I get it. something is askew. If the description claims she was outfitted with *Forbes* topsail. you have to know what that actually entailed.
Prior to Forbes design the topsail was a large movable sail. Vary difficult to furl under difficult conditions. Just look at the painting of Staghound of two years earlier. By buttersworth.
Forbes invented a design of the topsail, Half the size of the original design, that slid down only the lower mast doubling. This reduced the crew requirement and effort. Typically this topsail was the size of the extra long doublng. (A longer doubling was required, so the sail had significance). Then the topgallant, royal and sky. It appears from the written description, that she had a lower topsail that slid up and down the doubling(unlike it being fixed to the cap), and, another shorter sail, called the upper topsail(both sails making up the entirety of the older single large topsail). It too slid up and down the mast.
Problem with this idea, is that it was Howes, who invented the double topsail configuration. AFTER Forbes invented his design.... A lower that was fixed and an upper that moved up and down the mast. the typical design we see on later clippers and ocean carriers.
Forbes design only incorporated a smaller movable topsail, that rode down the lower mast doubling.
Looks to me, that McKay chose to *Hybrid* the Forbes design to suite his own inclinations.
One thing is evidently clear....there are plenty of mistakes to sift through. The drawing is wrong(By itself), the Sailing card is wrong(By itself), other drawings and paintings are wrong(By themselves). But taking all this data and comparing it to the Duncan McLean written accounts, one can devise what is most likely the truth....or close to it. I spent about 4 years of research before I tackled my Great Republic version......and I feel confident in its representation of her original design.
Did Staghound only have 4 yards per mast....? Buttersworth seamed to think so. Many earlier clippers only carried main, topsail, topgallant and royals. though they were far larger canvases then following designs.
Perception is everything, and during the short clipper era....much change occurred, rapidly.
I may even try my hand at building Great Republic after her British purchase and name change to Denmark and conversion to a 3 masted full rigged ship.
Rob
