The single chain tye led up through a sheave in the mast and then down to the bulwarks with a rope purchase, this part being known as the halliard. The large American clippers with their heavy wooden topsail yards had a double chain tye from the yard, made fast to a trestle tree, led down to an iron gin block on the yard, back up again to another gin block on the other trestle tree and then down to the bulwark with a halliard purchase. This could be varied by doubling the arrangement, with two gin blocks on the yard and the lead going to the opposite hand, or else leaving a single gin block on the yard and a gin block under each trestle, whereby there was a purchase from each side of the ship, either of which could hoist or lower the yard independently.

  Of the various parral arrangements on the drawing (43), that with the leathered metal tub was most common on the later tea clippers, and survived into the end of the sailing ship period. This arrangement did not normally apply to very small yards for which the yoke arrangement was used with a simple rope parral.

  As a spare mast or spar, a large spar known as the hermaphrodite spar was lashed down with chains to eyebolts on the deck either close to the waterway or alongside the hatch coamings. This spar, square in section with the corners chamfered, was of a size that could be converted either to a topmast or a lower yard. In addition there was a spare topsail yard either on deck alongside the hermaphrodite spar or along the top of the forward deckhouse reaching towards the forecastle. This was the minimum required on a ship over 6oo tons, and instead of the hermaphrodite spar separate spars of lengths to suit the topmast and lower yards could be carried, together with as many other minor spars as the owner desired.

  Most of these would be carried on top of a deckhouse on raised beams or skids, and small light spars across the after boat skids between the boats. The masts for the boats themselves would also be carried here, together with stunsail booms. The skid beams would have two pillar supports each, if carrying such weight.