Fore course clewline belaying pin on Cutty Sark

[Bruma]

Hello everyone. 

I'm studying the running rigging of the Cutty Sark and I have a question: in Campbell's plans there is a clear indication of each line going through the respective fairleads. They are all present, except for the course clewline (while the lower topsail clewline are indicated, for instance)

 

 

Different authors have different opinion about the subject: Underhill suggests that the clewline should be belayed to the main rail (if so the relative fairlead is missing in the Campbell's plan), while Longridge suggest belaying the clewline on the fife rail, without specifying the pin (but this version would explain why the fairlead is missing in Campbell's plans).

Do you have any ideas? 

What should I do?

Thank you in advance! 

[Jim Lad]

I think Id be inclined to follow Underhill - he made a close study of the rigging of 'modern' sailing vessels.  If you have his "Masting and Rigging" you will note that he details the lead of the clew-garnet to the pin on the main rail without mentioning a shroud fairlead while for other rigging he notes the use of the shroud fairlead, so I would conclude that the clew-garnet ran directly to the pin on the main without passing through one of the shroud fairleads.

 

John

[Bruma]

Thank you, John! 

You are right, the fairlead is not mentioned by Hunderhill for the clew garnet, it might be a good clue for your interpretation. 

It sounds weird to me, I always look at the rigging as a smart, perfect and elegant mechanism and having a single line without fairlead while all the others have one, seemed strange to me.

Thank you again! 

[TIPP]

 

The clew garnets for all three coarses run from spectacle clew irons shackled to the clews of the sails, directly up to the coarse yard.   For most of her time in clipper rig, the coarses were 'clewed to quarters' meaning the clew of the sail was hoisted diagonally inboard towards the mast.  There were a few occasions when the coarses were clewed vertically up to the yardarms, but this was not normal practice.    The coarse clew lines lead through blocks on the coarse yard and then down the fore side of the lower mast to be belayed on pins (port & starboard) on the foreward fife rail at the foot of the foremast.  

 

So, there is no fairlead shown on the diagram for the coarse clew because no fairlead was used.