To SEND UP a TOPMAST.—Lash a tail block to the upper cap at masthead; through this reeve a rope and bring down to deck; reeve an end through the sheave hole in topmast, and make it fast some distance below the shoulder, stopping the end securely. (The heel of the topmast should be aft.) Hoist away; point the topmast through the lower cap; then make the heel rope fast to topmast, cast off the other rope, and hoist the topmast up through the upper cap by the heel rope. Put the eyes of the rigging over the pole, topmast stay over all ; reeve the halyards, lash on the tail blocks for jib-topsail and spinnaker halyards, and then send up the topmast by hauling on the heel rope and fid. Set up the back stays by the tackles.
The topmast will be sent down by reversing the order given above.
Hoist away on the heel rope until the topmast is sufficiently above the lower cap for the hand aloft to unfid. Settle down the topmast by easing up the heel rope. When lowered, so that the eyes of the rigging come close to the cap, belay the heel rope and lash the heel of topmast to the mast. Unshackle the legs ; hook the tackles on again in, and set hand taut.
If the vessel has much list, the topmast will not come down very readily, and the weather backstays should be kept taut, so as to keep the topmast in the line of the mast, and to prevent it breaking by ragging to leeward with its own weight. Also if there be much sea it may be
found necessary to steady the topmast by the preventer. Generally the vessel should be eased or hove to whilst a topmast is being housed if there be much wind and sea.
Plans for fidding and unfidding topmasts from the deck without going aloft are given on page 131.
To reef A BOWBPRIT.—If the jib is set, ease up the sheets and belay them, well slack. Cast off the bobstay fall and the falls of the shrouds and topmast stay. Knock out the fid, and then launch the bowsprit in by the shroud tackles ; fid and set up all the tackles.
To TAKE A REEF OUT OF THE BOWSPRIT.—Overhaul all the tackles ; launch the bowsprit out with heel rope and tackle, or by the rack-plate and wheel; fid and set the tackles taut again.
In setting up the bobstay tackle, it is usual in racing yachts, before starting in a match, to set the bowsprit end down until it nearly touches the water.* This is done in order to give more hoist and drift for the jib, as by frequent setting up the blocks would soon come " chock-a-block ;" moreover, the bobstay fall is certain to " come up " or stretch a good deal, so much so that very frequently at the end of a match a bowsprit, instead of being bent downwards, is steeved in the air.