Page:Small-boat sailing; an explanation of the management of small yachts, half-decked and open sailing-boats of various rigs; sailing on sea and on river; cruising, etc (IA smallboatsailing01knig).pdf/139

 lengths of rope, or canvas strips, called tyers or gaskets. The sail is then covered with a coat of painted canvas, which is laced underneath the boom; but the coat should never be put on unless the sail is thoroughly dry, else mildew will soon make its appearance. The boom when the sail is furled rests on a wooden crutch.

To set the mainsail. Remove the sail-coat; hook on the peak halyards; slack off the main-sheet, so as to allow the boom to be topped up a few feet with the topping-lift—if there are two topping-lifts, haul on the weather one; then get the main-sheet taut again, and belay it; cast off the tyers. The sail is now ready for hoisting. To get it up, haul on both throat and peak halyards until the throat is as high as it will go and the luff of the sail is drawn taut; but while doing this do not let the peak of the sail get higher than the throat, for if the peak be hoisted too fast the throat will travel up the mast with difficulty, and cannot be got taut. Take care also that the gaff passes between the two topping-lifts, or on the right side of the single topping-lift, if there be but one topping-lift, as is usual on small cutters. The throat being well up, belay the throat halyards; then haul away on the peak halyards until the peak is well up—that is, until the sail begins to wrinkle at the throat.

In order to get the sail to stand as flat as possible, the tack should be made fast before hoisting.

If the clew of the sail has not been hauled out