HMS Beagle by Patrick - OcCre - 1/60

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  For warships from the mid 1700s to the 1850s, check out 'Rigging Period Ship Models' by Lennarth Peterson ... first published in 2000, and reprinted in 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2018 (so is likely still in print).  After the introduction, every page is a generous line drawn illustration of some aspect of rigging (labels and terms in English) from the standing rigging on out through full sail.  There are other diagrams for belaying points, etc.

 

  This is the clearest, concise guide I've yet seen, and indeed - one picture is worth a thousand words.  The scale of detail is varied as needed to convey pretty much 'how to do it', and I suppose that many of the elements can be applied to non-military square rigged ships of that era.  I dare say that if one were allowed only ONE reference book for rigging a ship in the subject period  this would be the one I'd pick ... virtually no text, but they show you in pictures - thus suitable for non-English speakers (who can likely use a translation app on their smart phone for the labels).

 

  Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) said to would-be writers, "Don't tell them, SHOW them."