B
BACK of the post to BALANCE of the mizen
BACK of the post
BACK an anchor
BACK astern
BACK the sails
BACK-BOARD
BACK-STAYS
BADGE
BAGPIPE the mizen
To BALANCE
BALANCE of the mizen
BALANCE of the boom sail to BARK
BARNACLE to BEAMS
BEAMS to BED of a river
BED of a cannon to BIGHT
BILANDER to BLACK-STRAKES
BLADE to Trim the BOAT!
To bale the BOAT to BOLT-ROPE
BOMB to BOTTOM
BOTTOM to BOX-HAULING
BOXING to To BREAK-UP
BREAK-WATER to BRIDLES of the bowline
BRIG, or BRIGANTINE to Ship-BUILDING
Ship-BUILDING to BUNTINE
BUNTLINES to BUTTONS
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BACK-STAYS
BACK-STAYS, (cale-haubans, Fr.) from back and stay, long ropes reaching from the topmast-heads to the starboard and larboard sides of the ship, where they are extended to the channels: they are used to support the top-masts, and second the efforts of the shrouds, when the mast is strained by a weight of sail in a fresh wind.They are usually distinguished into breast-back-stays and after-back-stays; the intent of the former being to sustain the top-mast when the font of the wind acts upon the ship sidewise, or, according to the sea-phrase, when the ship sails upon a wind; and the purpose of the latter is to enable it to carry sail when the wind is further aft.
There are also back-stays for the top-gallant-masts, in large ships, which are fixed in the same manner with those of the top-masts.
A pair of back-stays is usually formed of one rope, which is doubled in the middle, and fastened there so as to form an eye, which passes over the mast-head, from whence the two ends hang down, and are stretched to the channels by dead-eyes and laniards. See DEAD-EYES, &c.
The figure of the back-stays, and their position, is exhibited in the article RIGGING, to which the reader is further referred.
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Reference Works |  |
© Derived from Thomas Cadell's new corrected edition, London: 1780, page 27, 2003
Prepared by Paul Turnbull
http://southseas.nla.gov.au/refs/falc/0099.html