Spanker brail lines

[toms10]

Hi all

I am second guessing myself and someone to set me straight. I am getting ready to set the spanker sail on my 1790 Leopard and am questioning whether:

1) the brail lines go on both sides of the sail unlike a bunt line which is only on the front of the sail. 

2) if they do go on both sides, are they 2 separate lines tied to the cringle and then to blocks tied to the gaff on both sides?  Or one line that is tied to the gaff then passed through the cringle to a block that is tied to the gaff on the other side of the sail and then makes its way to a belaying pin. 
 

I have read through Harland’s book “Seamanship in the Age of Sail” and the sketches don’t really show what is going on but on page 131 it mentions under general remarks that when taking in the slack of the weather side was taken and the leeward side was tightened. That leads me to believe there are two separate lines, one on each side. This would require 2 belaying pins. 
 

Also the picture shown in Peterson’s “Rigging o”Period Ship Models” pg 81, it shows lines on both sides of the sail but I can’t tell if it is one or two lines. 
 

I would assume the answer would be the same for any fore/aft sail with a brail such as the main top mast staysail. 
 

Any clarification would be greatly appreciated. 
Thanks,

Tom

Edited August 30, 2021 by toms10

[Jim Lad]

In his 'Masting and Rigging', Lees talks about the brails running through blocks on either side of the mast and down to the deck, but he isn't specific of exactly where on deck they were secured.

 

John

[toms10]

I didn’t see that in my Lee book. That tells me though that they do go on both sides and down to 2 pins. 
Thanks Jim, that is the direction I was going. 
 

Tom

[allanyed]

Hi Jim,

I see where Lees describes the brails on either side of the sail and he also states that the brails all went on both sides of the sail on page 109 for the lateen type sail, but I cannot find where he mentions anything about this for the spanker.  He does go into some good detail on the peak, middle, throat and foot brails for the spanker on page 114.

 

Hi Tom,

On page 179 Lees gives belaying points for all of the spanker brails for a frigate of 1810 but I have no idea if this would be similar for Leopard.  Could be that these are not appropriate for a 50 gun ship of 1776  just as Petersson's book may not be appropriate for every line as his  book was based on one model of a 32 gun ship of 1785.   Still, together,  they may be of some good help.    

 

I checked Steel's Elements and Practice of Rigging and Seamanship, but he does not even mention the brails for the spanker that I could find.

https://maritime.org/doc/steel/part7.htm#pg217    

 

Allan 

[toms10]

Thanks for checking on it Allan.  I will probably end up taking a bit of everybody's info.  I am thinking that since the Leopard is a 50 gun and a bit larger than the one Petersson's book uses, it might make sense to follow that as a guide and belay the lines where it makes sense.

Thanks again,

Tom