Stays are ropes, wires, or rods on sailing vessels that run fore-and-aft along the centerline from the masts to the hull, deck, bowsprit, or to other masts which serve to stabilize the masts.
A stay is part of the standing rigging, (as opposed to a sheet (sailing), which is adjustable), and is used to hold a mast upright.
It is a large, strong rope, wire, or rod extending from the upper end of each mast and running down towards the deck of the vessel in a midships -and- direction.
The shrouds serve a similar function but extend on each side of the mast and provide support in the athwartship direction. The object of both is to prevent the masts from falling down but the stays also prevent springing, when the ship is pitching deep.
Thus stays are fore and aft. Those led aft towards the vessel's stern are backstays while those that lead forward towards the bow are forestays.
"To stay" is also a verb: to bring the ship's head up to the wind (to point the bow upwind). This is done in order to go about (to tack; tacking is sometimes also called staying the vessel In stays, or hove in stays, is the situation of a vessel when she is staying, or in the act of going about.
Types of stays
; baby or inner-forestay
: runs to a point partway up the mast, secured further aft than, and in addition to the main forestay.
; forestay or headstay
: reaches from the foremast-head towards the bowsprit end.
; mainstay
: extends to the ship's stem. The mizzenstay stretches to a collar on the main-mast, immediately above the quarterdeck.
; fore-topmast stay
: goes to the end of the bowsprit, a little beyond the forestay, on which the fore-topmast staysail runs on hanks.
; main-topmast stay
: attaches to the hounds of the foremast, or comes on deck.
; mizzen-topmast stay
: goes to the hounds of the main-mast.
; top-gallant, royal, or any other masts
: have each a stay, named after their respective masts
; springstay
: is a kind of substitute nearly parallel to the principal stay, and intended to help the principal stay to support its mast
; triatic stay<!-- check text below -->
: is a stay that runs between masts. On a ketch it runs between the main mast and the head of the mizzen mast and is used to stop the upper section of the mizzen mast being pulled backwards. On a steamer, an iron bar between the two knees secures the paddle-beams. (See funnel stays).
See also
- Chainplate
- Unstayed Mast