Windward and Leeward

Windward And Leeward

Windward is the direction upwind from the point of reference. Leeward is the direction downwind from the point of reference. The side of a ship that is towards the leeward is its lee side. If the vessel is heeling under the pressure of the wind, this will be the "lower side". During the age of sail, the term "weather" was used as a synonym for "windward" in some contexts, as in "the weather gauge".