1/5/2015
Ah the days of sail! My own vessel is a modest 42 ft ketch rigged cruiser and of course it has an engine. The sailing I do would be called island hopping. Which means most of the time I set it on automatic and let my mind wander.
As now for instance. I imagine myself sitting in a pub…North London say, or Margate listening to some bloke whining about the LibDem’s immigration policy…the usual tripe…when who should walk in but Lemmy Kilmister brandishing a pair of six-guns he nicked from the Old Vic props department. You don’t want to mess with Lemmy when he’s in a theatrical mood. Who’s he looking for? Not me I hope.
Or I’m in my Spitfire, diving out of the sun onto a pack of Heinkels….I give one a 2 second burst and watch his engine drop off.
Then suddenly, just like that, I’m on one of those old tea clippers…one
of the big buggers with sails as big as football pitches, the wind is from the
stern quarter and every stitch of canvas is up there…ropes and spars…one of
those jibs could slice your head off.
How did those blokes do it you ask? How did they find their way through all that rope and wood and cordage? So for all you what’s been wondering about the difference between a main top brace and a mizzen royal stay here’s a chance to brush up on your rigging.
How did those blokes do it you ask? How did they find their way through all that rope and wood and cordage? So for all you what’s been wondering about the difference between a main top brace and a mizzen royal stay here’s a chance to brush up on your rigging.
The Spars and
Rigging of a Frigate. References are not repeated for each mast where the names
and functions are identical 1, bowsprit; 2, bobstays, three pairs; 3,
spritsail-gaffs, projecting at each side of the bowsprit- the ropes at the
extremities are jib-guys and flying jib-guys; 4, jib-boom; 5, martingale-stay,
and below it the flying-jib martingale; 6, back-ropes; 7, flying jib-boom; 8,
fore-royal stay, flying jib-stay and halyards; 9, fore-top-gallant-stay,
jib-stay and halyards; 10, two fore-topmast-stays and fore-topmast staysail
halyards; 11, the foretop bowlines, stopped into the top and two fore-stays;
12, two fore-tacks; 13, fore-truck; 14, fore-royal mast, yard and lift; 15,
top-gallant mast, yard and lift; 16, fore-top mast, topsail-yard, lift and
reef-tackle; 17, foretop, fore-lift, and topsail-sheet; 18, foremast and
fore-shrouds, nine-pairs; 19, fore-sheets; 20, fore-gaff; 21, fore-topmast
backstays and topsail tie; 22, royal and top-gallant backstays; 23, fore-royal
braces and main-royal-stay; 24, fore-topgallant braces and main-topgallant
stay; 25, standing parts, or fore topsail-braces, and main topmast-stays; 26,
hauling parts of fore-topsail-braces and main-top-bowlines; 27, fore parts of
fore-braces; 28, mainstays; 29, main-tacks; 30, main-truck; 31,
main-royal-braces; 32, mizzen-royal-stay and mizzen-royal-braces; 33,
main-topgallant braces and mizzen-topgallant-braces; 34, standing parts of main
topsail braces and mizzen topmast stay; 35, mizzen topsail braces; 36, hauling
parts of main-topsail-braces, mizzen-top-bowlines and cross-jack braces; 37,
main-braces and mizzen stay; 38, standing part of peak halyards; 39, vangs,
similar on each gaff; 40, ensign staff; 41, spanker-book; 42, quarter-boat’s
davits; 43, one of the davit topping-lifts and wind-sail; 44, main yard tack,
45, a bull-rope.
Happy frigging.
Happy frigging.
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