First time Rigger

[DaveBaxt]

I have almost at the point of starting on the rigging and have been reading lots of conflicting information on how to go about this. As some of you have been helping me you already know I am building the Bounty by Amati and I have been following a set of videos for guidence but not always. I understand form what I have read both on line and in books it is the standing rigging to do first. However when breaking that down again is it the lower shrouds first then the forward stays or the other way around or does it not matter? I have also noticed on the Amati video just about everything is attached to the masts including the shrouds prior to fitting the masts to the ship.Now although this makes a bit of sense to me( easier access) it all looks a bit messy). On other videos and information I have received it is the opposite approach whereby the masts are fitted with the blocks etc, then the masts are fitted to the ship before the shrouds are fitted. Although I have what seems like a million more question I will ask one more if I may. Is the sprit mast the first mast to be fitted ,in order to fit the fore mast stays? Thank you again for all your help best regards Dave

 

Edited February 21, 2021 by DaveBaxt

[allanyed]

Not sure which lines are appropriate for Bounty, but the general order  would be

Burton Pendants

Shrouds, starting with starboard pair, then port pair, then starboard, etc

Swifter Stbd, (if odd number of shrouds eye spliced)

Swifter port (if odd number of shrouds eye spliced)

Breast back stay eye spliced stbd

Breast back stay eye spliced port

standing back stay stbd

standing backstay port

fore topmast preventer stay

fore topmast stay

These go on after the trestle trees, cross trees, bolsters, cheeks etc are assembled and before the topmasts are put in place.  They can be done before the mast is stepped but I have never had a problem rigging these after the lower mast is stepped.

Allan 

 

[DaveBaxt]

2 hours ago, allanyed said:

Not sure which lines are appropriate for Bounty, but the general order  would be

Burton Pendants

Shrouds, starting with starboard pair, then port pair, then starboard, etc

Swifter Stbd, (if odd number of shrouds eye spliced)

Swifter port (if odd number of shrouds eye spliced)

Breast back stay eye spliced stbd

Breast back stay eye spliced port

standing back stay stbd

standing backstay port

fore topmast preventer stay

fore topmast stay

These go on after the trestle trees, cross trees, bolsters, cheeks etc are assembled and before the topmasts are put in place.  They can be done before the mast is stepped but I have never had a problem rigging these after the lower mast is stepped.

 

 

Allan Thanks once again for your replies Most of which I had to look up , although some of them I have heard of, I didn,t know what they are for, so I have had to do a little research to find out what they are. Neither the Burton pendants or the Breast back stays are shown on the Kit drawings.However the Swifter shrouds will be required as there are an odd number of shrouds on all the masts. So does that mean a splice for each port & stbd rather than a loop with a splice in the middle ie one line for both ? Hope this makes sense. There are two back stays for the fore and main mast and one for the mizzen and all have smaller dead eyes . I cannot see anything on the drawings regarding the Breast back stays I am assuming these are in line and outside of the shrouds. Does this  mean the drawings are incorrect or have they omitted them for some reason or is that I just can,t find them? Hoping I am not getting mixed up. Best regards Dave

[popeye2sea]

I agree with Allan and the order of fitting the standing rigging over the mast head.  Also, the order of setting them up (tightening) the stays, shrouds, and backstays needs to be considered.

You will need to step the bowsprit and at the very least rig and set up the bob stays for the bowsprit.  This will allow you to set up the fore stay.  I set up the fore stay first using a temporary back stay belayed somewhere aft on the ship. This allows me to fix the mast rake at the proper angle. Then I set up the shrouds and backstays, working in pairs alternating port and starboard.

 

I generally work from forward to aft, setting up the lower masts. I also fit the yards on each mast as I go. Then I move on to the topmasts, again forward to aft. I find that setting up the lower masts first gives me a good stable 'base' for aligning and setting up the upper masts.

 

The only draw back to this method is that you have to get comfortable with the amount of rigging that is inevitably going to be hanging from the mast before you get to the running rigging. I estimate the lengths of running rigging needed for each line before attaching it to the yards and sails and coil it up into a hank that hangs from the yard until needed. Again, I assemble everything, sails, blocks, rigging, etc. on the yard prior to crossing the yard on its mast. And I hoist and cross the yards on their respective masts before I even step the next higher mast.

 

I have to say, this method is not what everyone does.  Each modeler finds the rigging method they feel most comfortable with.

 

Regards,

[allanyed]

Dave,  The list I gave is if all of these lines are on the ship.  Sorry, but I really  have no idea which of these would be on a collier, be it as merchant built or converted to RN service so I cannot say if the kit drawings are correct or not.  If anyone here at MSW knows for sure that would be great, but it may come down to trust that the Amati folks did a thorough research into the rigging that is likely to have been used, including block and line sizes, and so forth.  Two of the things that seems to stand out for some  kits are that the blocks looking nothing like they really looked and belaying pins that are larger than bowling ten pins if they were full scale.    I don't know if that is the case for Amati kits but maybe something to check before installing.

Allan

[Jim Rogers]

I always rig the backstays last so I can tighten everything up.

[allanyed]

Dave,

I suppose the swifters could have a cut splice or individual eye splices, but Lees states that each swifter, which would be the aft most shroud, would have an eye splice (page 42 of Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War).  Also note that the ratlines do not necessarily extend aft to the swifter.  If she was rigged as other naval vessels, after 1773 the first six rat ratlines and the upper six start from the second shroud from forward and finished at the second shroud from aft, not extending to the swifter.  (Page 44) 

Allan

[DaveBaxt]

Thankyou everyone for all your answers. There is a lots of information to digest which hopefully will continue to shine some loght. Thank you Allan for clearing that up regarding the swifter and the ratlines. No doubt I will have numerous additional questions as I proceed and If I may can add them to this forum. I would also like to thank Jim and Popeye too for their input all of which is helping me a great deal. Best regards Dave. 

Now to put it all into practice? Best regards Dave.