Your crossword puzzle answer is halyard, a shortened word for "haul yard".
to hold up the sails, and to help steer the ship. its called rigging, by the way...
The "ropes" that raise or lower the sails are called HALYARDS and the "ropes" that control the sails are called SHEETS. Halyards are the lines (ropes) that raise sails. Downhauls lower them (note that they are not always included as gravity does usually help out, though they are sometimes necessary). Sheets are used to pull the bottom corner of a sail aft (or towards the "stern" or back of the ship). Tacks pull them forward (ie towards the "bow" or front of the ship). Square sails also have lines that are used to douse (square sails are often "lowered" by pulling them up, and set by letting them fall down as they are attached on the top edge by a long horizontal spar called a yard) or to reef them (decreasing the sail area in cases of heavier wind) These are the buntlines, clewlines, reeflines, and reefing points. The yards that hold square sails up also need to be able to turn, and lines attached at their ends called braces pull either the port or starboard (left or right) end of the yard aft. There are, of course, many more however these are probably the most important.
The pole you are referring to is called the mast. If the boat only has one mast it is usually not in the middle of the boat but is normally found in the forward third of the boat.
Unfurled and rigged means that they have "rigged" the boat, meaning put the masts up, and set the boat up so it is reads to go, and unfurled meaning unrolling the sails.
When you lie in a hammock, the force exerted on the support ropes is the combination of your weight and the tension in the ropes holding you up. This force is distributed between the ropes, with each rope supporting a portion of your weight. The total force is equal to your weight divided by the number of support ropes.
A grinder is a person whose job on a boat is to use the winches to pull in, let out, haul up or bring down sails. It is the most physically demanding job on a yacht.
on the sail boat, it is holding the sail up
Some slack in the ropes is needed to allow for changes in water level due to tides etc. otherwise the boat may end up hanging off the pier (not good for the pier, the rope or the boat) if the water level falls, or being pulled over and against the pier if the water level rises. The mooring ropes may still have to be adjusted several times each watch in areas with significant tidal ranges.
The halyards, these ropes are used to haul sails up. When sails are down they are left tied tight from the top of the mast down towards the foot. The wind causes them to vibrate and hit the mast thus causing the sound.
Yes, it is a verb. It means to make tight or taut. e.g We will tighten the ropes holding up the tent. A wrench can tighten the nut on a bolt.
Yes, it is a verb. It means to make tight or taut. e.g We will tighten the ropes holding up the tent. A wrench can tighten the nut on a bolt.