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

The ropes by which the lower yards of a ship are hoisted up to their proper height on the masts, are called the jears. In all other sails the ropes employed for this purpose are called haliards.

The principal sails are then expanded by haliards, sheets, and bowlines, except the courses, which are always stretched out below by a tack and sheet. See Bowline, Close-hauled, &c. They are drawn up together, or trussed up, by bunt-lines, clue-lines, d d, fig. 1.; leech-lines, e e; reef-tackles, f f; slab-line, g; and spilling-lines. As the bunt-lines and leech-lines pass on the other side of the sail, they are expressed by dotted lines in the figure. See those articles.

The courses, top-sails, and top-gallant sails, are wheeled about the mast, so as to suit the various directions of the wind, by braces. The higher studding-sails, and in general all the stay-sails, are drawn down, so as to be furled, or taken in, by down-hauls. See Brace, Trim, and Down-haul.

Sail is also a name applied to any vessel beheld at a distance under sail.

To set Sail, faire voile, is to unfurl and expand the sails, upon their respective yards and stays, in order to begin the action of sailing.

To make Sail, is to spread an additional quantity of sail, so as to increase the ship’s velocity.

To shorten Sail, is to reduce or take in part of the sails, with an intention to diminish the ship’s velocity.

To strike Sail, is to lower it suddenly. This is particularly used in saluting or doing homage to a superior force, or to one whom the law of nations acknowledges as superior in certain regions. Thus all foreign vessels strike to an English man of war in the British seas. See Salute.

SAILING, the movement by which a vessel is wafted along the surface of the water, by the action of the wind upon her sails.

When a ship changes her state of rest into that of motion, as in advancing out of a harbour, or from her station at anchor, she acquires her motion very gradually, as a body which arrives not at a certain velocity till after an infinite repetition of the action of its weight.