A large square sail like this would have been bent (tied) onto the long wooden yard with the rig resting on the deck. One seal clearly shows the rig in this manner with the yard ends hanging over the ends of the vessel. This is a strong indication that the so-called 'square' sail would have been rectangular - to avoid having a dangerously tall and therefore unstable mast, the sail would have been noticeably wider than it was tall.

The centre of the yard would have been held close to the mast by parrels - early forms of roller bearings made out of wooden bobbins held together around the circumference of the mast by ropes. The size of crews carried by vessels like this would have largely been determined by the number required to hoist this heavy rig, although evidence of on-board capstans suggests their use at this time.

For area control, the sail would have had parallel rows of reef points tied below the yard, so that the amount of sail could be varied with regard to the wind strength. As it is, the model seems to suggest the presence of a "bonnet", or removable strip of canvas at the bottom of mainsail, but this is an anachronism - it is a development that did not appear until the 16th Century.

The running rigging that controls the set of the rig (as opposed to the standing rigging that supports the mast) consists of little more than sheets to hold the corners of the sail, and braces to set the angle of the yards.

Ship

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