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Shrouds


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Building Niagara from Model Shipways.  I expect to 'launch' her sometime late in 2014.  FIrst POB kit.  Curious about one thing and that is making the shrouds and rigging the deadeyes.

 

While not even close to the rigging, I have been reading all the instructions.  Even bought Ben Lankford's book on kit building.  Have looked at about every picture of the Niagara that is on line.  Will probably go to Erie next year when the ship is in port.

 

Please forgive me for my non-nautical terms!

 

1. On page 31 of the manual they show a wire spacing jig.  Not sure how to use that.  I am thinking rigging one deadeye pair, attaching the shroud, making the loop that goes around the mast and then attaching the other end of the shroud to a deadeye that is connected to the bottom deadeye with the wire jig, then rigging the deadeyes together.

 

2. On the masts there are 5 shrouds going from the deadeyes up to the mast and back down. (I think).  The fifth shroud short end goes somewhere but that is unclear to me. Sheet 5 of the plans shows a Burton Pendant on the end and a thimble.  Not sure what those things are. 

 

Hopefully someone can explain the sequence of steps installing the shrouds and deadeyes.

 

Thanks in advance!!

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Hi Roger,

The way I do the shrouds and deadeyes is to first do the deadeyes and reeve the lanyards and attach them to the chain wales. I have a reeving tool that sets the length of the lanyards evenly, you can use a wire jig that you put in the holes of the deadeyes to set the spacing. I attach the shrouds to the mast tops before the masts are set into the ship. Once the masts are set, I just feed them through the top deadeye, tighten it up and lash them to the deadeye, one by one. The shrouds are rigged in pairs from the mast tops starting on the starboard side from the bow, then to the port side, and then back to the starboard towards the stern. I have a build log :Sovereign of the Seas by Vince P. It has photos of the complete process of rigging the shrouds.

 

Vince P.

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Roger,

The Burton Pendant is rigged first. (the thimble on the end will take a tackle for hoisting heavier objects from the deck).  The pendants (port and starboard are joined together with a cont splice sized to fit the masthead(forms an eye in the middle of a rope). The cont splice is dropped over the masthead so that the pendants hang down beside the mast.

Next the shrouds go on in pairs.  A length of rope is doubled and an eye is seized in the bight (loop) to fit the masthead. The first pair is set up on the starboard side, then the forward pair on the port side.  Continue for the required number of shrouds.  The final odd number shrouds for the port and starboard side are set up like the burton pendant with a cont splice.

 

The upper deadeyes get turned in on the lower end of each shroud.  When set up all the deadeyes should be in a horizontal line.  This is what the jig is for.

First set up the lower deadeyes to the channels.  Make sure that the middle hole of the deadeye is down (lower than the other two).  Using the jig to give the proper spacing turn the upper deadeye  in on the end of the shroud.  The shroud will pass around the deadeye and get seized to itself.  Make sure that the middle hole of the upper deadeye is up.  Reeve the deadeye lanyard  through the upper and lower deadeyes.  The lanyard always starts on the upper deadeye with a stopper knot on the inboard side. It will start at the aft upper hole on the port deadeyes and the forward upper hole on the starboard. 

The end of the lanyard will go from the lower deadeye up to the shroud where it will be hitched around the shroud with a cow hitch and the end brought back down and seized to itself.

Henry

 

Laissez le bon temps rouler ! 

 

 

Current Build:  Le Soleil Royal

Completed Build Amerigo Vespucci

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Lots of good information that is certainly appreciated.  Special thanks to popeye2sea.

 

I found an interesting thing on-line called  "Boy's Manual of Seamanship and Gunnery   Fourth Instruction Standing Rigging"  Looks like how it is done on real ships.

 

 

 

I am contemplating reeving (correct term?) the deadeyes first so as to ensure all are the same distance top to bottom.  Then connect the shroud to the upper deadeye and run it up and around the masthead, start it back down, and seize it (correct term?) and cut it off.  Then connect the next shroud to the adjacent deadeye and seize it or just maybe glue it at the masthead to the previous installed shroud.  Seems this will give me an easy way to make sure the shrouds are the correct tension plus the incorrect work at the masthead will be difficult to see.  Only I will know!   The next ship I will try to do it right!

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I know this is going to go against everything I have read and what everyone says but I want to discuss the use of a jig for alignment of the shroud's dead eyes.  I do not use any type of jig for adjusting the height of the dead eyes for the shrouds.  There are 2 reason for this.  1st i use my compass (not a directional compass) and simply make sure the single hole (the bottom from the chain plates and the topmost from the shroud) and make sure they are pretty close to the proper length.  All of the lanyard are laced and then temporarily tied off.  Then I use the lanyards to adjust the mast so that it is properly adjusted (side to side).  If the dead eyes are slightly off I wouldn't worry because (2nd reason) on a real ship the lanyards were adjusted from time to time to adjust the alignment of the mast.  So it might be that the dead eyes were not perfectly parallel to each other.  Sooooo.... now I am prepared to hear the arguments that are contrary to my reasoning  :).

David 

 

Current build: US Brig Niagara

 

Completed builds:  Oseberg Viking Ship - Billing Boats

                                   Armed Virginia Sloop - Model Shipways

                                   The Phantom - Model Shipways

 

Next project:  Amati's Xebec

 

A ship has all the discomforts and lack of privacy of a jail with none of its safety or stability - Benjamin Franklin

 

Quis custodiet ipso custodes?

 

 

 

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BTW Roger, one of the best books I've found for rigging is The Young Office'rs Sheet Anchor.  It is for rigging of English ships but I use it all the time.  It is less than $13.00 from amazon.

David 

 

Current build: US Brig Niagara

 

Completed builds:  Oseberg Viking Ship - Billing Boats

                                   Armed Virginia Sloop - Model Shipways

                                   The Phantom - Model Shipways

 

Next project:  Amati's Xebec

 

A ship has all the discomforts and lack of privacy of a jail with none of its safety or stability - Benjamin Franklin

 

Quis custodiet ipso custodes?

 

 

 

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David

 

I agree with you and do my in a very similar way. In the end they are pretty even. My dividers are a tool I use alot. I use them to adjust my ratlines instead of a card. Thanks for the post.

Geoff

NRG member #2666
Current build : USS Constitution

 

Finished builds: Armed Virginia Sloop (in gallery)

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Geoff...I agree about the ratlines too.  I use my compass (dividers) too and since the knot used is a clove hitch, they are easily adjustable on the shrouds before glueing in place.

David 

 

Current build: US Brig Niagara

 

Completed builds:  Oseberg Viking Ship - Billing Boats

                                   Armed Virginia Sloop - Model Shipways

                                   The Phantom - Model Shipways

 

Next project:  Amati's Xebec

 

A ship has all the discomforts and lack of privacy of a jail with none of its safety or stability - Benjamin Franklin

 

Quis custodiet ipso custodes?

 

 

 

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If the dead eyes are slightly off I wouldn't worry because (2nd reason) on a real ship the lanyards were adjusted from time to time to adjust the alignment of the mast.  So it might be that the dead eyes were not perfectly parallel to each other.  Sooooo.... now I am prepared to hear the arguments that are contrary to my reasoning  :).

 

I've often thought myself that unaligned deadeyes are likely, though I don't know, and think that modellers' concerns about their close alignment might be unrealistic.

 

Brian

"Give you joy!"

 

Current Build: RATTLESNAKE 1:64 POB (Mamoli)

 

Kits on hand: "Lexington", Mamoli: "Robert E. Lee", Scientific

Scratch to do: "Fannie Dugan", 1870s Sidewheeler Steamboat

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I agree.  Ship Shape means everything neatly in its place...NOT everything being perfect.

David 

 

Current build: US Brig Niagara

 

Completed builds:  Oseberg Viking Ship - Billing Boats

                                   Armed Virginia Sloop - Model Shipways

                                   The Phantom - Model Shipways

 

Next project:  Amati's Xebec

 

A ship has all the discomforts and lack of privacy of a jail with none of its safety or stability - Benjamin Franklin

 

Quis custodiet ipso custodes?

 

 

 

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