Haul the fore-sheet up to windward; bowline it there, and heave her to.
Keep the tiller shipped, and lash it a-lee. In gaff topsail; lower the
halyards; and haul down. Send a hand aloft to unbend the sheet from
the sail, and make it fast to the main halyard bolt; and unlash the
gaff topsail, and send it down. Lower the main halyards and peak to the
second reef cringle, and reef the mainsail.
Hook the reef tackle[58] to the first earing[59]; haul upon it till the
cringle[60] is close down upon the boom; and belay the tackle. Pass a
small gasket[61] through the tack and the first reef cringle, and lash
the two firmly together, taking care to gather in snug the luff of the
sail, so that the leach rope belonging to it forms a sort of snake
near the mast. Haul up the tack, and bowse upon the weather peak line,
keeping the other part fast a-midships of the boom. This will hold the
belly of the sail partly to windward, and make it easier to tie the
reef-points. Observe to keep the foot-rope outside and under the sail.
[58] A small tackle formed of two hook blocks, one of which is hooked
to the under part of the boom about one third from the mast, and the
other farther aft. The fall is belayed to a cleat under the boom.
[59] A stout rope, one end of which is made fast to the boom at the
same distance from the mast as the reef cringle to which it belongs.
It ascends, passes through the cringle, descends and passes through a
sheave on the side of the boom, then in board, and is stopped to the
boom by means of its lanyard, or small line spliced into its end for
the purpose. This lanyard is also to make it fast when the sail is
reefed, and you wish to remove the tackle.
[60] A short loop of rope with a thimble or small ring of iron inside
it, spliced to the leach of the sail.
[61] A rope made by plaiting rope-yarns.
Let one man jump upon the boom to tie the outer points so far that
the rest can be tied on board. Let go the tack and peak line, always
keeping the ends of this fast under the boom. Hoist the sail taut up;
and set taut the tack tackle. Shift the jib to No. 2. Overhaul the
jib purchase; let go the outhaul; haul the jib down; unhook the tack;
unbend the sheets; and send the sail down below.
You have now got one reef in the mainsail. If it come on to blow
harder, and you want a second reef, lower the sail, and haul on the
peak line as before; nipper the first reef-earing so as to hold it a
short time; let go the reef tackle, and unhook it from the earing,
which make fast with its lanyard round the boom.
You have now got the tackle to use for the second reef. Proceed as
for the first reef. Shift the jib to No. 3, and proceed as before. If
third, the same, after rigging the bowsprit. Take the fid[62] or bolt
out of the heel of the bowsprit, and rig the bowsprit in about one fid
hole. Haul taut the topmast stay and bowsprit rigging. Bend and set the
small jib in the same way as any other.
[62] A bar of wood or iron, which passes horizontally through a hole
in each bitt and the heel of the bowsprit, to secure it in its place,
much in the same way that a carriage pole is secured.
You may want to stow the mainsail, set the trysail, and make her
otherwise snug in proportion. Sway away upon the top rope; lift the
mast a little to let the man unfid it; and lower topmast down in the
slings. Lower the fore halyards, and reef the foresail. Gather the luff
of the sail up; make the foremost reef-earing cringle fast to the tack;
shift the sheet from the clue of the sail to the after reef cringle;
and tie the points. If the weather is very heavy, haul down the
stay-sail, and tend the vessel with a tackle upon the weather jib-sheet.
* * * * *
When it comes fine weather again, make sail in precisely the reverse
order to that in which you shorten it. Continue to tack in the wind’s
eye till you are to windward of the harbour.
[Illustration: _Plate XXXI_
_Page 119._
The Mariner’s Compass.