tying ratline to mast

[KingDavid]

what would be the best method of tying the ratline to the upper mast? what is the traditional or best method to do so? (i am using the thick black rope supplied in the kit)

as i am reaching the final stages of my Lady nelson cutter

thanks, david

 

[davyboy]

Hi David,

 

I assume you are referring to the shrouds. These were made up in pairs by doubling a suitable length of rope leaving enough lenght to tie in the deadeyes. The centre portion was normally served then the two legs lashed together leaving a loop sufficient to fit over the mast head. They were always fitted in the following sequence :- first pair starboard,second pair port,third pair starboard and so on. 

 

Hope this answers your query,have fun.

 

Dave 

[BANYAN]

If an uneven set of shrouds (say 5 shrouds per side - 2 pairs and a single) the last leg (sometimes called a Swifter) had an eye or Cont splice in the middle of the length, which is sufficient to be passed around the deadeye either side and seized back on itself), with the eye passed over the masthead.  The first /leading leg of each shroud set was usually served all the way down to minimize wear-and-tare from the sails/bolt ropes rubbing on them.  The pairs were rigged as described by Dave.

 

So, for this example, you would have two pairs of shrouds per side, each pair would have been doubled and throat seized around the mast head, a single leg with the Cont splice (middled) was passed over the mashead as the after shroud legs.  The ratlin' was then applied depending on the period in which the ship was built. 

 

To get a good fit for the seizing/loop, to keep the seizing close to the masthead, use an off cut of the same diameter dowel placed in a piece of scrap to tie them off the model, then fit the pairs etc in the correct sequence as described by Dave. There are some good tips and videos available in this forum / You Tube etc to show how to do seizings (if you need them).

 

cheers

 

Pat

[KingDavid]

Yes i did mean the shrouds ofcourse thank you both for your kind answers, i will try and have a look now to see if there are some videos available on how to do the seizing, if you have one or more of these links, it will be a great help

davyboy, by the way, in the instructions concerning the Lady nelson shrouds, only one single rope is seemed to be used at each time , meaning they are supposed to be tied indevidualy? or its better to skip it to make life easier?

thanks, David

Edited March 25, 2020 by KingDavid

[davyboy]

Hi David,

 

Skip what is in the instructions and make them as I wrote as that is the correct method. It's also easier and neater,you would have 8 loops to make taking more space on the masthead. 

 

I do my shroud siezing like Pat says around a suitable sized dowel. I thread a needle with the siezing line and pass it through one of the legs at the top then take around ten turns downwards about both legs. I then pass the thread between the legs at one end of the siezing then over the siezing and through between the other legs doing so 2 or 3 times. Finally pass the needle & thread through the middle of that,apply some glue (not CA) when dry clip off. You're then good to go. This last bit sounds complicated but is dead easy  to do.

 

Dave 

[KingDavid]

Thanks davy your way looks like the best method by far! i already started siezing the shrouds as you instructed me to do, and im done, i found out hoever that the distance between the dead eyes from either side is about 2.5 cm (1 Inch) across from both sides of the mast...is it a correct distance or not to scale at all? what would

be the correct one? i hope it is fine because i already sealed the knots with a bit of CA glue 😞.

thanks,

David

[davyboy]

Hi David,

 

The distance between deadeyes should be appproximately 3 times the diameter of a deadeye. 

 

Dave 

[KingDavid]

Thanks Dave, now i have a scale as a referance...it seems then that i made a big mistake here calculated the spacing as 2.5 cm  ....maybe i will have to do it all over again

 

thanks

 

David

[mtaylor]

KingDavid, I deleted your duplicate post on this topic.

[davyboy]

Hi David,definitely do it again,that deadeye gap does not look good. Anyway,it will give you some practice     There are a couple of

books on rigging that I recommend to you. James Lees Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625-1860 and Karl Heinz Marquardts'

Eighteenth Century Rigs and Rigging. Second hand online booksellers usually have them in stock. Either is worth having,the first being the best.

 

Dave 

 

 

[KingDavid]

Hello Davy, yes it did look terrible so i finally decided to take the whole thing of , and do it all over again,but now in a correct way.... i will try to follow your recommendation of how to do it right from the begining but if there is some kind of a drowing somewhere that shows the whole process of siezing the shrouds that will be the best for me , hard for me just to follow instructions.... 

 

btw many thanks for the books recommendation, i took a note of those two books, looks like it's essential , i will consider buying after the covid-19 is over...

 

David 

[davyboy]

Hi David,

 

You may find this of interest :- Google  The Elements and Practice of Rigging and Seamanship. This will take you to the website of The San Francisco Maritime Park Association, there they have Steeles' work. You want the asterisked chapters of 208,209,210 and 211,numbered drawings and names of the numbered rigging and sail items are there. Should be of great assistance to you. OK, these appertain to a 20 gun ship but the names are the same for all ships. This book covers everything as the title says.

 

A lot of reading there to keep you out of mischief for a while 

 

Dave