Running rigging

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Running rigging is the term for the rigging of a sailing vessel that is used for raising, lowering and controlling the sails - as opposed to the standing rigging, which supports the mast and other spars.

Traditionally the running rigging was easily recognized, since for flexibility it was not coated with tar and therefore of a light color, while the standing rigging was tarred for protection and therefore black or dark in color. In the 19th century, running rigging was typically fashioned from Manila rope. On modern vessels, running rigging is likely to be made from nylon and other synthetic fibers, while the standing rigging is frequently made of steel cable, for strength.

Some types of running rigging include:

• halyards, which are used to raise sails (or yards on square-rigged vessels).
• sheets, which attach to the clews of the sails to control their angle to the wind.
• downhauls, which lower a sail or a yard, and can be used to adjust the tension on the luff of a sail
• Cunninghams, which tighten the luff of a sail
• guys, which control spars
• topping lifts, which hold up booms or yards
• barber hauls, which adjust the sheeting angle of a foresail (jib)

Older ships (particularly square-rigged vessels) required even more running rigging. Such as:

• braces, which were used to adjust the fore and aft angle of a yard.
• tacks, used to haul the clew of a square sail forward.
• topping lifts, which adjust the up and down angle of a yard.
• Buntlines, Clewlines, and Leechlines, which allow a square sail to be raised to its yard.