Bowsprit held down by a bobstay
Bowsprit with forestays and bobstays

The bowsprit of a sailing vessel is a spar extending forward from the vessel's prow. The bowsprit is typically held down by a bobstay that counteracts the forces from the forestays. The word bowsprit is thought to originate from the Middle Low German word bōchsprēt – bōch meaning "bow" and sprēt meaning "pole".[1]

It is sometimes used to hold up the figurehead.

References

  1. ↑ "Bowsprit". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 15 November 2012.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bowsprits.
  • The dictionary definition of bowsprit at Wiktionary
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.