A gaff is a spar that controls the peak, throat, and (usually) the entire head of a four-sided, fore-and-aft sail. A sail hoisted from a gaff is called a gaff-rigged sail.
The gaff is hoisted by two halyards. The throat halyard hoists the throat of the sail at the forward end of the gaff and bears the main weight of the sail and the tension of the luff. The peak halyard lifts the aft end of the gaff and bears the leech tension.
A triangular fore-and-aft sail called a jib-headed topsail may be carried between the gaff and the mast.
Compare to the gunter rig, where the spar is raised until it is nearly vertical and the sail almost triangular. Also compare to the spritsail rig, in which the spar supports only the peak and the forard end of the spar is attached to the mast in the middle of the luff. The halyard lifts the throat of the sail rather than the spar.
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