Nautical Term: Pay out
Definition of Pay out
stocks out a line: The process of gradually releasing a secured line on a ship is referred to as paying out. This involves unwinding the coiled line from its stowage on the ship and letting it out slowly.
For example, when a ship is under sail and needs to alter course, the sailor in charge of the foremast staysail might need to pay out more line to allow the sail to catch more wind and provide the necessary power to change direction.
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