Yards at 45 degrees or more

[Loracs]

Hello, I'm starting rigging and looking ahead to how I would like to display the Yards with furled (semi-furled) sails.  Because of space reason, I would like to have the yards at roughly 45 degrees or even more.  Basically, with one end toward the deck and the other toward the sky.

 

I looked at a lot of pictures and could not find any with this configuration.  Did anyone ever saw one?  Was there even a purpose for it?  such as dock at a port?

let me know if you came across anything.  -- cheers

 

For reference, I'm working on the "HMS Revenge".

Edited June 11 by Loracs

[BANYAN]

Hi, if furling your sails this would typically indicate a ship in harbour rather than at sea (unless only some sails were furled and others set - in use).  As such your proposed arrangement would be very unusual I think, well for square sails at least.  Normally, in harbour, the square sail yards were shown in their lowered position and arranged horizontally athwartship.

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited June 12 by BANYAN

[Dr PR]

Tilting the yards out of the horizontal as you propose would be bizarre! It would mark the model as unrealistic and amateurish.

 

I understand your desire to reduce the space the model takes up. There is no reason why you couldn't rotate the yards around the masts in the horizontal plane. This was done at sea to orient the sails properly to the wind. This is what the braces were used for.

[Loracs]

Thank you for your input both...  I greatly appreciate.   That why I was asking...  I was afraid it may look odd.

 

Keeping the spars horizontal but rotate around the masts is a great idea.  It would help with the space issue while retaining fidelity to the model.  I like it a lot!

Edited June 11 by Loracs

[Jim Lad]

Sailing ships alongside a wharf sometimes 'cockbilled' their lower yards (as in the image below of Port Adelaide in the 1860's) to avoid damage to the yards, but otherwise, as has been noted above, they would have been square. It was generally considered 'bad form' not to have your yards properly squared in port.

 

John

 

[paul ron]

unrealistic and amateurish?... so what! if it pleases you and solves your space issue... go for it! are you displaying it in a museum or entering a contest as an exact replica, being judged by the realistic police? 

 

do what you think is best for you. im sure anyone seeing your model will be impressed by your workmanship regardless of how realistic or amateurish it looks.

 

 

 

 

[rwiederrich]

Some good conversations for sure.  If the OP is needing to save space, canting the yards to mimic catching the wind from the beam would provide the needed space relief and replicate the model in a more natural setting.  Note nearly every historical painting, of large ships...namely clippers, and you will see the yards/sails are faced.  The wind rarely drives from astern.

 

Rob

 

[DonSangria]

22 minutes ago, rwiederrich said:

canting the yards to mimic catching the wind from the beam

I did this with my beagle (see link in my signature)

[Quimp Slattery]

I have read that Cockbilling the yards of a ship was also done in harbour as a signal of mourning; for example at the death of its captain. 

[Loracs]

thank you so much all for the comments...  it is very instructive.

[catopower]

I think it's neither amateurish nor unrealistic if you are representing a specific reason for a ship doing that since, as John (Jim Lad) pointed out that it was done in reality.

 

That said, it's such an unusual configuration that it will look really odd to most people, and you'll probably have to constantly explain your model to people. That might get annoying after a bit.