Quote------"It was one of the older kind of ships that had a big "Pointed pole" sticking out in front of it with a lady flying underneith. The sail was on this pole with the hypotnuse attached and the pointy end on a wire to be pulled up. What would this one be?"

Now I think you are having a dig at me? I will blame you if I wake up with bruises from my wife digging me in the ribs because I keep disturbing her sleep because I keep waking up laughing .

Brian
attach for the uninitiated.

ps--Burr, I hope you don't think I was being rude--It's hard to realise that others may not have the same background of sailing.
Here is how a sailor may have read that sentence--

"It was one of the older kind of ships that had a big bowsprit sticking out from the bow with a figure-head flying underneath. The sail was on this (jib-boom?—separate from the bowsprit?) –with the fore-stay attached and the sail-head on a wire halyard ready to be pulled up"