A parrel of strong cord leads from P to M on the yard, around the mast, and a similar panel on each batten goes around the mast from M to K. The weight of the sail is thus divided, and spread fairly over the length of the mast when the sail is to leeward, and a great amount of strain is thus removed from the masthead.
The downhaul, for pulling down the whole sail, is made fast to the yard at P, and leads down through a block on the deck at R. The three reef tackles, and this downhaul, lead along the deck through four eye-bolts (screwed into the deck) within easy reach of the hand, and the ends are knotted, so that they cannot go astray, but must always be ready to hand when wanted. This arrangement is convenient on a dark night when everything is invisible, and prevents accidents happening from mistaken identity of the various cords. The downhaul is important for getting down sails in sudden emergency; also in case of an upset the downhaul becomes essential to gather in the sail after the halyard is let go, otherwise the canoe cannot be righted without great difficulty.
The halyard is made fast to a hollow brass curtain ring running on the mast, and then passed through a block stropped and seized to the yard before passing through the masthead block. This arrangement always keeps the yard well set up to the mast, and yet allows the yard to lower down easily.
The double topping lift leads through an eyebolt screw just above the halyard block, and the ends, having passed through a thimble on the boom at Z, are knotted together and fastened to a small cleat on the boom end, and by letting go from this cleat the sail can be dropped on deck. Another line (S), which leads from the masthead through a thimble on the boom, is fastened to the other small cleat on the after end of the boom, and this line prevents the fore end of the boom from dropping while a reef is being hauled down. The tack is made fast to an eye on the aft side of the ferrule around the mast at the deck, and to this ferrule are riveted the brass treble blocks for the reef tackles and the double blocks for the main and spinnaker halyards. For the yard there are at intervals three or four ties with which to make up the sail when lowered down.
The racing sail is represented on a smaller scale, kin. to the foot (Fig. 139). It area is about ninety square feet, and it is fitted with the same gear as the cruising sail.
Mr. Tredwen says "objection may be taken to the appearance of these sails ; that the foot is too narrow, the leech being rounded in too much; but this much can be said in favour of a short boom and narrow sail : the sail is less in the way of the paddle, and it is safer in squally weather than a wide sail, as in a sudden puff a long boom dips into the water, and acts as a paddle backing on the lee side to prevent the canoe luffing up, while the water holds the sail aft like a belayed mainsheet, and keeps it full of wind. If the squall lasts a minute, the canoe is almost certain to upset under these conditions. A small sacrifice of beauty is certainly repaid by the safety acquired in a narrow sail." Of course Mr. Tredwen must mean " height for height," as a low and wide sail is safer, so far as its heeling effects go, than a high and narrow one, the areas being equal.
In squally weather the sail would be of course reduced, and the boom would be well topped clear of the embers.
The spritsail wizen (Fig. 140) is fitted with a brad' , running from the boom end through a row of rings up the leech, and through a block at the sprit head (A), then down the sprit through a double block at the foot of the mast at B, and then (leaving about a foot or so of slack in a bight) it passes over the other sheave of the double block to the masthead, and along the top of the sail through rings to the sprit end, where it is made fast. A finger being put into the bight (D) of the brail, one pull furls the whole sail (the sheet being overhauled) ; or, by pulling one line only, the sail can be reefed into a jib-header. A line is always kept fast to the masthead long enough to wind two or three times round the sail when brailed up, and this being fastened to the cleat on the mast at V, the sheet can be untoggled and the sail stowed away, ready to be re-set at a minute's notice, there being no halyards, tack, &c., to adjust. This kind of sail has been found to work well up to 40 square feet, and, although rather unsightly, it is handy as a mainsail in a Rob Roy, where the sail is set low. The canoeist can look under his boom, by a pull on the brail, to see what is under his lee. The sprit is run through a tape pocket to ensure a good sit of the sail when reefed to a jib-header.