Rigging

Here's the start.  I'm not sure I like this intro.  Let me know your thoughts.  Remember that I am trying to encourage the novice, so if this is so far beneath your knowledge to the point of being boring this may be what I'm looking for.
Be patient, the next step or two in this will be time consuming.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

The RIGGING
An introduction with a main thrust to acquaint the novice with some terms.
Seeing what they will be working on will follow in the near future.

There are two types of rigging: standing and running.  Standing rigging is just standing there, looking like it is doing nothing.  Running rigging is used to ‘run the boat,’ i.e., raise, set, control, adjust, etc. the sails.  Some of the running rigging does other things, like raise flags, lift the dinghy, secure the boat to pier or bottom, and the like.  Comparatively speaking, standing rigging is stiff, straight, and heavy; running rigging is flexible, small, and light.  Standing rigging is set up once and often forgotten, running rigging is handled often during every voyage.  Both types of rigging are made of chain, wire cable, and rope of various fibers and construction.

STANDING RIGGING basically stabilizes the position of the spars.  STAYS typically run fore and aft, SHROUDS  run athwartship (across the boat, or center to side).  Naming the individual stay and shroud (in fact, naming all the rigging, standing or running alike) indicates the spar, its position, and its type.  There are a number of exceptions to this to cause confusion so just get the general idea down and deal with the exceptions when the confusion arises.
Let’s start with the:
BOW SPRIT: The bowsprit historically began as a mast that leaned forward.  Through the years it leaned more and more, becoming almost horizontal. On a Newporter it has three pieces of standing rigging, two shrouds and one stay.  The shrouds attach at the forward end of the bowsprit at the “side ears” and to the outside of the hull on the bulwarks, just above the deck. These are called the WHISKER STAYS (this is one of the places where a name change is made, making definitions difficult).  The bowsprit stay (while stays normally start high and go forward or aft; this starts forward and goes aft and down) is attached to the bowsprit eyeband, bottom “ear”, and ends at the staple on the stem just above the waterline.  This is called the BOBSTAY or BOBCHAIN (especially when it is a chain).

The MASTS:  The names of the masts seem mostly to be based on a comparison of the amount of sail being carried by the mast.  The position of the mast varies according to the type of rig on the boat.  Newporters carry a variety of rigs. Sloops (both the typical sloop and the cutter) have one mast, the MAIN MAST.  Ketches and Schooners have two masts.  From forward to aft the ketch has the MAIN and the MIZZEN MASTS, Schooners have the FOREMAST and the MAIN MAST.  Because the names of the sails and the rigging are basically based on the name of the masts, a knowledge of each type of rig is handy.
The names vary according to the mast to which the stays and shrouds are attached.  The ketch, the only Newporter rig I have worked on, has on the MAIN MAST the LOWER MAIN STAY, the JIB STAY (or HEAD STAY or MAIN STAY), the MAIN UPPER SHROUDS, MAIN FORWARD LOWER SHROUDS, MAIN AFTER LOWER SHROUDS, MAIN SPLIT TAILED BACK STAY, and the SPRING STAY's forward end (or as some would say, a TRIATIC STAY).  The SPREADER LIFTS counter the downward pressure on the outboard ends of the spreaders applied by the main upper shrouds.
The MIZZEN MAST has the after end of the SPRING STAY, the MIZZEN UPPER SHROUDS and the MIZZEN LOWER SHROUDS.  If your boat flies a MIZZEN STAYS’L you’ll also have a pair of MIZZEN RUNNING BACK STAYS which are considered as running rigging because they are handled during the use of the mizzen stays’l. 
 
RUNNING RIGGING
 
Running Rigging is also named in accord with its location with some exceptions to the rule.  We will include in this category some other wire, rope, and chain items which may not actually be running rigging but are used in the control and setting of the sails.
 
On the MAIN MAST is a JIB HALYARD (of wire where the stress is (between the sail and the jib halyard winch when the jib is fully up and a rope tail for protection of your hands; this requires a wire to rope splice), a STAYS’L HALYARD (of rope), and the MAIN HALYARD (of wire).  Other rigging items for the MAIN MAST and its sails are the jib tack pendant (of rope or wire), stays’l pendent if needed (in the last boats built this was replaced with special in-house-built items and a redesign of the stays’l turnbuckle), the JIB SHEET, STAYS’L SHEET, and MAIN SHEET.
On the MIZZEN MAST is the MIZZEN HALYARD (wire) and MIZZEN SHEET (rope).  Optional sails will need halyards, sheets, and tack pendants.  

Drawings are available that show what is needed and how to install other extra items.  Basically this is it, except for some OTHER RIGGING FITTINGS that are  the responsibility of the rigger.  CLEW OUTHAULS for the main and mizzen sails; TOPPING LIFTS for stays’l, main, and mizzen; flag halyards (three, for main and mizzen heads and one for the starboard spreader), four dock lines, one anchor rode (that has a six foot shot of chain), life lines, boat lifts and gripes for the dinghy, and fender lines.  This may not be the complete list, some may have presently been forgotten and there are some options I haven’t listed.  It looks daunting, but it is a fun job, one that if I were not so hungry I would have done just to have the fun.
Remember, this little write-up is just a general introduction to let those of you who have little or no experience in such things get some of the names in mind.  As you work on and with these things you will become more familiar with them and they will become much less daunting, and somewhat second nature.  Some of my old drawings, and some new ones if they are needed, will be used in coming installments to give you what you need to help you acquire the ability to do this work.