Boat Sailing in Fair Weather and Foul, 6th ed.

by A. J. Kenealy

Many riggers shackle the shrouds to an iron band fitted to the hounds. This plan is open to objection. There may be a flaw in the iron and the band may give way suddenly, causing the mast to snap off short like the stem of a clay pipe. Bands may look a little more snug than the collars, but they are heavier aloft and not so reliable, and for these reasons I am old-fashioned enough to prefer the collars.

TOPMAST RIGGING.

For a small sloop, cutter or yawl, a pole mast is preferable; but all boats more than twenty feet on the water line should be fitted with topmasts, the rigging of which is shown in the cut.

The running bowsprit is almost obsolete now-a-days, but the device still finds favor with certain owners of cutters and yawls of large size. It certainly has its advantages. The length of the bowsprit is reduced as the jibs are shifted, until when the "spitfire" or storm-jib is set the bowsprit is run so far inboard that it looks like a mere stump. In a sea-way the benefit of this is obvious, the weight being materially reduced forward and the pitching consequently lessened. The jib also sits well and does its work, and is far preferable to that horror of horrors the "bobbed" jib of a sloop, which always makes a sailor's flesh creep when he sees it. How it has managed to survive is a marvel to me. It is a lubberly and slovenly device not good enough for a scow. The rigging of a running bowsprit is shown in the cut.

RIG OF RUNNING BOWSPRIT.

When it becomes necessary to set the storm trysail, lower away the mainsail and furl it as fast as possible. Lower the boom down into the crutch amidships, and secure it by hauling the sheet taut and by tackles or lashings from each quarter. Unhook the throat and peak halyards and hook them on to the trysail gaff, the jaws of which parral on to the mast, allowing the gaff end to rest on the deck. The topping lifts must be unhooked from the main boom and taken in to the mast or the rigging, so as to be out of the way of the trysail. Lace the head of the trysail to the gaff. The clew of the trysail is hauled aft by a luff-tackle which forms the sheet. Another tackle should be hooked to the clew and made fast to windward over the main boom and gaff, so that in case of a shift of wind the sheet may be hauled aft on the other side without delay or the danger of getting aback. Then you can man the throat and peak halyards and set the sail, trimming the sheet well down.

If you should have the misfortune to carry away the main boom, and you have no trysail on board, lower away the sail, unlace it from the boom, close-reef it, and set it with a luff-tackle for a sheet. When about to set the storm trysail and your vessel is yawl rigged, set the storm mizzen. It will keep her head up to the sea while the sails are being shifted. In a cutter, heave to by hauling the fore sheet to windward, keeping the jib full. Shifting jibs in heavy weather in a cutter requires care. The first thing to do is to get the sail up from below and stretch it along the weather side of the forward deck with the head aft. Haul the foresheet to windward and trim the mainsheet in flat, tricing up the tack if the sail is loose-footed. Keep the boat as close to the wind as possible. Let go the jib outhaul, and the sail will fly in along the bowsprit. Muzzle it, man the down-haul, let go the halyards and down with it! Then reef the bowsprit. Some cutters are fitted with a rack and pinion wheel, with a handle like that of a winch, for this purpose. If not supplied with this handy contrivance, reeve a heel rope, and after slacking the bobstay fall and the falls of the shrouds and topmast stay, heave on it until you can knock the fid out. Then rouse the bowsprit in by the shroud tackles to the second or third fid holes, as desired; ship the fid and set up the gear, beginning with the bobstay, the weather shroud next and the lee shroud last, at the same time taking in the slack of the topmast stay. Now to set the jib. First hook on the sheets and take a turn with the lee one; next hook on the tack to the traveler and the halyards to the head. Man the outhaul and bowse the tack out to the bowsprit end. Hoist up on the halyards and sweat up with the purchase. Trim the sheet, let draw the foresheet, ease off the mainsheet and sail her along again. If these instructions are carried out a storm jib may be set on a reefed bowsprit without parting a rope yarn.