Shrouds on Navy Ships of WW II

[captainbob]

I am building a model of the Pequot. Built in the early 1940's for the Navy she was turned over to the Coast Guard soon after her launch. What has me confused is the shrouds and ratlines.  When I look closely at the pictures showing men standing in the rigging I do not see any deflection of the shrouds or ratlines and the ends of the ratlines are like the end of rods, they are not knotted.    When I do a Google search, Shrouds and ratlines are only mentioned as rope no sailing ships.  When I try to narrow the search to WW II steel ships, shrouds and ratlines are not mentioned in tables of terminology.  So the question.  Were the shrouds and ratlines made of welded steel rod rather than rope? And what were they called in the Navy?

 

Bob

[popeye2sea]

My guess would be rat boards and not ratlines.

 

Regards,

[jud]

Steel Navy, the single post masts survived through WW 2 and were supported by steel cable. If there were no ladders up the mast then shrouds were doubled with wood cross members clamped to the cable, 'served as ratlines', look close and you will probably see turn buckles on the lower ends of the shrouds. As the top hamper gained in size and weight, triangle masts were retrofitted. We used rat guards on the mooring lines and a Seaman Apprentice to place and remove them,  those Apprentices allow themselves  to be fished out with lots of enthusiasm, they also drip dry well. No rat guards, rat lines or boards in the rigging, climbing stubs welded to the mast or ladders were used to climb the masts.

jud

Edited July 18, 2016 by jud

[JerseyCity Frankie]

Late stage sailing ships of the Ocean Carrier faze used them too. I think they are likely wood. I'm not an expert on the period but I know they were wood leading into the WWII era and I can't imagine why steel would be chosen. "Ratboards" is a term I see in use for them but they are still under the umbrella of "Ratlines". They are 2" X 2"or 1.5" hardwood and they are attached to the shrouds with square lashings with a bit of overlap on each end.

[captainbob]

Henry, Jud, Frankie,  Thanks for the answer.  In the pictures on the Pequot website there are indeed turnbuckles at the bottom of the shrouds.  They look to be about six feet long or twice the height of the bulwark.  The ends of the ratboards are round, about 1.5 inches in diameter.  So now all I have to do is make some steel cable.  Thanks again. 

 

Bob

[jbshan]

Bob, try some thin wire and twist it up in a drill, like an egg beater drill so it goes slow.

 

Jud, it is the Seaman Apprentices that fish out easily and drip dry well, yes?  :-)

[captainbob]

Joel, I have a hand drill that I have used for making cable many times.  Thanks.

 

Bob