Rigging Cutter Square Sail Sheets and Tack

[Thukydides]

I am trying to figure out the best way to rig Alert's sheet and tack lines to the square sail without having sails in place.

In the above diagram from Goodwin you can see the sheet block (#37) and the sheet sanding and running parts (#s 38 and 39). He does not show it here, but there is also a tack line going from the clew of the square sail forward.

 

I am not putting sails on my model, but I wanted to show as much of the running rigging as possible. I know convention is to attach the sheet to the clew line and I plan to do this for the topsail, but for the square sail there are no clew lines. I am wondering if anyone knows:

1. Why there are no clew lines for the square sail
2. What would be the best way to depict the sheet and the tack for the square sail where I am not planning on using sails. I had considered attaching them to the reef tackle (see below for a potential arrangement, red line being the reef and blue being the tack), but am interested in any ideas you might have.

 

[wefalck]

Just out of curiosity: why would there be yard to which only the foot of the top-sail is attached and then above it another yard for the square fore-sail? It seems to be a rather strange arrangement with on first view no practical advantage ...

[Thukydides]

6 minutes ago, wefalck said:

Just out of curiosity: why would there be yard to which only the foot of the top-sail is attached and then above it another yard for the square fore-sail? It seems to be a rather strange arrangement with on first view no practical advantage ...

Not sure on this one, I would guess because the stays get in the way of the topsail so you need to make it with a curved bottom as opposed to a straight one. Then there is a gap which more sail could be put in so you raise the square sail higher.

 

You can see the arrangement in this contemporary model of hawke from RMG:

[popeye2sea]

That's one of the oddest arrangements I have ever seen.  I would have suspended the topsail from the topmast and just have the foot of it spread from the regular main yard.  The extra lower yard to spread the foot of the topsail is totally unnecessary and then there would be virtually no gap between the topsail and the main square sail. That would make the topgallant sail unnecessary also.

 

Regards,

 

Henry

[JerryTodd]

The lower square on it's own yard is akin to a spinnaker or a "drifter" today.  It's set "flying" from on deck as is the t'gallant.  The tops'l is the only square that lives on the mast, and even that's designed to be lowered completely (notice none of the yards have parrells and only the tops'l yard has footropes).  The course yard, which is the lowest yard on the model to which the tops'l sheets, is typically lowered to the rail and tied down when the tops'l's not in use.

Petersson's Rigging Fore-and-Aft Craft the details of all of this pretty much exactly as it is on this model.

[Dr PR]

Just a guess.

 

The topsail has a deep arc cut into it to reach up and over the stays. This opening would let a lot of air pass through. The course yard is hauled up just below the stays, and the top of the sail fills the gap in the topsail.