Lowering a ship's boat

[RGL]

Can someone give me some guidance on how the Endeavour lowers it's ship's boats? I have numerous references using the yard tackle, but does it also sling off the stays or mast tackle? I'm sure someone here has been on the replica and seen it in action.

[Captain Slog]

Hi Greg,

 

Not really sure, but on page 102 of the AOTS #21, 23 and 43 mention yard arm tackle pendant and yardarm tackle which looks like blocks with a hook on the end. Perhaps the boats were lifted with these and then the yards squared up again so the hung over the water?

 

Cheers

Slog

[wefalck]

Not specifically for the ENDEAVOUR, but this book give a detailed description of how it would be done:

 

HARLAND, J. (1985): Seamanship in the Age of Sail.- 320 p., London (Conway Maritime Press).

 

wefalck

[BareHook]

When I crewed on the Swift of Ipswitch, we would lift them with tackle on the yards and hold them off while lowering, using the oars.

 

But that is a much smaller vessel.

 

Ken

Edited August 12, 2013 by BareHook

[popeye2sea]

The yard tackles and stay tackles, or tackles set up between the mast pendants would be used.  Basically the boat would be lifted vertically under the stay tackles, then as the yard tackles were hauled the stay tackles were eased which would swing the boat over the side until it hung vertically under the yard tackles.  The yard tackles would then lower away till the boat was in the water.

 

Lots of vessels still use the same method to load cargo now, except now its done with booms instead of yards.

[wefalck]

... we would lift them with tackle on the yards and hold them off while lowering, using the oars.

 

 

Sounds pretty dangerous in anything but a dead-calm sea.

 

Harland describes/illustrates exactly the same procedure as popey2sea described.

 

wefalck

[RGL]

There are two references I found in Seamanship in th age of sail and one by marquardt.

 

My quandry is that the Endeavour has lower mast tackle, so I am assuming that the two tackle on the main mast stay is used in conjunction with the tackle on the yards.

[druxey]

Yes, it was a lengthy business. That is one reason that a ship's boat would be towed: it would be ready when required.

[wefalck]

You can gain height by rigging a tackle (or using the braces) at the opposite yard arm to tilt the yard. You loose some clearance off the ship's side though. As noted above this was a common arrangement to load/unload at the quay-side.

 

wefalck

[RGL]

Thanks gents, my plan is to have my Endeavor displayed lowering a ships boat and also drawing in one of the anchors using the fish hook Davit running off one of the mast tackles.

 

As far as I can figure it, it will utilise two tackle running off the yards from the main mast and foremast. I think that it will have to use the 2 tackle off the mainmast stay. It just seems that if I use the foremast tackle it would get tangled in the shrouds. I admit I am basing this on Marquardt's book.

 

He has no pendants only blocks off the lower masts. Thus my confusion.

 

Greg

[BareHook]

Not really dangerous, the method is simplified version shown in the rigging thumbnails, was only performed when anchored or in harbor and the boats were small 4 man dorys. The oars were used to keep them from banging against the outer hull.