Lines from yard to yard?

[rhephner]

Hello All,

 

Now that I'm spending all my time indoors, I have a lot more time to spend on my Rattlesnake build. However, I'm stuck on rigging the yards. Using "The Ship Model Builder's Assistant" as a guide, I'm got braces, lifts and slings for each yard. The problem is that the rigging diagram provided with the kit (MSW) and the picture seem to indicate that there should also be lines that run from yard to yard. For example, from the end of the main lower yard to the fore lower yard, and from the fore lower yard to the spiritsail yard. That doesn't seem right to me, because I would think that would restrict the movement of the yards. 

 

Am I missing something?

 

Thanks.

 

Rich

[Jim Lad]

Rich, you are right in thinking that each yard is totally independent of the others and that there is no rigging running between yards.  Perhaps if you could post a picture of your rigging diagram someone could shed some light on it.

 

John

[rhephner]

Thanks for the reply. I’ve attached a photo of the rigging plan with a notation on the spirit sail that seems to indicate a line from it to a yard arm. In the box photo there are several lines that go from yard to yard. I highlighted them. This is confusing to me because I don’t know what they would be for and I don’t see any other notations or mentions in the “Ship Model Builders Assistant”

 

Thanks and Happy Easter.

Edited April 13, 2020 by rhephner
Forgot images

[Jim Lad]

Sorry Rich - no photo!

 

John

[popeye2sea]

In the first picture the lead for the spritsail yard brace seems at least probable.  However in the second photo the lines leading from the spritsail yardarms to the fore and fore topmast yard arms do not make any sense.  The same can be said for the lines from the main topsail yard to the fore yard and the main royal yard to the fore topsail yard.

 

In fact I see many questionable leads throughout the whole rig.  It looks like whomever rigged this model took the approach of lets throw as many lines on this as possible regardless of function.

 

Regards,

[rhephner]

1 hour ago, Jim Lad said:

Sorry Rich - no photo!

 

John

My fault. I added them

[Gregory]

14 minutes ago, popeye2sea said:

However in the second photo the lines leading from the spritsail yardarms to the fore and fore topmast yard arms do not make any sense. 

The rigging of the  model in the picture is a disaster in more ways than one..  I believe the rigging with the Model Expo plans is pretty reliable.

Edited April 13, 2020 by Gregory

[Jim Lad]

Looks like you already have some answers, Rich.  If you're serious about getting the rigging right on your models, can I suggest you investigating purchasing a second hand copy of James Lees' "The Masting and Rigging Of English Ships Of War 1625-1860."  You can probably pick up a copy off Abebooks for around $40 and you'll find it to be a very worthwhile investment.

 

A more general and much smaller book is Lennarth Petersson's 'Rigging Period Ship Models", but that will probably set you back almost as much as a copy of Lees' book, so you might as well go for the gold standard.

 

John

[allanyed]

Rich,

Per the above responses, the photo has a ton of errors.  I personally would not use the photo as a guide at all.  From what I can see, not only are many lines rigged improperly, it appears in some cases that they are different port and starboard, including the spritsail braces.  The written description for the braces for the spritsail yard may be correct for a US ship such as Rattlesnake, but if it were to be the same as for British ships at that time it would be rigged differently.  For the British,  the standing part of each brace was seized to the yard just inside the lifts from  about 1700 to 1719 but the rest of the rigging of the braces was complicated.  At that time the running part ran up from the yard  and through a block seized to a short span about half way up the forestay. It then went down and through the brace pendant block at the yardarm.  It then ran up to another block on a short span about 2/3 up the stay, then through a block under the forward part of the foretop.  It then ran aft and through another block at the aft part under the top, then through a block on a short span on the mainstay, then down to a cleat on the bulwark aft of the of the forecastle bulkhead.    Before and after those dates, the standing part for each brace was seized to the forestay, not the yard.   From 1760 to 1815, it was seized about 3/4 of the way up the stay.  Each then rove through a brace pendant block and then went up and through a block under the foretop, then down to the deck.   I totallyh agree with John about getting a copy of Lees.  Petersson's is well done for one type of ship in one specific time frame but not necessarily useful for other vessels or time periods.    

Allan

[rhephner]

Thank you Gentlemen. This helps tremendously. First, I'm glad to know that my thinking was correct on the photo. Second, you've pointed me to some great resources that I'll take a look at. 

 

This is the 3rd ship I've built and I still don't feel like I have a good grasp on all of the lines. It's amazing how intricate the system of lines on a sailing ship of this period is. It really is an impressive thing to study.

 

Rich