A spatial relationship where two ships, or a ship and a landmark, are aligned laterally. When vessels are moored abreast, they are tied up side-by-side. When a ship is abreast of a navigational mark, the mark is directly off the beam.
Heard on the job
The tugs brought the barge abreast of the cargo pier before pushing her in.
Do not mix it up with
- Abeam: Abeam refers to an object's bearing relative to the ship (90 degrees), while abreast usually describes two things moving or moored side-by-side.