Nautical Term: Stays
Definition of Stays
The term ‘stays’ refers to the ropes or cables that provide support to the lower masts, such as the topmasts, topgallant masts, and forestays, in a fore and aft direction. For instance, during a sailing voyage, the stay sails, such as the staysail, forestaysail, and spinnaker staysail, are set from the forestays and other stays to help balance the sailing vessel and improve its overall performance during various sailing conditions.
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