Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1881 edition. Excerpt: ... the steersman in holding it, all that is required is to slip the rope round the tiller head and belay to a pin, if there are no tiller ropes, beckets ought to be fitted on each side) get hold of one part of the main sheet and haul in the slack as the boom comes in, this steadies it until it fills again; the man forward, as soon as the jib blows over the forestay, must haul in the opposite jib sheet quickly, ere the wind gets full power on the sail. If she is at all slack in stays, keep the fore bowline fast until she is fairly round, when sing out "Let draw," and the foresail will blow over to leeward of itself, when the bowline can be hauled taut and made fast to the fore shroud on the lee side, this also helps to keep the foresail flat. While in stays a pull may be taken at any of the halliards which require tautening up, that is if you have a spare hand or two. The foresail ought to work on a traverse or horse in a cruising yacht, because there is one head sheet the less to look after. We are supposed to have started on the port tack, the yacht is now on the starboard, that is, her port or left hand side is to leeward. The wind has come round a bit in that little puff which so exhilarated our amateur friend; it is getting lighter though, and the skipper has muttered something about the big topsail. Now, then, is the time to get it on deck, if you are working short boards it would be better to wait until the yacht is again about on the port tack, because that is the side on which the topsail is set, but owing to the shift of wind she is just lying her course although still close hauled. Send a hand aloft to cast off the lacing of the jib headed topsail, if it is not laced there is no occasion; ease away sheet and halliards...