D and E , and intermediate spaces pierced for the lashing of the sail. Up to a height corresponding to the measurement between masthead sheave and foot of sail the bamboos are left free, but at this point they are again connected by a similar, but smaller block, And lashed securely, previous to which the shackle, which is a solid brass U shaped ring with a roller to take the topmast, must be slipped on the stouter cane. They are made of oak, and the masthead is squared to take them. Immediately below them is the sheave for the line leading to the shackle, and 7 inches below it the sheave for the main halliard leading to the sliding brass. The dotted lines in Fig.
C show the arrangement of the sail and battens.
A the gooseneck for boom is shewn mounted on a bracket to give more room for battens and boom in topping up. The downhaul and reef pennants lead through small sheaves on the sides of the bracket. By simply unshipping the topmast from the sliding brass, and the boom at the gooseneck, after the line to the shackle has been unrove and the toggle on the first reef cast off from the ring, the sail is left only with the two light spars - not more than the boom and yard of the lugsail. A , the free space between the topmast and batten has been unavoidable left too short, in order to shew the whole of the topmast. The length of spars, of course, depends on the amount of sail carried, but in a sliding gunter at present in use the height of lower mast is 6 feet, and of topmast 7 feet 6 inches, with a clear space between the cane of 4 feet 9 inches, giving a hoist of sail of 12 feet.