Flag Rigging

[piratepete007]

I have had some great help and advice before on this forum. Shown in the diagram is the upper portion of a fore topgallant mast with two sheaves ... and that is my problem. I can see that the upper sheave would be for the flag halliard used in lowering and raising the flag. Often this sheave (s) would be mounted either side of the mast but no problem so far.

What I cannot relate to is the use for the lower sheave. I suspect that I know very little about flag rigging so is there anyone in the forum able to give some practical advice re the bottom sheave - maybe they work in tandem but I just cannot resolve it. I tend to over-think things and could just ignore that bottom sheave. All other stays, backstays, etc, etc are not shown anywhere near this lower sheave.

Thanks in anticipation.

Pete

 

[MikeC]

Could be for an endless flag halyard with flag clips spliced into it and spliced end to end with a tapered long splice so it renders through the sheaves. I’ve seen this done on flagpoles which always fly flags of a specific size. (Easier to draw this than it is to explain it). Ensigns were dipped on navy ships in saluting each other. Is this a mast on a naval vessel?

 

[piratepete007]

Hi MikeC, thanks for replying. Yes, it's an English-captured French naval ship of uncertain name. A diagram would be useful if you can do that. Thanks.
Pete

 

[Jimsky]

Hello, Pete. I am looking at your provided sketch, and it is difficult to justify the correctness. The way it is appearing in the image would be difficult, yet impractical to make. Many books pointing to a Truck as the mechanism to manipulate the flags and other things.

A truck (from Nederland - Kloot) is a wooden ball, disk, or bun-shaped cap at the top of a mast, with holes in it through which flag halyards are passed. The rollers of the halyards are installed inside the truck for raising signal flags, a lantern, and other things. Trucks are also used on wooden flagpoles, to prevent them from splitting.

Without a masthead truck, water could easily seep into the circular growth rings of a wooden mast. However, the grain in the truck is perpendicular to that of the mast, allowing the water to run off it.

The lover shave is more commonly seen (not the same way as on your image).

 

[piratepete007]

Jimsky,
I appreciate your comments and thanks for making me aware of the use of sheaves within the truck (something my limited knowledge was lacking). Clearly the drawing I copied is inaccurate and unsuitable. Just out of interest, I found these two images which portray the concept far more clearly. This is useful but I guess the truck will have to be larger to accomodate the sheaves.

 

[piratepete007]

To answer my comment about truck size on the topgallant mast, I just located a comment by Lees (1984) ...."the size of the truck was about twice the mast diameter at the upper end". His book covered the time period of 1625 - 1860 so I am guessing this sheaved-truck was a common practice for that time period ?

 

[Jimsky]

Jimsky,
I appreciate your comments and thanks for making me aware of the use of sheaves within the truck (something my limited knowledge was lacking). Clearly the drawing I copied is inaccurate and unsuitable. Just out of interest, I found these two images which portray the concept far more clearly. This is useful but I guess the truck will have to be larger to accomodate the sheaves.

Yep, you have better results finding the images. This is exactly what I mean.

 

[Jimsky]

To answer my comment about truck size on the topgallant mast, I just located a comment by Lees (1984) ...."the size of the truck was about twice the mast diameter at the upper end". His book covered the time period of 1625 - 1860 so I am guessing this sheaved-truck was a common practice for that time period ?

you are correct, this was the common practice for this and future periods. In fact, it is used for flag stock poles and masts in the modern era, but the truck was made out of metal.

 

[piratepete007]

Thanks for your support Jimsky. Another jigsaw piece has been fitted in for me.