Endeavour Rigging Topmast Fore Preventor Stay

[Mr Pleasant]

Hi All

Long time member but first time post.  The Caldercraft Endeavour is my second build and I'm slowly working my way through the rigging.  First build was AL's Virginia and was far simpler.  I'm now at the point of rigging the stays but I can't figure out how the the blocks are rigged in the plans.  I've checked various books I have and scoured many photos of build logs but I'm still non the wiser. 

 

The diagram is off the plans

N is single block

O is a double block

I'm assuming the rope is attached the top of block N via a becket and I can see how the rope is run through block O and back through N and so on, but what do I do with the end of the rope?  I cannot see how it ends or is tied off.

 

Hope this makes some sort of sense and really appreciate any help 

Thanks

Mr. P

[allanyed]

Pleasant, 

 

Belated welcome to MSW.      

 

To the drawing, this does not look right.  What are the rest of the words "repeated fore prev" ...  ? 

 

On top of the sprit, the "S" looks to be deadeyes for the forestay and the deadeyes just forward of those are for the fore preventer stay.  The line below could be a bobstay, but for Endeavor's time period, these would probably have been rigged with deadeyes, not blocks.  Do the plans give a name to this line?   Can you show the rest of the picture of the sprit.

 

Assuming it is shown correctly, the running part of the line would have to run aft and secured possibly at a timber head or cleat.

 

Again, welcome to MSW

Allan

 

 

[Mr Pleasant]

Hi Allan

Thanks for the welcome and the response. I've attached an expanded view that shows the bowsprit and hopefully makes things a little clearer.  The S blocks you refer to are closed hearts and are already taken care of.

I guess you are correct and the line has to be tied off at a timber head

 

Thanks

Mr.P

[allanyed]

Hi Pleasant,

 

The only thing I could find was in Lees' Masting and Rigging.  The fore topmast stay did have a set of blocks as on your drawing.  The stay rove through the bee on the starboard side of the sprit and had a double block seized in the end.  The running part was as your drawing, but the only thing he mentions about belaying is that it is "made fast on the forecastle."  The preventer would run through the bee on the port side as on the drawing and belay on the forecastle as well.

 

Allan

[Retired guy]

Hi Mr P just looking in the AOS Endeavour book I have  and here are some pic's of the area you ask I think they go to B (Bits)which is for Fore topsail sheet

 

 

 

 

 

I have to finish my Endeavour and still got that to do

 

 

 

Regards

Richard

[allanyed]

Richard,

The drawings certainly are more clear, but, they show the fore topmast stay rigged to a long block which was not used for the fore topmast stay after 1745, according to Lees.   Don't know who has it right on this one, Mr. Lees or Mr. Marquardt.    

Allan

[Mr Pleasant]

Thanks Allan, Richard

I've got a better idea now of what's going on, one thing is for certain I'm going to need more tying off points than what the plans show.

Appreciate your help.

 

MP

 

 

[popeye2sea]

Change it to a pair of hearts or deadeyes and you have another appropriate solution.

 

Regards,

[Retired guy]

Hi Mr P  not sure either but now think they go to number 42 and 43 you will see it under fore topgallant sail 

 

Regards

Richard

[TBlack]

I'm going to crash this party and suggest that the end of the line, after it goes thru the second half of the double block is wound around the lashing between the two blocks and made fast there.

Tom

[Mr Pleasant]

Thanks Richard, I was thinking the same after looking at the belaying positions on AoTS.  BTW the pictures of your Endeavour look good

Tom, you've given me something else to thing about

[allanyed]

Hi Tom,  that is definitely a possible solution although was difficult to reach.   An example would be Medway, 1742 where the stay tackle and preventer stay tackle were belayed "round itself"  

 

Hi Henry,  deadeyes were only used for the fore topmast stays between 1670 and 1680 (The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War, page 52).  Preventer stays are a different matter.  Fore topmast preventer stays came into use about 1700 and deadeyes were used for some ships at the start, and by nearly all rates by 1719.  They were no longer used by 1745 when bees with sheaves came into use but there were exceptions.  (The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War, page 54).  Endeavor was launched nineteen years later, so odds are she would not have had deadeyes on the preventer stay. 

 

Allan

[popeye2sea]

I stand corrected.

 

Regards,

[allanyed]

Hi Henry

As a result of this topic being posted, I did some digging and learned a lot about something that I had little or no knowledge previously,  so it was a great learning experience for me as well.   As you say in your signature Laissez le bon temps rouler!!!    

Allan

[popeye2sea]

Oh, I don't mind being corrected.  As you said, being on these forums is a great learning experience.  I learn something new almost every day.

 

Laissez le bon temps rouler, indeed!!

 

Regards,