Formerly the practice was to lower the topsail to leeward of the mainsail, as it was thought to come down more freely under the lee of the lower sail; but the difficulty is that the sail or yard is almost certain to get foul of the topmast rigging or lee crosstrees, and the crew cannot handle it so well from the lee scuppers. Very often in attempting to take in a topsail to leeward it will take charge and blow out, whereas if it were to windward it would lie flat on the mainsail, and could not blow away. So now the practice is, if the tack be to leeward, for a hand to go aloft in the lee rigging or up the mast hoops and unhook the tack tackle, whilst another hand goes aloft on the weather side to the mast head, and lowers a line to him to bend to the tack. When the line is so bent, the hand at the masthead pulls the tack up over the peak halyards, so that the sail can be got down to windward. The heel of the yard is pushed to the weather side of the mast whilst lowering.
To SET A SCHOONER'S FORE GAFF TOPSAIL.—The sail should be sent up stopped to the yard, with the clew and tack cringles clear. Bend on the halyards, and hoist to the masthead. The hand aloft will then bend on the lee sheet and lee tack to the cringles ; then the weather sheet and tack will be bent, first passing them over the maintopmast stay. When this is done, hoist the sail chock-a-block, bowse down the lee tack, then sheet home the lee sheet by the winch.
To WORK A FORE GAFF TOPSAIL.—When the order comes " ready about," ease up the sheet and tack ; clew the sail well up. The fore masthead man will clear the tack and sheet over the maintopmaat stay, and must well overhaul the same. As the vessel comes head to wind, bowse down the tack as smartly as possible, at the same time haul out the sheet ; but do not sheet home until the topsail is tacked, as it must always be recollected that a topsail cannot be properly set if it is sheeted before the tack is down.
To SET A JIB TOPSAIL.—Pass along the sail head first, one hand going to bowsprit end with the head cringle in his hand. In large vessels this hand bestrides the bowsprit end outside the topmast stay, with his face towards the vessel ; generally in such small vessels as five-tonners there is not such a " seat" at the extreme end, and the hand will sit on the bowsprit weather shrouds if the sail has to be hanked. Bend the sheets, and pass them outside of all. Haul in the lee sheet, and place one hand to attend to it, and ease up if necessary. Hook or toggle the hanks on to the topmast stay, cutting the stops and hoisting as the hanks are so hooked or toggled. When all the hanks are on, hoist to the required height, set the tack down, and trim the sheet.
A jib topsail in a five-tonner is sometimes set flying, as the bowsprit end of such small craft is not a pleasant place for a man of the customary weight of eleven stone. At the bowsprit end a tail block is fast ; through this block a rope is rove, both ends being kept in-board. To set the sail, bend both ends of this rope to the tack cringle, and bend the halyards to the head cringle. Haul the sail out on the bowsprit by the under part of the outhaul, and hoist at the same time. The bight of the outhaul will therefore come in-board, and its upper part will serve as the inhaul when the sail has to be handed. The sail can be hoisted to any required height. One hand, of course, must go to the bowsprit end to pass the sheet.
If the halyards are to windward the sail can be hoisted to wind ward ; if otherwise it will be hoisted to leeward of the foresail and jib.
In strong winds a jib topsail should never be hoisted so high as in light airs, as the higher it is the more strain it will bring on the topmast.
Also, in strong winds, one hand should always be stationed at the sheet to ease up during strong puffs. A good plan is to put a tail tackle on the sheet. The sheet can then be eased or hauled in as required very readily by the tackle.
To SET A SCHOONER'S MAIN TOPMAST STAYSAIL.—See that the hal yards are on the lee side of the main-topmast stay. Bend on the halyards, tack and sheet; see that the sheet has been passed outside the main rigging and main-topmast rigging. Hoist to foremast head in a bunch; then, as the hand aloft hooks the hanks on the main-topmast stay, the deck hands will hoist. When hoisted, set the tack taut, and belay. Trim the sheet. It is very usual for the sheet to lead to the boom end ; it cannot very well be got too far aft.
To SET A SquAREsAiL.—The yard has a strop and thimble eye seized in it at the centre of length of yard; on the fore side of the mast a wire jack stay or jumper reaches from masthead to deck, on which the thimble eye on the yard strop travels. The braces are rove through single blocks at each yard arm, and one end made fast to the ravel aft, the other part is for hauling. The fore braces are single ropes leading from each yard arm through single blocks at the bowsprit end. The lifts go from each yard arm through single blocks hooked to the upper cap at masthead, and lead to the deck. When at anchor the yard is generally lowered half-way down, and then pointed up and down the mast. It is more ship-shape, however, to lower the yard down to about level with the tier of mast hoops and square across, with all the braces and lifts set taut. The only objection to the latter plan is that it may be fouled by passing vessels.