A brace on a
square-rigged
Square rig is a generic type of sail and rigging arrangement in which the primary driving sails are carried on horizontal spars which are perpendicular, or square, to the keel of the vessel and to the masts. These spars are called ''yards'' and ...
ship is a rope (''line'') used to rotate a
yard
The yard (symbol: yd) is an English unit of length in both the British imperial and US customary systems of measurement equalling 3 feet or 36 inches. Since 1959 it has been by international agreement standardized as exactly 0.914 ...
around the mast, to allow the ship to sail at different angles to the wind. Braces are always used in pairs, one at each end of a yard (''yardarm''), termed
port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
brace and
starboard
Port and starboard are nautical terms for watercraft and aircraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the bow (front).
Vessels with bilateral symmetry have left and right halves which are ...
brace of a given yard or sail (e.g., the starboard main-brace is the brace fixed to the right end of the yard of the
main sail
A mainsail is a sail rigged on the main mast of a sailing vessel.
* On a square rigged vessel, it is the lowest and largest sail on the main mast.
* On a fore-and-aft rigged vessel, it is the sail rigged aft of the main mast. The sail's foot ...
).
The braces are fixed to the outer ends of the yards, and are led to the deck as far
aft as possible, to allow the crew to haul on them. The lower yards' braces can usually run directly to the deck, but to do so with those higher up would mean that most of the force was pulling downwards rather than backwards. Instead, the braces for the upper yards run to another mast and thence to the deck. On the aftermost mast, this may mean they have to be led forwards instead of backwards. Braces from the aftermost mast that run to the very stern of the ship often pass through blocks attached to short outriggers projecting from the side of the ship in order to improve their lead. These projections are called ''bumkins'' and can be seen in the picture.
In many ways, braces are the equivalent of a modern yacht's
sheets. However, where adjusting a sail on a yacht is a simple operation performed often, tacking or wearing ship using the braces usually requires the entire crew to be called to "bracing stations". This is because the braces carry heavy loads but have few blocks and hence each one needs many people hauling, and because most ships with braces have many sails and hence many such teams. For this reason, all manoeuvres require plenty of notice (one reason falling overboard is especially to be avoided from such a ship) and routine course changes may be planned well in advance for a time when as few of the crew as possible wish to be asleep.
The sails on a tall ship's mast must all be turned together, because of all the gear that runs between them. The rate of turn is set by the
course, the heaviest yard and hence the most difficult to move. The teams on the other braces for that mast must watch the course and keep their own yard in line with it. The braces may be marked with leather tags or twine seizings to indicate the centre ("square") position and the two extremes, though these marks may not always be accurate due to stretch in the line.
File:Brace_pulleys.JPG, Starboard fore mast yard brace pulley blocks and brackets beside main mast shroud
File:Foremast_brace_attach_points.JPG, Brace ropes, blocks and attachments on James Craig (barque)
''James Craig'' is a three-masted, iron-hulled barque restored and sailed by the Sydney Heritage Fleet, Sydney, Australia.
History
Built in 1874 in Sunderland, England, by Bartram, Haswell, & Co., she was originally named ''Clan Macleod''. She ...
File:James_Craig_yard_detail.JPG, Main sail brace(starboard) block, shown toward top of photo
See also
*
Glossary of nautical terms
This glossary of nautical terms is an alphabetical listing of terms and expressions connected with ships, shipping, seamanship and navigation on water (mostly though not necessarily on the sea). Some remain current, while many date from the 17th t ...
References
{{Sail Types
Sailing rigs and rigging