If whilst sailing the peak should settle down so much as to require setting up, the best time to choose for doing so will Ise when the vessel is head to wind in stays. The weight of the boom should be taken by the weather topping lift.
In bending a new mainsail great care should be taken not to get any strain on the head or foot at first. In first hoisting take the weight of the boom with the topping lifts ; set the throat up taut by the halyards, and then get the peak a little more than half up. Then set the luff taut with the tack-tackle, and afterwards set the peak up, but still leave the leech slack. If the weather is damp and any strain comes on the foot, ease the outhaul and let the traveller in. So also if the sail is set and it should rain, ease in the traveller. It is a good plan, especially if the sun is out, to hoist the sail up several days before getting under way, and as it blows about with head and foot slack, it will stretch fairly. If a chance occurs it is an excellent plan to run before a good strong wind for some hours, especially if the leech of the sail appears to be unduly slack. After a few days the head can be hauled out fairly taut on the gaff, and the foot on the boom ; but the traveller should always be eased in for rain or dew, and no great strain should be allowed to come on the foot until the sail is fairly stretched. Even for an old sail the traveller should be eased in a little if the sail gets wet, and if it appears necessary the tack or throat purchase should be eased as well for rain or dew.
To REEF A MAINSAIL.—Get the reef tackle on deck and bend it to the reef pendant or earing (previously rove), and hook the fore block to the eye bolt or strop on the boom. Take the weight of the boom by the weather lift, and ease the main sheet, if required, to allow the boom being tossed up. Cast off the main tack, if the sail be not a laced one. Ease up the main and peak purchases tilt the sail has settled down a reef, and if necessary ease up the halyards by the fall ; no more of the peak than actually necessary should be settled down, as the peak will be the heaviest work to get up again. Put plenty of strength on the reef tackle (ease the helm a little, so as to take the weight of the wind out of the sail) and harden the earing down on the boom until the last inch is got. Should the cringle not come right home pass a tyer two or three times through it and round the boom. This " preventer" lashing is commonly rove when match sailing with a reefed mainsail. Then roll the foot of
the sail up tightly and neatly, and tie up the reef points (see Fig. 40) ; set up the throat by the purchase, and then the peak. Rowse the tack down. Ease up the topping lift and trim the sheet. A racking should now be put on the earing, and the reef tackle cast off. Then make the earing fast by jamming turns round the boom. Reeve another earing and hook the tackle on to haul down the second reef if necessary. Never reef a new unstretched mainsail if it can be avoided, but stow it and set the trysail if necessary.
To SHAKE A REEF ouT.—Set taut the weather topping lift to take the weight of the boom. Untie all the reef points, and be careful that not one is left tied, as the sail may be torn thereby. Ease up the tack tackle and unhook it. Ease up the reef earing. The reef will now be e fairly shaken out, and the mainsail can be set by the purchases, always recollecting to set the throat up first. Bowse down the tack, ease up the topping lift, and trim the sheet.
To STOW A MArNsAIL.---Put the tyers at proper intervals across the boom. Ship the crutch. Set taut the topping lifts. Overhaul main and peak purchase. Lower the boom by the topping lifts into the crutch. Haul taut the main sheet and belay; cast off the falls of main and peak halyards, and lower (by the main the faster) and gather in the sail on deck. Belay the peak halyards so that the gaff end rests on (say) the port side of the boom. Pull the foot of the sail up on the top of the boom so that the roach just hangs over on one side, say the port side ; next take the leech of the sail and lay it along on the top of the foot. Then the whole of the bag of the sail will be on the starboard side. Take hold of this part and lift up and roll over, repeating the operation until the sail is rolled up in a snug bag. Then hoist the gaff up clear of the boom and lift the sail up on the foot, which has been previously laid along the boom. Throw the ends of the tyers over the gaff, and haul up the sail snug to the gaff ; then take the ends of the tyers under the boom up over the gaff again, and tie. Unhook peak halyards and put on the mainsail covers. The peak halyard blocks can be then hooked on again, or hooked to a sling passing under main boom, and will thus keep the boom from sagging with its own weight. When the peak halyards are not so hooked on, an X crutch should support the boom amidships.