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/97

 masts as in the illustration. Like all other rigs, it has some disadvantages, and of these the most serious is the liability of the sliding-irons to jam when the yard is being hoisted or lowered. The irons should therefore be covered with leather, which should always be kept well greased; and a downhaul should be fitted to the end of the yard. It is also a good plan to have the hoops connected by a line on the foreside. This will keep the lower hinged iron in a horizontal position, and much diminish the chances of jamming.

Perhaps the best rig of all for river sailing is the popular, so familiar to all those who know the upper Thames. But for rough water it is not a suitable rig. The extreme rigidity of the sail makes it strain the mast a good deal when the boat is in a seaway. There should be plenty of give and take in the gear of a boat that is to toss about on the salt water.

Some boats are rigged with two balance-lugs; others have jibs and mizzens; but for single-handed sailing the most comfortable is the centre-board dinghy with a single balance-lug. Such a boat can be rowed easily, and is yet big enough to carry several passengers. The author is the owner of a boat of this class on the Thames; and a description of her will serve to give an idea of the up-river balance-lug.

This boat (see Fig. 50) is built of mahogany; her length is fifteen feet, and her beam five feet. She