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Ian_Grant
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Yes, I believe I glued two blocks together and tied them at top, middle, and bottom, as you say. -
Bill, that's right. Keep going! By the way I was just looking through my copy of "last of the Windships" to see if there was a photo of how the boats were lashed down and I came across this shot of someone ascending the futtock shrouds. God knows how he got his right foot onto the top; my gangly knees would be a serious hindrance! No safety harness of course.............🤔
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So did I. Looking forward to reading it; hoping it will help me decide how to configure my SR's stern and 1/4 balconies (when I get to it). I opted for the cheapest delivery from Chicago and the quoted receiving date is mid June (!!?). I could walk to Chicago and back with it in that time. There's something about USPS and Canada, it's fabulously expensive and/or slo-o-o-ow.
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It's just a piece of rope spliced into a continuous loop, ie like a grommet or ring as Longridge says. It's made to fit tightly round the topgallant mast and is pushed down until it hits the shoulder on the top of the hounds. It just acts as a "pad" between the 1st pair of shrouds and the "sharp" edge of the wooden hounds to prevent abrasion on the shroud fibres. On a 1/100 scale ship it can be omitted. I did. A deck quoit is a rope ring which used to be used as a game on passenger ships, much like ring toss. Being aboard a ship, rope is a naturally available material. 🙂
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That's a model??!! 😲😮 Fantastic looking rope! Sorry Chuck for spreading lies ..... 🤐
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Bill, Saw your pictures above, and I can see why you rigged the topgallant shrouds the way you did, given the treatment of the topmast shrouds and futtocks, but in actual fact the topgallant shrouds are rigged differently. Instead of being tied off at the topmast futtock stave, they pass between the topmast shrouds above the stave then carry on down inside the shrouds to the mast top to which they are attached by pairs of thimbles, and lashings, to the deadeye strops. Longridge describes this in words on pg 233. There is also a picture showing a topgallant stay lashed to a deadeye strop on the mast top. I think you have Petersson too? He has a nice picture on pg 11. Here's a pic of my model's main top. You can see the topgallant shrouds inside the topmast shrouds (smaller black lines with no ratline clove hitches) and the thimbles and lashings at their feet. Hope I caught you before you did another mast! 😉
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Twahl, Unfortunately I believe I read here on MSW that Syren no longer sells rigging line. You can however buy their rope walk kit and make your own, or just buy some other make. I used Amati thread and was happy with it at the Victory's scale. All the diameters required are available. I agree with Bill about the Longridge book, obviously since I've been quoting it to him all along! 🙂
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Hello Twahl; you're on the same path I followed - a Heller Victory after 30 years away from models! You're right, some of the wood blocks on the market are very square-ish and unrealistic. Have you looked at Syren's offerings? They make very nice blocks which I used on my Victory. Having said that, they do add a fairly high cost to the build. RJ's filing method will make the Heller blocks usable as far as stropping goes, but IMO the sheaves are molded far too small and the openings are too large. They are nicely shaped blocks though. When/if I get to my Soleil Royale I will weigh the time and trouble of modifying and painting Heller's blocks vs the cost of wood blocks. Bear in mind that Heller's deadeyes are also unusable so there will be an after-market expense to replace them anyway! Looking forward to another Victory build log! 🙂
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Hello Bill. As you predicted here is the answer. Those are the two separate jeer block lashings which pass through the cleats on the mast. The rope you see seized around the bottom of the lashing is the jeer block strop, from the upper jeer block. See pg 241 and Plan 8. 🙂
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Geez Bill that's just my opinion. Try them out, some are ok. Peck's Hornblower movie is very enjoyable and covers three of the Forrester books in brief. Sort of. I own a copy. Are you aware of Alec Guinness in "Damn the Defiant"? Another great classic movie. I own a copy. I assume you have seen the recent "Master and Commander" with Russell Crowe? A great movie based on one of O'Brien's books. Again, I own a copy. Keep your eyes peeled for the guy sitting at the head as the ship comes at you out of the screen during a storm!
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Yeah, well, that series started off looking great (intro episode, and the episode aboard the Renown) but soon veered off in new plots that IMO are far weaker than the books. And sometimes ridiculous (landing in France episode). The classic movie with Gregory Peck as Hornblower is far better.
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That's great, Bill! I like the Atropos book a lot. There are a couple of books, "Lieutenant Hornblower" and "Hornblower and the Hotspur" (as well as the unfinished "Hornblower and the Crisis" which has a promising start but Mr. Forrester died unfortunately) between these two if you want to read the series sequentially, but they can be read individually.
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Hi Gregory, pg 49 shows the clew and sheet lines for the fore topsail, not the fore course. The topsail sheet, shown on starboard, passes up to a quarter block on the foreyard, runs out through the larger of the two sistered blocks at the yardarm, and connects to the clew cringle (a little rope loop formed from the sail's boltrope) of the sail. The little circle represents the cringle since the sail is not shown. Lines passing through the sheaves would typically be belayed at the shaped timberhead at the top of the bitt post containing the sheave, as vaguely indicated on pg 51. The topsail clew lines run as shown to port, and also connect to the clew of the sail. Again at the little circle labelled "sail clue". Yes, Americans refer to the clew as the "clue", sort of like how they refer to a "rebate" in a piece of wood as a "rabbet". 😀.
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"Mr. Midshipman Hornblower", the first of the series, is a very very good book. Each chapter is a story unto itself, showing Hornblower progressing towards being an outstanding sea officer. Lots of action. And futtock shrouds 😃.
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We took a cruise aboard "Royal Clipper" just before Covid. Her yards are hollow, and the sails roll up like window blinds on cylinders inside the yards. Rotation is provided by a hydraulic winch at the port end of each yard. Two crewmen on deck tend the sheets as each sail is rolled or unrolled. Six crew, all on deck, can make or stow all sail in I would think less than forty minutes. A very modern take on the windjammer.
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These are incredible. You'd be wasted at IKEA 😃
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Speaking of Dr. Maturin; Bill have you read any of the classic seafaring series? With your rigging knowledge now, much of what is said will have more meaning for you than for the novice reader. Opinions below are mine only. Hornblower series by CS Forrester: the classic and still my favourite. Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick Obrien: paints a vivid picture of the 18th century world and people, but a little slow at times. Ramage series by Dudley Pope: Very good. Delancey short series by C Northcote Parkinson: I like the writing style but some don't. Wish there were more. Boiltho series by Alexander Kent: read them as a teenager but got tired of them. Alan Lewrie series by Dewey Lambdin: just came across these a few years ago. Lots of action aboard ship and in bedroom. Likeable protagonist. If you try out all of these, you are in for about 80 books (!). Will keep you busy for a while.
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Kevin I thought you were doing the Cutty Sark climb this summer! Better steel yourself for her futtock shrouds 😏
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Bill, it's pretty fiddly to add the futtocks and catharpins without distorting the run of the shrouds. Take it slowly and don't commit the knots until you are satisfied. I remember that there is a recommended order to do them in ie futtocks then catharpins, or vice versa. I did the catharpins first for what it's worth.
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Yes, that's exactly what they did. Don't forget that at sea the ship would be heeled one way or the other; the crew always went up on the windward side where the futtock angle would be nearer vertical. Also a strong wind would press you into the shrouds, not off the ship! I surmise that as they near the top the shrouds become like a close-packed set of tree branches. It would be impossible to stick your feet between them anyway. Also it would be very slow for the men to funnel through the lubber's hole one at a time and then have to step to the rim of the top before continuing to climb. As a side note I have often wondered about the many times Dr. Maturin entered a top through the lubber's hole, in Patrick O'Brien books......without ratlines? Here is an extract from "Tall Ships - How to Climb the Rigging" Up & Over the Futtock Shrouds The first hurdle for most people is the infamous ‘futtock shrouds’ just below the first platform. All the tall ships we work with have a safety wire here for you to clip to, so if you do slip you won’t go far. This does need a bit of arm strength and commitment as the futtock shrouds lean backwards for about 4-6ft to access the platform. The best tip we can give you is (i) do it with a friend or crew member for support the first time as they can give you an idea where your feet are….especially on the way down. (ii) on the way up (and down) hang back with straight arms as it is less tiring on your arms and your body doesn’t get in the way as your feet and knees move up. Also you are more likely to be able to see where you are placing you feet if you lean your body out.
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Bill, as far as I know lower shroud ratlines end at the futtock stave; there are none above it.
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In #948 I only meant it might be easier for you to attach things that attach near the feet of the masts before final shroud tightening. Once you are happy with whatever is left to reach in at, shrouds should be tightened. Definitely before catharpins and futtocks. Good luck! 😉
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Bill I'm not sure if you're implying that the lower shrouds are not fully tightened yet, but they need to be before you add futtocks and catharpins. She's looking great!
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