Strops are also used occasionally to fasten upon any large rope, for the purpose of hooking a tackle to the eye, or double part of the strop; in order to extend, or pull with redoubled effort, upon the said rope; as in setting-up the rigging, where one hook of the tackle is fixed in a strop applied to the particular shroud, and the other to its laniard. See the article Laniard.
STUDDING-SAILS, bonettes en etui, certain light sails extended, in moderate and steddy breezes, beyond the skirts of the principal sails, where they appear as wings upon the yard-arms.
The word may be traced from several derivations; as from scud, stead, or steddy. The small sails used by sloops, schooners, and tartanes, when scudding, are nearly of the same size and figure with the lower studding-sails; and the accidental application of the former, to the usual design of the latter, throws a probability on the derivation from scud; especially as being used in the small vessels of our ancestors, who were unacquainted with topmasts; and, of course, had no conception of topmast-studding-sails. An ingenious friend of the author, seems, with greater propriety, to derive it from steddy; because, when the wind is extremely feeble, the fluctuation of the sea, although almost imperceptible, is communicated to the ship, and thence to the principal sails; which, being shaken and slapped against the masts, will, by their weight, prevent, or at least considerably diminish, the operation of the wind. The studding-sails, on the contrary, being of a much lighter and thinner texture, more readily feel the effort of the breeze, and continue inflated, so as to push the ship forward, and give her head-way. By this circumstance, she becomes susceptible of the power of the helm, and is accordingly retained in a steddy course; and hence those sails may originally have been called steddying-sails, afterwards corrupted into studding-sails. The last conjecture, which seems equally favourable, is drawn from the Saxon word sted, to help or assist; in which sense, those sails may be considered as auxiliar, being set occasionally to help the others, or assist the ship’s course; and thence called steading, or stedding-sails. But the expression of steering sails, however adopted by many officers, is a most contemptible conceit, without either authority or reason to support it. The others are implicitly submitted to the reader’s decision.
The topmast studding-sails, or those which are set on the out side of the topsails, are spread below by a boom, which, sliding out from the extremities of the main and fore-yards, as explained in the article Saddle, pushes out their lower corners: and their upper edges, which are attached to a light pole, are hoisted up to the topsail-yard-arms. See also Boom-iron, in the article Iron-work.
The lower studding-sails, which are spread beyond the skirts or leech of the main-sail and fore-sail, are fixed nearly in the same manner; only that the boom, which extends their bottoms, is generally hooked to the chains by means of a goose-neck; or else swings off along with the sail, to which it is suspended; being kept steddy behind by a rope called the guy.
STUFF, courrée, any composition, or melted mass, used to smear or daub the masts, sides, or bottom of a ship. That which is chiefly used for the lower masts is simply turpentine, rosin, or varnish of pine: for the topmasts, tallow or butter: for the sides, turpentine, varnish of pine, tar and oil, or tar mixed with oil and red oker: and for the bottom, a mixture of tallow, sulphur, and rosin, or tar: whale-oil and broken glass; or any part of these ingredients: and this application is called giving a new coat of stuff to the masts, sides, &c.
SUPERCARGO, an officer charged with the accounts of the cargo, and all other commercial affairs in a merchant-ship.
SUPPLY, a fresh recruit of provisions or stores sent to a ship or fleet.
SURF, the swell of the sea which breaks upon the shore, or any rock lying near the surface of the sea.
SURGE, the same with a wave; which see.