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Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: MAR-MEC |
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MAST (I) (O. Eng. maest; a common Teutonic word, cognate with Lat. malus; from the medieval latinized form mast us comes Fr. malt) , in nautical language, the name of the spar, or straight piece of timber, or combination of spars, on which are hung the yards and sails of a vessel of any size. It has been ingeniously supposed that man himself was the first mast. He discovered by standing
wood
supply the best timber for the purpose. In sketching the history of the development of the mast, we must distinguish between the increase in the number erected, and the improvements made in the mast itself. The earliest ships had only one, carrying a single sail. So little is known of the rigging ofclassical ships that nothing can be affirmed of them with absolute confidence. The Norse vessels carried one mast placed in the middle. The number gradually increased till it reached four or five. All were at first upright, but the mast which stood nearest the bow was by degrees lowered forward till it became the bow-sprit of modern times, and lost the name of mast. The next from the bows became the foremastcalled in Mediterranean sea language mizzana, in French misaine. Then came the main-mastin French grand mat; and then the mizenin French, which follows the Mediterranean usage, the artimon, i.e. " next the rudder," timon. A small mast was sometimes erected in the very end of the ship, and called in English a " bonaventure mizen." It had a close resemblance to the jigger of yawl-rigged yachts. By the close of the 16th century it had become the established rule that a ship proper had three mastsfore, main and mizen. The third takes its name not as the other two do, from its place, but from the lateen sail originally hoisted on it (see RIGGING), which was placed fore and aft in the middle (Italian, mizzo) of the ship, and did not lie across like the courses and topsails. With the development of very large sailing clippers in the middle of the 19th century a return was made to the practice of carrying more than three masts. Ships and barques are built with four or five. Some of the large schooners employed in the American coast trade have six or seven, and some steamers have had as many. The mast was for long made out of a single spar. Thence the Mediterranean name of " palo " (spar) and the Spanish " arbol " (tree). The typical Mediterranean mast of " lateen " (Latin) vessels is short and bends forward. In other classes it is upright, or bends slightly backwards with what is called a " rake.' The mast is grounded, or in technical language " stepped," on the kelson (or keelson), the solid timber or metal beam lying parallel with, and above the keel. As the 15th century advanced the growth of the ship made it difficult, or even impossible, to find spars large enough to make a mast. The practice of dividing it into lower, and upper or topmast, was introduced. At first the two were fastened firmly, and the topmast could not be lowered. In the 16th century the top-mast became movable. No date can be given for the change , which was gradual , and was not simultaneously adopted. When the masting of sailing ships was fully developed, the division was into lower or standing
polacras." Armed masts were composed of two single timbers. Made masts were built of many pieces, bolted and " coaked," i.e. dovetailed and fitted together, fastened round by iron hoops, and between them by twelve or thirteen close turns of rope, firmly secured. " Made masts " are stronger than those made of a single tree and less liable to be sprung. The general principle of construction is that it is built round a central shaft
shaft
diameter 3 ft. 3 in.; topmast, 70 ft., and 201 in.; topgallant mast, 35 ft., and 11 ii in., 222 ft. in all. At the other end of the scale, a cutter of 200 tons had a lower mast of 88 ft., of 22 in. diameter , and a topgallant mast (there was no topmast between them) of 44 ft., of 94 in. in diameter, 132 ft. in all; topgallant mast of 44 ft., and 91 in. in diameter. The masts of a warship were more lofty than those of a merchant ship of the same tonnage. At present masts are only used by warships for signalling and military purposes. In sailing merchant ships, the masts are more lofty than they were about a century ago. A merchant ship of 1300 tons, in 183o, had a main-mast 179 ft. in height; a vessel of the same size would have a mast of 198 ft, to-day.871A " jury mast " is a temporary mast put up by the crew
See L. Jai, Glossaire Nautique (Paris, 1848) ; Sir Henry Manwayring, The Seaman's Dictionary (London, 1644) ; N. Hutchinson
Practical
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