Yard (sailing)
A yard is a spar on a mast from which sails are set. It may be constructed of timber, steel, or from more modern materials, like aluminium or carbon fibre. Although some types of fore and aft rigs have yards (see below), the term is usually used to describe the horizontal spars used on square rigged sails. In addition, for some decades after square sails were generally dispensed with, some yards were retained for deploying wireless (radio) aerials and signal flags.
Read more about Yard (sailing): Parts of The Yard, Controlling The Yard, Going Aloft, Setting Square Sails, Manning The Yards, Fore and Aft Yards, "Sun Over The Yardarm"
Famous quotes containing the word yard:
“For this your mother sweated in the cold,
For this you bled upon the bitter tree:
A yard of tinsel ribbon bought and sold;
A paper wreath; a day at home for me.”
—Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892–1950)