Stays are ropes, wires, or rods on sailing vessels that run fore-and-aft along the centerline from the masts to the hull, deck, bowsprit, or to other masts which serve to stabilize the masts.[1]
A stay is part of the standing rigging and is used to support the weight of a mast.
It is a large strong rope extending from the upper end of each mast and running down towards the deck of the vessel in a midships fore and aft direction.
The shrouds serve a similar function but extend on each side of the mast and provide support in the athwartships direction. The object of both is to prevent the masts from falling down but the stays also prevent springing, when the ship is pitching deep.
Thus stays are fore and aft. Those led aft towards the vessel's stern are backstays while those that lead forward towards the bow are forestays.
"To stay" is also a verb: to bring the ship's head up to the wind (to point the bow upwind).[2] This is done in order to go about (to tack; tacking is sometimes also called staying the vessel[3]); the bow of the ship turns upwind, then continues turning until the wind comes over the other side. To miss stays is to fail in the attempt to go about;[4] if the vessel fails to go about, she is said to refuse stays.[3] In stays, or hove in stays, is the situation of a vessel when she is staying, or in the act of going about.[4] A vessel in bad trim, or lubberly-handled, is sure to be slack or loose in the stays: she may refuse stays fairly often. A suitable vessel well-handled can usually be stayed swiftly, without losing noticeable way (without slowing down), and the sails will go over gently and without fuss or overshooting.[3][4]
Types of stays
forestay or headstay
reaches from the foremast-head towards the bowsprit end
mainstay
extends to the ship's stem. The mizzenstay stretches to a collar on the main-mast, immediately above the quarter-deck.
fore-topmast stay
goes to the end of the bowsprit, a little beyond the forestay, on which the fore-topmast staysail runs on hanks.
main-topmast stay
attaches to the hounds of the foremast, or comes on deck.
mizzen-topmast stay
goes to the hounds of the main-mast.
top-gallant, royal, or any other masts
have each a stay, named after their respective masts
springstay
is a kind of substitute nearly parallel to the principal stay, and intended to help the principal stay to support its mast
triatic stay
is a stay that runs between masts. On a ketch it runs between the main mast and the head of the mizzen mast and is used to stop the upper section of the mizzen mast being pulled backwards. On a steamer, an iron bar between the two knees secures the paddle-beams. (See funnel stays).
^The Elements and Practice of Rigging And Seamanship. London. 1793.
^ abc"WORKING TO WINDWARD". Text-Book of Seamanship. www.hnsa.org. Originally published by "SMITH & MCDOUGAL, ELECTROTYPERS"; digital copy posted by the Historic Naval Ships Association. 1891.
^ abcSmyth, William Henry; Belcher, Edward (1867). The sailor's word-book: An alphabetical digest of nautical terms, including some more especially military and scientific ... as well as archaisms of early voyagers, etc. London: Blackie and Son. pp. 652–653. Archived from the original on 2009-02-17.
February 02, 2023
stays, nautical, also, glossary, nautical, terms, stay, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, stays, nauti. See also Glossary of nautical terms M Z stay This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Stays nautical news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message Stays are ropes wires or rods on sailing vessels that run fore and aft along the centerline from the masts to the hull deck bowsprit or to other masts which serve to stabilize the masts 1 1 mainsail 2 staysail 3 spinnaker 4 hull 5 keel 6 rudder 7 skeg 8 mast 9 Spreader 10 shroud 11 sheet 12 boom 13 mast 14 spinnaker pole 15 backstay 16 forestay 17 boom vang A stay is part of the standing rigging and is used to support the weight of a mast It is a large strong rope extending from the upper end of each mast and running down towards the deck of the vessel in a midships fore and aft direction The shrouds serve a similar function but extend on each side of the mast and provide support in the athwartships direction The object of both is to prevent the masts from falling down but the stays also prevent springing when the ship is pitching deep Thus stays are fore and aft Those led aft towards the vessel s stern are backstays while those that lead forward towards the bow are forestays To stay is also a verb to bring the ship s head up to the wind to point the bow upwind 2 This is done in order to go about to tack tacking is sometimes also called staying the vessel 3 the bow of the ship turns upwind then continues turning until the wind comes over the other side To miss stays is to fail in the attempt to go about 4 if the vessel fails to go about she is said to refuse stays 3 In stays or hove in stays is the situation of a vessel when she is staying or in the act of going about 4 A vessel in bad trim or lubberly handled is sure to be slack or loose in the stays she may refuse stays fairly often A suitable vessel well handled can usually be stayed swiftly without losing noticeable way without slowing down and the sails will go over gently and without fuss or overshooting 3 4 Types of stays Editforestay or headstay reaches from the foremast head towards the bowsprit end mainstay extends to the ship s stem The mizzenstay stretches to a collar on the main mast immediately above the quarter deck fore topmast stay goes to the end of the bowsprit a little beyond the forestay on which the fore topmast staysail runs on hanks main topmast stay attaches to the hounds of the foremast or comes on deck mizzen topmast stay goes to the hounds of the main mast top gallant royal or any other masts have each a stay named after their respective masts springstay is a kind of substitute nearly parallel to the principal stay and intended to help the principal stay to support its mast triatic stay is a stay that runs between masts On a ketch it runs between the main mast and the head of the mizzen mast and is used to stop the upper section of the mizzen mast being pulled backwards On a steamer an iron bar between the two knees secures the paddle beams See funnel stays See also EditChainplate Unstayed MastReferences Edit Keegan John 1989 The Price of Admiralty New York Viking p 280 ISBN 0 670 81416 4 The Elements and Practice of Rigging And Seamanship London 1793 a b c WORKING TO WINDWARD Text Book of Seamanship www hnsa org Originally published by SMITH amp MCDOUGAL ELECTROTYPERS digital copy posted by the Historic Naval Ships Association 1891 a b c Smyth William Henry Belcher Edward 1867 The sailor s word book An alphabetical digest of nautical terms including some more especially military and scientific as well as archaisms of early voyagers etc London Blackie and Son pp 652 653 Archived from the original on 2009 02 17 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Stays nautical amp oldid 1114261021, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
