Eighteenth-century rigs & rigging

[trippwj]

Eighteenth-century Rigs & Rigging - By KARL HEINZ MARQUARDT

 

Publisher Conway Maritime Press, 1992 ISBN 0851775861, 9780851775869

 

From the dust jacket:

 

Studies of the masting and rigging of sailing ships have hitherto been limited in geographical scope or in types of vessels covered; Eighteenth-century Rigs & Rigging is the first truly comprehensive work in its field. Coverage includes all major ship types of Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Asia, both warships and merchant vessels, throughout the century in which the sailing ship was at its apogee.

 

Drawing together all the major contemporary sources (including Steel, Chapman, Falconer, Roding and Darcy Lever) as well as the most authoritative studies from more recent times, the author presents an astute synthesis of all available knowledge. Commentary on the development and significant features of each rig is complemented by detailed descriptions of lines, blocks and the sails themselves, by belaying plans and descriptions of knots, hitches and ropework, and by extensive tables of rigging dimensions. Over 1200 of the author's high-quality line drawings illustrate the book throughout, and rigging terms in the text are given in French and German as well as English.

This is an indispensable reference work for ship modellers, maritime historians and enthusiasts and provides a remarkable insight into the most complex technology of the period, from an English First Rate to a Fuchow pole junk.

 

This is, as described, an amazing compilation of highly detailed and useful information for those working on 18th century ships.  It is lacking in details from America, but that does not detract at all from it's utility - many of the Colonial ships would be following the European methods during that time period.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2013 by trippwj