Buntlines and their relation to the shrouds

[Landlubber Mike]

Hi folks,

 

I'm working on the fore course buntlines for my Badger, and am trying to figure out how they run from the blocks under the tops to the fore shroud pinrail.  Do they run inside the shrouds?  Outside the shrouds?  Can they start outside the shrouds and then cross through the shrouds so that they belay on the pinrail inside the shrouds?

 

For the Badger, it looks like I can get the inner buntlines to run inside the shrouds at all times with no problem.  The outer buntlines, however, seem to only be able start outside the shrouds, so I'm wondering if it is proper to run them through the shrouds at the right point.  I've been looking at pictures, but can't seem to make out this detail.

 

Thanks so much in advance.

[JerseyCity Frankie]

In general nothing runs on the outboard side of the shrouds, this would be too dangerous for the crew. My guess is your buntlines would pass through the shrouds at a convenient point near the very top of the shrouds, under the top and ideally above the futtock shrouds so the men wouldn't have to tangle with them. Often fairleads were seized to the inboard sides of some of the shrouds and these look like wooden doughnuts  with a hole big enough to allow for two or three lines to run through them and these fairleads are often lashed to the shrouds at points directly over the pins the lines are being led to. Its conceivable and likely that there were fairleads near the top of the shrouds too, where necessary, to keep lines running fair.

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks very much Frankie.  When running the lines last night, I had a feeling that nothing should run outside the shrouds for the reason you say.  I'll have to look into fairleads, as these might be a good way to guide the lines in the right direction.