What is the stern of a boat?
The stern is the after or rear end of a vessel. It is a physical part of the boat, opposite the bow; astern describes a direction beyond it.
Related terms
How it works
Stern is used to locate equipment and lights and to describe how vessels approach one another. A sternlight is a white light showing over a 135° sector centred aft—it is not an all-round white light.
The overtaking sector lies behind a line more than 22.5° abaft the beam. At night, an overtaking vessel would initially see the vessel ahead’s sternlight and neither sidelight.
Stern, aft, and astern
Stern names the end structure. Aft means toward that end while remaining within the vessel’s frame, and astern means beyond the stern or moving backward. Keeping these distinct makes helm, lookout, and engine reports clearer.
On the water
- A vessel approaching from behind may first see only the white sternlight.
- A towline normally leads from the towing vessel’s stern area.
- During a gybe, the stern passes through the wind.
Common mistake
Stern and astern are not interchangeable: the stern is part of the boat; astern is a direction or motion.
Remember it
The sternlight faces the wake behind the boat.