Masts, Yards, Shrouds, and Stays Form the Backbone of Sultana’s Sailing Rig

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he large timbers on sailboats that hold the sails in place are known as spars. The T two largest spars on Sultana are the fore mast and main mast. These masts rise vertically from the deck of the ship and are approximately 45 feet high. Attached to the upper ends of these masts are topmasts, which extend another 15 feet towards the sky and are used to hold Sultana’s two topsails in place. Some spars lay horizontally. These spars are called yards. The upper and lower edges of Sultana’s topsails are attached to the yards. Other important spars on Sultana include the boom (attached to the lower portion of the main mast), the bowsprit (the lower edge of the staysail is attached to this spar), and the jib boom (used to hold the lower edge of the jib in place). All of Sultana’s spars are labeled in capital letters on the diagram above. Several large cables, collectively known as the standing rigging, help to hold Sultana’s masts and spars in place. The cables which run from the masts to the front and back of the ship are called stays. The cables which look like ladders and are attached to the sides of the ship are called shrouds. In the diagram above, all of the standing rigging is labeled in small print. See how many of these new terms you can learn!

Rendering of Sultana by Mr. John Poicus Spars and Standing Rigging

DIRECTIONS: Use information from the diagram on the previous page to label as many parts of Sultana’s spars and standing rigging as you can!