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©Greg Harrington
The mast of a sailing vessel is a spar, or series of spars, erected more or less vertically on the centerline. They support horizontal spars (see ‘yard’, ‘gaff’, ‘sprit’), to which the sails are attached, and may directly support the luff of the sail. The spars above it, in ascending order, are the topmast, topgallant mast, and royal mast.
The tallest mast is called the mainmast. The one forward of the mainmast is called the ‘foremast’, and the one aft of it the ‘mizzen’.
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