SHIPS* LIFE-BOATS

67

hook, which may easily be let go and lost. If a boom is used the foot
of the sail may be laced along it, but it is best to have a clew lashing
only; there is then a clear space between the boom and the foot of the
sail, and any sea or heavy spray that was shipped in the sail in bad
weather would immediately clear itself.

Boats of 25 feet or more in length also have a small jib. This is
set by means of a halyard and sheet, the tack being secured at the
stemhead.

Peak

/Heddand Yard

Fig. 2 —Life-boat Dipping Lug
' The most common form of sail used in ships' life-boais is the "dipping
lug," as illustrated in Fig. 2.
It is a free-footed sail, no boom being used. The only gear required
for it is the mast, yard (fitted with strop), traveller (with hook) to slide
up and down the mast, halyards, tack lashing and sheet. A hook is
<often used in preference to a lashing for securing the tack in its place.
It is called a "dipping" lug because, when turning to windward,
the tac^has to be unhooked or got adrift, and together with the fore-end
of the yard, dipped round the mast (shifted from one side to the other)
every time the boat is put about.
The mast should be stepped in the boat so that the sheave hole is
in a fore-and-aft direction. This being done, the halyards will be equally
clear at the sheave hole whichever tack the boat is on. If the sheave
hole was athwartships, the halyards would be clear on one tack, fcut
would lie across the swallow of the sheave hole on the other tact The