Size of blocks & rigging thickness ?

[Senior ole salt]

My scratch built sloop Providence will be soon ready to have mast stepped and the rigging started   But wait a minute I have no detailed rigging plan.    Guess work will not do . I'm at the stage where I have to order blocks single , double and some triple but how many and what size. Same with the cordage. what size and thickness etc. I do have a plan showing the dimensions of  mast and all spars etc.

 

So I'm thinking the Cutter Cheerful 1/48 scale is similar in size and era and should be near enough. Chuck's thick ness gauge is a help. But still doesn't solve my problem.

 Which is:

 

Just what sizes and # of single blocks

 

                               # of double blocks

 

                              # of triple blocks

 

I have the dead eyes for the main mast and enough for the top mast

 

Also just what thickness cordage for various members of the standing rigging, fore and back stays for main mast and top mast and associated yards 

 

and the running  rigging for all of the above.

 

I guess I'm aiming at the HMS Cutter Cheerful    builders here . Can they come to the aid of a Revolutionary Man-O.- War Sloop Providence ?? 

 

Thanks

[lehmann]

Get a copy of Lennarth Petersson's book "Rigging Period Fore-and-aft Craft"  He does not provide a scaled rigging plan for and English Cutter, but he shows an individual drawing for each rope, including blocks and fittings involved.  A belaying plan is provided.  

 

Here's another post to look at  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/4855-cutter-rig/ for rig plan and spar proportions.

[Tadeusz43]

Hi,

For determining the thickness of ropes and block sizes I use the tables contained in the book Historic Ship Models by Wolfram zu  Mondfeld.

http://www.amazon.com/Historic-Ship-Models-Wolfram-Mondfeld/dp/0806957336

The applied formula determines the of the thickness rope standing and running rigging for various historic periods   relative to the of the main stay defined as 0.166 diameter of the main mast at the deck.

The block size depends of rope thickness.

However, in Petersson's books are excellent rigging schemes as also belaying plans but there is no determination of the thickness of each rope.

 

Tadeusz

[Senior ole salt]

Thanks for the leads of rigging sizes. I'm thinking of just ordering the same size blocks and cordage of the Model frequently posted here: HMS Cheerful. 

 

Problem is I cannot seem to contact the kit maker via this  media. Any clues on how?

 

Thanks

 

SOS

 

Meanwhile  here's a video of the replica of the Sloop Providence sailing:

 

[RichardG]

The books that Bruce and Tadeusz mention are the ones I'm using to work out the rigging of the 1816 US Revenue Cutter I'm building. I'm finding it slow going but that's me learning not the books! I would recommend both. 

 

I will be using blocks and rope from Chuck.

 

Richard.

[hamilton]

Lees' Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1620-1860 is also a useful source - though not being familiar with the other two texts I'm not sure how it compares - it is quite generic in relation to the rates of English ships, and I don't know how much any one particular vessel might have deviated from the generic descriptions provided by Lees.....good luck!

hamilton

[mtaylor]

Thanks for the leads of rigging sizes. I'm thinking of just ordering the same size blocks and cordage of the Model frequently posted here: HMS Cheerful. 

 

Problem is I cannot seem to contact the kit maker via this  media. Any clues on how?

 

Thanks

 

SOS

 

Meanwhile  here's a video of the replica of the Sloop Providence sailing:

 

 

 

Have you PM'd Chuck?  Or been to his website?  There's an email addy there.

[JerseyCity Frankie]

In this video you can see why it is necessary to slush the mast with grease! There was some difficulty with the mast hoops binding both in raising and lowering the Main. Regarding the sizes of rigging and blocks on your model: you can see most of the running rigging in the video. Providence, than as now, is a small vessel and the forces involved in the rig are not as strong as on larger ships with heavier gear and more canvas. In the video, near the end, you can see them hauling in the Main Sheet. You can also see them raising then lowering the Main at the beginning at end of the video. The halyards and the sheet would likely be about the same diameter AND , being on the Mainsail, they would represent the thickest running rigging you will find anywhere on the vessel. As you can see in the video the line is not very thick.

The thickest line visible in the video is a pair of docklines coiled and hung up in the bows. (its odd to see dockline hung, usually it is coiled on deck). This line looks to me like it is about 2.5" diameter at most, but keep in mind it is modern braided line and an actual stranded hempen hawser from back in the day would be thicker, maybe 4"? The sheet and the hailyard look to my eye to be about an inch or an  inch and a half.

[twintrow]

SOS I sent you a PM with some info.

 

Tom

[Senior ole salt]

Mark, I did E mail Chuck via his website company but I assume that source of contact doesn't work as I have no reply... as yet.

 

Jersey City Frankie, I watched that video many times to try and figure things out. It is obvious that the throat halyard is on the stb side , Peak to port. But what is the double blocks  P&S and tackle on the fife rail around the mast for? Could be to get the last few feet of those halyards up or to get one or both of the yards up for the top sail.  The crew on both halyards seem to not employ the double block tackles at all and get both up by brute force. Both yards ( not shown in the video have lifts but they could not be the only source to get the yards up in place.  In the video one yard is on deck fore and aft resting on temporary horses. I believe the boat is just getting set for that season of sailing and not yet completely rigged.

 

Thanks for you comments and interest..

 

SOS

[Chuck]

Cheerful rigging chart

 

[Senior ole salt]

Thanks Chuck,  Now I got something to study while I work on some still unfinished hull details  and calculated rig guess work

 

SOS