The main stay carried away a second time, and it was necessary to make another stay with part of the hemp cable, and the backstays of the mainmast, which were unrove for the purpose.
He then told two sailors to set up two backstays to support the foremast, and another strong lad to have the anchor ready to let go as soon as there was bottom.
The yards were now squared and preventer backstays set up, and the carpenter, having examined the mast, reported that it was secure.
As soon as the weather moderates, we must set up fresh backstays to the mast and try and rig jury-masts, which will carry us back to Port Royal.
One or two of the backstays had parted, and it was plain that before long the mast would go by the board.
And by the way those backstays are ripped out, and seeing how that mast is wabbling, this schooner is liable to be about as badly mixed up as the people are on board of her.
As an instance of my meaning, most people know that to save chafe on the backstays in the way of the lower yards, wooden battens are usually seized to the backstays.
The lower masts, and the heads of the topmasts and top-gallant masts, are next painted, the yards blacked, and the rigging and backstays fore and aft tarred down.
What made the plunging of the mast worse was that the lower-mast backstays had both carried away at the deck, as also had the topmast backstays, after pulling the head off the housed topmast.
Ere the cry could go aft Steelkilt was shaking one of the backstays leading far aloft to where two of his comrades were standing their mastheads.
The stays reach from the mastheads to the centre line of the ship forward; and the backstays come down to the sides of the ship, just behind the masts.
The stays and backstays are named from the mast-head from which they descend.
The crosstrees are fitted with outriggers pointing outward aft to enable the topgallant-backstays to give a better support to the topgallantmast than they otherwise would do.
Old superstitious seamen are seen to scratch the backstays with their nails, and whistle to invoke even these cat's-paws, the general forerunner of the steadier breeze.
Also, a small spar used in the tops and cross-trees, to thrust out and spread the breast backstays to windward.
Stout ropes which act as backstays do to a mast, by supporting the jib-boom against the pressure of its sail and the ship's motion.
A piece of stiff hide, or batten of wood, placed over the backstays fore-swifter of the shrouds, &c.
The traveller is a strong parrel-strop which passes round the mast, and through two thimbles of which the breast backstays reeve.
Another kind is a copper-wire chain or rope hoisted to the truck, then passing down by the backstays over the channels into the sea.
Also, small lines for keeping the lee backstays from chafing against the yards.
To throw the breast backstays out of the cross-tree horns or out-riggers and bear them aft.
Commodore, as he ordered the kites run up and the backstays set and tautened; and "Northeast Trades!
Reeve the topgallant and royal breast-backstays through the outer holes, and set them up by a gun-tackle purchase, in the channels.
The rigging should be stowed away snugly in the top, and the backstays be snaked up and down the lower rigging.
The size of the fore and main topmast backstays is generally one quarter less than that of the lower rigging; and that of the mizzen topmast backstays the same as that of the main topmast rigging.
The backstays should be leathered in the wake of the tops and lower yards.
The breast-backstays are turned in upon blocks instead of dead-eyes, and set up with a luff purchase.
The topgallant backstays set up on their end, or with lanyards in the channels; and for their length, measure from the mast-head to the centre of the deck, abreast the bolt in the channels.
One and another of the backstays parted, the foretopsail burst with a cannon-like report, after which a terrible rending sound, followed by an indescribable crash, told that both masts had gone by the board.
Towards morning it increased to such a pitch that one of the backstays of the foremast gave way.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "backstays" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
