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/85

 to be dipped when the boat jibes or goes about. The yard is hooked to a traveller—an iron ring working on the mast, to which the end of the halyard is fastened. A lugsail, in order to stand well, should have a high peak. The smartest lug-*sailed open pleasure-boats are to be found on the Clyde, and among them are some very fast racers. In these boats the main-sheet works on an iron horse, and the halyard is provided with a luff-tackle purchase, so that the sail can be swigged up taut.

A boat rigged with a standing-lug mainsail and mizzen, and a jib, as in Fig. 44, is very handy and safe. If it blows hard the mainsail can be lowered, and the boat can be sailed under mizzen and jib. The mizzen sheet leads through a sheave-hole at the end of the bumpkin—as a spar projecting over the stern is called.

Another favourite rig for small boats is the rig (Fig. 45). A spritsail, if well cut and carefully set, stands flatter than a lugsail; for the long spar, or sprit, extending diagonally across the sail, prevents it from bagging out. As a rule, the luff of the sail is laced to the mast, but in the larger boats mast-hoops are employed. The tack is fastened to the mast. An iron thimble at the throat of the sail is hooked on to an iron traveller working on the mast and attached to the end of the halyard. The sprit is a spar tapering towards each end; one end fits into an eye at the peak of the sail, and the other