Securing upper yard halyards to yard

[Richvee]

My plans and instructions for the Kate Cory say the topgallant and royal yard halyards do not have a halyard band and an eye for securing the halyard. The directions simply say..

"The tye is hitched to the yards centerline and not to a metal band like the topsail yard".

While the rigging specs booklet states

"Tarred manila, 2 1/2"c. Sling end seized around yard in a bight. "

 

There are no pictures of this in the plans or instructions. My question is, how was this slung around the yard with a timber batten mounted to the yard to fit it to the mast? My only guess is there a space between the batten and the yard to slip the halyard though to get around the yard? Yet I see no evidence of such a space on the kit's plans, nor in the detailed plans from New Bedford.  Can anyone explain to me what kind of knot/sling was used on these yards? 

 

Thanks

 

 

[allanyed]

Rich,

Not sure this would apply to a whaler like Kate Cory, but here goes.

Can you post a picture of the timber batten?  Is it actually more of a rigid truss or just a batten?   

Perhaps these upper yards would have slings and/or a rope truss.  There are no knots, but rather they would be have an eye on each end of the sling.  Simple sketch follows:

Allan

[Richvee]

Thanks Allen. The Kate Cory had wooden battens as shown in the plans below. Note the topsail yard has a halyard band and and eye for attaching the halyard tye. The topgallant and royal do not have that band and eye. How was the halyard tye attached to these two yards? 

 

 

[allanyed]

Rich,

These "battens" look just pretty much like LT Green's patented truss used on some ships starting about 1830.   Lees describes these but only with the  ring and eye.  It was as you describe and they were for topsail spars, not the topgallants.   I really have no idea on how this would be rigged unless the kit is wrong and no truss (batten) actually was used, but rather slings and/or rope trusses.   Hopefully members here with more knowledge on whalers of the day can help.   

Allan

[popeye2sea]

You are talking about two different things. 

One is the halyard. The other is the truss/sling.

 

Allans photo above is for the truss/sling which will hold the yard in close to the mast.

The halyard hoists the yard.  Your instructions call for the halyard tye to be seized in a bight at the center of the yard.  If you look at my build log for the soleil royale and scroll back a few pages (post #154 last few photos )  you will see a photo of how this should look.  In that photo the only part that is missing is the seizing of the two parts together just above where the hitch crosses the standing part of the tye.  On mine there are two tyes because it is a lower yard.

 

Regards,

[Gregory]

11 minutes ago, popeye2sea said:

If you look at my build log for the soleil royale and scroll back a few pages (post #154 last few photos )  you will see a photo of how this should look. 

A link helps..

 

 

[Richvee]

1 hour ago, popeye2sea said:

You are talking about two different things. 

One is the halyard. The other is the truss/sling.

 

Allans photo above is for the truss/sling which will hold the yard in close to the mast.

The halyard hoists the yard.  Your instructions call for the halyard tye to be seized in a bight at the center of the yard.  If you look at my build log for the soleil royale and scroll back a few pages (post #154 last few photos )  you will see a photo of how this should look.  In that photo the only part that is missing is the seizing of the two parts together just above where the hitch crosses the standing part of the tye.  On mine there are two tyes because it is a lower yard.

 

Regards,

Beautiful work. So, I see what you’re saying, however, I have a single tye, and, as you can see in the plans above call for timber battens, not rope slings/truss. So how would I get that strap around the center of my yard if it calls for timber battens? Maybe 2 straps around the yard similar to yours, on either side of the batten, then lashed together and the tye secured in the center of the two straps?  

[allanyed]

While the Soleil Royal was a war ship of 1670 and the KC is a whaler in 1856, the principals should be similar.   Lees shows the tye(s) to be secured either with a single at the center or double depending on the era and spar.  The double tye would allow you to secure them outside the truss/batten as you suggest.  It is possible that these relatively small yards may not have had battens at all, but rather slings and single tye/halyard.   

 

Allan

[popeye2sea]

Single tyes would be more appropriate for your upper yards.  I would think that a notch in the center of the timber batten truss would allow room for the tye sling.  You could either notch the side nearest the yard so that the sling would appear to pass through the batten or notch the side nearest the mast.  Passing the sling closest to the yard would negate the possibility of friction against the mast when hoisting the yard.

 

Hope that makes sense.

 

Regards,

[Richvee]

Perfect. That’s what I was thinking today as I went about business at work. I’m a little surprised it’s not mentioned it in the wonderfully detailed rigging spec booklet written by Erik Romberg Jr. Every line, size, belaying point, tackle, etc. is written about in detail. A little note on the plans next to the yard detail saying “ notch in batten for halyard hitch” would have been nice😊

 

Thanks for your help.