| << Chapter < Page | Chapter >> Page > |
Uss monongahela (1862)
Names of Masts, Yards, and Sails on a 19 th Century Ship
| Mast, a bowsprit, and booms | Placed to spread the sails upon |
In a vessel with three Masts, they are named the for e , the main , and the mizzen masts.
| The mainmast | The middle and largest mast of the three |
| The foremast | The furthest forward, and the next in side to the mainmast |
| The mizzenmast | The aftermost and smallest mast of the three |
Each mast, taken as a whole, is composed of four pieces, one above the other, each of which has its distinguishing name.
| The lower masts | The lowest pieces of each mast, or those attached to the ship; they rest or step on the keelson at the bottom of the ship (In a screw steamer, the screw shaft prevents any mast abaft the engines being stepped on the keelson. It is then stepped on the lower deck, which is well supported with extra stanchions) |
| The topmasts | The next pieces above the lower masts, and are supported by the lower trestletrees |
| The top-gallant masts | The next pieces above the topmasts, and are supported by the topmast trestletrees |
| The royal masts | The upper pieces, and are a continuation upwards of the top-gallant masts |
Thus, there are three principal masts, each of which is composed of four masts.
To distinguish any particular mast, one of the principals’ names, fore , main , or mizzen is prefixed to its other name; thus, the masts associated with the foremast are:
| Trysail masts | Small masts placed immediately abaft the lower masts; to which they are connected. |
| The bowsprit | Projects out from the bows |
| The jib-boom | Boom outside of, and supported by the bowsprit, by means of the heel and crupper chains |
| The flying jib-boom | Boom outside of, and secured to the jib-boom, the heel steps against the bowsprit cap |
The masts , yards , gaffs , stays , and booms are named the same as the sails which they spread; thus:
| The jib sail | Set upon the jib-boom and a stay leading from the fore topmast head to the jib-boom end, which is called the jib-stay |
| The flying jib sail | Set upon the flying jib-boom , and a stay leading from the fore top-gallant mast head to the flying jib-boom end, which is called the flying jib stay |
| A staysail (stays’l) | A three-cornered sail set upon a stay, and named after it; thus, the fore-topmast staysail is set upon the fore-topmost stay |
| A trysail (trys’l) | Set upon a gaff and trysail mast abaft each lower mast, but it has no boom |
| The spanker | Set upon a gaff, the mizzen trysail mast, and boom, abaft the mizzen mast |
| A fore-and-aft sail | Any sail not set upon a yard; that is, one set upon either a stay or gaff – such as the jibs , staysails , trysails , gaff foresail , mainsail , and the spanker |
| Studding-sails (stuns’ls) | Sails set outside the square sails on each side of the ship, and spread at the top upon yards, and at the bottom by booms; they are set upon each side of the foresail , fore-topsail , fore-top-gallant sail , main-topsail , and main-top-gallant sail . They are named by their respective masts; as the main-topmast studding-sail , fore-top- gallant studding-sail , etc. |
There are no studding-sails on the mizzenmast, or on either side of the main-sail.
The lower yard on the mizzenmast has no sail set below it, and is named the cross-jack yard.
To give more support to the jib and flying jib-booms, gaffs are placed on the bowsprit to spread the rigging out in each direction and give it a larger angle.
| A dolphin striker | Used in connection with the martin-gale |
| Spritsail, gaffs, or whiskers | In connection with the jib guys (The name spritsail is derived from an obsolete sail, which was in old times set on a yard below the bowsprit.) |
Bibliography
Bennett, Jenny. Sailing Rigs: An Illustrated Guide. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2005.
Nares, Sir George S. Seamanship: Including Names of Principal Parts of a Ship; Masts, Sails, Yards,&c. Portsmouth, England: Griffin&Co., 1877.
Villiers, Captain Alan. Men, Ships, and the Sea . Washington, DC: National Geographic Society, 1973.
Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center (External Link)
The Macquarie University Library, Melbourne, Australia. Journeys in Time: 18 th and Early 19 th Century Sailing Vessels (External Link)
Notification Switch
Would you like to follow the 'Travel literature and history' conversation and receive update notifications?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|