Scootish Maid rigging problems - gaff and boom

[gthursby]

As I wrote in a post a few days ago I am starting to rig a model of the Scottish Maid using an Artesania kit. I find the rigging instructions confusing to say the least (this is likely to be the first of many!)

In the Artesania diagram the rigging for the gaff and boom is very confused. Firstly, I would have thought that the halliards should be attached further along the gaff to give a sensible amount of leverage. Secondly, there doesn't seem to be enough blocks to rig both the gaff and the boom. A diagram that I found in Underhills book shows the boom lift as 2 blocks attached to the tree trestles as shown. Does this seem a sensible arrangement for the Scottish maid? I'm also unclear as to where on the deck these ropes would be anchored.

In the kit instructions, after describing planking the hull they say that all the hard work has been done and all you have to do is rig the model as per the diagrams - Ha!

 

 

[wefalck]

I cannot give specific answers to what the rigging of the SCOTTISH MAID may have looked like. Not sure anyone can. Isn't there a set of Underhill-plans on which the kit presumably is based ?

 

To the question of the point, where on the gaff the haliards should be attached: if you move the point so far out that the halliard leads down to the mast-cap you would exert a downward pull onto the throat halliard, which certainly is not desirable. Otherwise, one would distribute the fixing points along the gaff so that wind-pressure from the sail is distributed relatively evenly and the gaff does not bend unnecessarily. 

[JerseyCity Frankie]

Looks legit to me. I too was surprised to see single boom topping lifts on the famous Spray, Joshua Slocum’s circumnavigation vessel. I’d be much happier with two myself but the single Lift arrangement on Spray is visible in period photos of her. The location of the blocks on the Gaff is also correct, this is how it nearly always looks. Although larger or smaller vessels will be seen to have a different number of peak Halyard blocks making up their tackle. In my experience the two halyards on the Gaff always belay outboard on pins on or near the bulwarks, always on opposite sides from each other AND nearly always the Peak Halyard is to Starboard and the Throat Halyard is to Port. “The Port wine goes down your Throat” is the mnemonic device used to remember. Since it takes three men or more on each Halyard, and the two halyards are raised at the same time, they are belayed on either sideof the deck so the six men (or more) are not all tangled together in one place. On larger Fore and aft vessels, the halyards on the Main could go to a fiferail at the base of the mast, but the port and Starboard rule still applies. These halyards will be the thickest lines on the pinrails on this part of the vessel, all other lines on the nearby pins will be visibly smaller and thinner rope as these halyards are taking the most strain ( unless your vessel has a drop keel, then the centerboard pennant will be the thickest line). The only thicker lines on the whole vessel would be the sheets.

Edited October 18, 2017 by JerseyCity Frankie

[gthursby]

Thanks for the detailed reply. Probably a silly question but how and where are the "non-pulling" (I've no idea what the technical term is!) ends of the halliards and boom lifts fixed? There looks to be at least 1 block short on the plans diagram to me. The only plans of her that I've found were drawn by David McGregor and these are reconstructions made using drawings etc of similar vessels built by the same builders. I don't own his plans as such, but I photocopied a few pages about her from his book on Fast Sailing Vessels

[wefalck]

You are right, it was McGregor, not Underhill, who draughted the plans of her.

 

Just a note on double halliards or lifts: they can be worked as single or double, depending on whether one keeps on part belayed (as standing part) or pulls on both.

 

BTW, I always like the aesthetics of the 'Aberdeen Bow' ...

Edited October 18, 2017 by wefalck

[popeye2sea]

The standing (non pulling) end of the boom topping lift is seized to the becket (bottom loop of the strop) of its block.  The standing end of the gaff throat halliard is seized to its becket in the same way.  It is unclear in your rigging diagram, but the standing end of the gaff peak halliard could be seized around the mast head just below its blocks.

 

Regards,