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Fife Rail belaying pins.


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I'm starting rigging my interpretation of HM Brig Lady Nelson http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/66562.html andas there are no gunwales it leaves me with a problem re belaying pin locations. The ship is a 1799 built 60 ton brig, thus quite small.

I've searched on line for a definitive answer but so far nothing, I have however seen three variations and wonder which would be more correct.

 

1/ A free standing fife rail as per this photo of one I've mocked up.

2/ Cleats lashed to the shrouds.

3/ Cluelines etc. tied directly to a lanyard strip.

 

post-15284-0-93266600-1465520622.jpg

 

Any assistance would be greatfully received.

 

Rick

 

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Thanks very much for that - as a rank amateur most of this is still a mystery to me!

One last question then - would halyards and sheets then be run through blocks hooked to ring bolts at the foot of the mast then back up to cleats fixed on the mast, thus saving valuable deck space otherwise taken up by fife rails?

 

Rick 

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If it was me I would try to find a brig drawing from a similar time frame and glean what I could from that. I had a look at the model in the Royal Museums Grenwich page ( http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/66562.html) and she looks kinda small, so the forces involved in managing her running rigging should not be outrageous.  Anyway its a small vessel and I THINK the forces involved in the lines you mention would not necessitate taking the lines down to the deck then back up to cleats or pins above, I imagine they could all simply be hauled  straight down from the deck then belayed on whatever they belay to. The idea of having a lead block at deck level is to get the line horizontal so more guys could get their hands on it to haul on it- when it leads straight down you can never get more than five or six people on the line, there is not room for more to stand together and haul the same line. But my guess is the rig is small enough that six people hauling would be enough for any of the lines. MAYBE a halyard for a square yard would take some more oomph and require a deck located lead block?

  

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Yes she's only a 50ft brig - I had thought about a straight pull and was only contemplating a lead block to provide better leverage. I've searched for brigs of similar size and era but not been able to find one with a really clear indication of its running rigging. Having said that those I have seen would appear to end on the mast at cleats. I'll do a few more searches and see how I go. Thanks again for your help - it's really appreciated.

 

Rick 

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