cordage is.
The screw links to tighten the shrouds seldom had to be employed; a
copper rope from the truck to a shroud acted as a lightning conductor.

The bowsprit is on the starboard side, for this allows you to use the
light hand with the chain cable in the bitts. The jib has a foot of nine
feet in stride. Its tack is on a rope round an open hook at the bowsprit
end, so that in reefing you can get it in without danger of falling
overboard while reaching out to detach it; then it is hooked on the stem.
An iron bobstay we discarded, and an iron forestay, as difficult to keep
taut; but, after trials with no bobstay at all, we found it advisable to
replace this, although it is a troublesome rope in dealing with the
anchor.

The gunwale has an opening of half an inch, all round, and this was
enough for scuppers.

The forehatch is thirteen inches square, so that I can readily squeeze
down into the fore-cabin.

I painted about a foot of the chain-cable of a bright red colour, at ten
and at twenty fathoms, which was useful in telling how much ran out with
the anchor. Fenders I got in Paris, very neatly made of line net-work,
over canvas bags of cork.

The iron sheave on the stem for the anchor-chain was large, with a high
cheek, and the comfort of this was well appreciated in weighing anchor at
night or in a swell. The jib-sheets led aft, and the position of the
cleats for these was most carefully chosen, as they are more worked than
any part of the rigging; yet this position was twice altered, and the
best place seems to be on the deck, two feet forward from your breast and
two feet to the side.

The strain on these sheets in rough weather was greater than had been
anticipated, and at last I had to put a tackle on the port jib-sheet, as
that is the one less conveniently placed for belaying.

The peak halyard was fast to the gaff, then through a single block on the
mast and one on the gaff, and again one aloft. The throat halyard was
fast to the mast, and through a block on the throat, and then aloft.
Both these halyards came down on the starboard side, and to separate
cleats, but I found it generally more ready to haul on the two at once
and belay them together.

The jib-halyard had a block on the sail, and then, with the topping lift,
came down on the port side. A jib purchase I soon cut away--one learns
to be economical of action when alone. Each of these four ropes then
passed through a sheave on deck, t