AMPHIBIAN A seaplane with retractable wheel-type landing gear that can be extended to allow landings to be made on land.

ANCHOR A heavy hook connected to the seaplane by a line or cable, intended to dig into the bottom and keep the seaplane from drifting.

AUXILIARY FIN An additional vertical stabilizer installed on some float planes to offset the increased surface area of the floats in front of the center of gravity.

BEACHING Pulling a seaplane up onto a suitable shore so that its weight is supported by relatively dry ground rather than water.

BEAUFORT WIND SCALE A standardized scale ranging from 0-12 correlating the velocity of the wind with predictable surface features of the water.

BILGE The lowest point inside a float, hull, or watertight compartment.

BILGE PUMP A pump used to extract water that has leaked into the bilge of a float or flying boat.

BULKHEAD A structural partition that divides a float or a flying boat hull into separate compartments and provides additional strength.

BUOYANCY The tendency of a body to float or to rise when submerged in a fluid.

BUOYS Floating objects moored to the bottom to mark a channel, waterway, or obstruction.

CAN BUOYS Cylindrical buoys marking the left side of a channel for an inbound vessel. They have odd numbers which increase from seaward.

CAPSIZE To overturn.

CAST OFF To release or untie a vessel from its mooring point.

CENTER OF BUOYANCY The average point of buoyancy in floating objects. Weight added above this point will cause the floating object to sit deeper in the water in a level attitude.

CHINE The longitudinal seam joining the sides to the bottom of the float. The chines serve a structural purpose, transmitting loads from the bottoms to the sides of the floats. They also serve a hydrodynamic purpose, guiding water away from the float, reducing spray, and contributing to hydrodynamic lift.

CHOP A roughened condition of the sea surface caused by local winds. It is characterized by its irregularity, short distance between crests, and whitecaps.