popeye2sea

You don't even really need a cleat. You can literally hitch it to anything; a rail, a shroud, a deadeye laniard, a post, the mast, etc. There is not much tension involved with a flag. Regards,

There is no excess rope to a flag halyard. It runs as a continuous loop from the clip or toggle at the top of the flag up through a block then back to a clip or toggle at the bottom of the flag. The resulting loop should be long enough to reach to wherever it will be belayed. The two parts of halyard rope that are now hanging below the flag can be married together and belayed with a simple clove hitch to any object. Regards,

Well, taking the dimensions for a leager above: the width of a stave at the widest point is 3.65" for a 31 stave cask and 3.48" for a 33 stave cask. The difference of 0.17 inches is not great. I would think that any cooper would try to economize by using as few staves as possible. Regards,

I am particularly impressed by the look of the window glass. Another fine job. Regards,

The Manor House is absolutely stunning with expertly crafted details. I love the detailing with the cart and barrel. Regards,

Nice diagram. I guess I should have been more clear with that line. The hole for the topmast is just large enough for the heel of the topmast to fit through. In fact, the top mast is able to pass through, and does, when the topmast is housed (lowered) or unshipped. The fid is the only thing holding it up. Regards

The guns recoil about 18 inches when fired. That is all the slack that is in the breeching. That will bring the muzzle a short distance inside the gunport. The reloading was done by sticking yourself or your implements outside the gunport. A flexible rammer made from a large diameter rope could be used to help keep personnel inside the ship. The breeching remains affixed to the bulwarks and the cascabel during the entire loading operation. Regards,

I very much doubt that there would be any gap to speak of on an actual vessel. Especially since the parts you are talking about are not really part of the top but constructed directly on the mast. They are the trestle trees and cross trees. The top rests on top of and is bolted to them. The forward hole is sized to take the heel of the topmast. Regards,

That is not the way it is done. When the ship pays out the anchor rode to it's appropriate length its first purpose is to provide a horizontal pull along the bottom to set the flukes into the bottom. Then an additional length is payed out to provide some spring to allow the ship to ride easy at anchor. When getting underway again the ship is hove up to the anchor by the capstan until the anchor cable is vertical. at that point the flukes will have lost the proper angle to be able to bite into the bottom. Depending on the direction of the wind the effort can be assisted by sailing up to the anchor. The anchor is broken free (aweigh) and is hoisted to the point where the ring is above water. Then the anchor is catted and the cat tackle takes the strain and hoists the anchor up to the cat head. At this point the anchor is fished by a tackle fastened to the shank near the crown and hauled up to be stowed. The only time you would use a boat with an anchor is when you are kedging. The anchor is slung under the boat and rowed out forward of the ship; the anchor cable being payed out from the ship. The anchor is then dropped to the bottom. The ship is then able to heave itself up to the anchor using the capstan. Sometimes a kedge anchor would be set out by boat to provide some additional protection against drifting into a lee shore when anchored in a tidal stream or during a gale. The description you mentioned above would be the procedure probably used to recover a lost anchor. On modern vessels the procedure is essentially the same. The ship pays out anchor chain to a length appropriate to provide the flukes holding power. I used to know the proper ratio, but it is something like 3 or 4 times the depth of water. The catenary formed in the anchor chain from the anchor to the ship provides the necessary spring to allow the ship to ride at anchor comfortably without having to continually adjust the chain. The deck watch will periodically check how the anchor is tending (the angle the chain makes from the bow) and the length of the rode will be adjusted as necessary. Sometimes, if the ship is anchored for a greater length of time, the chain will be payed out or hove in slightly (to freshen the nip) in order to reduce the chance of damage by chafing. Regards,

My personal opinion is that, as in your first diagram, there would be one short and one long leg for the strop and that the seizing between the eyes would fall near the top of the bowsprit so that the crew had easier access to the seizing. Regards,

Why would you rig jib sheets if there will be no sails? Regards,

Weighing and raising the anchor is a several hours long process and involved a great number of the crew. The time and effort required to move obstructions from around the capstan was insignificant in comparison. Regards,

Companionway ladders were almost always removable. Stanchions were sometimes hinged to swing up into the overhead. Regards,

My vote is for a beak head. Looks to be an early version of the attachment point for a bobstay for the bowsprit. Regards,

Superb!!

Ah, yes. You are but still young, grasshopper, if you are from 1740. 🤨 But the origins of a lot of these terms goes back hundreds of years before then. Regards,

Because slops were often cast offs and remainders of uniforms. Sometimes they consisted of the clothing recovered from deceased crew members sea bags. The clothing was not always in the best of conditions, hence the moniker - slops. Marine uniforms were required to be in a more presentable state because they were often the face of the Navy ashore (along with the officers uniforms). When a ship did make port often the only personnel allowed ashore were officers and a marine detachment. Regards,

Broadside naval gunnery tactics did not come into widespread practice until after the Spanish Armada (1588). The English were considered to be early adopters of trucked carriages. An entire class of ships (race built galleons) was developed to maximize forward firing artillery as that was the predominant gunnery tactic of the day. Most reloading was accomplished while the ship wore away from the enemy to come back around for another assault. Spanish naval tactics still relied heavily on boarding actions and so their gunners only were expected to get off one or two shots for an entire engagement. Regards,

Hey, I take exception to that!! Although I too am a retired CPO I portray a marine on Constitution. I think the room is the equivalent of the Navy's slop chest where replacement clothing for sailors was available. However unlike sailors slops that the individual sailor paid for, Marine uniforms were an issue item. I would think that there would be shelves and bins to hold various uniform items. Regards,

I am referring to vessels prior to 1700 or so where, for instance, the spritsail topmast backstays originate in an elaborate system of crows feet seized to the fore stays. Other examples may include braces that originate on stays, bowlines that have fairlead blocks seized to stays, etc. Regards,

I really can't think of any reason that the robands would be any longer than that necessary to make the square knot. Regards,

Although it does not apply to the Leopard (1790) false stays were typically employed in early vessels where various lines such as backstays and bowlines were seized to the normal stays that would prevent a stay sail from being able to be raised or lowered. The false stay would be seized at the head to the underside of the normal stay and set up in the usual fashion in order to provide a clear line to hank the stay sail to. Regards,

There were several other factors at play in early naval gunnery. Inferior quality powder, breech loading cannon not creating a good seal, early carriages not always wheeled, stone shot, etc. Regards,

This keeps getting better and better. Very realistic looking shingles and wood siding. Regards,

Regarding your second question. I would think that the main sheet will be outboard of all other lines because it is attached to the lower corner of the main sail when set. Even if the sail is clewed up the sheet would be raised up outboard of all other lines on the yard. Regarding your question about the lead of the sheets to the kevel. I have always surmised that this is another good reason for furling the courses before going into battle. It would mean that the main sheet would not have to be worked and so would not have to be fouled on the cannon when they are worked. When making way in transit the sheets can be worked without concern of fouling the cannon Regards,