In sailing, a halyard is a line (rope) that is used to hoist (pull up) a sail or a yard to which a sail has been attached (bent on). A triangular (Bermuda or "Marconi") sail has only one halyard which is attached at its uppermost point (the head), while a gaff rigged sail has two, a throat halyard and a peak halyard. Halyards, like most other parts of the running rigging, were classically made of natural fiber like manila or hemp. Today, polyester is most often used, but stainless steel or galvanized steel may be found on some older yachts, and lightweight carbon fiber on racing vessels. The term Halyard comes from the phrase - to 'Haul Yards'. Wooden sailing boat Sailing is the skillful art of controlling the motion of a sailing ship or smaller boat, across a body of water using wind as the source of power. ... Coils of rope used for long-line fishing A rope is a length of fibers, twisted or braided together to improve strength, for pulling and connecting. ... A sail is a surface intended to generate thrust by being placed in a wind; basically it is a vertically oriented wing. ... In sailing, a gaff is the upper spar used to control a fore-and-aft sail set aft of the mast, such as a mainsail. ... Running rigging is the term for the rigging of a sailing vessel that is used for raising, lowering and controlling the sails - as opposed to the standing rigging, which supports the mast and other spars. ...