Three Sheets To The Wind II Traditional Cache
Three Sheets To The Wind II
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(regular)
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Saw the art which inspired the name which begged for a cache.
We use the term "three sheets to the wind" to describe someone who has had too much to drink. As such, they are often bedraggled with perhaps shirttails out, clothes a mess, and with wild hair. The reference is to a sailing ship in disarray, that is with its sheets (lines that adjust the angle at which a sail is set in relation to the wind) flapping loosely in the breeze.
Using a square-rigged sailing ship as a reference, a sheet is the line that is attached to the clew (the lower corners of each sail). The sails would be trimmed (adjusted) using the sheets to ensure they remained in the optimal position for the relative wind to generate the best ship's speed. The sheets attached to the courses (lowest and largest sails) had the most adjustment since the sheets (and hence the clews) of the upper sails would be attached to the yardarms below them.
With this as a basis, if a sailing ship's sheets have come loose, the affected course is likely to luff or flap loosely in the wind. When loose or let go, the sheets would let the sails go slack. The ship would then lose speed and control. It would begin to shudder and stagger, much like a drunk.
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