gadfly@ihu1m.UUCP (Gadfly) (05/01/85)
-- > The expression I heard of a similar nature was "Three sheets to the > wind." Can any sailing/ocean-going enthusiast explain this? A sheet is a line (on a sailing vessel all pieces of string are called "lines", never "ropes") that controls a sail, usually by being attached to it. A square-rigger will have two sheets per sail--connected to the two lower corners. When sailing properly, one sheet will be to wind- ward, the other to leeward (except when on a dead run downwind). If both sheets were to windward, the sail would be backwinding, and the boat would be out of control. I assume the extra sheet in "three sheets to the wind" was added to exaggerate the notion of being totally out of control, in the sense of dead drunk. -- *** *** JE MAINTIENDRAI ***** ***** ****** ****** 01 May 85 [12 Floreal An CXCIII] ken perlow ***** ***** (312)979-7188 ** ** ** ** ..ihnp4!iwsl8!ken *** ***
kdh@hou2h.UUCP (K.HUNTER) (05/01/85)
>> The expression I heard of a similar nature was "Three sheets to the >> wind." Can any sailing/ocean-going enthusiast explain this? >If both sheets were to windward, the sail would be backwinding, and >the boat would be out of control. I assume the extra sheet in >"three sheets to the wind" was added to exaggerate the notion of being >totally out of control, in the sense of dead drunk. Actually, it's worse than that. A sheet being "to the wind" is a reference to a sheet which has been lost, i.e. is flying horizontally (and thus quite out of reach from the deck) from the corner of the sail due to the force of the wind and a clumsy (or drunk) deckhand. Since this makes the sail useless (the sheet is used to control the angle (set) of the sail with respect to the wind and the boat/ship) a boat with *three* sheets to the wind is in bad shape indeed. Kevin Hunter AT&TIS Sail away.......
dwl@mtx5b.UUCP (D Levenson) (05/15/85)
A tour-guide on Nantucket Island (Mass.) was showing us a Windmill. She pointed out that there were four blades, each consisting of a wooden latice-work. Cloth sails are applied over these blades when wind power is to be harnessed. All four sails are deployed in a light breeze. Only two are used in a strong wind (don't harvest more energy than you can safely consume!). She added, parenthetically, that you had to use two or four sails -- with three the mill would be unbalanced. This, she claims, is the origin of the expression. I consider the nautical origin more likely. -- "I haven't lost my mind; it's backed-up on tape somewhere." Dave Levenson AT&T-IS, Holmdel, NJ