§ I. SAILING SHIPS.

APPENDIX.

Although sails and spars have practically disappeared from the navy and from the experience of the average seafaring man even in the merchant service, they are far from having disappeared from the ocean; and some familiarity with them may still be expected on the part of every seaman who aspires to be even tolerably well informed in his profession.

Plates 187, 188, and 193 show the various rigs which are commonly seen in deep-sea vessels.

A ship, often referred to as "a full-rigged ship," has three masts; the fore, main, and mizzen, all of them square-rigged.

A ship may have more than three masts. Four-masted ships are common, and five-masters are occasionally seen. In a fourmaster the after-mast is called the jigger-mast. In a five-master, the masts are usually called "fore," "main," "middle," "mizzen," and "jigger."

A Barque has three masts, the fore and main square-rigged, the mizzen, fore-and-aft rigged.

A barque, like a ship, may have more than three masts, the names being the same as in the case of a ship. She is still a barque if all the masts except the after one are square-rigged.

A Barkentine has three or more masts, of which the two after ones, main, and mizzen, or mizzen and jigger, are fore-and-aft rigged. A five-master, with the three after-masts fore-and-aft rigged is still a barkentine.

A Brig has two masts, both full square-rigged. A brigantine is a brig without a square mainsail; that is to say, she carries all the square sails of a brig on both fore and main masts, except the mainsail.

A Hermaphrodite Brig has two masts, the foremast full squarerigged, the mainmast full fore-and-aft rigged. A hermaphrodite brig is often incorrectly called a brigantine.

A Topsail Schooner has a fore-and-aft foresail, with a square

fore-topsail, and in some cases a fore-topgallant sail. The mainmast is full fore-and-aft rigged. A topsail schooner is often incorrectly called a hermaphrodite brig.

A Schooner has two, three, or more masts, all fore-and-aft rigged. The designations of the masts where there are more than two are the same as in the case of a ship or a barque.

There are many variations in the single-masted rig shown in the Cutter of Plate 187. The "sloop " differs from the cutter so far as rig is concerned in having a short fixed bowsprit instead of a long moveable one, and in carrying only one head sail. The most important distinction, however, between the sloop and the cutter, as at present recognized by yachtsmen, has to do with the model of the hull rather than with the rig.

The Ketch and the Yawl are modifications of the single-master rather than of the schooner, since they have grown out of the desire to make the total sail area more manageable by dividing it. For racing, the "single-sticker" holds its own because, as is well known, a given amount of canvas has far greater driving power in one sail than in two. An incidental advantage of the yawl or ketch rig is that the craft can be handled under very small sail-jib and jigger-which is a great convenience in working around a harbor, and may be of vital consequence in bad weather when the mainsail must be lowered, perhaps only for reefing; a situation in which the boat under a jib alone would be altogether unmanageable, and reefing a difficult and dangerous operation.

The same considerations of manageability with a small crew which have led to the development of the yawl and ketch from the single-master, have led to the division of the mainsail of large schooners, resulting in the production of schooners of three, four, and more masts.

Details of Rigging-Square-Riggers.

Masts. Lower masts in modern ships are usually built up of steel plates stiffened in various ways by steel shapes.

Built-up masts of wood are no longer used, although lower masts made of single pine sticks are not uncommon in sailing ships of moderate size.

Topmasts and topgallant-masts are still made of wood, usually of pine.

The mast rests on a step, placed as low as possible; usually on the keelson. At the lower end is a tenon fitting into a mortise at the step. Where the mast passes through the successive decks, timbers are built in from beam to beam, forming partners; the space between these and the mast being filled by tightly fitting wedges.

The masthead is smaller than the body of the mast, and at the shoulder, called the hounds, where the reduction in size is made, heavy knees or bibbs, are bolted on, widening the shoulder and forming a secure support for the trestle-trees; stout fore-and-aft pieces which, in their turn, support the cross-trees, the top, the topmast, and the eyes of the lower rigging. The cross-trees are athwartship pieces crossing the trestle-trees forward and abaft the masthead, and forming the principal part of the framing of the top. They are jogged down into the trestle-trees, and with the latter form a skeleton to which the comparatively light planking of the top is secured.

The lower masthead terminates in a square tenon, to which the cap is fitted. This may be of wood, iron-bound, or built up of steel.

The topmast passes through a round hole in the forward part of the cap, which thus binds the two masts together. In the heel of the mast is a thwartship hole, square in section, through which is placed an iron fid, with its ends projecting and resting on the trestle-trees on either side. Two sheaves placed diagonally in the heel of the topmast furnish a lead for the top pendants, by which the mast is sent up and down. The over-lapping parts of the lower masts and topmasts are the doublings.

The topmast head is fitted in practically the same way as the lower masthead, and the heel of the topgallant-mast "doubles " upon it similarly. Cross-trees are used here as spreaders for the topgallant rigging, but without a top.