SAILING CRAFT 115 



so whatever his age may be) sings out at the 

 top of his voice, ' Ready, oh I ' The helm is 

 eased down on his signal, so as not to lose way 

 suddenly. When it is quite down he shouts 

 again, ' Helm 's a-lee ! ' on which the fore and 

 head sheets (holding the sails attached to the 

 foremast and bowsprit) are let go and over- 

 hauled. The vessel swings round, the spanker 

 pressing her stern in one direction and the sails 

 at the bows offering very little resistance now 

 their sheets are let go. The skipper's eye is 

 on the mainsail, which is the point of pivoting. 

 Directly the wind is out of it and it begins 

 to shiver he yells, ' Raise tacks and sheets ! ' 

 when, except that the foretack is held a bit 

 to prevent the foresail from bellying aback, all 

 the remaining ropes that held the ship on her 

 old tack are loosed. A roar of wind-waves 

 rushes through the sails, and a tremor runs 

 through the whole ship from stem to stern. 

 The skipper waits for the first decided breath 

 on her new tack and then shouts, ' Mainsail 

 haul ! ' when the yards come swinging round 

 so quickly that the men can hardly take in the 

 slack of the braces fast enough. The scene of 

 orderly confusion is now at its height. Every 

 one hauling sings out at the very top of his 

 pipes. The sails are struggling to find their 



