Language: jargon: sailing
Bow: Naut.
n.- The forward (front) end of the boat.
- On a direct-reversing vessel, such as some car ferries, the end of the boat which is currently leading.
"The pointy end" is a common joke. The bow is, usually, pointed, but many hull designs, such as prams and scows, may in fact have flat bows. Other designs feature bulbous and rounded shapes, such as the Dutch Boiers and Mediterranean caravelles. The shape of the bow seen in profile may also have quite a range, from bluff vertical stems to curvaceous clipper bows, with or without long overhangs. Some boats attached trailer boards or figureheads at the bow.
At the bow are usually found chocks for mooring lines and anchor cables, bitts or cleats for tying them off, as well as other ground tackle gear such as a capstan or wildcat if the boat has them. The bow is made up of the stem, the luff planking, the foredeck structures, and spars such as bowsprit or staysail clubs if they are fitted.
References:- Edwards, Fred; Sailing as a Second Language; International Marine Publishing Company; © 1988 Highmark Publishing Ltd.; ISBN 0-87742-965-0