forestay

American  

[fawr-stey, fohr-] / ˈfɔrˌsteɪ, ˈfoʊr- /

noun

1. a stay leading aft and upward from the stem or knightheads of a vessel to the head of the fore lower mast; the lowermost stay of a foremast.

2. a stay leading aft and upwards toward the mainmast of a sloop, knockabout, cutter, ketch, yawl, or dandy.

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forestay British  

/ ˈfɔːˌsteɪ /

noun

1. nautical an adjustable stay leading from the truck of the foremast to the deck, stem, or bowsprit, for controlling the motion or bending of the mast

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Etymology

Origin of forestay

First recorded in 1325–75, forestay is from the Middle English word forstay. See fore-, stay ³

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

forestay

As we approached Molokai at night in 25-knot winds the chute became progressively harder to manage and ultimately wrapped itself on the forestay.

From Time Magazine Archive

On the morning of the seventh day out, she had covered 800 miles and was making splendid headway, with her mainsail, foresail, forestay sail and jib set and full.

From Time Magazine Archive

Four sailors speedily lashed a three-inch rope four feet above the deck, from the forestay round the shrouds and aft to the mizzen, hove as tight as they could get it and then fastened.

From The Queen's Cup by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty

The whole ship seemed to burst asunder and shut again, the flame of the explosion went wavering up the rigging, and I found myself hanging on to the forestay and dangling over emptiness.

From Sir John Constantine Memoirs of His Adventures At Home and Abroad and Particularly in the Island of Corsica: Beginning with the Year 1756 by Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch

The riding-light, still burning brightly on the forestay, though the sun was now above the horizon, showed that we had lost all regard for routine.

From The Brassbounder A Tale of the Sea by David W. Bone