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Bowsprit – Completion of the Running Rigging
Before continuing with the fore royal yard, I first turned to completing the running rigging at the bowsprit with the jibboom and outer jibboom of La Créole. The focus was on the jib (in this case: the rope carrying the traveller-
Draille du grand foc) and flying jib stays (
Draille de clinfoc), each led forward through the previously prepared travellers. These leather covered travellers have been waiting for some time to be fully integrated into the rigg.
A particular point of interest was how these ropes were attached at the masthead in a way that allowed them to be released—either for striking the sails or due to wear. A historically documented solution uses a forked end, analogous to the stays. References included the Atlas du Génie Maritime and the original model in the
Musée national de la Marine in Paris.
As on the prototype, a branch was spliced into the main rope, with each end terminating in an eye splice. This arrangement allows the jib and flying jib stays to be laid over the existing stays at the fore topmast head and fore topgallant masthead and secured with a lashing.
The following image shows the implementation of this detail with the individual work steps:
View attachment 595634
A particular feature in this context is the fore topmast preventer stay, fwhich simultaneously serves as the stay for the fore topmast staysail—a dual use also common in other navies. The storm jib (tourmentin), on the other hand, was only set when required on the solid fore preventer stay; no permanent fittings were provided. Accordingly, nothing is permanently installed on the model.
For the rigging of the halyards, I followed Jean Boudriot’s monograph strictly:
For the flying jib (
clin foc) and the fore topmast staysail (
petit foc), a simple halyard without purchase was used. For the jib (
grand foc), however, I chose a two part halyard. The corresponding halyard block was executed with a block and hook.
View attachment 595627
The necessary blocks for the halyards at the fore topgallant masthead and fore topmast head also had to be installed. Since the monograph provides no details here, the
Atlas du Génie Maritime and Coste’s
Manuel de Gréement offered sufficient guidance. I made the block stropping so that the halyard blocks sit exactly at the height of the stays.
The following image shows the sail leader for the flying jib as well as the halyard block.
View attachment 595633
For the standing part of the two part jib halyard, I used a
tour mort avec deux demi clefs—round turns with two half hitches—laid around the fore topmast head and secured with a seizing.
View attachment 595632
To secure the halyards of the fore topmast staysail, the jib, and the flying jib authentically when the sails are struck, I connected them to their respective downhauls. For the fore topmast staysail and the flying jib, this was done using the
nœud de vache or
nœud d’ajut (granny knot), not to be confused with the reef knot.
View attachment 595625
Source: Manuel du Gabier, 1875, p. 4
The
nœud de vche (granny knot), is explicitly recommended in contemporary sources for temporary connections that must be easy to undo. Since no sail load is carried here and the purpose is merely to keep the running rigging tidy, I consider this solution historically plausible and operationally sound.
View attachment 595630
The jib halyard was connected to its downhaul via the hook. Suitable knots for this temporary connection were the
nœud de griffe or
nœud de palan.
View attachment 595626
Source: Manuel du Gabier; 1875, p.11
View attachment 595628
The sequence of maneuvers at the iron fairlead racks as shown in Boudriot’s monograph is schematic and follows the functional assignment of the ropes, rather than necessarily the actual geometric routing. In practice, however, the maneuvers must be ordered according to their physical position on the bowsprit—with the outer jib furthest outboard, the inner jib further inboard, and the bowlines of the upper square sails outboard—to avoid crossings, chafe points, and fouled leads.
Through extensive practical trials on the model, I have determined an empirically ideal rope routing that strictly adheres to these principles of seamanship: the further outboard the sail, the further outboard its respective maneuvers are situated on the sheave rack. The routing implemented here represents this realistic order and corresponds to the actual lead to be expected on comparable vessels of this era.
View attachment 595629
View attachment 595631
To be continued…
