On board a sailing vessel, what are 'sheets'?
"line may slip past the sheave. This kind of block makes a loaded line easier to hold by hand, and is sometimes used on smaller boats for lines like main and jib sheets that are frequently adjusted. Block (sailing) In sailing, a block is a single or multiple pulley. One or a number of ""sheaves"" are enclosed in an assembly between ""cheeks"" or ""chocks"". In use, a block is fixed to the end of a line, to a spar, or to a surface. A line (rope) is ""reeved"" through the sheaves, and maybe through one or more matching blocks at"
"Sheet (sailing) In sailing, a sheet is a line (rope, cable or chain) used to control the movable corner(s) (clews) of a sail. ""sheet"" is an expanse or surface, flat and thin, of various materials; or a rope attached to a sail. These two apparently widely separated meanings are to be explained by the generally received etymology. In O. Eng. there are three words, all from the root seen in ""shoot"", to dart, let fly, thrust forward; ""scete"" or ""scȳte"", a sheet of cloth, ""sceat"", corner or fold of a garment, projecting angles, region (""e.g."" ""sæs"" ""scädt"", portion of the"
"flat, thin surface, such as a sheet of paper or a bed sheet. In nautical usage the term ""sheet"" is applied to a rope or chain attached to the lower corners of a sail for the purpose of extension or change of direction. The connexion in derivation with ""shoot"" is more clearly seen in ""sheet-anchor"", one that is kept in reserve, to be ""shot"" in case of emergency. Fore-and-aft rigs comprise the vast majority of sailing vessels in use today, including effectively all dinghies and yachts. The sheet on a fore-and-aft sail controls the angle of the sail to the"
"""bona fides"" of a ship. Ship's articles The ship's articles (shipping articles, more formally the ship's articles of agreement) is the set of documents that constitute the contract between the seamen and the captain (master) of a vessel. They specify the name of the ship, the conditions of employment (including the size and ratings of the intended complement), seamen's compensation (shares or payments), the nature of the voyage(s) and duration, and the regulations to be observed aboard ship and in port, including punishable offenses and punishments. Traditionally, each seaman is required to sign the articles, and the articles include for"
"Ship's articles The ship's articles (shipping articles, more formally the ship's articles of agreement) is the set of documents that constitute the contract between the seamen and the captain (master) of a vessel. They specify the name of the ship, the conditions of employment (including the size and ratings of the intended complement), seamen's compensation (shares or payments), the nature of the voyage(s) and duration, and the regulations to be observed aboard ship and in port, including punishable offenses and punishments. Traditionally, each seaman is required to sign the articles, and the articles include for each seaman, his rating, the"
"replaced with single-line sheets holding immense forces but controlled by powerful winches. Square-rigged vessels are much less common, and are usually large ships. Nevertheless, they too have sheets on the movable corners of their square sails. Unlike fore-and-aft sheets, though, square-rig sheets do not control the angle of the sails (which is performed using braces); instead, they are used to haul the corners of the sails from their stowed positions down towards the tip of the yard below. They are then not adjusted significantly while sailing until the sail is to be handed (put away) again. The lowest sails, the"
"""cable."" Lines that are attached to sails to control their shapes are called ""sheets"", as in ""mainsheet"". If a rope is made of wire, it maintains its rope name as in 'wire rope' halyard. Lines (generally steel cables) that support masts are stationary and are collectively known as a vessel's standing rigging, and individually as ""shrouds"" or ""stays"". The stay running forward from a mast to the bow is called the ""forestay"" or ""headstay"". Stays running aft are backstays or after stays. Moveable lines that control sails or other equipment are known collectively as a vessel's running rigging. Lines that"
"sea, gulf, bay), and ""scēata"", foot of a sail, ""pes veli"" (Wright, ""Gloss""). The original meaning, according to Skeat, is “projection,” or that which shoots out, then a corner, especially of a garment or of a cloth; after which it was extended to mean a whole cloth or ""sheet"". In Icelandic, the cognate word ""skaut"" has much the same meanings, including that of a rope attached to a sail. Other cognate forms in Teutonic languages are Ger. ""Schoss"", lap, bosom, properly fold of a garment, Dutch ""school"", Icel. ""skaut"", &c. In current English usage, ""sheet"" is commonly applied to any"
"sheet"" until the next tack. Schooners typically have up to three jibs. The foremost one sets on the topmast forestay and is generally called the ""jib topsail"", a second on the main forestay is called ""the jib"", and the innermost is called ""the staysail"". Actually, all three sails are both jibs and staysails in the generic sense. Original usage in 18th and 19th century square-rigged ships distinguished between the fore staysail, set on the forestay running from the foremast head to the ship's peak, the foremost part of the hull, and the jibs set on stays running to the bowsprit."
"Sailing yacht A sailing yacht (US ship prefix SY or S/Y) is a leisure craft that uses sails as its primary means of propulsion. Sailing yachts are actively used in sport and are a category of classes recognized by the World Sailing. The length overall of sailing yachts ranges from to over , with a majority measuring about ; The cost of building and keeping a yacht rises quickly as length increases. In the United States, sailors tend to refer to smaller yachts as sailboats, while referring to the general sport of sailing as yachting. Within the limited context of"
"in his personal collection, he also has over 4,000 individual ship files—roughly seven file cabinets full—containing photos and other historical data. Cruise book A cruise book is a yearbook-style publication often produced by ships of the United States Navy upon completion of a long deployment (typically six months or more). The books typically contain photos of all the people who were aboard during the cruise, usually grouped by their division or department. There are often candid photos as well, showing the people at work aboard the ship. Often there is a map or a description of the ship's travels during"
"running rigging which pulls up the junk sail are: The running rigging which pulls down on the junk sail are: The running rigging that sets or trims the junk sail (controls the angle of attack relative to the direction of the wind) is the ""sheet"". On a traditional Chinese junk rig, the sail is controlled by ""sheetlets""—small sheet lines running from the battens to blocks that in turn are on lines running through a ""euphroe,"" a long piece of wood with holes in it. This helps maintain uniform tension in each panel of the sail. Western ship designers Tom Colvin,"
"Ship's boat Ship's boats are utility boats carried by larger vessels to act as tenders amongst other roles. Boats had different names depending on hull form, rig, size and role during the Age of Sail, this nomenclature persisting to the present, especially in military circles, long after most distinctions have disappeared. Ship's boats that might potentially be carried by a sailing ship include: One of the main roles of a ship's boat was to act as a taxi to move stores and people between shore and ship, and between ships. Although some boats were general purpose in nature, boats such"
"that allows the boat to ground out in an upright position and serves as a shoe for dragging the boat up and down the beach. The boat usually has two seats, one for the rower, and one in the stern sheets for the passenger, although longer ones can have a third seat forward. Just as the term ""shell wherry"" was recognised in 19th century Britain so also was it recognised in 19th century America, for sure in the vicinity of Boston in 1860. Wherry A wherry is a type of boat that was traditionally used for carrying cargo or passengers"
"Shore leave Shore leave is the leave that professional sailors get to spend on dry land. It is also known as ""liberty"" within the United States Navy and Marine Corps. During the Age of Sail, shore leave was often abused by the members of the crew, who took it as a prime opportunity to drink in excess, indulge in other pleasures denied to them aboard the solely masculine ships, and desert. Many captains were forced to take on new members of the crew to replace the ones lost due to shore leave. Books, films, and songs about sailors on shore"
"a ship dates back to the era of small sailing ships. These vessels were built with the decks curving upwards at the bow and stern in order to increase stability by preventing the ship from pitching up and down. Sheer on exposed decks also makes a ship more seaworthy by raising the deck at fore and aft ends further from the water and by reducing the volume of water coming on deck. Sheer (ship) The sheer is a measure of longitudinal main deck curvature, in naval architecture. The sheer forward is usually twice that of sheer aft. Increases in the"
"Gasket (sailing) In sailing, gaskets are lengths of rope or fabric used to hold a stowed sail in place. In modern use, the term is usually restricted to square-rigged ships, the equivalent items on yachts being referred to by the more prosaic ""sail ties"". On most ships, gaskets are made of rope. They are attached to the top of the yard and, left loose, would hang behind the sail. Gaskets should never be left dangling, however, so when the sail is set they are brought around underneath the yard and up the back of it and then tied to the"
"Sailing Directions Sailing Directions are written directions, describing the routes to be taken by boats and ships during coastal navigation, and port approaches. There are also products known as Sailing Directions, which are books written by various Hydrographic Offices throughout the world. They are known as Pilot Books, because they provide local knowledge of routes and landmarks, which would typically be provided by a local marine pilot. As such, they are used frequently by naval and government vessels, who are exempted from 'Compulsory Pilotage' in many ports. Many nations publish Sailing Directions for their home waters, where they are the"
"code"" or ""Jamaica discipline"". In addition to monetary payments, seamen on ships traditionally received housing (berth), board (food and provisions), medical care (ship's doctor), and sometimes things like laundry services or an alcohol allowance. This as often expressed in the ship's articles as so much ""a month and found"". Ship’s articles are considered part of a ""ship's papers"", which constitute the legal environment aboard ship. They are required in resolving disputes between seamen and their captains, as well as between seamen and the ship's and cargo's owners. They are presented to port authorities and foreign consular officials to establish the"
"the crew. By sitting on the windward side of the hull, the heeling moment must lift the weight of the crew. On more advanced racing boats, a wire harness called a trapeze is used to allow the crew to hang completely over the side of the hull without falling out; this provides much larger amounts of righting moment due to the larger leverage of the crew's weight, but can be dangerous if the wind suddenly dies, as the sudden loss of heeling moment can dump the crew in the water. On larger modern vessels, the keel is made of or"
"Slip sheet Slip sheets are thin pallet-sized sheets made of plastic, heavy laminated kraft paperboard, or corrugated fiberboard used in commercial shipping. Often, these replace the use of traditional wooden pallets. The unit load is usually stretch wrapped or shrink wrapped for stability. The slip sheet is used as a pallet support device in vehicle delivery and transportation of products. When slip sheets are supported by a pallet board, flat load carrying surface, or a cart or fork lift truck, the structural strength of the slip sheet supports the product load's weight. With the slip sheet supported by one of"
"Shroud (sailing) On a sailing boat, the shrouds are pieces of standing rigging which hold the mast up from side to side. There is frequently more than one shroud on each side of the boat. Usually a shroud will connect at the top of the mast, and additional shrouds might connect partway down the mast, depending on the design of the boat. Shrouds terminate at their bottom ends at the chain plates, which are tied into the hull. They are sometimes held outboard by channels, a ledge that keeps the shrouds clear of the gunwales. Shrouds are attached symmetrically on"
"rigged vessels have rigging that supports, shapes, and adjusts the sails to optimize their performance in the wind, which include the following lines: Square-rigged vessels require more controlling lines than fore-and-aft rigged ones, including the following. Sails on high-performance sailing craft. Sails on craft subject to low forward resistance and high lateral resistance. Sail A sail is a tensile structure—made from fabric or other membrane materials—that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails may be made from a combination of woven materials—including canvas or polyester cloth, laminated"
"is a vessel that carries goods by sea. A common notion is that a ship can carry a boat, but not ""vice versa"". A US Navy rule of thumb is that ships heel towards the ""outside"" of a sharp turn, whereas boats heel towards the ""inside"" because of the relative location of the center of mass versus the center of buoyancy. American and British 19th Century maritime law distinguished ""vessels"" from other craft; ships and boats fall in one legal category, whereas open boats and rafts are not considered vessels. In the Age of Sail, a full-rigged ship was a"
"a pole with one mast end and one sail end. Smaller boats tend to use only one line on each clew (a combination ""guy"" and ""sheet""). The windward line that runs through the jaw of the spinnaker pole is referred to as ""the guy"" (as opposed to foreguy) and the one on the free-flying corner is referred to as ""the sheet"". During a jibe, these roles and thus the names are reversed. Larger boats may choose to use both a sheet & guy on each corner, with ""the guy"" being a heavier line. Having 2 sets of lines will makes"
"of Africa, and as far east as India, lateens and settees were in common use. Ships were named more with regard to purpose than number of masts or type of sail. For instance, feluccas and sambuks were mostly used for fishing and ferrying, dhows are heavy cargo vessels. Xebecs, which also had oars, were used by corsairs to outpace merchant vessels, which were also often xebecs. Attempts to blend nomenclature, as in the junk diagram to the left above, occur. A ship can be rigged with one of its sails as a junk sail and another as a Bermuda rig"
"Deadeye A deadeye is an item used in the standing and running rigging of traditional sailing ships. It is a smallish round thick wooden (usually lignum vitae) disc with one or more holes through it, perpendicular to the plane of the disc. Single and triple-hole deadeyes are most commonly seen. The three-holed blocks were called deadeyes because the position of the three holes resemble the eye and nose sockets of a sheep's skull. Single deadeyes (or bull's eyes) are used to guide and control a line and, particularly in older vessels, to change its direction. More modern systems would use"
"Shear legs Shear legs, also known as sheers, shears, or sheer legs, are a form of two-legged lifting device. Shear legs may be permanent, formed of a solid A-frame and supports, as commonly seen on land and the floating sheerleg, or temporary, as aboard a vessel lacking a fixed crane or derrick. When fixed, they are often used for very heavy lifting, as in tank recovery, shipbuilding, and offshore salvage operations. At dockyards they hoist masts and other substantial rigging parts on board. They are sometimes temporarily rigged on sailboats for similar tasks. Shear legs are a lifting device related"
"Sail batten A sail batten is a flexible insert in a sail, parallel to the direction of wind flow, that helps shape its qualities as an airfoil. Battens are long, thin strips of material, historically wooden but today usually fiberglass, vinyl, or carbon fiber, used to support the roach of a sail. They are also used on tall ships to form the ladders up the shrouds in a fashion similar to ratlines. A ""junk"" is an ancient Chinese sailing ship design that is still in use today. Junks were used as seagoing vessels as early as the 2nd century AD"
"Barrymore. In the film, the boat was named the ""Sea Serpent"". Ketch A ketch is a two-masted sailing craft whose mainmast is taller than the mizzen mast (or aft-mast). The name ""ketch"" is derived from ""catch"" or fishing boat. Historically the ketch was a northern European square-rigged vessel, often a freighter or fishing boat, particularly in the Baltic and North seas. Nowadays, a ketch tends to be a fore-and-aft rigged pleasure yacht, similar to a yawl; but a ketch's mizzen mast is taller and its mizzen sail is larger than a yawl's. The large fore-and-aft sail on the mainmast is"
"has arrived at the port of loading or discharge ""whether in berth or not"". It protects shipowner's interests against delays which arise from ships having to wait for a berth. Charterparty A charterparty (sometimes charter-party) is a maritime contract between a shipowner and a ""charterer"" for the hire of either a ship for the carriage of passengers or cargo, or a yacht for pleasure purposes. The name ""charterparty"" is an anglicisation the French ""charte partie"", or ""split paper"", i.e. a document written in duplicate so that each party retains half. There are three main types of charterparty: time, voyage and"
"planing dinghies as their speed generates an apparent wind on the bow allowing them to sail more directly downwind. It is also particularly useful in cruising yachts in the form of a ""cruising spinnaker"" or ""cruising chute"", where the ease of handling is important. A cruising chute is a form of asymmetric spinnaker used by cruising yachts and designed for easy use when short handed. Two sheets are used, with the tack line eased by a foot or so before gybing. Alternatively only one sheet is used, with the sail snuffed before a gybe. Many boats will have more than"
"Sail A sail is a tensile structure—made from fabric or other membrane materials—that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails may be made from a combination of woven materials—including canvas or polyester cloth, laminated membranes or bonded filaments—usually in a three- or four-sided shape. A sail provides propulsive force via a combination of lift and drag, depending on its ""angle of attack""—its angle with respect to the ""apparent wind"". Apparent wind is the air velocity experienced on the moving craft and is the combined effect of the"