Rigging lines located inside of shrouds?

[Mickgee]

Hello Members,

 

This link shows pics of running rigging that appears to follow the inner side of shrouds and ratlines;

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-sailors-furling-the-sails-of-sailing-ship-stavros-s-niarchos-operated-39301266.html

 

I've seen this on several ships on similar websites.  I won't upload any pics here for fear of copyright issues. 

 

What is their purpose?

 

Which part of a sail rigging do they belong?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Michael

[Gregory]

No way to know without a rigging plan..  They could be any number of lines..

 

 

[Jim Lad]

Michael,

 

Almost all of the running rigging, apart from the braces, runs down inside the shrouds/backstays or straight down the mast to pins at the foot of the mast.  Is there any particular item of rigging that interests you?

 

John

[Mark P]

Hi Michael;

 

Jim Lad is right.  Many ropes for the running rigging lead through blocks under the top,  then down the inside of the shrouds,  often passing through a 'shroud truck',  (I think it is called) which is a wooden tube lashed to the shrouds to contain the rope and give a fair lead to the belaying point.  For top & topgallant sails,  some of the ropes belay to a cleat which is lashed to the inside of a topmast shroud.

 

All the best,

 

Mark P

[Mickgee]

Hello John and Mark,  I've never noticed running rigging being attached to the ship side of shrouds.  I wish I could post more uploaded pics that I ran across just recently.

 

John, at this time there is nothing specific to ask, this being a general question.  My current project is getting close though to the pint where I have to decide which sails will be mounted, and which will be furled.  I'm leaning in the direction of having the gallant yards lowered with furled sails.  Great to know of the possibility of using the shrouds for the the top gallant sails.

 

Excellent feedback guys, greatly appreciated.

 

Michael

[mikiek]

Michael - I was surprised to see that blocks are often seized to shrouds particularly higher up the mast. Can't be too sturdy but I guess it's good for some things.

[Mickgee]

Hi Mike....yes, I think "higher up the masts" is a key phrase with this subject.  I've done some searching, further on now, it appears as if the running rigging from the top sails, run down the mast to the main crosstree, then they flare out to run down the inner sides of the lower shrouds, then probably tied off right there at the belaying pin banks.  This would be spot on with the ship I'm building. 

 

Otherwise, the mast area gets terribly crowded if the all of the running rigging runs all the way down the masts to the deck.  Anyway, what other reason would there be so many belaying points and racks along the gunwales, meaning directly below the ratlines?

 

I'll be rigging the ship in this manner.

 

Michael

 

[Mickgee]

Bingo!

 

This pic is from flick, the deck of the Cutty Sark;

 

Here other shots of rigging running down the shrouds and ratlines;

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-the-top-deck-of-the-cutty-sark-in-greenwich-london-105044403.html

 

Case closed.

 

Michael

 

 

[Gregory]

On 11/23/2017 at 11:52 PM, mikiek said:

Michael - I was surprised to see that blocks are often seized to shrouds particularly higher up the mast. Can't be too sturdy but I guess it's good for some things.

Can't be too sturdy?

 

Consider that the shrouds are essentially tow ropes, pulling the ship through the water...  Think about it..

[Mickgee]

About as thick as a big man's arm would be my guess, fairly stout.

 

That's just another reason that I enjoy about watching "Master and Commander",  you can get a real idea about the size of rigging.  All throughout the movie are lots of closeup shots.

 

Michael

[dafi]

Here is an excerpt from my Victory:

 

And then came a nice summer bouquet of assorted halyards, sheets, bunt lines, clue lines and tricing lines in a rich assortment of thicknesses. Some clamps still free for the stun´sail´s rigging

 

 

 

XXXDAn

Edited November 28, 2017 by dafi

[amateur]

Quite a number of lines going through the masttops (check eg EdT's build log of America), down to the railings.

Therefore the mast area is crowded, but sail handling is more efficient from down under: no need to send up large amounts of sailors high up in bad weather: sail adjustments could be done from deck level. Also: you cabn get more men to a line when the line is all the way down to the deck: the number of people that fit on a top is relatively small. So yes, there is a reason (and it was standard practice from quite early on: also 16th century rigging also had this practice)

 

Jan

[Mickgee]

Thanks guys for the feedback.

 

Dafi, in your 1st pic I see 3 lines, fairly large, coming down.  Do you have a shot of how you did all of them from the inside of the ratlines?  Your model looks wonderful.  In other words, of the finished model?

 

Thanks Jan for the directions to an excellent build,  I don't remember seeing anything quite as stunning as this project.  I realize too that sails are better handled from the deck,  but how these lines get there is what interests me the most at this time.

 

I think I'll give Mr. EdT's America yet another view.  What a wonderful project!

 

Thanks guys for your interest.

 

Michael

[dafi]

Finished yes, but only as a slice :-)

 

But there are actually 7 or 8 lines behind the shrouds, and as mentioned above these are different halyards, sheets, bunt lines, clue lines and tricing lines placed according to McKay´s rigging plan of the foremast in AOTS of HMS Victory. Also all thicknesses are conform. The shroud trucks that are empty are the ones for ropes of the stun´sails, which are taken down if these sails are not set.

 

XXXDAn

Edited November 28, 2017 by dafi