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Yes, I have Marquardt's book as well, and didn't find any reference to any manropes either. My supposition is that such manropes would have been used to embark the ship from a rowing boat, as boarding a ship while in port would have been via a boarding bridge from the harbour to the ship. I stand corrected if my supposition is not the correct.
It would be interesting to learn what theses steps would have been used for.
The ropes would have to be clean, and were sometimes served with fabric to make them more presentable on the Sb side.This is of interest to me, too, since I'm currently building a 16th century galleon. I have no knowledge of when the ropes were used or introduced, but it does make sense to have them. Even on galleons, such as I'm currently making, there would be times when a Master would send people ashore using a logboat. to get passengers aboard from a rowing boat, I'd guess that ropes would be a must. Wet and slippery tar-covered rungs would be scary for a 'land-lubber'.
Encre de Chine, you seem to endorse the idea of ropes being used, but only rigged when people were boarding. That would mean that modellers should at the very least add cleats or eyes for the ropes. After that, adding the lines would be up to the modeller. Why do you say that they were not permanently rigged?
I'd like to add this detail as authentically as I can to my galleon.
An easier way to visualize is:So, in a nutshell, ladders at the steps when the ship was at harbour and no ladders when at sea.
Agreed. I would assume the ropes for the ladder would have been threaded through eye rings or similar either side of the steps when in use and a length of rope left hanging through the lowest eye ring to facilitate pulling the ropes back in for stowing.An easier way to visualize is:
- Sailing ship with fixed treads and provided with rope or ropes to assist personnel whenever they are ascending or descending at anchor, in a roadstead, alongside, and as necessary for the transfer of personnel at sea, etc. Ropes no doubt stowed away on sea passage and when not required.
- For modern day practices a portable pilot ladder is similarly used and/or an embarkation ladder. There are also personnel ladders of similar construction to the pilot ladder. All portable ladders, ropes and other gear is secured for sea and stowed away when not required.
It’s poor seamanship to leave “stuff” hanging over the ships side on passage.
What you write is what I would envisage too. Single rope, deployed as needed, possibly spaced figure of 8 knots along the rope to assist.So, in response to the replies so far, I assume that no ropes should be visible for boarding ladders, but some means of rigging them would probably be left in place. If it was me building the ship, I'd most likely have a single belaying pin in line with the centre of the fixed steps. A simple double-hitch?* around this and throw the 'boarding rope' over the gunwales and... job done! I don't know, but looking at these fixed steps, I'd like to hang onto a single rope and lean backwards, using the edges of the steps. I'd guess that the steps are only needed because the hull of the ship, covered in pitch and water, would be very slippery at times, never mind if it was sailing in the arctic or antarctic and the hull was covered in rime and frost. This might also answer my thought that the 'steps' are too far apart to use as a conventional ladder. If you're walking up with a rope, the 'steps' can be further apart... I'm talking 15th/16th century sail ships here.
* probably not the correct nautical term here. I refer to wrapping a figure of 8 twice around a cleat. It doesn't need to be knotted and won't slip.
Thanks for your kind words..RogerD, you don't know (or possibly you do know!) how much that means to me. I'm going to add one little detail to my San Francisco that will represent the boarding ladder more correctly. I'm going for a small shelf and belaying pin. Who can say that I'm wrong? It would work and be easy... so it's what they may have done. I suppose, I could add the ropes with knots, near the ladder. That'd be cool.
Good evening Cumbrian, I don't remember the name but that line is fixed all over the ship slightly lower to help "man overboard"Thanks for the photo. I like to think that some kind of belaying rig for ropes would be appropriate. My original thoughts were two belaying pins either side of the boarding ladder. My second thoughts were for a single set of anchors for one line dangling down the middle of the steps.
What interests me most about that photo are the lines running between the guns. They only run from the first 4 guns in the shot. Were they used to adjust the angle that those guns fired from? If so, when was this rigging added?