168), and then used a chisel to cut off the projecting
pieces. The mast step was firmly bolted to the backbone at its thickest
part, that is, just four feet from the forward end. The mast was braced
with stay ropes stretched from the top to the forward end of the backbone
and to the ends of the crosspiece. A 9-foot pole, tapering from 1-1/2
inches to 1 inch in diameter, was used for the boom of the mainsail, and
for the gaff we used a 6-foot pole of the same diameter.
[Illustration: Fig. 169. The Mainsail.]
[Illustration: Fig. 170. Jaws of the Boom.]
The dimensions of the mainsail are given in Fig. 169. For mast hoops we
used curtain rings. Five were attached to the sail along the luff, and one
was fastened with a piece of leather to the end of the gaff. We used a
different scheme for holding the boom to the mast. The forward end of the
boom was flattened at the sides and a couple of cheek blocks were bolted
on, forming jaws of the shape indicated in Fig. 170. The jaws were
whittled out to fit nicely around the mast, and were kept from slipping
off by a piece of rope passed around the mast and threaded through the
ends of the cheek blocks. Half a dozen small pulley blocks were now
procured, of the type used on awnings.
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