Raising the yards

[gregs1234]

Hello, I had a build log of the Bluejacket Jefferson Davis on the site before the Great Crash. For various reasons, I had to suspend building the model. But I intend to finish it this time. The masts and bowsprit were finished previously. I am now finished with the gaffs, boom and main yard. I am in the process adding hardware to the topsail yard. But for the life of me, I cannot figure out how yards were lifted into position on the mast. I have google my mind out, and gone through this forum. I see a sling holding the main yard, but this yard seems to have nothing. I am assuming that they were lifted with ropes and blocks, but where were those blocks located? Maybe they were not permanent and don;t need to be on the model? And they must have been higher than where the yard is mounted. And I will have the same question for the topgallant yard, as soon as I build it. Thanks for any help you can offer.

[MrBlueJacket]

The lower yard is, indeed, held up by a chain sling. To get it there, a temporary block and tackle would have been fixed to the mast cap.

 

For the top and topgallant yards, they were hauled up and held with halyards, labeled # 30 and 31 on the plans. Hope this helps.

 

Nic

[gregs1234]

Well that was fast. Thank you for your help Nic.

 

And if the mods don't mind: I have kit built and scratch built many models in my lifetime. Mostly railroads. (I was born and raised in Chicago) I have seen good kits, mediocre kits and kits that were a waste of money. Bluejacket kits are among the best I have ever built. Realistic with fittings that are close to scale, and great plans. If only they would run rigging classes a little closer to Chicago...

 

[allanyed]

Greg,

Lines 30 and 31 look like they are made fast to the  masts so might be stays.  What do your plans identify these lines as? The topsail yards would have likely had a double block seized to the center of the yard and two single blocks, one for each tie with a loop around the top of the top mast .   A line came up from the deck, rove through a single block, down and through one sheave of the double block, up and around the masthead, back to the double block, up to the other single block and then back to the deck.  There is a very clear drawing on page 85 in Lees Masting and Rigging.  While it is particular to British ships, it may be close to what was done on US ships.   Again, from Lees, for a topgallant yard the tie was hitched to the yard, rove through a sheave in the top of the mast, and set up with a halliard, probably to the trestle tree of the lower mast.  There would be a double block seized into the end of the tie and single block seized to the lower trestle tree.  The hauling part of the halliard was belayed to the bitts near the mast.   

Allan

 

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by allanyed

[MrBlueJacket]

Lines 30 & 31 run through a sheave in the mast and are identified as yard halyards.

[allanyed]

Nic,

Depending on the weight of these yards, wouldn't ties and blocks  also be present?  Are these shown/described in the plans?   It is unlikely that the halliard would go directly from the yard, through the sheave and straight down to a belay point without a tie and blocks.  I am not at all sure on these smaller vessels if that would be the case, just me being curious. 😄 

Allan

[MrBlueJacket]

Hi Allan,

 

I really don't know. The research on this kit was done in the early 1980's. What I mentioned is what is on the plans. The end of the halyard attaches to a single becket block, down to a single block on deck, back up to the block, then to a belaying point.

[allanyed]

 For these smaller yards, two single blocks makes sense to me. 😀    I just wasn't sure if they were shown on the plans.  Thank you for the clarification.

Allan

 

PS, Sorry for addressing you by Nic, just assuming (which is rarely a good thing) by your screen  name you are Nic Damuk  

 

 

 

[gregs1234]

Allanyed, when you look at the original drawing, it is more clear. (Less blurry, not easier to understand) Lines 30 and 31 are both identified as halyards. But as you see in the scan that I attached, they go down from the sheave and are not showing up again on the plan. There is a plan for belaying pins, but 30/31 don't show up there either. My kit is the older version. Bluejacket has updated the kit since then. Maybe the current version shows something at deck level. What I am concerned with right now, is what hardware I need to add to the yard so I can consider it finished. I still have some time before I need to add hardware at deck level. Thanks.

[allanyed]

Greg.  Assuming the tie for the halyard, or the halyard itself is hitched directly to the yard with a timber hitch, there is no hardware needed on the yard for this particular line.   If you are asking about other hardware, there may also be the brace pendants,  blocks for the lifts, leechlines and buntlines and the truss.

Allan

[MrBlueJacket]

17 hours ago, allanyed said:

PS, Sorry for addressing you by Nic, just assuming (which is rarely a good thing) by your screen  name you are Nic Damuk  

 

Yes, it's me.

 

Nic

[gregs1234]

So I took a chance and sent an email to PRIDE2 dot org. I got an answer from Captain Jan Miles. His previous two answers were very detailed and long. But here is what he sent me this morning.

Happy to be of assistance. 

 

Realize this morning that there is another topsail yard halyard mechanical advantage layout. 

 

Shorten the initial section of halyard leading from yard in lowered position up through the pulley in topmast. This section is as short as is feasible meaning there is a block placed on that section as close to the aft side of the pulley in the topmast.

 

The line passing through that block crosses the rig from side to side of the ship. On one end of that line is the hauling tackle I described coming up from the bulwark rail. At the other end can be another tackle serving as a jig...as per my description of mainsail, foresail, staysail and jib halyards. 

 

For some reason I did not say this is actually the way PRIDE’s square-fore-topsail-yard is rigged. Here fore-topsail is relatively huge for her size. If you are familiar with the Revenue Cutter style schooner SHENANDOAH of Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts it might surprise you to learn PRIDE’s square-topsail is larger than SHENANDOAH’s to square-topsails combined. 

 

If your model is of a vessel of similar size to PRIDE & SHENANDOAH, it is very likely this cross vessel arrangement was used. But maybe, maybe not also with a jig tackle at the opposite end from the hauling tackle. 

 

So I guess the answer is yes, there is a mechanism between the halyard and deck. I'll have to plan a trip to Baltimore or Martha's Vineyard and see for myself. Thank you both for you help.