Name that wire

[davidsamuelson]

Hi,
Can someone please give me the name of the wire on a catamaran that spans the forward beam, via the seagull striker. Thanks. David

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
That wire is a form of martingale stay, because the seagull striker is an inverted dolphin striker, which performs an analogous function, and the old school name for the dolphin striker is martingale, and that word appears to be rooted in an older horse gear context. Anyway, call your wire a seagull stay, and when people ask why you can tell them it is because it goes over the seagull striker, and when they look confused you can tell them about the dolphin striker, and when they look at you like you are a lunatic you can explain about how you can attach a line to a horse's nose band to keep it from throwing its head back, and then I think they will pretty much back away and leave you alone.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[davidsamuelson]

Thanks Brion, David