drmoose: "three sheets to the wind " topic
You're spot on Doc, with what most know about the act.
When gale force, or better (hurricane) winds, were blowing, it was considered a foolhardy order, to raise 3 sheets to the wind. That is the widely accepted explanation, of being crazy drunk, to do so.
The original saying was "3 sheets "IN" the wind".
Sheets were not the sails themselves, as the expression represents itself. At the bottom of the sails are "sheet ropes", to control the horizontal movement of the sail. The vertical control ropes were of a different gauge, size.
If the bottom of a sail is not controlled, tied down, lashed, the sail would wobble in the wind. To allow two, or especially 3 sails to wobble, would make the ship flounder from side to side while trying to move forward.
Much like a drunken sailor would walk, and wobble.
4 would leave the ship dead in the water.
A schooner, is not the only ship, to sport 3 masts, Doc
Galleons usually had three sails per mast, schooners had predominantly two sails per mast.
The galleons of the 16th - 18th centuries, had on average 4 masts, two main, and 1 forward, & one aft. The schooner was a single decked ship, above the water line, whereas, the galleon's were multi decked ships.
Like the pirate ships in the movies. Which were not the ship of choice, by the way, of pirates. Pirates preferred smaller, more maneuverable ships.
Hit & run
*Sigh* Hollywood has ruined reality ;-(
I do hope I passed the resident yachtsman's scrutiny...
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