was an improvement only in that it reduced the size of a rather heavy
mainsail and slightly improved her steering qualities on the wind.
When the wind was aft the jigger was not in use; invariably it was
then furled. With her boom broad off and with the wind two points on
the quarter the _Spray_ sailed her truest course. It never took long
to find the amount of helm, or angle of rudder, required to hold her
on her course, and when that was found I lashed the wheel with it at
that angle. The mainsail then drove her, and the main-jib, with its
sheet boused flat amidships or a little to one side or the other,
added greatly to the steadying power. Then if the wind was even strong
or squally I would sometimes set a flying-jib also, on a pole rigged
out on the bowsprit, with, the sheets hauled flat amidships, which was
a safe thing to do, even in a gale of wind. A stout downhaul on the
gaff was a necessity, because without it the mainsail might not have
come down when I wished to lower it in a breeze. The amount of helm
required varied according to the amount of wind and its direction.
These points are quickly gathered from practice.

[Illustration: Deck-plan of the _Spray_.]

Briefly I have to say that when close-hauled in a light wind under all
sail she required little or no weather helm. As the wind increased I
would go on deck, if below, and turn the wheel up a spoke more or
less, relash it, or, as sailors say, put it in a becket, and then
leave it as before.

[Illustration: Sail-Plan of the _Spray_ The solid lines represent the
sail-plan of the _Spray_ on starting for the long voyage. With it she
crossed the Atlantic to Gibraltar, and then crossed again southwest to
Brazil. In South American waters the bowsprit and boom were shortened
and the jigger-sail added to form the yawl-rig with which the rest of
the trip was made, the sail-plan of which is indicated by the dotted
lines The extreme sail forward is a flying jib occasionally used, set
to a bamboo stick fastened to the bowsprit. The manner of setting and
bracing the jigger-mast is not indicated in this drawing, but may be
partly observed in the plans on pages 287 and 289.]

To answer the questions that might be asked to meet every contingency
would be a pleasure, but it would overburden my book. I can only say
here that much comes to one in practice, and that, with such as love
sailing, mother-wit is the best teacher, after experience.
Labor-saving appliances? T