Question about Eye/ring bolts for gun tackle and breech rope

[Gaffrig]

Hello all.

 

I’m currently working on my model of Lynx, and would like to drill the holes and install eyebolts and ringbolts for the gun tackles and breech ropes before I start «cluttering» up the deck with various bits and pieces. 
 

My question is where do I put them? Looking around various builds here it seems to be several ways to do this.

 

Many models have them above eachother in area 1 and 2 in my pic below, whereas some have the gun tackle eye bolts moved further away from the gunport in approx. Area 3 and 4. 

 

The plans/instructions are useless here as there is no rigging on the guns at all.

 

Hoping to draw from the immense knowledge from this site to get an answer to this before I start drilling!

 

Gaffrig.

 

[AON]

I can see your confusion as I too have gun rigging sketch references that show two different things.

I always try to find a believable source.

Looking at videos of HMS Victory that can be found on line I see the ring bolts are one over the other in areas 1 and 2 of your marked up sketch.

[Gaffrig]

Hi Alan.

 

Yes, this seems to be the dominant way it is done. I’ll likely go for this way.

Thank you!

 

Gaffrig.

[Morgan]

Positions 3 & 4 are in addition to 1 & 2, they were used to train or point the gun further around, the tackle being transferred from position 1 or 2 to facilitate this.  This bit is from memory, I think they appeared at the back end of the 18th Century.

 

Gary

[Gaffrig]

Hi Gary.

 

That is an interessting point, makes alot of sense to have both. 
Thank you for your input!

 

Gaffrig.

[AON]

I wonder if 3 and 4 are actually the adjacent gun eye bolts being used to train the gun?

I do not see extra eyebolts on the Victory

[Gaffrig]

Could it be that in ships with equal distance between gunports, there is an extra eyebolt in the middle between two ports used by both adjacent guns for pointing?

 

Gaffrig.

[Gregory]

It would be interesting to see the source for the sketch you came up with.

3 And 4 might be for some other part of the ships rigging.

[AON]

Thank you for asking and making me look again.

I have a folder of pics taken by a friend and darned if it wasn't much clearer!

There are extra bolts.

I didn't see these in the video.

[AON]

one more view

[Gaffrig]

Gregory, the source is just looking at different builds here on the forum, and the thread carriage gun rigging has a few sketches. (Can’t get the link in here for some reason but search and you shall find!)

 

Alan, thank you for the pictures, the extra ringbolt there seems closer to the gunport than I have seen in other pictures.

The plot thickens… 🤣

 

Gaffrig

[Gregory]

It would still be interesting  to know  a build that you are trying to emulate.

 

The Lynx is an American built Schooner.   You might look at builds like Niagara or Prince de Neufchatel.

[Gaffrig]

Gregory, that’s a good tip, thank you, I’ll look at build logs for those and see what I find.

 

Gaffrig.

[AON]

Close?

Possibly the adjacent gun used the extra ring at this station.

Would that be far enough?

I wonder if anyone on the forum knows?

[vossiewulf]

Wouldn't it be more likely that the second ring was used when the guns were stowed sideways for heavy weather?

[aliluke]

The biggest mistake that I sense with breeching ropes in models is enough slack in them to let the recoil position to allow for reloading. The movie, Master & Commander, shows it. You can't reload if the barrel is still sticking out of the port. Where the bolts are is less relevant IMO. An overly tight rope is a worse mistake!