Sail and Wind Powered Sailing Terms

[Randi]

Parts of a sail: head, foot, luff, leech, tack, clew, peak, throat

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sail-plan and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_rigged_ship:

• Types of sail:
  • square (rig),
  • fore and aft (rig),
  • gaff rigged,
  • staysail,
  • jib,
  • spanker (or gaff sail);
• Square sails (top to bottom):
  • moonraker,
  • skysail,
  • royal,
  • topgalant (also tglt),
  • topsail,
  • course;
• Masts:
  • fore-mast, main-mast, mizzen-mast,
  • topmast, topgallant mast;
• Yards
• Rigging: standing, running, stay, shroud, vang, sheet, halyard, block, shackle;
• Types of ships: Sloop, Cutter, Schooner, Brig, Hermaphrodite Brig or Schooner Brig, Brigantine, Barquentine, Barque, Fully rigged Ship (among others!)

Studding (also called steering) and Ringtail sails

The young sea officer's sheet anchor; ... - Sails - 1853 - includes sprit sail

The Square Rigging


Brace
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braces_%28sailing%29

Sheet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheet_%28sailing%29

Tack
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tack_%28square_sail%29
AND
3. (Naut.) A rope used to hold in place the foremost lower corners of the courses when the vessel is closehauled (see Illust. of Ship); also, a rope employed to pull the lower corner of a studding sail to the boom. - http://www.webster-dictionary.net/definition/tack

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Lead
6. (Naut.) The course of a rope from end to end. - http://www.webster-dictionary.net/definition/lead

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Buntline
(Transport / Nautical Terms) Nautical one of several lines fastened to the foot of a square sail for hauling it up to the yard when furling - http://www.thefreedictionary.com/buntline


Brail - To furl or truss a sail by pulling it in towards the mast, or the ropes used to do so. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_o ... al_terms#B
Brails, in a sailing ship, are small lines passing through blocks, and used to haul in or up the leeches, bottoms, or corners of sails, before furling. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brail

fill away, Nautical .
a. to fall off the wind and proceed on a board.
b. to brace the yards, so that sails that have been aback will stand full.

fill and stand on, Nautical . (of a sailing vessel) to proceed on a tack after being hove to or halted facing the wind; fill away.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/filled+away

Furl - To roll or gather a sail against its mast or spar. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_o ... al_terms#F
Furling refers to stowing or dousing a boat's sail by flaking (folding), packing (like stuffing a spinnaker into a turtle), roller furling or just lowering it onto the deck. Nowadays, it is becoming more common to use the term "furling" to refer to reefing a sail that is part of a roller furling system. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furl_%28sailing%29

Reefing: To temporarily reduce the area of a sail exposed to the wind, usually to guard against adverse effects of strong wind or to slow the vessel. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_o ... al_terms#R AND http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reefing
To remove a reef - "turned the reefs out of the topsail" AND "Shake a reef out of a topsail"

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Haul up - This is a tricky one because it can increase or decrease the sail area depending on the type of sail.

Reducing sail area:
In http://www.woronorafire.org.au/maritime/Glossary.html#H I find the following relating to 'haul up':
To brail up
To haul up a sail by means of the brads (I think this last word is supposed to be brails).
To clew up
To haul up the clews of a sail to its yard by means of the clew-lines
Trice, trice up
To haul up and fasten.

On the 'Square Riggers' which I think cover most of the Phase 3 boats the sails would be hauled up to LESSEN sail area as the sails are hung from the yards and lowered to make them work.

Increasing sail area:
In http://www.safetyharborboatclub.com/sai ... s_e-k.html:
haul up - To hoist a sail.

Yes on my type of boat with what is called a 'Marconi Rig' you would haul UP the sails to increase the area. The main sail stores on the boom (the big, horizontal thing) and the jib (the front sail) stores rolled up around the forestay. When I get ready to sail I pull a halyard to raise the main and unroll the jib to make it catch wind. If it gets too windy I can 'reef' the main by letting it down the mast a bit and rolling up the 'extra' on the boom.

(Thanks Dean!)


House (Naut.) To stow in a safe place; to take down and make safe; as, to house the upper spars. - http://www.webster-dictionary.net/definition/housed

"Squaring a yard" adjusts the position of the square sails so that they are perpendicular to the keel of the ship. This is done in order to "run before the wind', i.e., sail with the wind directly behind the vessel rather than tacking. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_%28sailing%29

steering-sail Same as studdingsail. - http://www.wordnik.com/words/steering-sail

studdingsail - http://www.wordnik.com/words/studdingsail


Gaff topsail - a triangular fore-and-aft sail with its foot along the gaff and its luff on the topmast - http://www.thefreedictionary.com/gaff+Topsail and http://books.google.fr/books?id=QgMRudq ... il&f=false

Dolphin striker (or martingale) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_striker

SPENCER. The fore-and-main trysails; fore-and-aft sails set with gaffs, introduced instead of main-topmast and mizen staysails.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/26000/26 ... 6000-h.htm
AND
Spencer a boomless gaff sail on a square-rigged ship?s foremast or mainmast (replaced in the mid 19th century by staysails).
http://oxforddictionaries.com/definitio ... spencer--2
AND
Spencer A fore-and-aft sail, abaft the foremast or the mainmast, hoisted upon a small supplementary mast and set with a gaff and no boom; a trysail carried at the foremast or mainmast; - named after its inventor, Knight Spencer, of England [1802].
Spencer mast a small mast just abaft the foremast or mainmast, for hoisting the spencer.
http://www.webster-dictionary.net/definition/spencer (1913)

TRYSAIL. A reduced sail used by small craft in lieu of their main-sail during a storm. Also, a fore-and-aft sail, set with a boom and gaff, in ships, synonymous with the spencers of brigs and schooners, and the spanker or driver of ships. (See Storm-trysail.)
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/26000/26 ... 6000-h.htm
AND
TRYSAIL-MAST. A spar abaft the fore and main mast, for hoisting the trysailA trysail (also known as a "spencer") is small triangular or square fore-and-aft rigged sail hoisted in place of a larger sail when winds are very high.
The trysail provides enough thrust to maintain control of the ship (...). It is hoisted abaft (i.e., directly behind) the mainmast (taking the place of the much larger mainsail) or, on a brig, abaft the foremast.
AND
In the Royal Navy in the late nineteenth century, the term "trysail" came to denote the main fore-and-aft sail on any mast. ... Naval trysails were usually gaff-rigged and "loose-footed", with a spar along the head but no boom, ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trysail


Setting a foresail will save a little fuel and it will also make her steer more easily, the pressure forward balancing the ship nicely. In some winds she will steer herself with a well set headsail, which makes life easy for the helmsman. - dorbel

[Randi]

From the Dictionary by A.Ansted in Helpful Links. (the things I never learned from the RN logs ) My question-marked "filling" and "weather" guesses are probably correct.

Clew. The clew is the lower corner of a sail, and unless otherwise described is the after lower corner; but the tack, or forward corresponding corner, is sometimes called the weather clew. This will apply equally to square or fore-and-aft sails; but in square sails each lower corner is a clew, and each becomes the tack (or weather clew) alternately, as the ship comes about. This, however, cannot be the case in fore-and-aft rig, since the forward part of such sails always remains in situ; and therefore in yachts and such like craft the clew will always be the after lower corner of the sail, and though the tack may often be spoken of as the "weather clew" it still always remains the tack, i.e., the forward lower corner.
To clew up is to gather up a sail by its clew-lines.

Fill. To fill the sails is so to trim them that the wind may act upon them.

Weather helm and lee helm. A vessel is said to carry weather helm when her tendency in sailing is to run up into the wind, and therefore her helm must be kept constantly over to the weather side, or up. She carries lee helm when she tends to fall away from the wind, and so her helm must be kept to leeward, or down. Though some vessels have one tendency and some another, there mayalso be causes to aggravate these. For instance, if a vessel have too much weight forward, or if the af ter sails are too much for the head sails, she will have to be sailed with weather helm, for her tendency will be to run up into the wind; while if she has too much weight in her stern), or if the head sails more than counterbalance the after ones, they will carry her head away from the wind, and she will constantly require a lee-helm to keep her up. This is very well understood with respect to large vessels, and taken into due account in the stowing of cargo. For a sailing ship will be very narrowly watched throughout her first voyage, and if it be found that she carries too much weather helm, the greater weight of cargo will, for her next trip, be stowed aft; whereas if she requires a lee helm it will find its way forward. Sea-faring men approve of weather helm; they like to feel that their vessel is ardent, to ensure that she will come up into the wind when required to. Lee helm is not only objectionable, but in certain cases it becomes positively dangerous; for if, in a sudden squall, a boat cannot quickly be brought up head to wind, the consequences may be serious.

The 'rake' of the mast fore and aft will also affect the weather/lee helm.

On my 27' (8.3m) Bristol sloop I intentionally rake the top of the mast 'just a hair' aft. This makes sure the boat has a weather helm which allows me to 'pull' the tiller when sailing which is much more comfortable than 'pushing' on it all the time. It also ensures that the boat will come up into the wind as you suggest AND if something should happen to the helmsperson(ME!) the boat will, by itself, head up into the wind, stall, and the sails will luff (flap) until the boat is brought back under control.

Glossary of nautical terms
Point up
To change the direction of a sailboat so that it is more up wind. To bring the bow windward. Also called heading up. This is the opposite of falling off.

There is a 'limit' top how far you can 'point up' especially in a 'Square Rigger.' To 'high' and they go into 'Irons' and stall out. Very hard to get swung around, pointed down wind, and back to manoeuvring. My boat will struggle to point to about 20? toward the wind direction and then start to stall out.

[Randi]

OK Dean, does the following make sense?
Please add any corrections so that I can post it!
Thanks!

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Pointed yards to wind.

Thanks a lot! Very interesting extra information!

I assume the 'windage' you are talking about is: "3. Nautical The part of the surface of a ship exposed to the wind." ?

See if I have it right: They rotate the yards around the mast so that they are parallel to the wind flow / point into the wind.

There was no mention of sails, but they are moored. This is the 8pm to midnight watch in January 1881. They do have a full moon, but perhaps the lighting is a factor in their decision?
Unfortunately, I don't have any other pages available right now. Keep an eye out for Jamestown

...
Yes, you have it right. Moored, I'll guess that the sails are 'off' and or 'rolled up' and they just want an 'easy night' without rolling in the slip or the anchorage wherever they are. The higher stuff is the more the wind affects the ship. Wind in the upper rigging will rock and roll the ship so I'm guessing they just want a 'quiet night.' It will be interesting to see what blows in the next couple watches.

Scandalise - skan′da-līz, v.t. to trice up the tack of the spanker in a square-rigged vessel, or the mainsail in a fore-and-aft rigged one. (http://www.chambersdictionary.info/mean ... alise.html)


trice - To hoist and secure with a rope: trice a sail. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/trice)

I'd go with that! Triceing up the sails will result in less force at the top of the mast from the wind so the ship will 'rock' less. Pointing the Yards into the wind will further reduce the 'wind effect.' Since they are in 'harbour' they don't care about going anywhere and/or keeping steerage way so they will minimise the windage.

Hope this helps.

Blessings, dean

[Randi]

FISHES, SIDE, two long pieces of fir, coaked on the opposite sides of a made-mast to give it the diameter required.

FISH, FRONT, or paunch, a long piece of fir, hollowed on the inside to the convexity of the mast, and rounded on the back. It fastens to the foreside of lower masts in the middle, and adds security and strength. Fishes are also used in the middle of masts, yards, bowsprits, &c. sprung, or damaged at sea.

http://www.hnsa.org/doc/steel/part1.htm

Fishes. ? Pieces used in made masts ; also cheek pieces carried
to sea on board vessels to secure a crippled mast or yard.

http://archive.org/details/woodenshipbuildi00desmrich

Ships of war, and large ships, have their masts formed of different pieces. They are called made-masts

http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=n ... 1up;seq=65

FISH, a machine employed to hoist or draw up the flukes of the ship's anchor towards the top of the bow in order to stow it, after having been heaved up by the cable. It is composed of four parts, viz. the pendent, the block, the hook, and the tackle; which, together with their several uses, are described in the article DAVIT.

Fish, (jumelle, Fr.) is also a long piece of oak, convex on one side, and concave on the other. It is used to fasten upon the outside of the lower masts, either as an additional security, to strengthen them when it becomes necessary to carry an extraordinary pressure of sail, in pursuit of, or flight from, an enemy; or to reinforce them after they have received some damage in battle, tempestuous weather, &c.

The fishes are also employed for the same purpose on any yard, which happens to be sprung or fractured. Thus their form, application, and utility are exactly like those of the splinters applied to a broken limb in surgery.

http://southseas.nla.gov.au/refs/falc/0528.html

cross a yard
To bring a yard from its stored position (vertical) to its working position (horizontal)

http://www.fatefulvoyage.com/g/c.html#crossayard

...
I think this source is possibly unreliable. Yards are in no case that I can conceive ever 'stored vertically'. They may be canted (tipped up) to clear the quay side of the ship while working cargo. Upper yards are often sent down in heavy weather or for winter quarters in the Arctic (and sometimes t'gallant and topmasts) and sent up and 'crossed' again with the return of fair weather.

cross
42. Nautical . to set (a yard) in proper position on a mast.
31. ( tr ) nautical to set (the yard of a square sail) athwartships

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cross


BY THE WIND. Is when a ship sails as nearly to the direction of the wind as possible. (See Full and By.)
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/26000/26 ... 6000-h.htm

Sailing full and by - that is sailing as close to the wind as possible - sometimes leads to being 'taken aback' a term now in common usage in English which means a (usually unfortunate) surprise. On a square-rigged sailing ship 'taken aback' means getting the wind on the wrong side of the sails, which forces a sudden tack at best or sometimes much worse consequences - all unfortunate surprises. Usually when sailing full & by and braced sharp the helmsman steers not by the compass but by the luff of the uppermost sail on the foremast. This sail will luff (curl a bit to flapping noisily) first, thus giving a warning to ease the helm. Of course a marked wind shift, say when a cold front passes, can also result in being taken aback. [Kevin]
Also
Sailing into the wind (by), but not as close-hauled as might be possible, so as to make sure the sails are kept full. This provides a margin for error to avoid being taken aback (a serious risk for square-rigged vessels) in a tricky sea. Figuratively it implies getting on with the job but in a steady, relaxed way, without undue urgency or strain. https://www.nauticed.org/sailingterms

ABACK. The situation of a ship's sails when the wind bears against their front surfaces. They are laid aback, when this is purposely effected to deaden her way by rounding in the weather-braces; and taken aback, when brought to by an unexpected change of wind, or by inattention in the helmsman.?All aback forward, the notice given from the forecastle, when the head-sails are pressed aback by a sudden change in the wind. (See Work Aback.)?Taken aback, a colloquialism for being suddenly surprised or found out.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/26000/26 ... 6000-h.htm
Also http://southseas.nla.gov.au/refs/falc/0002.html#3 and http://books.google.fr/books?id=6mGLsY0 ... ed&f=false


Luff:
To turn the head of a vessel toward the wind; to sail nearer the wind; to turn the tiller so as to make the vessel sail nearer the wind. https://www.websters1913.com/words/Luff


Wore ship

A jibe or gybe is a sailing maneuver where a sailing vessel reaching downwind turns its stern through the wind, such that the wind direction changes from one side of the boat to the other. For square-rigged ships, this maneuver is called wearing ship.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jibe

Head-Off - to turn downwind of your current course. Fall off.

http://www.photographers1.com/Sailing/N ... ature.html



Chapel / Chappel

(Naut.) To cause (a ship taken aback in a light breeze) so to turn or make a circuit as to recover, without bracing the yards, the same tack on which she had been sailing.

http://www.webster-dictionary.net/definition/chapel

Annual report of the Secretary of the Navy (1878) - http://archive.org/stream/annualreporto ... chappeling
http://nq.oxfordjournals.org/content/s1 ... -c.extract
http://southseas.nla.gov.au/refs/falc/0317.html

[Randi]

Maybe a more 'modern' usage but sometimes to 'fish' means to use something to work a wire, rope, halyard, etc. through a fitting or a mast.

As 'we used a long rod to fish the mast light wire up through the mast so it could be connected.'

The boat I race on has lines (halyards, sheets, etc. running through a 'tunnel' on the deck. We have to fish the lines through the tunnel every year as we put the mast back on after the winter.

The weather or lee clew (bottom corners of a square sail where the sheets and clew lines attach) can be set one at a time such that only a triangle is effectively exposed to the wind. This may be done on certain points of sail to keep other sails (the foresail for example) in clear air and drawing well.

[Randi]

"A boomkin, sometimes referred to as a bumkin or as a bumpkin, consists of an exceptionally strong and usually wooden spar that projects forwards and often (though not always) downwards over the main head-rail of a traditional western sailing ship, one on either side of the vessel ..." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boomkin (picture)

Same source: Over time the use of boomkins was extended to the stern of the ship as well to provide an attachment point for a backstay or the sheet of a mizzen. This flickr set (just discovered) has several pictures of the 'Westward' boomkin (check out the OWL). Turns out this was a voyage I was on (who knew?). http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgervey/2 ... /lightbox/

Ratlines and rattling down

...

A Dictionary of Sea Terms - The 1898 version of A. Ansted's guide for 'yachtsmen, amateur boatmen, and beginners'; full of useful information. (Text-only version at A Dictionary of Sea Terms)

from A Dictionary of Sea Terms in Helpful Links

Ratlines (pronounced "ratlins" or "ratt-
lings") rattling down. — The name is possibly
derived from a supposed resemblance to rats'
tails. — Small lines crossing the shrouds of a
ship and forming the steps of ladders. Fixing
these ratlines to the shrouds, which is done by
a simple seizing and clove hitches, is called rat-
tling down the rigging. When they are placed
too closely together they constitute that which
is called, in derision, a lady's ladder."

An experienced sailor will always hold on to the shrouds and never to the ratlines. The seizings securing the ratlines are prone to breaking and if holding on to one when this occurs an inconvenience may result. (The higher you are, the more inconvenient.)

Not exactly. When you heave to the end result is slow progress into the wind coming in off the forward beam. In a modern sloop, this will be on the order of 50-60 degrees off the wind over foresaid forward beam. In a square rigger I am not sure of the angles but the nose of the ship would be into the wind at some small angle.

Basically heaving to slows and steadies the boat by setting pairs of sails against each other and heading slightly into the wind. The forward pointing is important in storm conditions as it very naturally puts the boat quartering into the waves...the superior strategy usually one can adopt in severe conditions.

There are any number of youtubes showing the maneuver.

There's an interesting discussion of heaving to versus running before and other strategies that arose from two ill-fated races discussed at the end of the wiki entry on the subject here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaving_to