masts as in the illustration. Like all other rigs, it has some disadvantages, and of these the most serious is the liability of the sliding-irons to jam when the yard is being hoisted or lowered. The irons should therefore be covered with leather, which should always be kept well greased; and a downhaul should be fitted to the end of the yard. It is also a good plan to have the hoops connected by a line on the foreside. This will keep the lower hinged iron in a horizontal position, and much diminish the chances of jamming.
Perhaps the best rig of all for river sailing is the popular Balance-Lug, so familiar to all those who know the upper Thames. But for rough water it is not a suitable rig. The extreme rigidity of the sail makes it strain the mast a good deal when the boat is in a seaway. There should be plenty of give and take in the gear of a boat that is to toss about on the salt water.
Some boats are rigged with two balance-lugs; others have jibs and mizzens; but for single-handed sailing the most comfortable is the centre-board dinghy with a single balance-lug. Such a boat can be rowed easily, and is yet big enough to carry several passengers. The author is the owner of a boat of this class on the Thames; and a description of her will serve to give an idea of the up-river balance-lug.
This boat (see Fig. 50) is built of mahogany; her length is fifteen feet, and her beam five feet. She
