Methods
of
attaching the sheets to the clew, second half of the 19th century,
using
iron shackles or hook and thimble
|
Since their introduction on large
ships in the second half of the 17th century the rigging of the
staysails changed little. We have to differentiate between fixed
staysails, which were bent to a stay, and jibs set flying, which were
not
The Staysail stay
As already described under STAYS, the stays ails in the 17th and early
18th centuries were bent to false stays, which were removed when
the staysails were furled.
The halyard
The halyard reeved through two single blocks, the upper of which was
fixed to the mast or the crosstrees, the lower seized or hooked to the
head of the
sail. The halyard ran down to the deck, and was set up with a tackle in
the
case of large staysails.
The tack
The tack was a rope spliced into the tack cringle to secure the bottom
of the staysail
The sheet
Staysails featured double sheets with a block spliced in each end. The
lee sheet was hauled taut, and the weather sheet hung loosely over the
next stay.
The downhaul
On fixed staysails the downhaul was attached to the head -on large
sails it sometimes ran on to the clew - and was used for hauling
the sails down, when they were being furled. Sails set flying had
no downhaul
The brails
Four-sided staysails carried a brail on both sides of the sail, which
were used to haul the canvas to the mast when the sails were being
furled
Staysail rope sizes
Sail
|
False
Stay
|
Halyard
|
Tack
|
Sheet
|
Down-
haul
|
Brail
|
Outer jib
|
30%
|
15%
|
16%
|
28%
|
10%
|
|
Inner jib
|
26%
|
15%
|
16%
|
26%
|
10%
|
|
Fore topmast staysail
|
22%
|
21%
|
18%
|
23%
|
10%
|
|
Main staysail
|
25%
|
20%
|
18%
|
22%
|
10%
|
10%
|
Main topmast staysail
|
25%
|
20%
|
18%
|
20%
|
10%
|
10%
|
Middle staysail
|
24%
|
16%
|
18%
|
16%
|
10%
|
10%
|
Main topgallant staysail
|
20%
|
12%
|
16%
|
12%
|
10%
|
10%
|
Mizen staysail
|
25%
|
15%
|
18%
|
15%
|
10%
|
10%
|
Mizen topmast staysail
|
20%
|
12%
|
16%
|
12%
|
10%
|
10%
|
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