Definitions for "Backstays"
Keywords:  mast, mastheads, aft, rigging, strains
Ropes forming part of the standing rigging. They stretch from mastheads and tend aft from the masts. They serve to support the masts against forward pull and are named according to the mast they support.
Wire ropes which support the masts against lateral and after strains.
Long lines or cables, reaching from the rear of the vessel to the mast heads, used to support the mast.