Stunsail Booms and The Rest

[rraisley]

I'm modeling Corel's HMS Victory cross-section, so obviously rigging details are limited. The plans, as well as drawings in McKay, show the stunsail booms hanging below the Main Yard and the Main Topmast Yard, but not the Main Topgallant Yard. Alan McGowan in the stunsail diagrams show a boom, of sorts, at both the top and bottom of all the stunsails, and there are stunsails hanging from all three yards. It kind of makes sense that one (the lower) boom (not sure the terminology for that) would be wrapped with the stunsail itself. And I realize this is a simplified model without sails, so running rigging and anything pertaining to the sails is somewhat modified or limited. But the Main Topgallant Yard would appear to require some boom at the top, like the other lower 2 booms, and I don't see a drawing showing them.

 

So, should the Main Topgallant Yard have stunsail booms too? Or would those stunsails have upper and lower booms included with the stunsails themselves, and therefore not shown?

[allanyed]

Rick,

Stunsails of the fore and main topgallant were introduced in about 1773.  They would have a halliard, tacks, and downhauler.   (Lees, Masting and Rigging page 118).    If they were loose footed there would be a yard secured to the foot of the sail by the two lower cringles.  If they were not loose footed, there would be no lower yard.   Darcy Lever shows details in his drawings, also shown in Lees (page 116), showing both loose footed and without the lower yard on the stunsails. My apologies but I have no idea if Victory had loose footed stunsails or not.

Allan

Edited March 11, 2021 by allanyed

[rraisley]

Does loose-footed refer to the movie Footloose? I'm sorry, Allan, you've been a fantastic help to me, but I don't know what you said. I don't have Lees book, just what I've mentioned (well, and Longridge). I've had to look up the terminology I've used so far, so perhaps I sounded more informed than I actually am. 🤪 Like when I met my wife's German great aunt and talked to her using my high-school German. I could pronounce it fine, but had no idea what she spoke back to me.

[Dr PR]

rraisley,

 

"Loose footed" means the foot (bottom side) of the sail is not laced to a yard, spar or boom. The two "cringles" allamyed refers to are rope loops at the lower corners of the sails where the handling lines are attached (tacks and sheets).

 

Typically stunsails were laced to a stunsail yard at the top and loose footed at the bottom.

 

Stunsail booms were attached to the regular yards, sometimes on top, sometimes below, and sometimes forward of the yard, depending upon the country, period and whether it was a naval ship or merchant ship (nothing about sailing ship rigging is simple one size fits all).

 

A halliard ran through a block at the end of the stunsail boom or upper yard, through a block at the mast and down, and was used to haul up (lift) the stunsail yard . The lower outer corner (tack) of the upper sunsails ran through a block at the end of the sunsail boom on the yard below and then to a purchase below. The lower inner corner or sheet was attached to the inboard end of the lower boom and then ran down below. The downhaul line was attached to the stunsail yard at the top of the sail, ran down through a block at the lower outboard corner and then down to below. It was used to pull down the sunsail yard and sail. Depending upon how high up in the rigging the stunsail was set these lines either terminated at the lower mast top or at purchases on deck.

 

Stunsails on the course (lowest and largest square sail on the mast) were hauled up to the end of the stunsail boom with the halliard as shown for other stunsails. However the lower outboard tack ran to a block at the end of a stunsail boom rigged to the side of the hull (not shown), usually at the channels where the shroud deadeyes were attached. The tack then lead inboard. The sheet ran inboard to spread the bottom of the sail.

 

I have been wading through rigging plans for topsail schooners and have posted sail diagrams, definitions and some other information here:

 

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/25679-topsail-schooner-sail-plans-and-rigging/?do=findComment&comment=787759

 

It is focused on topsail schooners but there is a discussion and drawings of stunsails that you might find useful. There are also general diagrams of sails and rigging and explanations of terms.

 

Since you are making a model of the HMS Victory you would do well to get a copy of "The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625-1860," James Lees, Naval Institute Press, Conway Maritime Press Ltd., London, 1990. It is a very detailed book, although it can be frustrating because the author often uses undefined terms and assumes the reader already is familiar with the subject.

 

Another very useful book for the ship modeler is Wolfram zu Mondfeld's "Historic Ship Models," Sterling Publishing Co., New York, 1989. It is a more general book about all aspects of sailing ship models but it has a wealth of knowledge and definitions of many of the obscure nautical terms relevant to wooded ship construction.

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by Dr PR

[allanyed]

Phil,  Sorry to disagree, but according to the following drawing from Darcy Lever, loose footed stunsails had a lower yard or boom rather than the opposite.  I may be misinterpreting, but this is my understanding based on this drawing.   I believe the loose footing refers to the fact that the bottom of the sail is secured to this stunsail yard or boom and this yard is then secured with the guy line shown. The loose footed stunsail yard had no tack but had a span fitted to each end of the yard and the  guy was made fast to the middle of the span by means of an eye seized in the center of the span.  The guy was taken aft, led through a block lashed in the main chains and then  led inboard via a gun port where it belayed to a cleat.   In reading further, I don't believe the topgallant stunsails were ever loose footed though, so a moot point regarding loose footed or not. 

 

Rick,  The drawings show the rigging which I hope is a help.  Lees describes the rigging of the topgallant stunsail as follows:   <Assuming the topgallant stunsails were not loose footed,>  The halliard was bent one third along the upper yard and rove through a jewel block seized to an eyebolt in the end of the topgallant yard, up through a block stropped to the head of the topgallant mast, and then down and made fast in the lower top.  Sheets were double with the forward one leading to the quarter of the topsail yard, the after one taken to the fore top and made fast to the topmast shroud  The tack rove from the outer clue, through a block or thimble on the end of the stunsail boom on the topsail yard, and were taken to the main chains up to 1815.  Note that after 1815 they went through a block seized to the foretop and down to the pin rail by the fore shrouds.  The downhaul was made fast to the outer stunsail yard arm, and then taken to the fore top leading aft of the stunsail.  

 

Allan

Edited March 12, 2021 by allanyed

[druxey]

I'm sure that there were variations on the way stun's'ls were rigged.

[rraisley]

Thank you all, that helps a lot. A new phase of my education begins..... (at age77 😉

[mtaylor]

4 hours ago, rraisley said:

Thank you all, that helps a lot. A new phase of my education begins..... (at age77 😉

That is a good thing.  One should never stop learning.  

[allanyed]

Heck Rick, my new education happens nearly every time I get on this website, thanks to so many of our members.

Allan

Edited March 13, 2021 by allanyed

[Dr PR]

Allen,

 

My drawing of the stunsails was based upon Darcy Lever (The Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor, page 65) drawings and text for topmast studding sails (the drawing is for a topsail schooner). The line nomenclature is directly from Lever. The "loose footed stunsail" drawing you posted is based on drawing number 352, and if you read Lever's text you will see that he does not use the term "loose footed." He refers to it as a stunsail that is "set flying" without a boom. In fact, Lever doesn't define "loose footed" in his "Dictionary of Sea Terms." Biddlecomb (The Art of Rigging) also does not say anything about "loose footed" sails, but he does mention stunsails without booms as "flying." I suspect the term "loose footed" may not have been in use in the 1700s and early 1800s and may be a more modern term

 

However, the drawings you posted are not from Lever, but are from Lees (The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War, page 116) and are relatively new (1979). He uses the term "loose footed" with respect to Lever's "flying" stunsail drawing.

 

Harold Underhill (Masting and Rigging the Clipper Ship and Ocean Carrier, page 125) refers to a "loose footed spanker" that had no boom.

 

John Leather (The Gaff Rig Handbook) defines "loose footed" as the bottom of the sail not laced or "bent" to a boom with rope bands or robands. In contrast it is common for a gaff sail to be laced (to the upper gaff and to the lower boom. But there is a fore and aft rig in which the bottom of the gaff sail is unattached to a boom, and it is called "loose footed" and "boomless gaff sail." Of course the the tack and sheet are attached to something, otherwise the canvas would just flap in the wind.

 

****

 

Note the difference between a stunsail boom and a stunsail yard. Stunsail yards are the spar the the head (top) of the sail is bent (laced) to, and it is not attached directly to anything but is hoisted by the halliard. Or, as in figure 352 the foot (bottom) of the "flying" stunsail is attached at the clews to an unattached yard that has a guy to haul it down. The yards are essentially free to swing on the halliards and guys.

 

The booms are definitely attached to the course, topsail and topgallant yards, or in the case of the lower stunsail the (swinging) boom is attached to the hull, typically in the channels. The booms are held to the yards with irons and there are several ways to rig them with the booms stowed or extended. In some cases the booms were permanently attached to the yards, and on some ships they were stowed below (to reduce tophamper weight) and hauled aloft when the stunsails were set. In all cases except the "flying yard" the foot of the stunsails were attached to the booms with tacks (outboard clew) and sheets (inboard clew).

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 24, 2021 by Dr PR

[rraisley]

Back on the Studdingsail Booms, how are they moved in and out? While Studdingsail Yards and Sails are beyond the scope of my Victory cross-section (not having them), I'm sure there should be lines to extend and retract the Booms. But I don't see in McKay any attachments directly to the Booms. Page 190 of McGowan's HMS Victory book appears to show a tackle between the inner Stunsail support iron and the end of the boom, roped back to a block under the main spar, that would extend the boom, and ropes to the end of the boom which might go back to near the after mast, but I'm not sure and don't think I could model that on a cross-section, as there'd be nothing to attach it to.

[popeye2sea]

There is a tackle that is rigged with hooks on both blocks. To run out the booms, one end is hooked to the eye bolt in the inside end of the boom and the other end is hooked to the outer boom iron. To run in the booms, one end is hooked into that same eye bolt on the boom and the other end is hooked at a convenient spot near the mast.

BTW, the same tackle is also used to trice up the inner end of the booms when needed for furling the sail, etc...

 

Regards,

[rraisley]

2 hours ago, popeye2sea said:

To run out the booms, one end is hooked to the eye bolt in the inside end of the boom and the other end is hooked to the outer boom iron.

I haven't seen an eye bolt on any boom drawing. This drawing posted in another thread:

Does show a hold through the boom, close to inner end. McGowan appears to show a ring or cap on the inner end, to which a tackle is attached

 

Also, when the studdingsails are not in place, would the blocks mounted on the booms (again, shown in McGowan) which are used to hold the studdingsail yards and sails still be in place on the boom, just not used?

[allanyed]

Rick

The upper stunsail booms had eyes in each end from 1810 and beyond according to Lees on page 18 of The Masting and Rigging,.  On page 118  he describes the hauling in and out of the booms as having two double blocks, one made fast to the outer boom iron, the other stropped to the hole in the inner end of the boom (I assume when there were no eyebolts.)  He makes no mention of blocks with hooks, but that does not mean that method was never used.

 

Henry, I am curious about the eyes and blocks with hooks.  Can you give your source as this seems it would be a nice alternative if the year is appropriate?  Thank you very much.  

 

 

 

 

[popeye2sea]

Allan,

Harland's Seamanship in the Age of Sail,  page 162, states the following:

"Boom Jigger and tricing tackle.  To rig the boom out, a tackle was hooked between the heel of the boom and the strap of the inner iron. To run it in again, the block was unhooked from the inner iron and shifted to some convenient point near the slings of the yard."

 

Falconers defines a jigger tackle as a light tackle consisting of a double and single block used by seamen on sundry occasions.

 

Hope that helps.

Regards,

[Dr PR]

I believe the tackle used to position the studding sail booms was temporary, and not left rigged permanently. It was taken aloft to rig the sails.

 

On smaller ships the booms may have been manhandled to push them out or haul them back in. When in position in/out the inboard end of the boom was lashed around the yard to hold it in place.

[rraisley]

14 hours ago, Dr PR said:

I believe the tackle used to position the studding sail booms was temporary, and not left rigged permanently. It was taken aloft to rig the sails.

 

On smaller ships the booms may have been manhandled to push them out or haul them back in. When in position in/out the inboard end of the boom was lashed around the yard to hold it in place.

That makes a lot of sense. So the only thing I would model might be some eyes on the boom to connect the tackle. Actually, just one eye on the inner end would work.

[popeye2sea]

👍

[DaveBaxt]

Great thread and has help me in understanding a bit more of the world of rigging a period ship. Than you