How did the Lookout see?

[AThompson]

Okay, I know that it's me that can't figure this out.

The lookouts were up on the crosstrees, correct? How did you see forward when a topgallant was in front of you?



If you look at this link and see this 74 ship, you can see the crosstrees are blocked by the topgallants, so, how do you actually lookout?

[OpanaPointer]

The sails form a rough cone around the ship where they block direct view from the crow's nest. The lookout would not be responsible for anything in that cone. If another ship got so close as to be in the cone the lookout would be catching hell, of course. A situation where the lookout could miss something and the crew on deck notice it might be a single person hanging on to a board or the like. Lookout looked for sails and surf for the most part.