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The Lecture Postprint from this session is available on Academia at: Jakobi, Davina. 2017. “How Important Is Knowing the Ropes? Thoughts on the Ethics and Practice of Conserving Ship Model Rigging.” presented at the AIC’s 45 th Annual Meeting Treatment 2017: Innovation in Conservation and Collections Care, Chicago. https://www.academia.edu/37892579/How_important_is_knowing_the_ropes_Thoughts_on_the_ethics_and_practice_of_conserving_ship_model_rigging.

When considering the Tea Clippers (a very short time span of about 2 decades from ~1845-1869), one must first discount all of our "modern" conceptions of stability and wind effects, wetted area calculations and so forth and consider the situation through the lens of contemporary nautical architecture. The essential components of calculating displacement (that is, determining the volume of the submerged portion of the hull at the desired load waterline) were fairly well known. Determining the as-built weight of the empty cargo vessel was likewise able to be estimated reasonably well, although the actual weight was better known after launch by calculating the displacement volume once the intended ballast, masts and so forth were installed (variables in size of various timbers used, actual weight of each timber that could vary based on the moisture content, number of spikes and so forth during construction made an accurate estimate difficult at best). Once the displacement weight was known, the difference between empty and fully loaded displacement volume provided the weight (actually, mass) available for cargo, store and crew. There were standard estimates for stores and crew based on length of the voyage, so subtracting those gave the cargo capacity. Bored yet? Knowing the amount of cargo being transported (outbound was generally trade types of merchandise and goods purchased by the owneres to sell in China then purchase tea). Ballast (preferably something which could be sold, but not always) was then loaded as druxey noted prior to the cargo. Once at sea, particularly for a new ship, it was not uncommon for the captain and sailing master to shift masts (adjust the rake) and ballast for desired sailing qualities. As stores (food, water, cooking fuel) were consumed, ballast would again be shifted as needed to maintain the optimum trim as percieved by the skipper. For the voyage to England with the tea as cargo, generally shingle was loaded as additional ballast to compensate for the reduced weight of tea. Clark (a former clipper ship captain) states that they carried some 200-300 tons of shingle when loaded with tea for the trip to England (Clark, Arthur H. 1911. The Clipper Ship Era : An Epitome of Famous American and British Clipper Ships, Their Owners, Builders, Commanders, and Crews, 1843-1869. New York : Putnam. http://archive.org/details/clippershiperaep00claruoft ). There are a number of exceptional descriptions of the Tea Clipper era (some, as in the book by Clark, are available for download). Here is a brief listing of some you may find of interest: Brown, Daniel M. 2010. “The Need for Speed: Baltimore Clippers and the Origin of the First American Ship Type.” https://www.academia.edu/14330732/The_Need_for_Speed_Baltimore_Clippers_and_the_Origin_of_the_First_American_Ship_Type. Davison, Darius. 1852. Progress of Naval Architecture ...: Being a Popular and Brief Explanation of the Principles and Advantages of Darius Davison’s New American Model, for Ocean Steamers, Clipper Ships, Steamboats, Yachts, Etc. Illustrated with Fifteen ... Wood Engravings. Containing, Also, a Communication in Relation to His New Engine and New Motive Power! And a General Explanation of His Plan for a Great Iron Ocean-Steamer, 700 Feet Long! Maximum Speed, 30 Miles an Hour! Baker, Godwin & Co., Printers. http://archive.org/details/progressnavalar00unkngoog. Lubbock, Basil. 1984. The China Clippers. The Century Seafarers. London: Century Publ. [u.a.]. MacGregor, David R. 1993. British & American Clippers: A Comparison of Their Design, Construction and Performance in the 1850s. Annapolis, Md: Naval Institute Press. MacGregor, David R., and Geoff Hunt. 1984. The Tea Clippers: Their History and Development 1833 - 1875. 2. ed., rev.Expanded. London: Conway Maritime Press [u.a.]. Montagu, Robert. 1852. Naval Architecture: A Treatise on Ship-Building and the Rig of Clippers ; with Suggestions for a New Method of Laying down Vessels. London: London : Colburn and co. http://archive.org/details/navalarchitectu00montgoog. Whipple, A. B. C. 1980. The Clipper Ships. The Seafarers. Alexandria, Va: Time-Life Books. With that, I shall now stop boring everyone. Carry on and have a wonderful day!

I just responded to your other post - what types of details are you looking for? Some of the information may have already been coveed in other threads over the past few years. The more specificity you can offer the better we can assist.

Just thought I would give a quick update. Leg and back pain are pretty well gone now, only crop up on occasion. Good news is no surgery required. Bad news is that it is going to be chronic and degenerative. Unable to return to my former job due to restrictions on activities (lifting, bending, stooping, twisting and so on - basically, I can sit, stand, walk and keyboard). Not many openings for that type of work in these parts, so since I am now out of leave (managed to stretch to just over 5 months) I am seeking unemployment assistance and a disability retirement. Both will take time to process. Other than that, I am holding up well and will possibly get back to the Emma C. Berry planking over the winter. Sort of sad to see the end of my working careers coming to an end earlier than we had anticipated, but I suppose I am ready for the next stage of life!

For what it's worth, the spreadsheet shows created in 2003 by edby at Bayer. Either way it is a wonderful resource! I really need to spend some time at the PEM once I retire (which may be sooner rather than later). Carry on, Gents. I love the details you both have!!!

Not sure where I got it from either - i just hid the columns for the other ships to make it less crowded. By any chance did you create the spreadsheet? May also have been Ed.

Here is the info I have available from the Josiah Fox papers. It is quite likey that there is more.

There is an appendix to the Naval Documents Related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers which has a listing as of 1804. There would be alterations by varius skippers but these will be fairly accurate. Knox, Dudley, ed. 1945. Register of Officer Personnel United States Navy and Marine Corps and Ships’ Data 1801–1807. Naval Documents Related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers. U.S. Government Printing Office. http://www.ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_barbarywars_register_shipdata.pdf.

Dang - they revised the website on me! I pulled it down back in 2015. Try this link (it's 25mb so can't upload it here) ftp://ftp.library.noaa.gov/docs.lib/htdocs/rescue/rarebooks_1600-1800/VK541S81795.PDF or this one: https://noaa.sirsi.net/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/57/5/3?searchdata1=240545{CKEY}&searchfield1=GENERAL^SUBJECT^GENERAL^^&user_id=WEBSERVER Let me know if that works for you!

Steel, David. Seamanship, Both in Theory and Practice. Printed and published for, and at, Steel’s Navigation-Warehouse, Tower-Hill, 1795. docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/rarebooks_1600-1800/VK541S81795.PDF. See description for ships with no jeer capstan on page 156.

I don't think that an 8 to 13 inch circumference cable would be wrapped around the capstan. On the largest ships the line comes in through the manger and the viol is rigged on the lower deck, not the weather deck. On a 20 gun sloop of war, it is likely some other method was used. There may be something in Lever about weighing the anchor on a sloop.

Looking through Falconer, he includes a very similar description to Steel (also noting only used on the largest vessels page 45) and a drawing on Plate III. Falconer, William. A New and Universal Dictionary of the Marine: Being, a Copious Explanation of the Technical Terms and Phrases Usually Employed in the Construction, Equipment, Machinery, Movements, and Military, as Well as Naval Operations of Ships: With Such Parts of Astronomy, and Navigation, as Will Be Found Useful to Practical Navigators. T. Cadell, 1830. https://books.google.com/books?id=2TAyAQAAMAAJ.

Steel doesn't mention fiddle blocks. All I have turned up are modern examples that don't look much like the viol block.

Steel has a drawing of one. https://maritime.org/doc/steel/part5.htm VOYOL or VIOL BLOCK is a large single-sheaved block; the length is 10 times the thickness of the sheave-hole, which is three-eighths more than the thickness of the sheave; the thickness of the sheave is one-tenth more than the diameter of the viol, and the diameter of the sheave is seven times the thickness. The breadth of the block to be 8 times the thickness of the sheave, and the thickness to be two-sevenths of the length. This block is double scored, the sheave is coaked with brass and the pin is iron, and near the thickness of the sheave. It is used in heaving up the anchor. The viol passes round the jear-capstern, and through the block, which is lashed to the main-mast; and the cable is fastened in a temporary manner to the viol in several places. It is seldom used but in the largest ships in the royal-navy.

From Falconer's AN UNIVERSAL DICTIONARY OF THE MARINE (1780 edition) RIGGING, a general name given to all the ropes employed to support the mast; and to extend or reduce the sails, or arrange them to the disposition of the wind. The former, which are used to sustain the masts, remain usually in a fixed position, and are called standing rigging; such are the shrouds, stays, and back-stays. The latter, whose office is to manage the sails, by communicating with various blocks, or pullies, situated in different places of the masts, yards, shrouds, &c. are comprehended in the general term of running-rigging. Such are the braces, sheets, haliards, clue-lines, brails, &c.