36
March on to the square sails.
4. Fore and Main Course Yards
Mount blocks to yards and reeve as many
loose lines as possible. Lace the sail to the
jackstays, then attach sheets, tacks, bunt-
lines, leechlines, and clew garnets.
Footropes and yard tackles should
already be installed. Remember, leech-
lines and buntlines go on the sail's for-
ward side, all others are on the aft side.
Rig the lifts after the yard is in place.
Hang course yards from their slings.
Each parrel or truss has a tackle to the
deck by which sailors pulled a yard
against its mast (Figure 9-9).
After the yard is in place, reeve and
belay their lines. Install the braces. Seize
most brace blocks to the shrouds with a
short pendant. Brace the yards either
perpendicular to the centerline and
level or at a pleasing angle.
Run course sheets outboard, reeve
through sheaves in the bulwarks, and
belay to an inboard cleat. Hook the fore
course tack into a short bridle fitted in a
hole in the chock rail. Belay the fall to
the lower rod in the cathead. The main
course is seldom used. When it is, the
tack is hooked into a bridle at the fore
channels. For the model, hook and belay
the tack at convenient locations.
No Sail
: One option is to omit the sheets
and tacks. Another is to hook them to
the clew garnet and pull up to the yard.
However, this is a little clumsy. A better
alternative is to omit the sheets and
tacks and hook the clew garnet to the
reef tackle. Stop buntlines and leech-
lines at the yard fairleads (Figure 9-10).
Another option is to omit the bunt and
leechlines, but install the blocks.
Furled or Partially Furled Sails
: Figure
9-11 illustrates a furled course sail and
one partially pulled up by buntlines
and leechlines.
5. Fore and Main Topsail Yards
The basic difference between rigging
courses and topsails is in their sheets
and lifts. If sails are bent, hoist the yard
by the halliard and droop the lifts.
Reeve sheets through the blocks on
course yardarms.
Topsail halliards are a hefty rig with tack-
les in the port and starboard channels.
No Sails or Furled Sails
: Figure 9-12 illus-
trates the yard without a sail and with
one furled. In both cases, lower the yard
and let it hang on the lifts.
Fig 9-8 Furling the Spanker
Fig 9-10 Course Yard – Sail Removed
Fig 9-9 Course Yard Sling and Truss
Fig 9-7 Spanker Gaff Lacing
Lacing
Gaff
All brails
pulled in
Clew outhaul
Tack tackle
port side
Truss & tackle
Cross tree
Sling
Sling bolster
To deck
Mast
Topsail sheet
Lift
Reef
tackle
Clew
garnet
Install blocks even
if bunt & leech lines
are omitted
Knot buntlines & leech lines at
fairlead, or omit bunts & leech
