popeye2sea

I don't think you need to shift the rope while actually serving.  What the 'endless' option provides for you is a way to take up the excess line on either end so that it does not tangle and get caught up in the handles and gears.

The way I use this is to fix the rope tightly in place and serve a length of rope as far as I can.  If the service needs to be continued, that is when I shift the rope to be served further along between the bobbins. Then I can continue serving.

Hope that makes sense.

Regards,

Underhill's Masting and Rigging the Clipper Ship and Ocean Carrier describes most of the wire running rigging terminating  with a block shackled in to take a simple whip of rope or whatever tackle was required.

For example: sheets for the square sails were chain shackled into the clew of the sail and rove through a sheave in the yardarm then through fairleads beneath the yard terminating at a point just beyond the cloverleaf sheet block where they were shackled to wire rope which lead down towards the deck.  The wire rope was then spliced into a double or triple block rove with rope to the lower block shackled to the deck.

Regards,

Truly wonderful work.

A small suggestion?

When you go to take the final pictures before or after final assembly take them in front of a sky blue backdrop.  I think the effect would be stunning.

The illusion would be complete!

You are a master!

Regards,

I think he was asking about the other blocks labelled "E", which are hanging from a strap that passes over to cap and crosses in front of the mast to hang at the level of the cheeks.

If I am not mistaken those are the upper jeer blocks. The corresponding blocks would be attached to the yard.

Regards,

Could it be an octagonal shaped deck prism to allow light through to the lower deck?

Regards,

Just watched the movie yesterday.  I really enjoyed it. In the end notes to the film they mention that the work of Basil Brown was finally recognized at some point by the British Museum.

Regards,

I concur, John. 24 inches was the standard width of the sail cloth.  Two inches on each side was taken up in the seam overlap, leaving 20 inches between seams.

Regards,

Meriam Webster still lists a definition of bend as something that is bent: as in a wale.

Regards,

I do not think that you can use lizards because they would interfere with the running of the sail up or down the stay.  I believe that it would be sufficient to pass the downhauls through a few of the hanks.

As to which side the slack in the downhaul falls on, I think it just falls naturally on either side and has no effect on the sail whatsoever.  When the hauling end comes inboard there was a pattern that was followed whereby each successive sail from inboard to outboard alternated from port to starboard with the inner sails belayed closer to the middle of the range or pin rail, and each successive sail downhaul belaying further out.

Regards,

You could try using a cow hitch, where the end of the line comes back in towards the center, giving a more finished edge to the outside.

Regards,

I

16 hours ago, allanyed said:

Hi Henry,

Can you please share your source on these rules as It sounds like it could be really useful when reading these old papers?

I do not have a source for any rule on scripted numerals. Just going on what I have read in other places.  One additional note from when I was pouring over this table.  All of the other numerals: 0,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 are readily identifiable, leaving this to be the numeral one by process of elimination.

Regards,

One followed by another numeral is scripted, while one by itself is not

Regards

Looks like a one to me.

Regards,

Do you mean a single row parrel that  you might find on an upper yard?

Regards,

I have read some different opinions on the efficacy of serving on wet ropes. One is that the service helps to keep the water out of the rope and the opposite, that the service tends to trap water in and hasten rot.  I suppose it would be  up to the Bo's'un which way to go here.  Martingale stays and back ropes get awfully wet.

The other thing to consider is the method of rigging the stays. Are they fixed lengths that are seized or shackled to the martingale, or do they run in one part through a hole.  If they run through a hole or a crook in the martingale then I would consider servicing a short length in the way of the martingale in order to reduce friction at that point.

Regards,

When the sail is furled the bunt and leech lines are hauled up to the yard bringing the foot and the sides of the sail up with them, so there would remain nothing left to "roll" up into the sail.  Not sure what you are referring to when you say reef lines, but if you meant reefing tackles, they are only hooked into the cringles when actually in the process of reefing the sail. Otherwise, they are stoppered along the yard. Bow lines were un-hitched from their cringles and probably unrove completely.  Although, I have seen models depict them hitched around the yard in the approximate position of where they would come when the sail is brailed up prior to furling.

Regards,

The blocks for the bowsprit would have been stropped with a long strop that had two tails with eyes spliced into the ends. The ends would be passed to either side around the bowsprit and the two eyes would be lashed together to hold the block in place.

If you want a good source to get the rigging accurate you should look at The Rigging of Ships in the Days or the Spritsail Topmast 1600-1720 by R.C. Anderson. Another good source is The Art of Rigging by David Steel.

Regards,

I don't know... I always feel healthier after I have had my rum ration.🤨

Regards,

I will take a different tack here.  Instead of just focusing on the how to technique books you have listed you should also look into some of the go to period references that will educate you in the ways of ship fitting , masting and rigging.  The more information you can get about how and why things are the way they are on a ship the easier it will be to model them.

Regards,

As John mentioned, a pendant is usually just a length of rope employed to offset a block from it's attachment point, usually in order to provide a better or more convenient lead.  One end usually has an eye spliced in sized to fit around a mast like the mast tackle pendant or a yard as in a brace pendant or yard tackle pendant.  The other end could have a thimble or an eye splice, or it can have a block turned in for a tackle.

Regards,

Unfortunately, the gun drill, as performed by the USS Constitution crew, is not very accurately portrayed.

Regards,

38 minutes ago, Kurt Johnson said:

Ekis, Close up photos are the bane of most modelers, you are the exception to that rule. It must be breath taking to see in real life. 
 

Kurt

I agree wholeheartedly.  The illusion of reality is preserved beautifully. Even up close. Well done. It's the mark of a true master of his art.

Regards,

If you do decide to use the plastic sails, you would do well to glue in a bolt rope around the edge of the sail (on the back side).  Otherwise, you will find it nearly impossible to attach rigging to the sails without having it tear out.

If your rigging plan is like most others found in these kits there will be many lines for the sails omitted or rigged incorrectly.  I recently completed one where the plans completely omitted lifts, halyards, and downhauls, as well as there was not a single block called for anywhere in the rig.

Regards,

The top of the mast tackle pendants are rigged in the same manner as the shrouds, with an eye turned in at the masthead.  In the first picture where there is a single pendant it would have its eye over the mast head.  For the second picture where there are two pendants per side they go on in pairs like the shrouds where a bight is formed and seized together around the mast head.  In both cases the mast tackle pendant will be wormed, parcelled, and served and in some cases leathered at the eye where it passes around the mast head.

There are essentially two functions for the mast tackles.  The first is to haul taut the shrouds when setting up the deadeye laniards.  This is why the mast tackle pendants go over the mast head first before the shroud pairs.  The second function is when they are rigged and employed for heavy lifting, such as when lifting aboard cannons and the like.

Regards,

Check out The Command of the Ocean, A Naval History of Britain, 1649-1815 by N.A.M Rodger.  While it does not go very heavily into the layout or operation of the shipyards themselves, it does talk about the development of the infrastructure necessary to build, supply and finance Britain's growing navy. It also touches on some aspects of personnel and pay management for the shipyards and ship builders as well as impressment policies within and outside of England.

Regards,