Cutty Sark Mizzen cro jack (course) sheet belaying point - need help

[keelhauled]

Hi, 

I need some help determining where and how to belay the cro-jack sheets on the Cutty Sark. I'm looking for help and insight. 

 

In researching the belaying point I've looked at the actual Ship in London, Longridge's the Cutty Sark with Harold Underhill's plans and the Campbell's Plans, which were used as one of the primary references when they restored the ship.    I've drawn this diagram to help the discussion.

In figure A.  I've illustrated the ship as she was in 1990 and 2019 when I last visited her.  The Crojack sheet goes through the bulwark fairlead where is goes around the sheave and out onto the deck and is belayed to  large bollards forward of the fairlead.  This is actually the way all of the other coarse sheet are rigged currently.  The fore and Main course sheets are also rigged this way with small bollards on the rails.   Here is a shot from 2019

 

 

 

The oldest references which are Campbell and Underhill's plans have these large bollards aft of the crojack bulwark fairleads as illustrated in B.  It is my understanding that the bollard was moved forward when the ship was owned by the Portuguese company.  I can't imagine that the sheet would go through the fairlead and then aft to the bollards.  Unless, perhaps if the crew pulled the sheet forward and then stopped the farilead and made the sheet fast to the bollards aft of the fairleads?  I was thinking of the way that the has a procedure for stopping the line when raising the halyard lines and brining them up to the pins?

 

As you can see in the photo above there is a pin rail located forward of the fairleads, but these are completely full when the ship has sails. unlike some of the other pin rails, these don't have wooden bollards, just a knob-not even a pin. If you think that the sheet would be belayed here, how would it be made fast/secure?

 

Thanks in advance for the help!

best

Marc

[keelhauled]

Still need help.. I'm still open to insight and suggestions.  Can you belay a sheet that size to a pin?

 

Thanks

[Blue Ensign]

I see you have The Cutty Sark book by Longridge in which he notes.

The Cro’jack sheets were made fast to the Qtr Bumpkin, and the Tack to an eyebolt on the rail.

 

Does this not  resolve the issue?

 

B.E.

Edited May 1, 2022 by Blue Ensign

[keelhauled]

Hi B.E.

thank you for researching this issue! 

 

I can see the standing portion of  sheet  being made fast to the quarter bumkin.  However, the working end continues up through an 11" block attached to the sail and then it has to go back back to ship.  Where is the mystery.  Campbell's plan shows and the actual ship has the working end continuing through a fairlead.   

 

I really appreciate the help. 

 

best,

Marc

[keelhauled]

Hi all,

 

Thanks to B.E., I went back through all of Campbell's pans again. The belaying point is in the Rigging Plan.  I guess that I spent too much time looking at the sail plan.  However, I did look at the rigging plan several times and missed the comment pointing to the sheet:  "4 inch hemp rope through sheave in bulwark and belayed on pinrail."    In Campbell's plan the sheet is belayed to the pinrail not the bollards like the other sheets and as she is now. 

 

Mystery solved. 

 

Thanks

Marc

[keelhauled]

On 5/1/2022 at 3:31 AM, Blue Ensign said:

I see you have The Cutty Sark book by Longridge in which he notes.

The Cro’jack sheets were made fast to the Qtr Bumpkin, and the Tack to an eyebolt on the rail.

 

Does this not  resolve the issue?

 

B.E.

B.E. I wanted to express again my gratitude for your help. It really means a lot to me that you took the time to look through references to answer my questions.  

My sincerest appreciation 

Best

Marc

[Blue Ensign]

Thank you Marc, I like to help where I can.

 

B.E.