Talk:martingale

(nautical)- I believe the martingale, in nautical terms, is the same as a bobstay.

martingale
That is true. Martingale is an older term for the chain or cable or spar that reaches from the end of the bowsprit to a chainplate at the forefoot, as a brace against the pressure of the bowsprit. See http://www.seatalk.info/cgi-bin/nautical-marine-sailing-dictionary/db.cgi?db=db&view_records=1&uid=default&Term=bobstay
 * No. The bobstay pulls the bowsprit down to the forefoot.  A martingale is a projection downwards from the bowsprit to which martingale stays and lateral stays are attached.  They do the same job but the bobstay can only permit bowsprit lengths governed by the freeboard; a martingale allows the bowsprit to be lengthened with the addition of a jibboom.