The people should be aloft in the top-mast rigging ready to lay out
when ordered. If going before the wind we must depend entirely on
its strength, whether it will be necessary to bring the ship to, or not, for
that purpose; in which case it must be done just so much as to spill the sail
for lying quiet whilst the men are on the yard. As the ship comes-to, lower
the top-sails, bowse out the reef
[p 21]
tackles, and haul taught the bunt lines; keep the yard square; when secured,
send the people out. In moderate weather, reefing before the wind is performed
as at all other times reefing upon a wind is done. To reef upon a wind, man
the weather brace, luff the ship up that the weather leech may lift, let go
the bowline and lower away. In taking the third reef in, it is usual when the
wind blows fresh to start four or five fathoms of the weather-sheet (to ease
the reef-tackle-pendant) and to haul up the clue-line and bunt-lines. When the
course is not set, the lower yard [1]
being sufficiently squared will answer the same purpose. In close reefing the
weather-clue-line is generally hauled quite up. The principal points to be
attended to in reefing a sail are, to spill it by the braces and the helm so
that the people may perform their duty with ease, and free from danger;
hauling forward on the lee-bow-line prevents the sail from getting over the
lee-yard-arm, but the following method of taking a sail in will have the same
effect. Keep the ship a point free, haul up the lee-clue-line and bunt-line;
when up, haul up the weather-clue-line; when half up, let go the bow-line and
hallyards; round in the weather brace, bring the ship to the wind, and spill
the sail. Leech lines are very convenient for spilling top sails.
1) When this is done, care must be taken to bowse the trusses taught, and to haul taught the braces, or else the yard will fly about. [Back]
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Copyright © 1996 Lars Bruzelius.