Mast

The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall spar, or arrangement of spars, erected vertically or near-vertically on the median line of a ship or boat. A mast may carry sails, spars, and derricks. It may also give necessary height to a navigation light, look-out position, signal yard, control position, radio aerial, or signal lamp.

Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship.
Nearly all sailing masts are guyed.

Back to Boats & Rigs →

Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · No restrictions

SAILMENTOR

Learn the ropes — sailing skills, seamanship, and the calculators every sailor needs.

Get new guides by emailOccasional emails. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

InformationAbout Contact Privacy Policy Terms of Service Disclaimer Affiliate Disclosure Cookie Policy

Every species, image, fact, and figure is drawn from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, used under public-domain and Creative Commons licenses. No content is AI-generated.