HMS Vanguard Staysail Attachment

[bwood]

Plan Sheet 12 of the HMS Vanguard plans indicates that the sails shown on that sheet are to be tied to mast stays using thread at each stitch line. If this was done to the fore and main stay sails (L5 and Q7) how would the sails be run up and down with the cross stitching between the fore and main stays and preventer stays being in the way?

[jbshan]

The snaking (cross stitching between the fore and main stays and preventer stays) I have recently heard, might be only put on for action.  Your thread at each stitch line, or seam in the sail, might be wood or metal hanks, loops around the stay and sewn to the sail.  There might be a line put up for the staysails, parallel to the stay.

[popeye2sea]

There may be a false stay set up beneath the stay.  It would have an eye spliced in to its upper end that would be seized to the stay just below the mouse. The lower end could be set up with deadeyes or blocks just inboard of the stay on the bow sprit, or below the stay on the foremast.

 

Regards

[Stockholm tar]

Bwood,

 

According to Lees, the arrangement was much as Henry says – but he also said that it probably wasn't worth the trouble, as the sail was rarely set. This would make sense, as I imagine it could get caught on the boats, etc.

[Jdieck]

Thanks Bwood for asking. I had the same question and assumed there might have been a false stay just for the sail as Popeye described but als think int might have rarely beeing set so I would probably leave it off.