Crossword clues for foresail
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Foresail \Fore"sail`\, n. (Naut.)
The sail bent to the foreyard of a square-rigged vessel, being the lowest sail on the foremast.
The gaff sail set on the foremast of a schooner.
The fore staysail of a sloop, being the triangular sail next forward of the mast.
Wiktionary
n. 1 (context nautical on a square-rigged ship English) The lowest (and usually the largest) square sail hung on the foremast 2 (context nautical English) A square fore-and-aft sail set on the foremast, but behind it, on a schooner or other similar vessel. 3 (context nautical on a sloop English) A triangular sail set forward of the foremast: forestaysail.
WordNet
n. the lowest sail on the foremast of a square-rigged vessel
Wikipedia
A foresail is one of a few different types of sail set on the foremost mast (foremast) of a sailing vessel:
- A fore and aft sail set on the foremast of a schooner or similar vessel.
- The lowest square-sail on the foremast of a full rigged ship or other vessel which is square-rigged.
Sails set forward of the mainmast, such as jibs and staysails, are sometimes referred to as foresails, although " headsails" is a more common term.
Usage examples of "foresail".
Apart from the big blazes where the foresail had dropped down and round the forebitts, there were many more smaller ones where flames had got a firm grip on woodwork.
It was raked forward to give the foresail room, as though it had been pulled out of true by the forestay and the laboring jib.
Her foremast was sound and she had foresail, foretopsail and a fine array of jibs, while her people were working extremely hard on a jury-mainmast.
For a moment Jack fixed the glowing spray as it was whirled inboard and then across the face of the foresail by the currents from the jibs and staysail, and then he turned his eyes westwards, where the planet was as low on the horizon as she could be.
She could fly three foresails, or jibs, two huge gaffed fore-and-aft sails on her fore and mainmasts, and when at any point of sail from a close reach to running be- fore the wind could also add two smaller topsails on crossed yards.
The brig, foresails at last catching the wind to lever her hull around, received a second mocking broadside.
But the morning after, the wind changed, and the captain ordered the men to put up the foresail, and brigantine and foretopsail, which greatly lessened the rolling of the vessel.
I made my observation, I always took my meridian through the foretopsail and my horizon through the foresail.
Then, in desperation, I abandoned the attempt to reef the mainsail and resolved to try the experiment of heaving to under the closereefed foresail.
Linois vanished behind the foresail of the Addington as the Surprise glided into her place in the centre of the line.
Bolitho had to jump clear as the foresail was broken free and started to billow into the wind, only to be knocked aside again as Pyke yelled, `Anchor's aweigh, sir!
One party had no sooner clapped emergency tackles to the tiller as topmen furled the topsail and the great mainsail and foresail were trimmed to get the strain off the rudder, allowing Aitken to report to the Captain that the ship was under control again, than Ramage had ordered the ship to be hove-to, using the tiller tackles, and a cutter hoisted out to starboard, rowed round the ship carrying ten Marines, and recovered on the larboard side.
Then he and Bonden, their hands on the triple-turned rope and the tiller, their eyes fixed to the leach of the foresail, eased the helm alee, and still more alee.
Heavily laden as she was, and with only the reefed lug foresail set, the boat sailed fast to the westward.
As a sailing boat, she was well equipped with a standing-lug main and balance-lug foresail, together with two jibs.