Fighting ladders

[dafi]

Already realised long time ago, that the ladders leading from the waist to the higher decks are disturbing the handling of the guns. It was easy to find out that they were taken out while clearing for action. I remember having read, that prior Trafalgar - I guess it was the Royal Souvereign - tossed some of them over board together with some bulkheads. Luckily for us, the bureaucracy made them record it in the logs, so we of it today ;-) 

 

So the question was, how to come up if taken out - jumping down was easy. Freshly found in Brady´s "Kedge Anchor" 1852: Fighting Ladders.

 

These were rope ladders, that apparently sometime stayed permanantly as they provided useful if the wooden ladders were taken out while washing the decks.

 

http://books.google.de/books?id=wQxqa5K_zcgC&printsec=frontcover&hl=de&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

Page 239, Chapter 440

 

Were those jacob´s ladders or were they of different design?

 

Daniel

Edited June 16, 2013 by dafi

[Anja]

Hello Daniel,

 

The link doesn't work. Can you post it again?

 

Thanks.

 

Anja

[Anja]

Hello Daniel,

 

As far as my knowledge goes, the Jacob's ladder is used to climb above the lower mast to the topmast and above.

Sailors had to het around the top, a platform at the mast. On ships the only way around and up was the overhanging futtock shrouds.

Modern tall ships use an easier vertical ladder from the ratlines as well. This is the Jacob's ladder.

 

The other ladder you talk about, if I understand correctly, is called a pilot-ladder.

 

Anja

[Anja]

Hello Daniel,

 

Thanks. Found the article.

 

 

Learn something new every day. I didn't know that iron Jacob's ladders were used in hatchways.

I thought these ladders were only used for climbing up. Like the picture below.

But these are not made of iron.

 

 

 

I guess you have to wait for a better answer, sorry.

 

Anja

[dafi]

Hello Anja, 

 

thanks for the feedback! I already fixed the link parallel to your tries, it should work now.

 

In my understanding the jacob´s ladders were used in different places: on the stern to get into the boats, to the topmasts if not rattled and any other place or swinging booms in harbour. It was rope left and right with wooden battens. 

See Brady page 39 Chapter 72 nad the plate on the page prior to it.

http://books.google.de/books?id=wQxqa5K_zcgC&printsec=frontcover&hl=de&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

The iron ladders put up the question: Were the wooden battens replaced by iron bars or was the rope replaced by iron bars making it a stable thing?

 

Daniel

Edited June 16, 2013 by dafi

[Anja]

Thanks again for explaining Daniel.

 

Will try to find an answer to your question tomorrow, it is now time to go to dreamland. Have to go to work tomorrow. But I hope you will have an answer by then.

 

Anja

[dafi]

For the iron jacob ladders, not to forget: Brady was US Navy and around the 1850´s.

 

So it must be considered that it was a later introduction or american fitting.

 

XXXDAn

[druxey]

Rope Jacob's ladders make sense: wood ones would present another source of flying splinters in action.

[dafi]

Just bringing it up again. Did anybody have any new encounters with this topic in the meantime?

 

Cheers, Daniel

[jud]

Rope ladders, even one's with wood or iron rungs have a terrible characteristic of when hanging freely to put your feet somewhere at or over your head level when climbing them. Several methods to avoid that, one is securing both ends of the ladder so it remains taught when being used. Another is to let it rest on a bulkhead or other fixture, restricting it's movement, problem is your toes have nowhere to go to purchase the rungs, no matter what they are made from, so spacers are used in those situations, oversized spools on the ends of the rungs are common. The free hanging ladders are used by climbing the sides to keep your feet under you. Photo, me 1960 climbing out of the Whaleboat of the USS Ammen DD 527 when the Squadron was swinging on a buoy in San Diego, was the bow hook until I wiggled my way into the Gun Gang, the boat was sheltered between the bows when not in use. Throwing a rope ladder at a choke point, be it a hatch or as access to another weather deck will work, but it requires thought about how fast and how many men you need to move or you will not have those men where you wanted them quickly.

 

Edited May 6, 2021 by jud