A stout downhaul on the gaff was a necessity, because without it the mainsail might not have come down when I wished to lower it in a breeze.

The amount of helm required varied according to the amount of wind and its direction.
These points are quickly gathered from practice.
[Illustration: Deck-plan of the _Spray_.] Briefly I have to say that when close-hauled in a light wind under all sail she required little or no weather helm.

As the wind increased I would go on deck, if below, and turn the wheel up a spoke more or less, relash it, or, as sailors say, put it in a becket, and then leave it as before.
[Illustration: Sail-Plan of the _Spray_ The solid lines represent the sail-plan of the _Spray_ on starting for the long voyage.

With it she crossed the Atlantic to Gibraltar, and then crossed again southwest to Brazil.

In South American waters the bowsprit and boom were shortened and the jigger-sail added to form the yawl-rig with which the rest of the trip was made, the sail-plan of which is indicated by the dotted lines The extreme sail forward is a flying jib occasionally used, set to a bamboo stick fastened to the bowsprit.