Module 1 - Nautical Terms
Standing and Running Rigging
What you will learn
Classify rigging by function, distinguish common sail-control lines and recognise the limits of a generic rigging description.
Standing rigging supports the rig; running rigging is moved or adjusted to handle sails and spars. Function, not material alone, makes the distinction.
Standing rigging supports masts or spars. Shrouds provide mainly lateral support, while stays support in fore-and-aft directions. It may be wire, rod or suitable fibre, and some boats have adjustable elements. Function, not material alone, distinguishes standing rigging; 'fixed wire that is rarely adjusted' is not a universal definition.
Running rigging is moved or adjusted in operation. A halyard hoists or lowers a sail; a sheet controls a sail's angle and load; reefing lines reduce sail area; and control lines adjust shape or spar position. A kicking strap or vang restrains the boom from lifting and influences mainsail twist on an applicable rig.
Names do not establish safe load, material, condition or handling method. Before using a line, identify both ends, its route, the hardware it loads and the consequence of releasing or tensioning it. Stop if the boat-specific arrangement is unclear.
Identify a line before moving it
At dusk, a crew member is asked to ease the headsail sheet. They trace it from the sail through its lead to the winch and confirm it is not a halyard, reefing line or a loaded control with a different consequence.
1. Follow
Trace the line physically from the controlled sail or spar through its leads.
2. Name the job
Decide whether it supports the rig, hoists, sheets, reefs or adjusts another control.
3. Assess the load
Use the vessel's taught method and keep clear of the line's loaded path before easing or tensioning it.
Sense check: If you cannot say what will move when the line is eased, you have not yet identified it well enough to act.
Common mistake or limitation
- Material does not define standing or running rigging. Modern standing rigging is not always wire, and some standing-rigging elements can be adjusted.
- A halyard raises or lowers; a sheet controls a sail's angle and load. Similar-looking lines can have very different consequences when released.
- The term 'rope' does not prove a line's strength, condition or suitability for a job.
Recap
- Classify standing and running rigging by function rather than material.
- Halyards hoist; sheets control sail angle and load; a vang or kicking strap acts on the boom.
- Trace and understand a line and its loaded path before moving it.
Optional quick check
Section 6 of 9
Which evidence best confirms that an unfamiliar line is the headsail sheet?
Sources and factual review
Reviewed 2 September 2026 - Compass Revision editorial review.
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