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Glite Dictionary
bobstay

bobstay

1 9.9
A strong rope or chain that holds the long pole at the front of a ship to keep it steady
  • noun
  • Specialized
: bobstay
  • The sailor adjusted the bobstay to ensure the bowsprit remained stable during the storm.

Examples

  • The bobstay chainplate was on its forward end, and you can see that the cockpit drain outlets (white circles) were sitting right in the middle of the boot stripe at the aft end of the boat.

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  • The one that ends at the bobstay fitting?

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  • And then what if they installed the bobstay chainplate at the end of the boot stripe like the drawing showed?

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  • You can see that the bobstay chainplate is fitted just above the mystery stripe and also just above the mystery repair.

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  • When they finally floated her, the boot stripe and the bobstay chainplate would be completely underwater.

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  • To prepare for the race, they checked the bobstay for any signs of wear before setting out to sea.

  • A strong bobstay is essential for keeping the bowsprit properly aligned and secure on the boat.

Surface Forms

bobstay singular
bobstays plural

Morphology

bobstay = bob + stay (semi-transparent) = bob + stay

The second component 'stay' directly indicates a rope, but the first element 'bob' is obscure to most learners and does not transparently explain the specific function.

Etymology

Bobstay comes from the parts bob and stay, where stay means 'rope' and bob suggests 'to move up and down'. So a bobstay is the rope that stops the long pole at the front of a ship, the bowsprit, from 'bobbing' and keeps it steady.