Rick01 Posted February 3, 2016 Share #1 Posted February 3, 2016 I'm slowly bashing a cutter into the Australian Brig "Lady Nelson" and am currently working on the masts. Is there a formula (or set of dimensions) that set the size of of these. Side views obviously only give me the length but no clues as to widths. Rick mtaylor 1 Quote Completed builds:- HM Cutter Mermaid. HMS Endeavour's Longboat Topsail Schooner Enterprize Arab Dhow Sultan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allanyed Posted February 3, 2016 Share #2 Posted February 3, 2016 Rick I do not know about Australian but they may well have followed British building guidelines at that time. According to James Lees, for British ships, for the main and fore masts from 1670 to 1773, 15/16 inch per 3 feet in length. For the main and fore masts from 1773 to 1794, 9/10 inch per 3 feet in length. After that, 1 inch per 3 feet in length. For the Mizzen, from 1670 to 1711 15/16" per 3 feet of length, from 1711 to 1719 2/3 inch per 3 feet in length, 1719 depends on rate. Fifth rates for examples 2/3 inch per 3 feet in length, on 6th rates, 8/13" per 3 feet in length. 1773 - 6/9 " per 3 feet. Lengths are determined in a more complex way, described in detail on page 183 in Lees Masting and Rigging. He gives formulas for the upper masts as well as spars. Allan Quote PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series. Click on http://trafalgar.tv There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time. THANK YOU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick01 Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share #3 Posted February 3, 2016 Sorry Allan - badly worded request on my part. :-( I was actually asking about the crows nest/cross trees themselves. Masts are sorted and the brig was built in the UK in 1799 and then sailed to Aus in 1800. Rick Quote Completed builds:- HM Cutter Mermaid. HMS Endeavour's Longboat Topsail Schooner Enterprize Arab Dhow Sultan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Lad Posted February 3, 2016 Share #4 Posted February 3, 2016 Rick, Lees gives, as a rule of thumb for the topmast - trestletrees 3 3/4" for every 3 feet of mast length - crosstrees 1 2/3 the length of the trestletrees. For the lower mast, he gives no sizes, but states that both crosstrees and trestletrees came to within an inch or two of the edge of the top. I don't know if the plan on the 'Lady Nelson' web site might help - here is the link: http://www.ladynelson.org.au/ship John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick01 Posted February 4, 2016 Author Share #5 Posted February 4, 2016 OK now I understand it better, I read Allan's post before having my morning coffee!!! The Lady Nelson plan also helps and that together with a search of the forum for pictures of these on other brigs of the same period have pretty well solved my problem. Thanks guys Rick Quote Completed builds:- HM Cutter Mermaid. HMS Endeavour's Longboat Topsail Schooner Enterprize Arab Dhow Sultan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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