50:
189:
168:. Although Forbes strove to defend his rig, the Howe rig dominated. In the Forbes rig, both topsail yards are fixed vertically. In the Howe rig, the upper topsail yard slides on the topmast so it can be lowered in a few seconds to close reef the upper topsail. Howe had the foot of the upper topsail closely attached to the lower topsail yard. In 1865 the British clipper
137:
Although the early Romans used a sort of fore-and-aft rigged topsail on some vessels, this sail came into prominent use in Europe some time in the 15th century. Initially small and carried only on main and fore masts, they gradually increased in size and importance until by the middle of the 17th
119:
or a fore-and-aft rigged sail) ; a square rigged topsail is nearly always trapezoidal in shape, with the lengths of the upper yards being progressively smaller the higher they are on the mast. The bottom edge of the topsail, like that of other square rigged sails, is slightly concave which
150:
were introduced to tie up part of the sail, with topsails eventually getting four of these. In the mid 19th century topsails of merchant vessels were split into separate upper and lower topsails that could be managed independently and far more easily by significantly smaller crews (see
27:
103:
topsail). A full rigged ship will have either single or double (i.e., "split" upper and lower) topsails on all masts, the single or lower topsail being the second sail above the deck and the upper topsail where so rigged being the third.
145:
Because of their ability to drive a ship in lighter winds than the course sail below or any sail above, the topsail quickly became enormous and was soon difficult and dangerous to handle in strong winds. Sometime in the 1680s,
247:) extended out beyond the end of the gaff with a short yard, called a "jack-yard". A jack-yard topsail may also have the aforementioned vertical yard, although this makes for a very large topsail.
138:
century and were the principal and largest sails of the ship, the first sails to be set and the last to be taken in. It was quite common for a ship to sail with topsails and
134:). A topsail which is fore-and-aft rigged is usually also triangular, but has its longest edge oriented vertically rather than horizontally as seen in the raffee sail.
234:. Early 19th-century topsail yards were set almost horizontally, but gradually increased in angle until they became almost vertical extension of the
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alone; the position of the topsails well above the sea ensured that they received a steady breeze even if the seas were rough.
107:
Although described as a "square" sail, a topsail on a full rigged ship refers not to the sail's shape but to it and its
478:
197:
with both a gaff topsail and two square topsails; the partly obscured sail between the topmasts is a topmast staysail
480:
American-Built
Packets and Freighters of the 1850s: An Illustrated Study of Their Characteristics and Construction
430:
984:
661:
193:
126:
686:
301:"; gaff topsails are taken for granted on gaff-rigged vessels and pass without comment in a vessel description.
20:
407:
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sail, which is a square rigged topsail that is triangular (such as is seen on the foremast of the ship
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allows the rigging to connect to the mast. The principal exception to this trapezoidal rule is the
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for a prominent example). Such sails were still often referred to as a single "topsail", however.
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213:, which has no topsails. On a gaff-rigged sailing boat, topsails may take a few different forms:
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A jib-headed topsail is generally a triangular sail set between the gaff and the top of the
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set above another sail; on square-rigged vessels further sails may be set above topsails.
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631:(1995): "Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World", Johns Hopkins University Press,
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80:
225:. A gaff-rigged vessel might have a gaff topsail above any or all of its gaff sails.
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of which at least one is set high, such as many late 19th and 20th
Century racing
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built in 1853 under the supervision of Howes was the first ship with Howe rig.
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A square topsail is a square-rigged sail carried above the foresail only on
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introduced a gap there. Forbes first tried his rig in the topsail schooner
79:
vessel, a topsail is a typically trapezoidal shaped sail rigged above the
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The
Masting of American Merchant Sail in the 1850s: An Illustrated Study
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extended well above the masthead by being laced to a yard hoisted by a
235:
222:
668:; Lees "Masting & Rigging"; "The Young Sea-Officer's Sheet Anchor"
272:
of the yard fits immediately about the gaff and is kept in place by a
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265:
243:
A jack-yard topsail (or club topsail) instead has its lower edge (or
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100:
1495:
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rather than in line with it (in which case it would be called a
112:
38:
675:
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311:
139:
60:
209:
gatherings. The gaff rig has been largely superseded by the
111:
being rigged square (i.e., at a right angle) to the vessel's
160:
Competing versions of this double topsail were invented by
297:.) Schooners carrying square tops are referred to as "
408:"A Letter from Geo. H. Bradbury to R.B. Forbes, 1855"
322:, the uppermost of these, set flying or on a topmast
293:
is an example of a two-masted vessel with a forward
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385:"Letter from R.B. Forbes to Captain Bradbury, 1855"
19:This article is about sailing. For other uses, see
252:A cornish topsail is a triangular sail having its
583:(second ed.). Woodenboat Books. p. 59.
558:(second ed.). Woodenboat Books. p. 58.
533:(second ed.). Woodenboat Books. p. 56.
508:(second ed.). Woodenboat Books. p. 54.
687:
8:
435:. Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub. p. 70ff.
483:. Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub. p. 342.
1224:
1106:
843:
734:
694:
680:
672:
655:Spritsail barges of the Thames and Medway
230:A yard topsail is similar, but set on a
410:. The Maritime History Virtual Archives
387:. The Maritime History Virtual Archives
375:
7:
87:where carried, on any mast (i.e., a
268:fitted diagonally in the mast. The
14:
205:in general, may still be seen at
719:including limited use, outdated
608:. Sheridan House. p. 21.
1:
666:Seamanship in the Age of Sail
59:sailing under (bow to stern)
657:. London: Percival Marshall.
477:William L. Crothers (2013).
429:William L. Crothers (2014).
16:Sail set above another sail
1537:
18:
985:Spritsail (square-rigged)
717:
1521:Sailing rigs and rigging
406:Bruzelius, Lars (1996).
383:Bruzelius, Lars (1996).
310:On rigs having multiple
21:Topsail (disambiguation)
653:March, Edgar J (1948).
884:Mainsail (Bermuda rig)
854:Asymmetrical spinnaker
604:Cunliffe, Tom (1992).
579:Leather, John (2001).
554:Leather, John (2001).
529:Leather, John (2001).
504:Leather, John (2001).
326:, is often called the
198:
166:Captain Frederic Howes
72:
30:
955:Mainsail (square rig)
581:The Gaff Rig Handbook
556:The Gaff Rig Handbook
531:The Gaff Rig Handbook
506:The Gaff Rig Handbook
358:set above the square
191:
52:
29:
606:Hand, Reef and Steer
354:) in the form of an
201:Gaff topsails, like
176:in 1844.The clipper
162:Robert Bennet Forbes
664:& Mark Myers,
639:, pp. 240–241
356:isosceles triangle
199:
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31:
1508:
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1504:
1503:
1214:
1213:
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637:978-0-8018-5130-8
299:topsail schooners
89:fully rigged ship
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1247:Running backstay
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334:Roman navigation
132:topsail schooner
117:fore-and-aft rig
37:("tops'l") is a
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85:topgallant sail
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490:978-0786470068
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457:"Clipper Rigs"
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442:978-0786493999
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287:gaff schooners
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194:La Recouvrance
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127:Denis Sullivan
83:and below the
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1125:sprit topmast
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615:1-57409-203-0
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565:0-937822-67-1
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540:0-937822-67-1
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515:0-937822-67-1
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362:were used in
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91:would have a
90:
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77:square rigged
70:
66:
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58:
57:
51:
44:
42:
40:
36:
28:
22:
1449:Parrel beads
1397:Belaying pin
1392:Baggywrinkle
1376:Topping lift
1014:
838:sailing rigs
760:Fore-and-aft
729:jury rigging
665:
662:John Harland
654:
647:Bibliography
624:
605:
599:
580:
574:
555:
549:
530:
524:
505:
499:
479:
472:
460:. Retrieved
451:
431:
424:
412:. Retrieved
401:
389:. Retrieved
378:
366:navigation.
351:
343:
337:
327:
309:
277:
200:
192:
177:
173:
169:
159:
152:
144:
136:
125:
106:
74:
64:
56:Constitution
55:
34:
32:
847:Three-sided
328:jib topsail
211:Bermuda rig
95:topsail, a
81:course sail
1491:Turnbuckle
1419:Clevis pin
1385:Components
1319:Cunningham
1299:Boomkicker
1264:Stay mouse
1186:Crosstrees
1030:Components
1010:Topgallant
1005:Tanja sail
923:Four-sided
780:Ljungström
370:References
338:Topsails (
306:Other uses
291:brigantine
278:timminoggy
264:through a
207:tall ships
154:Cutty Sark
148:reef-bands
45:Square rig
1486:Traveller
1474:gooseneck
1454:Ring bolt
1361:Preventer
1324:Clewlines
1314:Buntlines
1304:Boom vang
1242:Lazy jack
1137:Jackstaff
1088:Tell-tale
1078:Sailcloth
1043:Bolt rope
1020:Watersail
990:Spritsail
960:Moonraker
945:Junk sail
935:Fisherman
904:Spinnaker
899:Screecher
859:Crab claw
816:Turbosail
811:Rotorsail
462:March 23,
414:March 23,
391:March 23,
316:staysails
276:called a
203:gaff rigs
1515:Category
1439:Footrope
1434:Fairlead
1329:Downhaul
1279:forestay
1274:backstay
1257:ratlines
1229:Standing
1196:Spreader
1120:Bowsprit
1063:Jackline
1000:Studding
994:Optimist
965:Ringtail
950:Lug sail
940:Foresail
909:Staysail
894:Ringtail
864:Gennaker
821:Wingsail
785:Mast-aft
360:mainsail
344:sipharos
274:tackline
260:that is
184:Gaff rig
97:mainmast
93:foremast
65:topsails
1481:Trapeze
1464:Shackle
1424:Deadeye
1356:Outhaul
1339:Halyard
1291:Running
1237:Bobstay
1220:Rigging
1171:Boomkin
1142:Jibboom
1053:Emblems
1048:Cringle
1015:Topsail
980:Spanker
975:Skysail
914:Trysail
750:B&R
745:Bermuda
738:Textile
711:rigging
352:siparum
320:cutters
258:halyard
236:topmast
223:topmast
69:spanker
35:topsail
1469:Swivel
1444:Gasket
1429:Earing
1349:throat
1309:Braces
1252:Shroud
1038:Batten
930:Course
889:Raffee
879:Lateen
834:Sails
795:Square
790:Pinisi
770:Gunter
635:
612:
587:
562:
537:
512:
487:
439:
295:course
266:sheave
178:Climax
122:raffee
101:mizzen
67:, and
1496:Winch
1412:bitts
1407:Cleat
1402:Block
1366:Sheet
1269:Stays
1201:Sprit
1181:Truck
1102:Spars
1073:Roach
1058:Draft
970:Royal
869:Genoa
804:Other
725:Rigs
707:spars
703:Sails
364:Roman
348:Latin
340:Greek
289:. (A
174:Midas
170:Ariel
75:On a
1371:Tack
1344:peak
1206:Yard
1176:Gaff
1166:Boom
1158:mast
775:Junk
765:Gaff
709:and
633:ISBN
610:ISBN
585:ISBN
560:ISBN
535:ISBN
510:ISBN
485:ISBN
464:2016
437:ISBN
416:2016
393:2016
324:stay
312:jibs
270:heel
262:rove
254:luff
245:foot
232:yard
219:mast
164:and
140:jibs
130:, a
113:keel
109:yard
61:jibs
54:USS
39:sail
1334:Guy
1156:On
1112:bow
1110:On
874:Jib
755:Cat
314:or
221:or
1517::
705:,
350::
346:;
342::
330:.
63:,
33:A
996:)
992:(
840:)
836:(
731:)
727:(
695:e
688:t
681:v
618:.
593:.
568:.
543:.
518:.
493:.
466:.
445:.
418:.
395:.
280:.
238:.
71:.
23:.
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