• SUBSCRIBE TO SHIPS IN SCALE TODAY!

    The beloved Ships in Scale Magazine is back and charting a new course for 2026!
    Discover new skills, new techniques, and new inspirations in every issue.

    NOTE THAT OUR NEXT ISSUE WILL BE MARCH/APRIL 2026
  • Win a Free Custom Engraved Brass Coin!!!
    As a way to introduce our brass coins to the community, we will raffle off a free coin during the month of August. Follow link ABOVE for instructions for entering.

La Créole 1827 by archjofo - Scale 1/48 - French corvette

Installation of the Fore Royal Yard – Fore Royal Halyard – Vergue de petit cacatois – Drisse de petit cacatois

Before installing the fore royal yard, some additional research was necessary, as the belaying arrangement shown in Boudriot’s La Créole monograph did not seem consistent when compared with the fore topgallant halyard (belayed to starboard at the bulwark).

This prompted me to consult the standard contemporary references once again: F. A. Coste, Manuel de gréement (1826) and M. Verdier, Nouveau manuel complet de marine, première partie: gréement (1837).

Both authors state unambiguously that the fore royal halyard was belayed at the inner bulwark, immediately abaft the fore topgallant halyard. As far as I can trace the lead of the line, the original model appears to follow this arrangement as well.

As with the topgallant halyard, the fore royal halyard is led through a single‑sheave foot block hooked into the waterway. These blocks are fitted with iron hardware.

Here is the result on the model:
View attachment 603669


From left to right: fore topsail halyard, fore topmast staysail halyard, fore topgallant halyard, fore royal halyard.

The belaying points will later receive their coils.

More to follow …
That's sheer science fiction...!
 
Just a short update today:

Continuation: Fore Royal Yard – Vergue de petit cacatois

As the following photo shows, the fore royal yard is now in its final position. The rigging follows the arrangement established during the earlier research: the fore royal halyard runs over the foot block at the waterways and is belayed on the port side at the bulwark.

The next steps will focus on the fine‑tuning of the running rigging for both the fore topgallant and fore royal yards.

DSC02575.jpg

More to come …
 

Block Strops for the Lead Blocks

Some time ago I already reported on the lead blocks. In connection with the belaying of the running rigging this topic becomes relevant again, so I have summarised the procedure once more as follows:

First, the corresponding rope is served only up to the point where the short splice will later begin. The rope ends are unlaid up to the served section. The circumference of the strop ring – consisting of the served part and the short splice – must of course be adjusted to the size of the block and the thimble.

The strop ring is then closed with a short splice. The respective ends at the splice are trimmed cleanly and secured with a small amount of glue.

The finished strop ring is then seized around the block and the thimble using a flat seizing.
Leitbloecke_Stropp_LaCreole.jpg

DSC09829.jpg

More on the running rigging of the fore topgallant and fore royal yard will follow shortly …
 

Block Strops for the Lead Blocks

Some time ago I already reported on the lead blocks. In connection with the belaying of the running rigging this topic becomes relevant again, so I have summarised the procedure once more as follows:

First, the corresponding rope is served only up to the point where the short splice will later begin. The rope ends are unlaid up to the served section. The circumference of the strop ring – consisting of the served part and the short splice – must of course be adjusted to the size of the block and the thimble.

The strop ring is then closed with a short splice. The respective ends at the splice are trimmed cleanly and secured with a small amount of glue.

The finished strop ring is then seized around the block and the thimble using a flat seizing.
View attachment 606305

View attachment 606304

More on the running rigging of the fore topgallant and fore royal yard will follow shortly …
amazing!!!
 
Hello,
I am always delighted by your interest, and thank you for the nice comments. Thanks also to everyone else for the LIKES.
@Jimsky
@KMSvideo
@shota70
@dockattner
@Mirek
@Namabiiru

Running Rigging of the Fore Topgallant and Fore Royal Yard

After installing the royal yard, I continued with the running rigging of the fore topgallant yard.

On the model I have now arranged the fore topgallant lifts as well as the sheets of the fore royal sail exactly as described in the La Créole monograph and as shown on the original model in the Musée national de la Marine in Paris:

They do not run down to the deck but are belayed at the level of the top. The corresponding lines run downward toward the top and are then secured to cleats on the topmast shrouds.

DSC02590.jpg

DSC00572.jpg

This practice is confirmed in the contemporary standard work Manuel de gréement by F. A. Costé (p. 184).

Especially for the royals, sheets, clewlines and lifts were consistently not led down to the deck but belayed directly in the tops.

For the topgallant sails the practice was more flexible: sheets and clewlines usually ended on deck. Costé describes the lifts as normally being led down as well, but explicitly notes that they were “at times” belayed aloft – a variant clearly visible on the original La Créole model and also mentioned in Boudriot’s monograph.

These observations apply specifically to the French Navy in the first third of the 19th century and should not be transferred uncritically to other periods.

I have implemented this arrangement accordingly on the model.

DSC02595.jpg

Apart from the fore royal bowlines and a few minor details, the foremast is now essentially fully rigged. I have already begun preparing the running rigging of the mainmast, although I still need to clarify several belaying points.

More to come …
 
Hello,
I am always delighted by your interest, and thank you for the nice comments. Thanks also to everyone else for the LIKES.
@Jimsky
@KMSvideo
@shota70
@dockattner
@Mirek
@Namabiiru

Running Rigging of the Fore Topgallant and Fore Royal Yard

After installing the royal yard, I continued with the running rigging of the fore topgallant yard.

On the model I have now arranged the fore topgallant lifts as well as the sheets of the fore royal sail exactly as described in the La Créole monograph and as shown on the original model in the Musée national de la Marine in Paris:

They do not run down to the deck but are belayed at the level of the top. The corresponding lines run downward toward the top and are then secured to cleats on the topmast shrouds.

View attachment 607654

View attachment 607653

This practice is confirmed in the contemporary standard work Manuel de gréement by F. A. Costé (p. 184).

Especially for the royals, sheets, clewlines and lifts were consistently not led down to the deck but belayed directly in the tops.

For the topgallant sails the practice was more flexible: sheets and clewlines usually ended on deck. Costé describes the lifts as normally being led down as well, but explicitly notes that they were “at times” belayed aloft – a variant clearly visible on the original La Créole model and also mentioned in Boudriot’s monograph.

These observations apply specifically to the French Navy in the first third of the 19th century and should not be transferred uncritically to other periods.

I have implemented this arrangement accordingly on the model.

View attachment 607655

Apart from the fore royal bowlines and a few minor details, the foremast is now essentially fully rigged. I have already begun preparing the running rigging of the mainmast, although I still need to clarify several belaying points.

More to come …
Just …….beautiful and inspirational, Johann.
Regards, Peter
 
Back
Top