SLOOP.
Now each part of a sail has a name, as follows: the luff (l) is that part which extends along the mast; the after-leach (h) is that part which is stretched between the gaff and boom; the head (d) is that part fastened to the gaff, and the foot (f) is the part secured to the boom. The four corners are, in general, called clews, and are divided into tack (1), nock (2), peak (3), and clew (4). The jib has a luff or hoist, head, foot, and leach, but only three clews.
The reef-points extend across the sails, and are pieces of small rope sewed into the canvas for the purpose of "shortening" the sail, when lowered, by passing and tying the ends under the boom or along the foot.
The mainsail is set by throat and peak halyards, which reeve through small blocks on the gaff, down along the mast to the deck. They are usually separate, but on small boats are combined in one rope for the sake of convenience.
The jib is hoisted by jib-halyards, which reeve along the jibstay, through a block at the mast-head, and down on deck.
The main-sheet is a long rope fastened to the boom, double or single, according to the size of the boat, and is used to trim the sail. This is the rope which requires most attention, and is the key to boat-sailing. The jib-sheets are ropes fastened to the clews of the jib, led "aft" on both sides, and are used to trim down the sail with the wind.
A boat is said to be on the starboard or port tack according as the right or left side is presented to the wind. The weather side is the one toward which the wind is blowing; lee is the opposite of weather.
Close-hauled, or full-and-by, means that a boat is sailing as near the "eye" of the wind as possible, and the angle formed is about five points, or 56° 15'.
Before the wind is when the sails receive the direct force of the wind from "astern."
Going free is when the wind is between the two points just named.