A bowsprit supports the standing rigging via a guy led aloft to the top section of the fore mast and to serve as a tack for the two fore-guy blocks for the yard of the
foresail. The bowsprit would have been fastened to the deck beside the pawl post to exit towards the top of the bulwarks, lashed to the stem post, traditionally on the starboard side.
"Before I was given the helm though I had to grind and trim the
foresail with the Omani sailor Sami.
It may be that few officers would behave as courageously in a crisis (his initiative in setting a reefed
foresail saved the Sephora from the storm); it may be that knocking down the insubordinate seaman was a necessary step; it may be that Leggatt strangled him in a state of unconsciousness when a huge wave washed over the ship.
From the opposing edge of the rostra, the slimmest of planks was hinged upwards towards the scaffold pole at forty-five degrees, signifying a
foresail, tethered by a thin steel guy.
The sea breeze amounted to a young gale and we sped before it at a great rate, but when just about abreast the bow of the ship and preparing to brail up the
foresail and bring by the wind, the boat broached-to and filled nearly up to the thwarts, and it took quick to earnest work to bale out that water and at the same time fetch the ship and not drift to leeward astern of her.
Off and going well, then kite (large
foresail) gives way, goes under boat.
David Nicholson puts up 4lb over on Battle Hymn, who his father trains, in the novice handicap chase, but it makes not the slightest difference as they win by eight lengths from
Foresail.
A strong gale, the cleat flies off, the
foresail starts to flap loudly.
If the gale became a storm they ran under the reefed trinquete (
foresail) alone, and when that blew away they ran under bare poles.
"Before I was given the helm, though, I had to grind and trim the
foresail with Omani sailor Sami.
Both Archbold's inability to give the order to set the
foresail and his prejudice against Leggatt as not "exactly the sort for the chief mate of a ship like the Sephora" (SSI 19) are prefigured in the Genealogy in Nietzsche's observation that "the priests are the most evil enemies ...