Furled Sails

[Jaydee37]

I am building the 1/96 Revell model of the U.S.S. Constitution and I am thinking about creating furled sails as an alternative to full sails or no sails. I have looked at the various posts here about furled sails that are very helpful. My question is this - when sails are furled, are they all furled or just certain ones on the Constitution? Your thoughts and ideas, please!

[jud]

Sails were valuable and expensive to replace, so if some were furled and some set would be normal, some furled and some struck below was just as likely. The answer can only be, 'It Depends', Any combination would have happened at one time or another. I like the idea of furled sails on that model.

jud

Edited July 27, 2016 by jud

[Jaydee37]

Thank you, jud!

Edited July 27, 2016 by Jaydee37

[JerryTodd]

They could be "hanging in their bunts" as if they were just loosed or about to be furled proper.

[twintrow]

JayDee

Here is an article (Author unknown unfortunately) on furled sails. Hope it helps.

Good Luck

Tom

FURLED SAILS.pdf                                                                                 UPDATE

UPDATE   turns out the article came from 

mcpesq817 provided the article......

[Jaydee37]

Thank you JerryTodd and twintrow!

[JerseyCity Frankie]

Since you are building an existing and well documented ship, I would rely on photos of the actual ship! Constitution and other three masted square rigged ships would have all some or none of their sails set depending on the captains intention and the sea state and wind conditions. Picture all sail set: This is only possible if the weather allows for it. leaving all the sails up as the wind increases in force is going to make the ship sail faster, but it will mean the possibility of damage to the spars. A prudent sailor reduces canvas as the wind increases. The sails are furled from the highest point first. The lightest and smallest uppermost sails are furled first as the wind increases- you will never see a ship furl a topsail BEFORE furling the sails above it. The larger lower sails are on stronger parts of the rig and can take the force of the winds better and remain in use longer. So you can chose which sails are going to be furled, but only furl a sail if all the sails above it are going to be furled too. (the exception being the lowest square sails, the Courses, which were furled independently of the rest of the rig from time to time)  Someone mentioned the removal of sails from the yards. To my knowledge this doesn't happen. If the ship is sound and in commission and not undergoing an extensive period of repair, all sails are going to remain on the spars at all times. Occasionally sails will be swapped out for heavier canvas as the ship changes latitude or the sails need repair, but they are never struck below to save on wear and tear, they remain on the yards. As with most things there are exceptions to most of the above. For instance some topsail schooners will set a small uppermost square sail from the deck- with the yard too- and then strike the sail and the yard it is on back to the deck when the weather forbids its use. And then there are Stunsails, which Constitution had. And the Crossjack Yard seldom has a sail bent to it although its possible to find examples that do.

[mtaylor]

I think you will see the courses reefed up to almost furled when in combat.  I'll have to check my files as I think I have some contemporary paintings of this.  All the tops (or some, depending on weather) but main course and fore course are reefed well up.

[Jaydee37]

Thank you JerseyCity Frankie and mtaylor!

[JerseyCity Frankie]

Another factor in which sails to furl and which to leave set and drawing is based on the concept of sail balance.  the "center of effort" of the sails will shift to the bow or the stern depending on which sails you set. You will note that there are a bunch of fore and aft sails on the bowsprit and jibboom. If all of them are set it makes the rudder less effective since the rudder is acting on the opposite end of the ship: If the wind is blowing from the West and I am sailing North with all my sails set, and I want to turn in a North West direction, the wind filling the headsails is going to be opposing the rudder forces I exert with the steering system. I may have to take in some of the headsails if I need good rudder control. But if I am running before the wind with the wind at my back, I will need more sails on the front of the ship to keep it pointing downwind. If I had all my sails on the after side set, with the wind at my back, the stern of the ship will tend to want to swing around like a weathervane. So I need to imagine where this "center of effort" is at all times and adjust its fore and aft location via setting and dousing sails depending on my point of sail.

[Landlubber Mike]

JayDee

Here is an article (Author unknown unfortunately) on furled sails. Hope it helps.

Good Luck

Tom

 

Hey, that's from my Badger log!  Looks like I made it to the big time as someone cut my posts into a PDF!

[Jaydee37]

Great log, Landlubber Mike! I think it will be very helpful to me when I get to that stage in my build.

[twintrow]

Mike

Sorry I couldn't remember where I got the info.  But yes as I described in another thread when someone wanted to know if the could get a build log pdf and I described how.

I have this fear that somehow we will lose some of the stuff stored on MSW as we did before.  And also after a couple years the photos no longer appear.  I hope you didn't take offense.  I'm marking the pdf now so I can give proper credit i ever needed again.

Tom

[JerryTodd]

Here's a couple showing vessels under "battle sails" with the corses and t'gallants in bunts and clews

 

 

[Landlubber Mike]

Mike

Sorry I couldn't remember where I got the info.  But yes as I described in another thread when someone wanted to know if the could get a build log pdf and I described how.

I have this fear that somehow we will lose some of the stuff stored on MSW as we did before.  And also after a couple years the photos no longer appear.  I hope you didn't take offense.  I'm marking the pdf now so I can give proper credit i ever needed again.

Tom

Tom, no offense taken!  I've learned so much from the folks on here that it's an honor to give back at least in a little way.  So, no worries at all.  Hope it helps lots of people, as I spent an inordinate amount of time researching and testing various methods.

[Fright]

Landlubber Mike - many thanks for putting together a very concise post on how to make furled sails for people like myself who are fairly new to modeling. Very clear instructions and great pictures that go along with your steps. Many Thanks!!! Cheers on this post!!!

[wefalck]

I would obtain a copy of

 

HARLAND, J. (1985): Seamanship in the Age of Sail.- 320 p., London (Conway Maritime Press).

 

This book is probably the best modern compilation on handling ships, giving examples for when, how and why certain sails were set or not and how they were handled. It is based on an extensive research on contemporary publications, pictures and other records.

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks very much Robert for the kind words.  It is nice to be able to contribute at least in a small way after the immense help I've received on here.

 

Welfack, I totally agree with the Harland book.  It was a critical resource for me in learning out how sails were furled, set, tacked, etc.  The diagrams on how sails and the running rigging operated were very helpful.  It definitely fills a unique niche in the ship modeling book space if you are interested in adding sails to your build.