Cutty Sark main flag hoisting and rigging

[Bruma]

Hello everyone,

I'm buiding the revell Cutty Sark and I have completed the main mast:

 

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/25323-cutty-sark-by-bruma-revell-196/?do=findComment&comment=990947

 

Campbell's plans show a flag on top of it: 

 

 

but I can't figure out how the flag pole is fixed to the masts, and how the flag was hoisted and lowered. I can't find any references in Undehill's masting and rigging or in Longridge's cutty sark book. 

Do you have any ideas? I'm sure it does not relate only to the Cutty Sark, similar arrangement should be found any clippers in general. 

Thank you in advance! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[popeye2sea]

Bruma,

 

I doubt that they would use the short pole to hoist the flag. Rather, they would probably have a rope halyard that runs through a sheave in the truck at the top of the mast. One end of the rope has a snap hook or toggle that fastens to a ring or eye at the top of the flag. The other end has a ring or eye that takes the snap hook or toggle attached to the bottom of the flag. The halyard forms a continuous loop so that you can pull one leg to raise the flag and the other leg to lower it.  Both legs of the halyard are then made fast around a convenient cleat or pin at deck level.

 

If you do want to go with the short pole on the hoist of the flag, attach a ring about midway along the pole and another at the base. The halyard will attach to these two rings in the same manner as described above.

 

Regards,

Henry

[Bruma]

Thank you, Henry, for your quick replay.

I agree that the "pole" solution is unpractical, to say the least...

Underhill mentions "a truck with two sheave holes diametrically opposite, used for signal halliard."

I think I will use the same for the main flag as you suggested.

For future viewers' benefit, here is the truck drawing by Underhill:

 

 

Thank you again! 

 

 

 

 

[ERS Rich]

 

3 hours ago, Bruma said:

Campbell's plans show a flag on top of it:

My interpretation of the illustration is a single line attached slightly above the pole midpoint, passed through a block, to raise the pole, then, not shown, a single line attached to the pole bottom for tension.

 

Cheers!

[Bob Cleek]

 

The "pole solution" is not impractical at all. It is the standard rigging method for any flag flown from a masthead for a very good reason: mast head flags are "set flying" on poles (properly called "pig sticks") because the pole raises the flag high enough to avoid its fouling on the mast and its attendant rigging. 

 

The above drawing correctly shows the house flag flown from a "pig stick" (staff) at the main masthead although the stick is much shorter than in actual practice and the hoisting attachment point is incorrect as described hereafter. The pig stick is rigged with a halyard (not shown in the drawing) fastened with a clove hitch to the middle of the pig stick with its fall extending down to the deck and then, in a continuous loop, the fall is again fastened to the bottom of the pig stick to serve as a downhaul in "messenger line" fashion. The halyard can be run through a block, as the drawing above would suggest, or through holes or over a sheave in the mast cap, as Underhill's drawing depicts. In this manner the stick can be two-blocked at the highest point on the mast, generally the truck, and held vertical by the downhaul (the looped halyard fall) at the bottom of the stick.

 

The flag is often attached to the pigstick with separate rotating rings around the pig stick or by some other arrangement such as a secondary staff that rotates around the primary pig stick to permits the flag to rotate 360 degrees around the pigstick without wrapping on the stick. Note, however, that the above drawing incorrectly depicts the attachment of the foot of the flag's hoist as below the two-blocked halyard's attachment point on the stick. This arrangement would cause the flag to foul and chafe on the halyard block and wrap about the halyard block as the direction of its flying rotated. Properly, the foot of the flag's hoist is be fastened on the pig stick at a point above the halyard block and the truck, so that the flag flies in "free air" without fouling on anything. So, in a correct depiction, the pig stick would be significantly longer to permit the flag to fly free above the truck.

 

Below: pig stick with wire secondary "staff" to permit flag to rotate without fouling (and exploded parts photo.)

 

 

Below: pig sticks with wooden secondary "staffs"

 

 

Pictures of pig sticks set aloft on a modern and a traditional masthead:

 

 

Edited June 24, 2023 by Bob Cleek

[Bruma]

Thank you both for taking the time to answer my question, and in particular, thanks to Bob for the detailed explanation. 

Now the "pole solution" or the "pig stick" as I have learned, makes a lot more sense. And thank you for pointing out the error by Campbell about the location of the actual flag, this makes sense too, allowing the flag to wave freely above the mast.

If I can make it 96 times smaller, I'll go for this solution. 

There is still a doubt in my mind: once the pig stick is near the skysail, I can see only advantages, but it's a long way from the deck, filled by lines of every type and many different obstacles. During this journey, a piece of canvas seems to me to be way more convenient than the "pig stick". 

This question is just for my curiosity. I understand that you already devote much time to answering me, and I have enough information for my model, so feel free to skip the question! 

Thank you again; I have learned a lot!