Glossary of Marine Terms
K
keel
the lowest structural member of a ship or boat which runs the length of the vessel at the centerline and to which the frames are attached.
keel line
an imaginary line describing the lowest portion of a vessel’s hull.
kevel (caval)
a heavy, metal deck fitting having two horn-shaped arms projecting outward around which lines may be made fast for towing or mooring of a vessel.
killed steel
steel deoxidized with a strong deoxidizing agent such as silicon or aluminum in order to reduce the oxygen content to such a level that no reaction occurs between carbon and oxygen during solidification of the molten steel in the ingot. killed steel products will produce a more chemically uniform analysis from the bottom to the top of the ingot. killed steel is considered having less chemical segregation than semi-killed or rimmed steel.
knot
one nautical mile per hour; used as a unit of measurement in expressing the rate of speed of seagoing vessels and the relative speed of water currents.
