferdam or a sump in the double bottom.
Category: - Maritime

Winch - A small hoisting device; used in pulling lines or cables in handling cargo. Can be hand, air motor, electric, steam, engine, etc...powered.
Category: - Maritime

Wind - The horizontal movement of air relative to the earth's surface.
Category: - Weather

Windlass - A machine used to hoist the anchors by winding in the anchor chain.
Category: - Maritime

Windward - Upwind, or the direction from which the wind is blowing; the opposite of leeward.
Category: - Maritime

Wind Warning - A wind warning is normally issued for the inland forecast regions if winds are expected to reach a steady speed of 65 km/h, or to reach a speed of 90 km/h in gusts.
Category: - Risk - Weather

Wind Chill - The combined cooling effect of wind and temperature is called wind chill. The wind chill factor is a measure of this cooling effect. The larger the wind chill factor, the faster the rate of cooling. Note, however, that an object will not be cooled below the actual air temperature, it will just get there faster.
Category: - Weather

WIRA - Water Incidents Research Alliance
Category: - Maritime - Risk - Acronym

World Geographic Reference System - The World Geographic Reference System (GEOREF) is used for aircraft navigation and is based on latitude and longitude. The globe is divided into twelve bands of latitude and twenty-four zones of longitude, each 15° in extent. These 15° areas are further divided into one degree units identified by 15 characters.
Category: - GIS

Wu - Uncorrected Sweep Width
Category: - General