An Universal Dictionary of the Marine / Or, a Copious Explanation of the Technical Terms and Phrases Employed in the Construction, Equipment, Furniture, Machinery, Movements, and Military Operations of a Ship. Illustrated With Variety of Original Designs of Shipping, in Different Situations; Together With Separate Views of Their Masts, Sails, Yards, and Rigging. to Which Is Annexed, a Translation of the French Sea-terms and Phrases, Collected from the Works of Mess. Du Hamel, Aubin, Saverien, &c.

by William Falconer

S.

SADDLE, a small cleat or wooden block, hollowed on the upper and lower side, and nailed on the lower yard-arms, to retain the studding-sail-booms in a firm and steddy position. For this purpose the cavity on the lower part of the saddle conforms to the cylindrical surface of the yard to which it is attached: and in like manner the hollow, on the upper side, answers to the figure of the boom, and serves as a channel whereby it may be run out or in, along the yard, as occasion requires.

SAGGING to leeward, the movement by which a ship makes a considerable lee-way, or is driven far to leeward of the course whereon she apparently sails. It is generally expressed of heavy-sailing vessels, as opposed to keeping well to windward, or, in the sea-phrase, holding a good wind.

SAIC, a sort of Grecian ketch, which has no top-gallant-sail or mizen-top-sail. See Ketch.

SAIL, voile, (segl, Sax. seyhel, seyl Dutch) an assemblage of several breadths of canvas, or other texture, sewed together, and extended on, or between the masts, to receive the wind, and carry the vessel along the water.

The edges of the cloths, or pieces, of which a sail is composed, are generally sewed together with a double seam: and the whole is skirted round at the edges with a cord, called the bolt-rope.

Although the form of sails is extremely different, they are all nevertheless triangular or quadrilateral figures or, in other words, their surfaces are contained either between three or four sides.

The former of these are sometimes spread by a yard, as lateen-sails; and otherwise by a stay, as stay-sails; or by a mast, as shoulder-of-mutton-sails: in all which cases the foremost leech or edge is attached to the said yard, mast, or stay, throughout its whole length. The latter, or those which are four-sided, are either extended by yards, as the principal sails of a ship; or by yards and booms, as the studding-sails, drivers, ring-tails, and all those sails which are set occasionally; or by gaffs and booms, as the main-sails of sloops and brigantines.

The principal sails of a ship (fig. 1. plate [IX].) are the courses or lower sails a, the top-sails b, which are next in order above the courses; and the top-gallant-sails c, which are expanded above the top-sails.

The courses are the main-sail, fore-sail, and mizen, main-stay-sail, fore-stay-sail and mizen-stay-sail; but more particularly the three first. N. B. The main-stay-sail is rarely used except in small vessels.