Yard (sailing)

The framework (also Raa or yard ) is a sail -bearing part of the rigging of a sailing ship.

Function

Yards are spars or round bars that are mounted transversely to the direction of the mast, and usually consist of round wood or steel pipe. Usually they are fixed with its center horizontally on a rack on the front side of the mast which allows a rotational movement ( braces ), and a vertical movement ( auftoppen ). The ends of the framework hot Rahnocken and take with stop means and roles running rigging on to set sail and moving the frame.

A frame is rotated around the pole ( " gebrasst " ) until the square sail is ideal for wind direction and generates maximum propulsion. In a broader sense means brassen to take into account that the wind flow near the surface of the water decreases, so that the optimal alignment of superimposed yards results in a spiral slightly staggered arrangement. Are sufficient for reefing, packing or unpacking of the sail many people ( topmen ) on the Fußpeerd, a suspended at regular intervals on the framework dew, lean face down over the frame and secured by the correspondingly shaped heels and with snap hook. The reefed sails salvaged or mount it in the frame. At the cams of the frame, this work requires the most muscle use.

Also for the square sails there are pods; unlike Schratsegeln the pods are square sails with the additional help for hoisting and lowering the sail. Other names for this sailing rope type are Brail and Gordinge. With the Geitauen helping the topman of the deck should be obtained from the sails again while Gordingleinen (not available with all square sails ) allow reefing.

During the middle ages the Rahbesegelung was spread rather in northern regions, the so -called Latins rigging evolved in the Mediterranean and in the Arab regions with Schratsegeln. With the academic study of the sailing technique a useful combination of the two principles was accompanied. Examples of mixed forms of rigging are Rahschoner, Brigantine and Xebec.

The yards of historic tall ships could have more than twice the width of the hull. Thus, a main yard - length of 36.8 meters and the Eagle of Lübeck is reported of 34.2 meters from the four-masted clipper Great Republic. The respective higher yards are each held shorter for reasons of statics. Some tall ships could extend some yards through hinausschiebbare Leesegelspieren and strike there studding sails in order to better exploit weak winds.