254 



BOATS AND BOATING. 



of rigging connected with them in boats of this size ; but in 

 large boats the sprit is fast becoming obsolete, as the spar, from 

 taking nearly the whole diagonal of the sail, is necessarily very 

 large and cumbersome, and has been known to part the heel 

 strap (by fishermen called the snorter) and drive a hole through 

 the bottom in its descent, which circumstances have led to the 

 more frequent adoption of the gaff and lug sails' of late years. 

 The difference between sprit and lug sails will be easily seen 

 from the accompanying cuts. 



All spritsails should be fitted with a tackle purchase, which 

 will enable you to set the sail very flat, and also prevent the 

 heel of the sprit slipping down a constant source of annoyance 

 without it. Spritsails set rather more closely by the wind than 

 either gaffs or lugs. 



FIG. 79. Spritsail-Boat with Mizen. 



Spritsail-Boat with Mizen (fig. 79). In fishing for Whiting- 

 Pollack, it is necessary when under weigh to go through the 

 water at a very moderate rate, for which the mizen and jib will 

 be found quite sufficient in a strong breeze with wind against 

 tide ; under these circumstances, in boats unprovided ' with a 

 mizen, it is difficult to retard the boat sufficiently by reefing the 



