Doug,

A Main Tops'l it will never be. A main Tops'l is flown from the main
mast, above the main sail.

It is a Staysail, it uses the stay between the tips of the masts. That
is kind of like "No Mans Land." That stay is the Main mast back stay and
at the same time the Mizzen Masts fore stay, on a Ketch's rig. That is
why it got a name all it's own. It is a "Mule"


http://community.webtv.net/tassail/ILLDRINKTOTHAT

Joe wrote:

DSK wrote:
Ansley W. Sawyer wrote:
The ketch in the picture is sailing a genoa, main, mule, and mizzen.

"mule sail n. A staysail hung with the point down and carried between the
mainmast and the mizzen on ketches."

The Sailor's Illustrated Dictionary by Thompson Lenfestey published 1994 The
Lyons Press


Thanks for the reference.

The sail in the picture could be considered a main topsail,
it could also be called a Fenger staysail, after a yacht
designer of the early 1900s who produced boats with rigs
like this.
http://www.shipyardcup.com/boats-sintra.jpg

What a waste of space, what the advantage there?

Lets you tack without taking down the mule.

Cheers
Marty

Thom Stewart wrote:

Doug,

A Main Tops'l it will never be. A main Tops'l is flown from the main
mast, above the main sail.


Umm, Thom, take another look at the picture. It *is* flown
from the main mast, above the main sail.


It is a Staysail, it uses the stay between the tips of the masts.

No it doesn't. It flies from the backstay of the main mast.
The stay you are referring to is called the Triatic and any
sail that was hanked to it would be pulling backwards,
because of the slope from main mast head to mizzen.

Now, on a schooner, things are different. Because the aft
mast is taller, a sail can be set from the triatic and still
pull.

DSK

How are you going to be able to get up to the triatic stay to hank and
unhank a sail?

"DSK" wrote in message
...
Thom Stewart wrote:

Doug,

A Main Tops'l it will never be. A main Tops'l is flown from the main
mast, above the main sail.


Umm, Thom, take another look at the picture. It *is* flown
from the main mast, above the main sail.


It is a Staysail, it uses the stay between the tips of the masts.

No it doesn't. It flies from the backstay of the main mast.
The stay you are referring to is called the Triatic and any
sail that was hanked to it would be pulling backwards,
because of the slope from main mast head to mizzen.

Now, on a schooner, things are different. Because the aft
mast is taller, a sail can be set from the triatic and still
pull.

DSK

Edgar wrote:

How are you going to be able to get up to the triatic stay to hank and
unhank a sail?


heh
with great difficulty. On a schooner, there are a festooning
plethora of buntlines to gather the fisherman stay sail,
it's enough of a PITA to rig & unrig that they generally
leave it up there most of the season (or leave it off entirely).

Always the eye for the practical side of things, Edgar?

DSK

DSK wrote:
Edgar wrote:

How are you going to be able to get up to the triatic stay to hank and
unhank a sail?


If you are still talking about the Mule, it not hanked to the triatic
IMO, He just has it sheeted hard in this picture because he's motor
sailing
http://www.theyachtmarket.com/userimages/24272.jpg

Joe


heh
with great difficulty. On a schooner, there are a festooning
plethora of buntlines to gather the fisherman stay sail,
it's enough of a PITA to rig & unrig that they generally
leave it up there most of the season (or leave it off entirely).

Always the eye for the practical side of things, Edgar?

DSK