Pandora 1831 Brigantine Rigging and Masting

[michaelpsutton2]

I am currently working on a portrait of the brigantine Pandora of 1831 as shown in paintings as a packet. Two questions: 1.) How is the fore gaff hung? Jaws around the mast similar to the main or some kind of swivel like spencer gaffs? Not sure it would even show at 12'/inch.

2..) the sail plan shows the main topmast staysail on it's own stay. Might this sail have been set "flying"? The red numbers on the sail plan are my own additions to remind me of the size  drafting curves I used for those particular lines.

Edited September 25, 2023 by michaelpsutton2

[michaelpsutton2]

I presume this sail plan, and so many others show the square sails full width, shoulder to shoulder on the yards, where as in actual real world practice the sheet blocks would be seized on the shoulders and therefore the sails themselves could only be stretched a little less than the full width. To state it differently... the sail plan does not allow for the blocks. These are the kinds of thoughts that trouble me late at night when the house is quiet and I am hesitating to make an indelible mark in exactly the wrong place

Edited September 24, 2023 by michaelpsutton2

[Dr PR]

Michael,

 

I am not familiar with this ship, but here are some observations.

 

1. The fore gaff would probably have jaws around the mast. This allows the gaff and sail to be lowered. If it was mounted on a fixed swivel the gaff could not be lowered. This was common on large steel masted ships of the late 1800s, but not on the smaller vessels of the 1700s and early 1800s. The clue here would be a throat halliard connected to the gaff at the jaws. This would only be used to lower a gaff with jaws. I can't tell from the drawing if there is one.

 

2. The staysail could be flying. Underhill's Sailing Ship Rigs and Rigging (page 93) calls this the main topgallant staysail because it connects to the upper top.

 

If it was not laced to the stay that would allow it to be lowered to the deck without sending anyone aloft. The main gaff topsail is rigged this way, and the fore royal spar was almost certainly rigged this way too. For that matter, the fore topgallant spar could be rigged to be lowered and raised from the deck. This allowed rapid changes of sail and reduction of weight up high. This was important on ships like this that had a vary large sail area relative to the displacement. They were prone to being blown over and capsizing in strong winds. There are quite a few historical accounts of this happening.

 

3. The foot of the main gaff sail (main sail) is not laced to the boom (on many vessels it was). It is "loose footed" with attachments to the boom only at the tack and clew. The fore gaff sail is loose footed and boomless. The loose footed sails could be reefed very quickly with brails.

 

4. Interesting that you call this a brigantine (hermaphrodite brig). Brigantines normally would not have a gaff foresail. It looks like a topsail schooner. However, the diagram does show faint outlines of two more triangular sails (middle staysail and main staysail) between the main mast and fore mast, and that is characteristic of a brigantine. So sometimes the vessel could be flying a schooner rig and the brigantine rig at other times. The distinction between a brigantine and topsail schooner is somewhat vague because some vessels could be both.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Dr PR