16th Century capstans and anchor cable routing

[Apollo]

I am currently working on my Amati Revenge kit and have a couple of questions regarding anchor cable routing on large English ships or galleons in general. The model has two capstans, a forward capstan (jeer?) on the upper deck and a second capstan (main) on the gun deck between the main and mizzen masts. From what I've been reading in my research the main capstan was generally used for weighing anchors. Cutaway diagrams of a very similar ship such as this one show the forward capstan on the gun deck instead of the upper deck, in line with the anchor cable, riding bitts and hawse holes. This arrangement makes more sense because the anchor cables are stored through the hatch just aft of the forward capstan down to the orlop deck below. 

 

The Amati kit has only the main capstan in line with the anchor cables but it's way back suggesting the cables were stored near the stern, which contradicts the research I've been reading. On later ships, a messenger cable setup was employed because the anchor cables grew too thick and capstans could no longer handle them among other reasons. Messenger cables were routed to the main capstan and the anchor cables hauled in through modified hatches aft of the riding bitts. However, The research I've come across states that messengers weren't implemented until the early 17 Century, several decades later. Neither were double capstans for that matter if what I've read is accurate, which could have been a solution for the forward capstan if modification will be required to the model.

 

I could easily lower the forward capstan in line with the main capstan on the gun deck like the linked picture above, but want to make certain that this is a more likely setup. I'm not intending to rig the anchor cables but want to be sure both capstans are logically positioned on this model. I don't want the forward capstan on the upper deck if it was actually used for weighing anchor. Most kits will have historical inaccuracies to a lower or greater extent but minimizing them is an effort worth undertaking, especially if easily applied. Thanks in advance to all replies.

[davyboy]

Hi Apollo,

 

At the time of the Revenge the anchor cable was led directly to the main capstan. The Messenger did not appear until around the 1730's replacing the Viol which had been in use for several decades. 

 

Kind regards,

 

Dave 

[Apollo]

Hi Apollo,

 

At the time of the Revenge the anchor cable was led directly to the main capstan. The Messenger did not appear until around the 1730's replacing the Viol which had been in use for several decades. 

 

Kind regards,

 

Dave 

Hi Dave,

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

Yeah, that's what I've been reading in my research. It's odd that many of the pictures and cutaway galleon models seem to indicate the jeer not the main capstan was used for that job. So, it's a bit confusing, unless there was no fixed convention at that period and it varied from ship to ship. I'm taking the textual research as more factual over any artistic representations, since artists are far more likely to err than historians steeped in nautical lore. For example, nearly every Revenge model or painting I've ever seen has a stern gallery, yet from the information I've been gathering, stern galleries weren't common on English ships until some time later.

 

Out of curiosity, would you happen to know where the anchor cable was generally stored on the larger ships? If the capstan aft of the main mast was used to weight anchor, was the cable then led back around to the hatches amidships?

[davyboy]

Hi Apollo,

 

In larger ships the Cable was stowed in the Cable Tier which was on the Orlop Deck. When the Cable came off the Capstan it would be led forward by crew members,passed down the hatch and stowed in the Cable Tier. It was I believe not coiled up but laid out in lines to facilitate drainage.

 

You mention about the Jeer Capstan being used,it was in larger ships but in conjunction with the Viol and would have likely been a double Capstan. The Viol cable was similar to the messenger cable but was led aft to a very large snatch block called the Viol Block which was lashed to the foot of the Mainmast then forward,turned around the Jeer Capstan several times forward again then nipped to the Anchor cable. This was to allow proper fitting of the nippers to the Cable due to the Jeer Capstan being too close to the Hawse holes and Bitts. (Hope this makes sense  ) 

 

I can recommend this book :- The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War 1600-1815 by Brian Lavery, a mine of information. Out of print but available from online 2nd hand book dealers,several copies at the moment starting at $60 US on Abe books. No doubt can also be found on other sellers websites,maybe cheaper   

 

Kind regards,

 

Dave 

[Apollo]

 

You mention about the Jeer Capstan being used,it was in larger ships but in conjunction with the Viol and would have likely been a double Capstan. The Viol cable was similar to the messenger cable but was led aft to a very large snatch block called the Viol Block which was lashed to the foot of the Mainmast then forward,turned around the Jeer Capstan several times forward again then nipped to the Anchor cable. This was to allow proper fitting of the nippers to the Cable due to the Jeer Capstan being too close to the Hawse holes and Bitts. (Hope this makes sense  )

 

Wow, talk about circuitous routing just for weighing anchor...! And, I thought the messenger cable setup of more recent vessels complicated enough. Thanks for that bit of information, I didn't know about the viol cable prior to reading your posts; something new is learned every day. It's a good thing I'm not intending to rig the anchor cables, there's no way I'd get it correct especially since I'm not certain of the actual capstan arrangement the Revenge or other large Elizabethan galleons had (exact deck positioning, single or double, etc.)

 

I've been wanting to acquire the book you recommended for some time. It's on my purchase list. I wish some of these out of print books were available in digital format. That would make things much easier and faster to purchase. Too much required knowledge, too little time.

 

[Apollo]

I’ve been continuing research on this topic on my spare time and I think I’m more inclined to accept the image I linked to in my original post above as showing a plausible capstan arrangement for a large Elizabethan galleon. That is, with both capstans on the gun deck as opposed to the main capstan on the gun deck only. The following excerpt from A New Universal Dictionary of the Marine (p. 650) has some interesting information:

To get up an Anchor in Ships which have not a Jeer Capstan

Ships without a jeer capstan have no voyol, but heave in their cables by the messenger, which has an eye spliced in each end; one of which ends is passed with three or four turns round the capstan on the upper deck, and the other end passed forwards round the rollers, at the fore-part of the manger; then brought aft to the other end, and lashed thus: several turns are passed through the eyes crossing each other in the middle, then a half-hitch is taken round the parts, and the ends stopped with spun yarn. The remainder of the operation is performed as by the voyol, with this exception, the messenger is applied to the outside of the cable; and, when the nippers are insufficient, the messenger may be hitched thus: the bight of the messenger is fastened round the cable at the manger with a rolling-hitch, and the bight seized round the cable before the hitch. This practice is by no means so good as the others.

When getting under way in a sea-gale, the voyol is better than a messenger, as the sending of the ship carries all the strain to the main capstan, and endangers the men at the bars; whereas, with a voyol, the strain is taken to the voyol-block, and the men at the fore-jeer capstan heave in safety.

This information states that ships without jeer capstans heave their cables with a messenger cable. In the era prior to the introduction of the messenger cable, the viol cable was used but don't know when the viol was introduced. The article infers that viols are used with jeer capstans, which is essentially the same concept as the messenger of utilizing a smaller cable nipped onto the anchor cables for easier application around the capstan. However, this dictionary dates from the early 1800s several centuries removed from the Elizabethan period and practices change over time.

 

The model I'm working on has the jeer capstan situated on the upper deck according to the manual. If heaving the anchor required a viol cable and associated proprietary viol block attached to the foot of the main mast, doesn't this also require the jeer capstan to be on the gun deck in line with the hawse holes? Seems logical to me as the image in the OP depicts that capstan arrangement. The only other option I can think of is the jeer being a double capstan with bars on the upper deck and whelps on both. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I would like to situate the jeer capstan on the proper deck on my model.
 

[Capthooked]

On 9/8/2015 at 4:21 PM, davyboy said:

Anyone know if the Black Pearl capstan is accurate to any ship design in history? It's placed around the main mast..

 

[mtaylor]

The capstan on that ship is just pure fantasy much like many other things on her.