It Most Be Observed, That
All Their Sailing Vessels Are Not Rigged To Sail In The Same Manner.
Some,
and those of the largest size, are rigged, so as to tack about.
These have
a short but pretty stout mast, which steps on a kind of roller that is
fixed to the deck near the fore-part. It is made to lean or incline very
much forward; the head is forked; on the two points of which the yard
rests, as on two pivots, by means of two strong cleats of wood secured to
each side of the yard, at about one-third its length from the tack or heel,
which, when under sail, is confined down between the two canoes, by means
of two strong ropes, one to and passing through a hole at the head of each
canoe; for it must be observed, that all the sailing vessels of this sort
are double. The tack being thus fixed, it is plain that, in changing tacks,
the vessels must be put about; the sail and boom on the one tack will be
clear of the mast, and on the other it will lie against it, just as a whole
mizzen. However, I am not sure if they do not sometimes unlace that part of
the sail from the yard which is between the tack and mast-head, and so
shift both sail and boom leeward of the mast. The drawings which Mr Hodges
made of these vessels seem to favour this supposition.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 643 of 885
Words from 173559 to 173811
of 239428
