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/99

 *tion to this plan is that the sail cannot be fully lowered into the boat until the yard is unhooked from the traveller, or unless the tack and sheet are let go. This is apt to put one in difficulties when one has to lower one's sail hurriedly in a squall; so other methods have been devised for keeping the yard close to the mast, while hoisting the sail by a halyard merely hooked to a thimble on the yard.

One of the best-known of these methods is that adopted by the author on his boat. A line (see Fig. 51) is made fast to the yard some inches above the point at which the yard is slung; it then passes round the mast, and leads through an eye on the yard, a foot below the slings. When the sail is set, this line is hauled taut and belayed, thus keeping the yard close to the mast; when the sail lowers, the line slackens and gives the yard free play, so that it can be lowered into the boat. To facilitate the hoisting of the sail the halyard is fitted with a purchase. This will be understood by referring to Fig. 50. It will be seen that at the end of the halyard a block is spliced. A rope is made fast on the mast thwart, and then leading through the block comes down again to form the hauling part. This is a single-whip purchase, and reduces the force to be employed by one-half.