The Sails

Encyclopedia Appendex I - the Sails

 * Beating or “Beating Into the Wind” - a ship zig-zagging operation into the wind or turning it by steering to windward.
 * Bowsprit Sails - (from inboard out) Inner Jib, Outer Jib, Flying Jib.
 * Braces - ropes running from each yardarm and allow the yard to be swiveled horizontally to catch the wind.
 * Bunt - the main belly or center of the sail.
 * Buntlines - are used in Reefing and Furling.


 * Clewlines - connect the clews to the middle of the sails spar.
 * Clews - the bottom two corners of a square sail.
 * Close Hauled - means sailing close to the wind - usually while beating upwind. Would generally describe the closest a vessel can put her head to the wind.


 * Earnings - the two top corners of a square sail.


 * Foot - the bottom edges of a square sail.
 * Foot Rope - runs underneath the yards for men to stand on while furling the sails.
 * Foremast Sails - (from top to bottom) Fore Royal, Fore Topgallant, Fore Topsail, Main course or Fore mainsail.
 * Furling - bundling sails up and securing them to a yard.


 * Gibing - term for turning to leeward.


 * Halyards - ropes connected to the clews.
 * Head - the top edges of a square sail.


 * Jib - at prow (in the modern sense) is the part of the hull that cuts the water, i.e. the bow. It should be a triangular staysail set ahead of the foremast (and usually attached to the bowsprit). It helps track the mainsail into a tack (similar to the front bogies on a train).


 * Lateen Sail - it is a form of gaff-rig usually seen on Mediterranean vessels - including the PotBS Xebec, the Arab Dhow, and the modern Sunfish-class. It's a triangular sail which is attached to a gaff which is then set on the mast.
 * Leech - the outer edge of a square sail.
 * Leeward - downwind from a point of reference.
 * Lifts - ropes from the masthead to the yardarms.
 * Lug Sail – a Trapezoidal sail used on gaff-rigs, and (strangely enough) lug-rigs.


 * Mainmast Sails - (from top to bottom) Main Royal, Main Topgallant, Main Topsail.
 * Mizenmast Sails - (from top to bottom) Mizen royal, Mizen topgallant, Mizen topsail, Driver.
 * Moonraker - above the Skysail would be the Moonraker.


 * Reefing - making a sail smaller by rolling up part of it.
 * Running Rigging - all the ropes used to control the sails in working the ship are known as the Running Rigging.


 * Sheets - are either fastened to the yardarms below or, in the case of the main courses, used to control the sail. They are the lines attached to bottom corners of the sails which sailors heave on. The term "sheet in" describes the drawing of the sails.
 * Shrouds - go from the masts to the sides of the ship.
 * Skysail - ships larger might carry more sails. Above the Main Royal would be the Skysail.
 * Slings - ropes to the middle of the yard, control the vertical movement of the yard.
 * Square Yard - is a spar tapered at each end and held at its midpoint at right angles to the mast.
 * Standing Rigging - supports the masts. In the latter case.
 * Stays (Fore Stays and Back Stays etc.) - run fore and aft.
 * Staysails - are fore and aft sails between the masts.
 * Studding Sails or Stunsails - (pronounced stuns`l) were used on either side of the Main Sails, Top Sails and Top Gallants, carried on extensions to the yards, to get the maximum amount of canvas in light winds. Stunsails are said to be the invention of Sir Walter Raleigh.


 * Tack (Tacking) - is a maneuver used while beating upwind, namely by turning into the wind. This requires more speed to power through the "irons" stage and most square-rigs are only capable of doing this when there is sufficient wind. In light winds or a headsea, they must wear.
 * Three Sheets to the Wind – letting the three sheets of a ship-rig off into the wind (letting them go) which causes the sails to flap around (shudder and shake) and make tons of noise. Being three sheets into the wind is to be so drunk the sailor can't walk straight.
 * Topgallant - highest of the three spars used to make a mast. Saying "topgallant" alone can refer to both the topgallant mast, or the topgallant sail.


 * Yardarm - the outer end of the yard.
 * Yards - sails are carried on Yards named by their mast and their position on the mast