How to belay in the 1500s

[OllieS]

Please can anyone tell me what the alternative to pln boards and belaying pins were in the 16th century?

Like cleats under the rails or something? 

KIts avoid this problem by simply ignoring it as far as I can tell.

[Mark P]

Good Evening Ollie;

 

To judge from the few mentions of such things in early written works, the same belaying points were used from early in the 17th century as are shown on models of a later period. Whilst it is not possible to be certain, it is likely that these also extended backwards to the 16th century.

 

See below photos of belaying points on a model in the NMM's collection, all of which are fixed to the bulwarks. These comprise two forms of cleat, a staghorn and kevel. Cleats and kevels often had sheaves within them. When no specific belaying point was provided, the rope's end was made fast around the fife rail. There is a rigging treatise written around 1625, a transcript of which was published by the Society for Nautical Research. This describes the standing and running rigging of a ship in some detail, and includes details of where the majority of the ropes were belayed: 'belayed to the Gunwale'; 'fastened to the aftermost tymber'; 'belayed to the gunwale under the shrouds'; 'belayed to bit-pins on the fore castell'; 'belayed to 2 cleates set to ether side of the mayne mast'...etc. This is very helpful. 

 

I am not sure what you believe to be the date for the start of using belaying pins, but it is most likely that these were in use in the 16th century, as they certainly existed in the early 17th. Sir Henry Manwayring, in his nautical dictionary written around 1623, describes pin racks on the gammoning and on the forecastle head. 

 

All the best,

 

Mark P

 

[allanyed]

Further to Marks post, many lines were simply belayed to rails and timberheads prior to pins being used.

A contemporary model at Preble Hall is below as one example

Allan

[OllieS]

Thank you both Mark P and allanyed for your immediate and excellent responses. I have since found your more detailed posts on this subject.

This became a problem when I considered the belaying pins I got with my OcCre Revenge kit.

They scale to the adult human leg; so I was considering something in wire less than half that size, when I half remembered a comment which meant that they shouldn't be used at all.

When I read your replies, a light bulb lit over my head and the fog lifted.

I now think I understand the 'post and rail fences' (fore and aft) that dominated sailed ships up to the end of the sixteenth century:

They could be an 'Array' of belaying points that one could easily use in any situation.

As far as the Revenge is concerned, I now have to rebuild the OcCre version because I will need more belaying points i.e.. posts under  the mizzen deck taffrail. Hey ho, I will post it there. As and when.

There is a separate issue which has not been addressed, as far as I know, which is the evolution of the belaying pin into its modern form which is that sometime  (probably... 1600ish...) it becomes a removable object not just another belaying point.  I do wonder whether some of the confusion is because a fixed pin in a convenient position (like the prow) looks very much like its evolved cousin a tapered pin with a handle which you could remove in an emergency, or for convenience. By 1750 it was lauded, but  I lost that quote in the MSW sea.

 

 

 

 

 

[Roger Pellett]

A knot, particularly when the line is wet and under tension is almost impossible to untie.

 

Cleats, levels, and belaying pins are simple but ingenious devices that allow the hitch securing the line to be untied without releasing tension.  They also allow securing the bight of the line.

 

I, therefore, wonder what sort of knot or hitch was used to secure the bight of a long line to an open rail while still allowing Ir to be easily cast off under tension.

 

Roger

[OllieS]

8 hours ago, Roger Pellett said:

A knot, particularly when the line is wet and under tension is almost impossible to untie.

 

Cleats, levels, and belaying pins are simple but ingenious devices that allow the hitch securing the line to be untied without releasing tension.  They also allow securing the bight of the line.

 

I, therefore, wonder what sort of knot or hitch was used to secure the bight of a long line to an open rail while still allowing Ir to be easily cast off under tension.

 

Roger

Well I don't know, a sailor or boy scout might . But there would have to be some simple solution to not having pin boards and belaying pins. The post or rail would certainly provide the robust fixing for a line under tension to work against in several distinct positions so it would be easy to choose the right line when you needed to.

My interest is limited to making a model that I'm happy with, so I will make something up at the time having decided not to fit the provided pin boards.

For example:

On 10/28/2022 at 11:40 PM, allanyed said:

Further to Marks post, many lines were simply belayed to rails and timberheads prior to pins being used.

A contemporary model at Preble Hall is below as one example

Allan