"Loose-footed"

In your description of the Broads vessels,  <i>Sir Garnet</i> is described as having a loose-footed mainsail, "(ie, without a boom at its lower edge)." Strictly speaking this is incorrect, a sail without a boom being properly described as 'boomless.' A 'loose-footed' sail on the other hand  <i>has</i>a boom but is fastened to it only at tack and clew (ie it is not laced along the length of it.)

"Gosh!" (as Roger might say) "That's news to me". As, indeed, it may have been to Roger, being an engineer at heart. I can't say I have that excuse, so I'll have to fall back on Nancy's "Giminy, we all have to learn" instead.

More seriously, when putting the section on boats together, I was mindful that the audience would range from genuine experts, who know far more than I ever will, to those with only the vaguest awareness of sailing terminology. So I was looking for a simple way of explaining Sir Garnet's essential characteristics to a non-expert. I'll therefore change it to "boomless" but leave in "ie, without a solid spar at its lower edge". Hopefully that'll be technically correct and will help everyone envisage what it means! You'll have to let me know if it doesn't.

In the meantime, Mike, many thanks for pointing it out. And if you see any other oddities or have any additional information that could be usefully added, please don't hesitate to let me know. The more we can all chip in and develop our mutual understanding, the better.

Thanks again.

That will answer perfectly, Geraint.

And I apologise for being a bit of a nit-picker -- as I also do for not getting the italics right.  

I still think that saying "without a solid spar at its lower edge" could be misleading to some. There still is a solid spar (boom) and it is attached to the sail, it is just attached to the outer corner of the sail and not along the whole length of the lower side.