That's a really good point about the language. I'm English and my partner is Polish, and when we started sailing neither of us were familiar with the vocabularly in our own native tongues. When we got into it, we found such beauty in even such simple words, and so much sense. Of course a sheet is a sheet, how could it be anything else? And in Polish the headsail is fok (like the word for seal) and the main is grot (arrowhead). The poetry of sailing is endless.

Beating round the Cape back in '82 trying to make it back to me 'ome port afore the winter monsoons locked us down tighter 'n a minstrel's ...

Ya, it's cool to learn that. A topsail schooner has square topsails.

Gap 020, points 020! Just don't pull the head.

You are able to seize eyes in slippery dyneema that are stronger than a splice? What are your secrets?

@@MedievalTrebuchet Thank you for taking me seriously. Many people would discount this because they haven't tried it or can only relate to things which are repeated over and over in short magazine articles. We seize eyes into double braided modern lines regularly. As far as Single braids go, we certainly don't mind turning in a quick splice especially if the loop needs to nest right up against a block or fairlead. But splicing double braid is a bit time-consuming when we are trying to avoid bottlenecks. As Tom points out, the secret is in the Frapping Turns. The tried-and-true method for setting the fraps is to use the leverage of a mallet. But in small "yachting-sized" applications a mallet is going to be clumsy. That's where a WIHA 32633 saves the day. Every rigger should have two of these at all times because they work together. No longer do you have to destroy your middle back (pulling your hands apart) because now you can simply grab the seizing stuff in the tapered jaws and Spin the pliers for all the leverage you need. You're welcome! LOL All I am trying to say is that old methods are far from obsolete. Especially now that fibre ropes are replacing wire ropes everywhere. I would like to elaborate more later; right now I am taking a break at work to reply. But before I go, I am going to drop another bomb on popular conventional practice: When you are using dux (tm) for example, and you need to replace an end, of course a (FACTORY) splice is the only way to achieve full strength. But how are you going to splice that stuff once it's been "Set"? You can barely pick it apart a single yarn at a time! One word: Talurit sleeves! And I'm not talking aluminum sleeves, we prefer the copper ones. Fortunately, nobody was around to tell me this was a stupid idea the first time we tried it in 12mm trawl ropes (yes, most riggers have a press that will do up to 3/4" sleeves). This has been working beautifully for, I don't know, decades now. And now, a word from our sponsor (not officially): Who makes the Best rope? Well, there are so many choices these days, where do you start? But after doing this awhile, I have to say I keep coming back to M****W. I mean if you just melt the end of any of their polyesters, it is a beautiful, crystal clear bubble. So rather than Cheap raw materials that wimp out and char, this manufacturer is clearly using the best raw materials from the get-go. OK end of heretical rant, Thank you Tom, I love your videos because they are unique and Legitimate. This one is full of things that any modern rigger will learn from!

Hi Phil. It's partly to clear the forestay and I suspect it also helps to define the sheeting angle and keep the foot of the sail stable.

@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns Ah, interesting. Many thanks.