A spreader is a
spar on a
sailing boat used to deflect the
shrouds to allow them to better support the
mast.
The spreader or spreaders serve much the same purpose as the
crosstrees and
tops
Total Operations Processing System (TOPS) is a computer system for managing railway locomotives and rolling stock, known for many years of use in the United Kingdom.
TOPS was originally developed between the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP), ...
in a traditional sailing vessel.
Spreaders are used to increase the angle between the rigging and the mast, providing better support, and to adjust the mast's shape and bend. This allows the mast and rigging to be lighter and thinner, reducing their total weight.
Spreaders may be made of metal, often
aluminium
Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...
; wood, often
spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' ( ), a genus of about 40 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal (taiga) regions of the Northern hemisphere. ''Picea'' ...
; or composite material such as carbon fiber.
Spreader design and tuning can be quite complex. The spreaders may be fixed (rigid) or swinging (pivoted at the mast). Most cruising boats have fixed spreaders, but swinging spreaders are found on some racing boats. The length of a boat's beam determines how long the spreaders may be, so some boats have multiple sets of spreaders so the shroud can reach the desired angle from the mast.
Boats with tall masts, such as racing
yacht
A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a ...
s, may have up to five sets.
References
Sailing rigs and rigging
{{Navy-stub
de:Saling
fr:Barre de flèche
no:Salingshorn