What is "to point the yards"

Point \Point\ (point), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pointed; p. pr. & vb. n. Pointing.] [Cf. F. pointer. See Point, n.]

1. To give a point to; to sharpen; to cut, forge, grind, or file to an acute end; as, to point a dart, or a pencil. Used also figuratively; as, to point a moral.

2. To direct toward an abject; to aim; as, to point a gun at a wolf, or a cannon at a fort.

3. Hence, to direct the attention or notice of.

   Whosoever should be guided through his battles by Minerva, and pointed to every scene of them.
   --Pope.

4. To supply with punctuation marks; to punctuate; as, to point a composition.

5. To mark (a text, as in Arabic or Hebrew) with vowel points; -- also called vocalize.

   Syn: vocalize. [1913 Webster + RP]

6. To give particular prominence to; to designate in a special manner; to indicate, as if by pointing; as, the error was pointed out.
   --Pope.

   He points it, however, by no deviation from his straightforward manner of speech.
   --Dickens.

7. To indicate or discover by a fixed look, as game.

8. (Masonry) To fill up and finish the joints of (a wall), by introducing additional cement or mortar, and bringing it to a smooth surface.

9. (Stone Cutting) To cut, as a surface, with a pointed tool.

   To point a rope (Naut.), to taper and neatly finish off the end by interweaving the nettles.

   To point a sail (Naut.), to affix points through the eyelet holes of the reefs.

   To point off, to divide into periods or groups, or to separate, by pointing, as figures.

   To point the yards (of a vessel) (Naut.), to brace them so that the wind shall strike the sails obliquely.
   --Totten.