| Boom |
A spar, typically of aluminium or wood, that runs along
the bottom of a sail |
| Fore-and-aft |
A sail plan in which the sails run from the front to the back of the
boat, as opposed to a square-rigged
sail plan, the traditional rig for large sailing vessels where the sails
run from side to side |
| Foresail |
Generic name for sail attached to the forestay
at the front of the boat. These sails are usually jibs
or genoas. Also known as headsails |
| Forestay |
A rope or wire that runs from the masthead or near the top of the
mast to the front of the boat. It is part of the standing
rigging that provides strucutural integrity to the boat |
| Gaff |
A spar, typically made of wood, that runs along the top of a sail.
It is also the name of a stick with an iron hook used for landing large
fish |
| Genoa |
A large triangular sail at the front of a sailing boat that stretches
back past the mast. Common on modern yachts. Also known as a foresail
or headsail. See also jib |
| Halyard |
Any rope that is used to hoist a sail up the mast. Halyards are part
of the running rigging |
| Jib |
A triangular sail at the front of the boat. Also referred to as a
foresail or headsail. See also genoa |
| Kicking strap |
A rope that runs from the boom
to the base of the mast to control the lift of the foot of the sail.
Also known as a vang, particularly
in the States |
| Mainsail |
The primary sail of a sailing boat. On a modern single-masted sloop,
the mainsail will be attached to a boom
along the bottom. In some sailplans, it may also have a gaff
at the top |
| Reef |
To reef is to reduce the amount of sail area. This makes the boat
easier to control in heavy wind conditions. |
| Running rigging |
The running rigging comprises the flexible ropes that are used for
raising sails as well as controlling them when under way. More details
can be found in the understanding rigging
section |
| Sheet |
A rope that is used to control the angle of the sail to the wind.
The sheets are the ropes that sailors use most often. Each sail has
a sheet (sometimes more than one) and these will be called, for example,
the mainsheet or the jibsheet. Sheets are part of the running
rigging |
| Shrouds |
The shrouds are wires or ropes that run from the top of the mast to
the deck on either side and provide lateral stability. They are part
of the standing rigging |
| Square-rigged |
A sail-plan where the sails are set at right angles to the length
of the boat, opposite to a fore
and aft rig |
| Standing rigging |
The standing rigging is the fixed static rigging that supports the
mast and provides structural rigidity to the boat. More details can
be found in the understanding rigging
section |
| Stays |
The collective phrase for the ropes or wires that support the mast.
The stays form the majority of the standing
rigging and include the backstay,
forestay and shrouds |
| Vang |
A rope that runs from the boom
to the base of the mast to control the lift of the foot of the sail.
A vang is often a solid spar, rather than just rope, and may be hydraulic.
It performs the same function as a kicking
strap |
| Warp |
Any rope that secures a vessel to the shore. |
