Fixed blocks

[Don Case]

What were fixed blocks in the gunnels for? Were they pretty standard? I just spotted them in Dan's Vulture build and if I knew what they were for it might help me figure out where to put them.

 

Edit, I found them on one of my drawings. Duh😕 I'm assuming they are for(what I would call sheets) sheets for the sails. There are three. Two of them are at an angle that would direct the sheet up to the sails(yards) but the forward one is level. Why would that be?

Edited May 7, 2021 by Don Case

[allanyed]

Hard to tell without a drawing.  Sounds like  the forward one is for the main sail tack which would first pass through a chesstree on the hull.   You would really do yourself a huge favor by getting a copy of Lees' Masting and Rigging or other time period appropriate book as these will help make sense of the many lines and associated items like the through-hull sheaves, fore tack blocks on the bumpkins, chesstrees, etc.   I really am not one to spend other people's money, but when it comes to rigging, at least one, good, time-appropriate, source is essential and worth the investment. 

Edited May 7, 2021 by allanyed

[Don Case]

I had planned on getting a rigging book, just not yet. This just jumped up at me when I was looking for things I should be doing. I've been kind of following the order of the Vulture build so I don't end up with a big surprise.

[Don Case]

21 minutes ago, allanyed said:

Hard to tell without a drawing.  

Actually it's very much like the drawing on pg 266-267 of "Scantlings". You can se the forward one(right under where it says "timberheads" is level but the aft two are slanted.

[allanyed]

There are actually sometimes more sheaves than I show on that drawing,  depends on the ship.  Some are for sheets, some are for braces, some are for tacks.   

 

I don't know if it is appropriate to use a 16 gun Swan Class (Vulture) as an example for Discovery.  It MAY be right, but maybe not.  Hopefully others here will know.  

 

 

Edited May 7, 2021 by allanyed

[Don Case]

I'm following the Vulture build in more of a "when" to do stuff as opposed to "what" to do. My drawings are not great but sometimes I can see something if I know what I'm looking for. I can't see the fixed blocks on the old drawings but McKay did put them on his drawings.