Topsail
North Carolina beach
A topsail is a sail set above another sail on a mast.
On square-rigged ships, topsails sit above the course sails and are often divided into upper and lower sections for easier handling.
On fore-and-aft rigged vessels like schooners, a topsail is a triangular or quadrilateral sail set above the gaff: The topsail caught the light breeze first.
Multi-masted sailing craft
- clipperFast ship or trimmer
- brigantineTwo-masted mixed-rig vessel
- square-riggerShip with horizontal-yard sails
- tall shipLarge traditional sailing vessel
brig · barque · galleon · frigate · man-of-war · windjammer · ketch · yawl
schooner
Multi-masted sailing craft
- clipperFast ship or trimmer
- brigantineTwo-masted mixed-rig vessel
- square-riggerShip with horizontal-yard sails
tall ship · brig · barque · galleon · frigate · man-of-war · windjammer · ketch · yawl · cutter
hoist
Raise with tackle
reef · unfurl · tack · jibe · luff · heave · haul · close-hauled · running · reaching
foremast
Ship's frontmost vertical spar
sheet · boom · mast · gaff · spar · clew · reef · furling · canvas · shroud