SAIL (continued)

The ropes by which the lower yards of a ship are hoisted up to their proper heighth on the masts, are called the jears. In all other sails the ropes employed for this purpose are called haliards. The principal sails are then expanded by haliards, sheets, and bowlines, except the courses, which are always stretched out below by a tack and sheet. See BOWLINE, CLOSE-HAULED, &c. They are drawn up together, or trussed up, by bunt-lines, clue-lines, d d, fig. I. Leech-lines, e e, reef-tackles, ff; flab-line, g; and spilling-lines. As the bunt-lines and leech-lines pass on the other side of the sail, they are expressed by dotted lines in the figure. See those articles.

The courses, top-sails, and top-gallant sails, are wheeled about the mast, so as to suit the various directions of the wind by braces. The higher studding-sails, and in general all the stay-sails, are drawn down, so as to be furled, or taken in, by down-hauls. See BRACE, TRIM, and DOWN-HAUL.

SAIL is also a name applied to any vessel beheld at a distance under sail.

Reference Works