What is the yard on a sailboat?
A yard is a spar on a mast from which sails are set. It may be constructed of timber or steel or from more modern materials like aluminium or carbon fibre. Although some types of fore and aft rigs have yards, the term is usually used to describe the horizontal spars used on square rigged sails.
What is a topsail yard?
A jack-yard topsail (or club topsail) instead has its lower edge (or foot) extended out beyond the end of the gaff with a short yard, called a “jack-yard”. A jack-yard topsail may also have the aforementioned vertical yard, although this makes for a very large topsail.
What is the foresail called?
In a sailing vessel, the term “foresail” can refer to a number of different types of sail. It is most commonly used to refer to one of the sails set on the foremost mast, called the foremast. If the aftmost mast is taller, then it is the mainmast and the mast forward of it is a foremast.
What are the yards on a schooner?
These masts rise vertically from the deck of the ship and are approximately 45 feet high. Attached to the upper ends of these masts are topmasts, which extend another 15 feet towards the sky and are used to hold Sultana’s two topsails in place. Some spars lay horizontally. These spars are called yards.
How is the yard connected to the mast?
SLINGS, the middle, or that part of a yard attached to the mast. SNAPING, reducing the ends of any piece to a less substance.
What does square the yards mean?
To “square a yard” is to lay the yards at right angles to the line of the keel by trimming with the braces.
What is a spar on a ship?
A spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fibre used in the rigging of a sailing vessel to carry or support its sail. These include yards, booms, and masts, which serve both to deploy sail and resist compressive and bending forces, as well as the bowsprit and spinnaker pole.
What is a Jackyard?
noun Nautical. a small, inclined spar upholding the head of a quadrangular gaff topsail similar in form to a lugsail.
Is a jib a foresail?
Sails set forward of the mainmast, such as jibs and staysails, are sometimes referred to as foresails, although “headsails” is a more common term, headsail can also specifically refer to the sail on a forestay that connects directly to the head of the mast.
What is cut of your jib?
One’s general appearance or personality, as in I don’t like the cut of Ben’s jib. In the 17th century the shape of the jib sail often identified a vessel’s nationality, and hence whether it was hostile or friendly. The term was being used figuratively by the early 1800s, often to express like or dislike for someone.
What does the sun’s over the yardarm mean?
A traditional nautical saying to indicate that it is time for a morning drink.
What is the halyard on a sailboat?
The rope that runs up the mast to pull up the mainsail is called the halyard and to bring the sail down the line is called the downhaul. The lines that are used when sailing are called sheets and each sheet will refer to the sail that it controls.
What is a fore yard on a sailboat?
Fore and aft yards. As well as the square-rig yard, the traditional lateen rig is a triangular sail rigged fore and aft from a long yard mounted at an angle (downward sloping forward) from the mast. As well, some smaller fore and aft rigs use a yard.
What is a foresail on a boat?
A foresail is one of a few different types of sail set on the foremost mast ( foremast) of a sailing vessel : A fore-and-aft sail set on the foremast of a schooner or similar vessel.
What is foremast sail?
A fore-and-aft sail set on the foremast of a schooner or similar vessel. The lowest square sail on the foremast of a full-rigged ship or other vessel which is square-rigged.
What is the purpose of a sail yard?
The yard exists to allow square sails to be set to drive the ship. The top edge of the sail is ‘bent on’ (attached) to the yard semi-permanently. Clewlines and buntlines are led along the yard and from there to the mast and down to the deck. These allow the bottom of the sail to be hoisted up to the yard,…