c Bowsprit.
d Jib-boom.
e Martingale.
f Spring-stay.
The mainsail and its gaff-topsail are similar to those of the sloop, but the foresail is much smaller, as it must pass between the masts in tacking, and varies little in breadth from head to foot.
A schooner yacht has a maintop-mast staysail, which is used in racing, and comes down nearly to the deck. Its sheet is rove through a block at the after end of the boom, whence it is brought back to the stern and “belayed” to a cleat.
“Belaying” is the nautical term for winding a rope on a cleat or belaying pin; which is done as a boy winds his kite string, on each end alternately, in figure-eight style.
The fore gaff-topsail is not provided with spars or booms at its edges, but has rings along its luff, like those of the lower sails, which run on the foretop-mast.
The sails of a large vessel have ropes called bolt-ropes, sewed entirely around their edges, which may, of course, be dispensed with in the sails of the miniature yacht, as they will be sufficiently strong without such aid.
The reef-points are short lengths of small rope, arranged at equal distances from each other, in rows parallel to the booms; they pass through the sail and hang down on either side. There are usually two rows of these on the foresail, and three on the mainsail, while the larger headsails are also provided with them.