8 squared and 16 square section of yards HMS Endeavour 1758 to 1761

[DaveBaxt]

According to both Lees book 'The Masting and rigging of English ships of war' for the period the Endeavour 'was built with all lower yards and topsail yards were 8 squared ( octagon) except for the Crossjack yard which is 16 squared. The drawings for the above are also in the AOTS Endeavour and indicate the same. The topgallant yards are round throughout, as is the spritsail yard and the Sprit topsail yard .

                              My question is this. After making the above yards from square boxwood stock and then sanding them into 8 sided throughout their length. I have then sanded them into 16 sided and then rounded and tapered to the ends. I have then left the centre sections as either 8 sided or 16 sided depending upon which yard I am making. ie Cross jack yard  being 16 sided. So far so good although sanding a 16 sided on a 6mm spar does not look great. Now According to some blogs some people then add flat pieces of wood onto the middle section, but I am unsure if these are glued to the flats or glued to the round section if this is previously sanded round throughout. Hope this makes sense. I am unsure if the last precedure is only if people are using round stock for their yards in which therefore  in my case there is no need to add these strips of wood to the already 8 or 16 sided centre section of the yards.in question? Best regards Dave

                 

[druxey]

Are you referring to the cleats or the battens? If battens, I don't think that these came into use until the very end of the 18th century. 

[Gregory]

1 hour ago, DaveBaxt said:

I am unsure if the last precedure is only if people are using round stock for their yards in which therefore  in my case there is no need to add these strips of wood to the already 8 or 16 sided centre section of the yards.in question? Best regards Dave

Those strips are 'battens' and appeared to have been common on the larger yards.

 

Here is what Mondfeld shows.

[DaveBaxt]

Thank you for your input it is very much appreiciated..It looks like from Mondfeld drawing that adding Battens and increasing the diameter of the yard did not occur until 1780 on British ships which is after the Endeavour was built. Where as at an earlier period on continental ships it  looks like the yard is made with the centre section octagonal and without the use of battens. I am still not convinced either way so might have to go with what Druxey has suggested and just leave the centre areas octagonal  without the use of battens which is also what is in the Lees book and the AOTS book. So thank you for your input and for clearing that up in some way. Best regards Dave