Rigging identity & purpose

jimmystratos

jimmystratos

Joined
May 6, 2020
Messages
265
Points
168

Location
Melrose, Scotland
Can anyone tell me what the rigging outlined in red id, and what it is for? It doesn't look right to me - the working line seems to start on the middle of the fixed cable between the masts, go through a block attached to the gunwale, then miraculously split in two to belays on the racks either side (84 & 85). Is there meant to be a block on both gunwales? Is its purpose to tension the cable between the masts? If I can understand what it's for, it'll be easier to work out how to rig it.
Thanks and Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays to all.IMG_8784.jpg
 
jimmystratos said:
Can anyone tell me what the rigging outlined in red id, and what it is for? It doesn't look right to me - the working line seems to start on the middle of the fixed cable between the masts, go through a block attached to the gunwale, then miraculously split in two to belays on the racks either side (84 & 85). Is there meant to be a block on both gunwales? Is its purpose to tension the cable between the masts? If I can understand what it's for, it'll be easier to work out how to rig it.
Thanks and Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays to all.View attachment 201094
Click to expand...
My first reaction to seeing this running rigging is that it may be related to launching/recovering ships boats as well as heavy loads such as cannons or cargo to swing them over the side and then by rotating the yard arms lower them onto the deck or into the hold. This type of usage is well covered in the book Seamanship in the Age of Sail by John Harland, Shifting Heave Weights - pp 280 - 81 and Lowering and Hoisting in Boats - pp 282 - 88, with a good amount of explanatory diagrams. Rich (PT-2)
 
PT-2 said:
My first reaction to seeing this running rigging is that it may be related to launching/recovering ships boats as well as heavy loads such as cannons or cargo to swing them over the side and then by rotating the yard arms lower them onto the deck or into the hold. This type of usage is well covered in the book Seamanship in the Age of Sail by John Harland, Shifting Heave Weights - pp 280 - 81 and Lowering and Hoisting in Boats - pp 282 - 88, with a good amount of explanatory diagrams. Rich (PT-2)
Click to expand...
I had the same thought
 
PT-2 said:
My first reaction to seeing this running rigging is that it may be related to launching/recovering ships boats as well as heavy loads such as cannons or cargo to swing them over the side and then by rotating the yard arms lower them onto the deck or into the hold. This type of usage is well covered in the book Seamanship in the Age of Sail by John Harland, Shifting Heave Weights - pp 280 - 81 and Lowering and Hoisting in Boats - pp 282 - 88, with a good amount of explanatory diagrams. Rich (PT-2)
Click to expand...
Although it isn't attached to a yardarm - it could lift something up from the centreline, but not swing it anywhere. It also looks fixed, so no fore and aft travel either. From experience of the plans, it may well be a somewhat fanciful simplification of what it's supposed to be.
 
jimmystratos said:
Although it isn't attached to a yardarm - it could lift something up from the centreline, but not swing it anywhere. It also looks fixed, so no fore and aft travel either. From experience of the plans, it may well be a somewhat fanciful simplification of what it's supposed to be.
Click to expand...
Yes, that point came to mind but you can possibly attach your own P&S tackles to the lower yard arms fore and aft of this mast head tackle. That would require some additional belaying pins' locations. RIch (PT-2)
 
PT-2 said:
Yes, that point came to mind but you can possibly attach your own P&S tackles to the lower yard arms fore and aft of this mast head tackle. That would require some additional belaying pins' locations. RIch (PT-2)
Click to expand...
Yes, that point came to mind but you can possibly attach your own P&S tackles to the lower yard arms fore and aft of this mast head tackle. That would require some additional belaying pins' locations. RIch (PT-2)
 
I agree to all said here, however, I do find one error in the drawing. If you notice, they are using a double block [with 84 and 85coming down, ?], but only have one line feeding the block. I think this should be a single block. If they really intent to use a double block here, then there should be a Single block at the deck, with the line going back up to the Double and then back down again to deck with a final hook in line to hook into a stationary eyebolt on deck. Now, I am thinking that you should have an eyebolt either on deck or on the rails for this.
 
I'm not sure what you guys are seeing, or maybe I am missing something. The line starts on, what looks like a stay, beside the double block. Goes from there down to single block back up to double block then is belayed to 84, the same thing is repeated then but belayed to 85 on starboard side. How can this set up lift anything? There is no loose end to lift with. The only thing this set up can do, as it is, is to add tension to the stay that the lines and double block are attached to.
 
Don, you are correct as basically that is what I was thinking - now, this is what threw me off a bit. Usually, when numbering of tie off points on a ships deck go from port to starboard the numbering is not in sequential order like the 84 and 85 (port / starboard), but rather what I have seen is more like two numbers being greatly different like 84 / 123 and also is this setup repeated for the other side as well anyway? I am not 100% sure and probably it is best that I leave this up to someone else --- LOL ;)
 
DonRobinson said:
@PT-2 , I have seen those illustrations before and they make sense, however, the one originally shown does not. If it does please explain how anything could be lifted using that set up. Thanks
Click to expand...
The four falls require an adequate number of crew on each one to distribute the haul, either up or down, and a mate in charge to coordinate the process. From Seamanship in Ships of Sail here are the two pages, not for profit or commercial purposes but general educational information. Hoisting Page 283.jpgHoisting Page 284.jpg I hope that you can zoom in to read the explanations. Rich
 
There is another consideration here...the plan drawing may simply be in error or incomplete. Not unusual to have this occur causing great confusion. My suggestion is to treat this rig as a static lift. Belay a single block to the stay between masts and seize a hook to a single block at the bulwark cap rail. Then belay a running line to the seizing of the single block at the stay...run down through the single block with the hook...back up to the single block at the stay...then belay to a pin on the pin rail. Secure the single block with the hook to a ring either on the cap rail or on the deck. Eliminate the second fall numbered 85. Now you have a static lift rig ready for use...make sense?
 
danielsje said:
There is another consideration here...the plan drawing may simply be in error or incomplete. Not unusual to have this occur causing great confusion. My suggestion is to treat this rig as a static lift. Belay a single block to the stay between masts and seize a hook to a single block at the bulwark cap rail. Then belay a running line to the seizing of the single block at the stay...run down through the single block with the hook...back up to the single block at the stay...then belay to a pin on the pin rail. Secure the single block with the hook to a ring either on the cap rail or on the deck. Eliminate the second fall numbered 85. Now you have a static lift rig ready for use...make sense?
Click to expand...
There are many ways to skin the cat but with the rigging I think that it would be based upon the weight of the object to be hoisted which becomes a factor in number of turns through the blocks needed, single, double, and combinations for realistic hauling force needed by the crew on the falls. Just my own thoughts. Any way that you select to do the rigging will most likely be in scale and keeping with the rest of your rigging and ship scale. It will work out in any event. Rich (PT-2)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top