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Rigging the Cutter Mermaid.


Rick01

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I'm now at the point of assembling the masts, spars and booms but notice that King's illustration has a number of differences in rigging to that supplied with the instructions. Most obvious being 2 blocks between the mast caps (per King) and 4 per instructions. I can work out the basic run of the rigging fairly well from King's sketches however I'm wondering if there is a fairly straight forward book out there somewhere which will help me understand what's going on.

I'm guessing that whilst the rig is basically the same on cutters there will be some variance in mounting and number of blocks used dependant on the size of the cutter.

One other query - how is a topmast spreader attached to the mast cap? Again instructions are not to clear " identify ... fit and fix ... across the top of the lower mast cap" doesn't tell me a lot.

 

Thanks

 

Rick

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Hi rick

Have a look at rigging period fore and aft craft by lennarth Peterson. On page 19 is a very clear diagram of how the spreader is rigged and how it fits into the lower of the two topmast caps. I would scan the image but may be in breach of copyright if I did.

Hope this helps.

Cheers.....mick

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Rick,

 

The opposite page also has two illustrations, that show the slot in the mastcap into which the the spreader fits. You have to bear in mind though the dates between the two cutters 1817, and about 1785, but there may not be that much difference.

Edited by Stockholm tar

Kester

 

Current builds: Sherbourne (Caldercraft) scale – 1/64th;

 

Statsraad Lehmkuhl (half model) 1/8th" – 1'.

 

Victory Bow Section (Panart/Mantua) scale – 1/78th  (on hold).

 

Previous build: Bluenose ll (Billings) scale – 1/100th.

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Thanks guys - the sketch makes sense and of course means more work for me! The supplied mast cap doesn't have enough depth to allow for a channel so it's off to the workshop and machine another one. I would think that the ringbolt would allow the spreader to be lowered easily for repairs, replacement etc. and the other square marks should be some sort of locator pegs. Off to buy a copy of Ienneth's book now before I get any more confused.

 

Rick 

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A red flag has gone up in my head about the "spreader" but maybe I am confused about the issue. If the Spreader is the spar that holds the clews of the square topsail "spread" apart, then it must be able to brace from side to side ( as the topsail will) and can not be fixed to the cap as indicated in the drawing.

But maybe the Spreader is like a conventional modern spreader for standing rigging? In which case I can't imagine it being located on the front of the cap.

  

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 Niagara USS Constitution 

 

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Hi again

Mr petersons drawings for the cutter are based on a 1/30scale contemporary model.

Length of gun deck 69 ft

Length of keel 49 ft

Beam 24 ft

Depth of hold 11ft

Apparently these dimensions conform to the fraught of " expedition" designed by sir s j Williams and built at dover in 1778.

 

Looking at the drawings it appears that this spreading yard is designed to brace the long thin topmast. It would also appear to be square in section. If you get yourself a copy of said book I think everything will become self explanatory. Not surewhether everything in the book will apply to your mermaid.

Cheers....mick

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Spreaders are connected with the rigging, and 'spread' the topmast stays of many of the cutters in a thwartship direction. They had nothing to do with spreading the foot of the sails. Not all cutters were fitted with them. As far as I know the Sherbourne didn't have them, probably because she is early, but later vessels certainly did. I believe the spreaders were often fitted between the topmast and the lower mast head.

 

The sheets of the topsail usually passed over sheaves in the lower yard below and thence to the deck. This yard is often referred to as the spread yard, since it spreads the foot of the topsail. It doesn't normally have a sail bent to it, although I think one could be set flying from it. As you imply, Frankie, it has braces and operates like a normal yard.

 

Confusing perhaps, but the two things are quite different. :huh:

Kester

 

Current builds: Sherbourne (Caldercraft) scale – 1/64th;

 

Statsraad Lehmkuhl (half model) 1/8th" – 1'.

 

Victory Bow Section (Panart/Mantua) scale – 1/78th  (on hold).

 

Previous build: Bluenose ll (Billings) scale – 1/100th.

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Here's a sketch by King - clearly shows the spreader bracing the top mast.

 

post-15284-0-94918900-1426112149_thumb.jpg

 

I've ordered a copy of the book and expect to have to make some sort of allowance for the size difference - length 56ft beam 18ft 6 in. but I will at least get a better idea of the way the rigging works as some is not that clear on contemporary sketches.

 

post-15284-0-16451200-1426112506_thumb.jpg

 

Thanks again.

 

Rick

 

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Thanks Stokholm Tar. I now understand the spreader and what it is for. I still think it would have been problematic to brace the square sail with this spreader    in the way though, it looks to me like the canvas would rub against it when braced up sharp.

Also, are there no crosstrees on this particular cutter? This is the job of the crosstrees after all. I could see some sort of Bentick Shroud being used to improve things but thats just guesswork on my part. Or if they were running backstays that could be slacked off on the lee side?

  

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 Niagara USS Constitution 

 

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Frankie,

 

There are a few points here:

 

1. The topsails of most cutters had a deep 'roach' cut in them, ie., there was a distinct upward curve of the foot at the centre, so that it cleared the forestay, with the clews coming down to the spread yard on either side. I surmise it may just have been possible to flick the lee side clew over the end of the spreader, depending on where the two were situated.

 

2. Cutters, of course, were predominatly fore-and-aft vessels, so I think the square sails were probably only set when they were running before the wind. I'm not sure either that they were braced very far round and I doubt they were ever 'braced up sharp', as in a square rigger.

 

3. As you imply, the lee side topmast stays could have been slackened off, giving the yard more 'play'.

 

4. Cutters did have crosstrees, but they they seem to have been very small and didn't reach much past the mast, athwartships. Hence, probably, the spreader for the topmast stay.

 

5. Yes, chafe was always looked for, so I would think that, as with modern yachts, the bare spar would have been covered at stategic points to prevent this and perhaps leather was used on the ends. The stay itself most likely also had baggywrinkles.

 

6. It would seem as though athwartship spreaders were used mainly on small fore-and-aft craft, such as cutters, and you often see them in 19th cent photos of ketches, etc. I don't think they were used on period square riggers, but they were introduced on the later clippers and cargo carriers. In the latter, however, they were at a roughly forty five degree angle, sweeping aft, to spread the number of backstays on those vessels. This position, of course, allowed for the tighter bracing of the yards.

 

Right, that's me done. ;)

Edited by Stockholm tar

Kester

 

Current builds: Sherbourne (Caldercraft) scale – 1/64th;

 

Statsraad Lehmkuhl (half model) 1/8th" – 1'.

 

Victory Bow Section (Panart/Mantua) scale – 1/78th  (on hold).

 

Previous build: Bluenose ll (Billings) scale – 1/100th.

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I disagree that the cutters wouldn't brace up very much or only use the square sails while running. The ships were designed with the largest amount of sail area possible for the REASON they were going to be sailing like mad, escaping adversaries, getting dispatches delivered as fast as possible or running down smugglers. Would they go directly to windward with the squares set? No. But I believe the crew would set them as soon as they would draw and this means braced as far over as possible.

In general in our hobby there seams to be a lack of yard bracing comprehension. I would guess that a lot of people complete very complex square rigged ship models and never comprehend the yards can move- even after rigging the braces so carefully.

  

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 Niagara USS Constitution 

 

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Frankie,

 

Yes, I'm sure they would brace them as far as they could, but I'm somewhat doubtful that would be as much as on fully square-rigged vessels. The mainsail itself was also quite a large and efficient sail.

 

There is also the possibility that with the square topsail and topgallant sails set and with, say, a wind on the beam, the cutter (which is quite a small vessel) would heel over a considerable way, and that would surely effect her speed.

Kester

 

Current builds: Sherbourne (Caldercraft) scale – 1/64th;

 

Statsraad Lehmkuhl (half model) 1/8th" – 1'.

 

Victory Bow Section (Panart/Mantua) scale – 1/78th  (on hold).

 

Previous build: Bluenose ll (Billings) scale – 1/100th.

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I can't think of a reason cutters wouldn't brace their square yards "as much as on fully square-rigged vessels"  as stated above.  Could a square sail aloft cause excessive heeling? Sure it could but in no way differently  than on a full rigged ship. Cutter rigs were certainly loaded with more sail area than a typical ship rig and this would call for extraordinary competence from the crew but I can't think of a reason any vessel would cary a square sail if they didn't intend to use it in its full range of effectiveness. A case could maybe even be made that cutters braced MORE than typical ships.  I am sure there were statistically more rig failures on cutters than on other ships but that is the price for the speed they were built to achieve.  I put a spare topmast lashed to the chains on my cutter to reflect the likely short lifespan of a topmast on a cutter.

  

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 Niagara USS Constitution 

 

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