So, after 20 posts, it's still not clear to me what the name of this line is.  I guess I will call it the "referance line".  Having beeen technically involved in boats, a waterline is only a straight line in the side and fore and aft views of the vessel.  In the the rest of the views, it is a curved line.  Waterlines were used in to determine offsets so the shape of the hull could be described and reproduced.  The line I'm interested in is always straight.</p>

Cockpit is still the area where the vessel is controlled, unless it has a wheelhouse or pilothouse. </p>