There is danger in clewing up to leeward first that the sail may be shaken and jerked so as to split, before the weather clew is up; whereas, if clewed up to windward first, the lee clew will keep full, until the lee sheet is started.
If the wind is light, you may square the fore and main yards before clewing up.
If the yard is braced up, the old style was to let go the halyards, clew down and round in on the weather brace; clewing up to windward first, then start the lee clew, and haul up the lee clewline and the buntlines.
Lower away handsomely on the halyards, clewing the yard down to the outer clew by the downhaul.
The chief mate then gives the particular orders as to lowering and letting go the halyards, clewing down and up, overhauling rigging, &c.
As a rule, though, it was only clewing up the sails that had to be done, as we always had to take soundings on the weather side, so that the sounding-line should not foul the bottom of the vessel and smash the apparatus.
A whole suit of sails was completely worn out on this voyage; but what can one expect when the ship is being worked every single day, with clewing up, making fast and setting of sails both in calms and winds?
He had therefore contented himself with clewing up the royals and hauling down the flying-jib, after which he had awaited the outburst with equanimity.
We were four months under our canvass, and, when we anchored in the river, the clewing up of our sails, and getting from beneath their shadows, resembled the rising of a curtain on some novel scenic representation.
Of these, one which ran contrary to current standards was in favor of clewing up a course or topsail to leeward, in blowing weather.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "clewing" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
