My textbooks, as a general matter, state leach lines run from the side up the front of the sail to a block stropped to the yard then (on the primary courses) to one or more blocks at the top and down the back. For a topsail, the line could run in front directly to blocks stropped to the tye (dependent whether the yard is static) and down the back but otherwise would run to the yard then mast head and change there.
My Occre Diana kit shows the Leach Line running to the yard block then down. This is not exactly a clean pull. In practice it would definitely cause some chafing. The written instructions do not indicate if the line is entirely on the back or on the front and the back (the line drawn is all solid). There are photographic instructions both ways. I have emailed Occre, but does anyone know of any historical basis for their type of leach line rigging? They use this method consistently on the Romera de Landa-designed frigates and Ships of the Line kit instructions.
Also, I am seeing some source disparity in the number of bunt lines on the primary courses. Zu Mondfeld says one pair for small ships and two for large during my time period -- does one pair mean a total of 2 per sail or 2 per side of the sail so 4? Steel's chart for a 28-32 gun ship shows 4. The same vintage Occre instructions tend to show one line per sail side. Does anyone have any good sources on this besides Zu Mondfeld and Marquardt? I am ignoring Peterson because he shows an English ship.
Thanks for any help or logic!
Thanks in advanced!
My Occre Diana kit shows the Leach Line running to the yard block then down. This is not exactly a clean pull. In practice it would definitely cause some chafing. The written instructions do not indicate if the line is entirely on the back or on the front and the back (the line drawn is all solid). There are photographic instructions both ways. I have emailed Occre, but does anyone know of any historical basis for their type of leach line rigging? They use this method consistently on the Romera de Landa-designed frigates and Ships of the Line kit instructions.
Also, I am seeing some source disparity in the number of bunt lines on the primary courses. Zu Mondfeld says one pair for small ships and two for large during my time period -- does one pair mean a total of 2 per sail or 2 per side of the sail so 4? Steel's chart for a 28-32 gun ship shows 4. The same vintage Occre instructions tend to show one line per sail side. Does anyone have any good sources on this besides Zu Mondfeld and Marquardt? I am ignoring Peterson because he shows an English ship.
Thanks for any help or logic!
Thanks in advanced!
.
