Attaching yard arms

[Neil_jo]

Hi, I need help attaching the yard to the bowsprit on my HMS Ontario build. There are no pictures of this in the manual that I can see and the plans don't show much either. I guess I'll have the same issue with the yards on the masts when I get there. Is there a standard way for this for British ships of that era.

Thanks
Neil

 

[Y.T.]

Spritsail yard is mounted under bowsprit with the sling. This drawing shows two designs of the sling.

 

[Neil_jo]

Thanks, one more question. The yard has two cleats? near the center, would the sling go on the inside or outside of them?


Thanks Neil

 

[Y.T.]

Sling is inside of cleats. Cleats are for retaining the sling.

 

[Y.T.]

Also as shown on drawing right at the center of the yard there is a strap with thimble for hauling the yard up the bowsprit. Without explaining this the drawing might be confusing.

 

[Neil_jo]

Thank you very much

Neil

 

[danielsje]

For modeling I have attached yards directly to a mast or bow sprit using a nail…drill through the yard and through the mast…then pin the yard to both with a drop of CA. I then simulate the rigging by wrapping rigging around the yard and mast. The result is a yard firmly in place but simulating the yard drawn up tight to the mast or bow sprit.

 

[Neil_jo]

Thanks, that's a good idea and will keep the yard in place while you tie it.

Neil

 

[AllanKP69]

Thanks, one more question. The yard has two cleats? near the center, would the sling go on the inside or outside of them?

There were also yardarm cleats set up to the same proportions as the topgallant yards just as the sling cleats are of the same proportion as the topgallant yards. Hopefully they all match up.
Allan

From Lee's Masting and Rigging English Ships of War ---Proportions for the topgallant yards -

 

[JKB]

This was very helpful. I am still working on the rigging and yardarms of Rattlesnake

 

[AllanKP69]

Did Petersson give permission to have his book made available for free with this download? This seems unusual to see an entire book made downloadable considering it is copyrighted. If he did give permission, applause to him for sharing!
Thanks

Allan

From the book Rigging Period Ship Models by Lennarth Petersson

 

[AllanKP69]

I see the link to Petersson's book has been taken down. Thank you to the Admin at SoS for protecting the rights of the author and publisher from that kind of theft.

Allan

 

[CliveR]

I am currently building SS Essex from Occre and I have been considering furling the sails. Does anyone know of a tutorial or guide for the best way to furl and "strap" the sails to the yardarm and for the foresails? Appreciate any help on this. Cheers

Clive

 

[AllanKP69]

Having sails I assume you are referring to the whaling ship Essex, not a steam ship (SS) named Essex.

This probably just a terminology thing, but the sails were never attached to the yard arms. The sails were typically sized to end at the inboard most point of the yardarm, just inside the yardarm cleats, the yardarms being about 1/24 the length of the entire yard itself.

If you are going to rig the sails to the yard, assuming it was rigged similar to English ships, the following style of robands may be appropriate OR just as likely the robands might have been secured to jackstays if they were present. If there are jackstays, the jackstay bolts would be about 24 inches apart. When the saiils were being furled they were secured to the yard (or jackstays?) with the harbor gaskets. These were nailed to the yards up until about 1814. After that they were seized to the jackstays. Hopefully a member will correct or confirm this information.

Allan
From James Lees' The Masting and Rigging book,

From James Lees' The Masting and Rigging book, page 78