CHAPTER IX.

RIGGING SHIP.

WHEN a ship is taken in hand to be rigged, her lower masts are standing, temporarily or permanently wedged, and with girtlines on each side of the mast-heads. The bowsprit is in place, as are also the lower dead-eyes for the lower rigging. Hearts on the bowsprit and shackles on the bows may also be supposed in place before the riggers begin work.

We will rig the bowsprit first, as the staying of the fore-mast depends upon it, and would otherwise be delayed.

The Gammoning of the bowsprit in modern vessels consists of one or two iron straps as shown in Figs. 293 and 294, setting up with nuts and screws. It serves to keep the bowsprit in place, and should be set up before the ship is turned over to the riggers.

Secure the heads of two small spars together in a lashing hung from the bowsprit-end, the heels resting on the bows, where convenient, and seized to prevent slipping. Lay boards across from one boom to the other as a platform for the men to stand on.

The Bobstays are placed first, shackling to the cutwater, and with laniards from hearts in their outboard ends to similar hearts under the bowsprit. There are two, or three, bobstays fitted; if three, they are termed inner, middle, and cap bobstays.

Bowsprit-Shrouds. Shackle the bowsprit-shrouds one on each side to eye-bolts, well down on the bows. The hearts in their outboard ends set up with laniards to similar hearts on either side of the bowsprit near the cap.

Now set up the bowsprit-shrouds and bobstays. Both may be set up by using luff upon luff on each end of the laniard, as in Fig. 301, racking every turn after it has been hove taut, and finally seizing down the ends.

This is termed “setting up on a bight,” and the object is to keep the hearts from slueing. Or, secure one end of the laniard and set up on the other, one turn at a time, by means of stout luffs hooked into a strap on the laniard and into another strap on the standing part of the bobstay or shroud. Fig. 302.

Laniards for wire rigging are of the same size as

111

Rigging-in Bowsprit. When a vessel is fitted as a ram, the bowsprit and jib-boom must be so arranged as to be readily gotten out of the way in clearing ship for action. For this purpose the bowsprit is either fitted to rig in, or to be lifted clear of the bows.

Fig. 295 shows the general arrangement of a rigging-in bowsprit. The spar is rectangular in section, and projects horizontally; its rigging is simplified as much as possible. The bobstay and fore-topmast stays go to the cap or to a strap just inside the cap; the forestays set up inside the rail, and the bees are dispensed with. The bowsprit runs in on the forecastle, as shown in the figure, being held in position when rigged out by a fid forward of the heel bitts, temporary gammoning and a boom-iron (fitted with interior rollers) at the bows. The heel of the jib-boom secures in a clamp above the bowsprit-iron, Fig. 296.

Lifting Bowsprit. Where there is no pivot-gun on the topgallant forecastle, the bowsprit of ram-bowed vessels may be fitted to lift inboard, this plan being suggested by Admiral Porter.

Fig. 297 shows the general arrangement of such a bowsprit; Fig. 298, the process of lifting; Fig. 299, a section of the bowsprit and plunger, and Fig. 300, the hinge, &c.

The bowsprit proper is of iron, and in the general detail of its form, stiffness, &c., is similar to the iron lower masts previously described. It is hinged just outside the rail at n, and secured when in place by the screws o, o. The bowsprit cap has secured to it on each side the ends of a heavy bail, g, large enough and with a motion sufficient to pass around the bowsprit-cap from the upper to the under side of the bowsprit.

The plunger is an iron cylinder inside the bowsprit, made up of plates, secured with the usual stiffeners of angle-iron, and equal in length to the inboard end of the bowsprit. It is rigged out by means of a heel tackle, m, and sheave, Fig. 297, so as to project, inside the bowsprit, about half its length beyond the rail. It slides in and out on bearings formed by the inner surfaces of the bowsprit stiffeners.

Its purpose is to strengthen the bowsprit in wake of the hinge n.

To lift the bowsprit a stout purchase is hooked to the

112

Having rigged in the plunger by means of a tackle, h, hooked to its heel, slacking the heel rope, m, the clamps at the bowsprit hinge are come up, and the head of the bowsprit triced up to the position 2, Fig. 298. Here the bail is nearly fore and aft, and about to swing over the end of the bowsprit. The head of the derrick, a, by means of its jaws, assists in supporting the bowsprit until it reaches the position 3, tending the derrick-head purchase. From 3 to 4 the heel of the derrick is shifted forward by the shoe tackles from d to d’. Here the bail and pendant tackle, having shifted around to the under side of the bowsprit, take up the weight again and land the bowsprit in position 5, Fig. 298.

Lower Masts. Proceed now to rig the lower masts, and send up first the trestle-trees, as follows:

Trestle-trees. The mast-head girtlines should be stout enough to send up the trestle-trees; if not, send up heavy whips on each side, and lash their blocks at the lower mast-head, over the tenon or just below it. The men required to work aloft are sent up by the girtlines.

Place the trestle-trees on deck, forward of the mast, Fig. 307, and take out the after chock, as the forward one, by having to support the heel of the topmast, is more securely bolted and not intended to be removed. Hitch the ends of the whips to the forward ends of the trestle-trees, and stop down on the top side, along to the after ends. Bend on a guy from forward, sway aloft, and as the after ends of the trestle-trees rise above the bibbs, cut the stops and work them into their places. Send up the after chock and bolt it.

Whole Tops are sent aloft with the two girtlines used in sending up the trestle-trees, and a good-sized single or double tackle, hooked to a strap abaft the mast and directly between the girtlines, as in Fig. 308.

Place the top on the deck abaft the mast, with the forward part uppermost. Overhaul down the girtlines and tackle, pass the ends of the former underneath the rim and make them fast to their own parts, around the after-part of the top, stopping them out to each girtline-hole, as in Fig. 308. Hook the lower block of the mast-head tackle to a stout strap around the after-part (to which a guy is also attached, leading aft), and secure the standing parts of the

113

Now send up and place the bolsters, which are made of soft wood and covered with three or four thicknesses of tarred parcelling, and then get over the lower pendants, which are swayed up by the girtlines. If the mast needs support while the rigging is being sent aloft, the pendant tackles may now be hooked and hauled taut, but they are dispensed with, if possible, as being very much in the way.

Lower Rigging. As the routine of rigging is nearly identical on all the masts, the method for the forewill answer for a description of the others.

In the merchant service, as soon as the lower pendants are over, the lower mast is steadied by the pendant tackles, the topmast is pointed about four or five feet above the lower mast-head, and to it are attached the girtlines for the shrouds, after the manner of a derrick. Navy-yard riggers proceed as follows:

To Send up the Shrouds. In heavy ships, two girtlines will be required to support the weight of the shroud; the block of the main girtline being toggled to the midship girtline-hole in the top; the second, or “short” girtline, being at the mast-head tenon and worked in the top. Send hands aloft with marline-spikes, tar, slush, commander,* &c.

Now proceed to get the shrouds up, and over, in the

* Commander; a large wooden maul.
8

114

To Send up the Fore-and-aft Stays. All the shrouds having been got over, shift the girtlines from the top up to the mast-head, and lash them to the sides and well aft. Dip them down through the lubber’s hole, and bend the starboard one to the fore-stays below the crotch, stopping it to the starboard legs; bend the port girtline on in the same manner to the port legs, and sway aloft, cutting the seizings as the legs reach the top, Fig. 312. Use a third girtline overhauled down forward of the top, and bent to the stays below the crotch, to assist in raising the stays. Pass the collar-lashings (one end of each lashing is spliced into one of the eyes of its stay), and either rest the collars on the lower rigging or on a heavy cleat sometimes placed for the purpose on the after side of the mast. The stays are now seized around the thimbles of their upper hearts, if this has not been done in the rigging loft; the

* It will save trouble aloft if the eye of the shroud is bent forward before going up, and stopped to the legs, which lays it fair for going over. Cast off the stop from the legs when the eye comes through the lubber’s-hole, and use the stop to assist in hauling down the eye when over. Fig. 311.

115

When masts are stayed perpendicular to the keel, the wind acts in a horizontal direction on the sails, and the objectionable features of the preceding plan are avoided.

Finally, when masts rake aft, there is an increase in the after sail of the ship, a disposition to approach rather than recede from the wind, the tendency to pitch is obviated, and the difficulties of bracing due to forward staying are avoided.

The general custom is to stay the foremast plumb, or with a rake aft varying from 1/4 to 1 inch to the foot, the mainmast raking 1 1/4 inches to the foot, and the mizzen 1 1/2 inches to the foot.

Staying the Foremast. The foremast is stayed by means of a double purchase leading forward to the bowsprit, and two pendant tackles hooked to the forward legs of the pendants, the after pendant tackles being set up to eye-bolts well aft. Fig. 313.

With these purchases and the wedges eased up, the mast can be stayed either plumb or with a slight rake, as required. The amount of rake, if any, is determined by the constructor, and a plumb-line is made to plumb the deck at a distance from the after-part of the mast equal to the amount of the rake for the length of the plumb-line used. If the line is hung from the mast-head, seventy feet from the deck, a rake of half a inch to the foot should cause it to plumb the deck thirty-five inches from the after-part of the mast, &c. Lateral staying is effected by measurement with a small line, secured at the centre of the after-part of the mast-head and carried to the water-ways on either side in line with the after-part of the mast. Masts may also be stayed by the use of battens, as explained in Appendix D. Buckling a lower mast and getting it out of a vertical plane are by no means uncommon, and, in the absence of a practised eye, the suggestions in the Appendix will be found of value if at any time the rake of a lower mast requires altering. In

116

To set up the Lower Stays, Fig. 313. At a distance eight or ten feet up the stay clap on one block of a “stay luff” (double purchase), having canvas underneath to avoid chafe, and hook the other block into a strap on the stay laniard. Into the fall of the stay luff hook the lower block of a pendant tackle, and having got the stays taut, rack the laniards and proceed to set up the shrouds.

To set up the Shrouds. The laniards are fitted in the rigging-loft, having a laniard knot (a Mathew Walker knot showing two or three parts) cast into one end. This knot rests against the unscored hole in the upper deadeye, which is forward in the starboard shrouds and aft in the port shrouds. Reeve off the laniards through the upper and lower dead-eyes, the hauling end always coming up from the lower dead-eye.

Place canvas on the shroud about half-way up to avoid chafe, and tail the upper block of a rigging luff (gun tackle purchase) over it. Hook the lower block of the luff to a strap on the end of the laniard, and lead the fall of the luff up to the pendant tackles as in Fig. 315. The luff tails should be dogged on long so as not to nip the shroud.

Set up all the shrouds in this manner, a pair on each side at a time, racking the laniards. The rigging is left standing in this condition as long as circumstances may permit, to give it a chance of settling in its place, when, with the same purchases used before, the stays and then the shrouds are set up for a full due. The final setting up should not be given, if avoidable, during very wet or cold weather.

The rigging being set up for a full due, rack the laniards, seize on the sheer poles with a cross seizing to keep the dead-eyes from slueing (on account of the tendency to unlay in the shrouds), having a strip of tarred canvas or leather underneath to prevent chafe. Secure the ends of the laniards by hitching them around the strap of the upper dead-eye thimble above the sheer pole, as in Fig. 318, bringing the end down inside the other parts and securing it with three seizings. Remove the racking from the laniard to bring an equal strain on all parts. Finally, send down the rigging luffs.

In setting up the stays temporarily, one end of the laniard is spliced around the upper heart; take two or three turns through both hearts, set up and rack the laniard. When setting up for a full due, reeve off the remaining

117

Remarks on the tension given to rigging. It is of more value to have a moderate and equal strain on each shroud, rather than a great strain upon all the shrouds.

Much of the trouble experienced in former days with hemp lower rigging, by reason of stretching, is obviated by our present use of wire rope. But in placing the eyes of the shrouds over the mast-head, the permanent position of the eye may be lost sight of in the endeavor to complete the operation in as short a time as possible. The consequence is that the eyes of the rigging keep shifting their position on the mast-head for many months afterwards, producing slack rigging. It was suggested, after getting up the first pair of shrouds, to set up each two pairs separately at the time they are placed over, but this is seldom done. On the other hand, the beating down of the eye upon the mast-head should be carefully attended to, to insure a permanent and solid bearing.

With regard to the stays, particularly when the after-parts of the collars are not rested on supporting chocks, any settling of the eyes of the rigging causes the stay to settle also, but the slack shroud is much more likely to receive attention than the stay. The final result is a buckling of the mast at the partners, or else an attempt is made to overcome the increased rake by setting up the topmast stay, since the rake will be more apparent at the height of the topmast-head than at the lower mast-head. The consequence of hauling forward the head of the topmast, with. a comparatively slack lower stay, is to strain the head of the lower mast, owing to the leverage of the heel of the topmast and the play in the lower cap. Some officers will recollect at least one sloop-of-war in which the lower masthead was sprung in this way. The conclusion is, that no setting up even of the two after shrouds should be undertaken without an examination of the lower stay, which will probably be found to require a pull even more than the rigging.

A serious evil arises from setting up rigging too taut, which is particularly noticeable in small vessels.

Let the shrouds of a schooner be pulled up as taut as harpstrings, then the liability is that when she goes to sea she will lose her masts; for when she rolls, the shrouds, which we will further suppose to be half worn, and with

118

Hook or shackle the futtock-shrouds* to the plates in the top and to the futtock band, and set them up, observing to have the points of the hooks inboard, so that bights of rope from aloft shall not catch over them. Girt or swifter the shrouds in by securing a piece of ratline stuff to the forward shroud, take it aft and around the next shroud and haul as taut as possible, drawing the two shrouds together. Repeat the operation with the next shroud, and so on to the after shroud, girting all in together, nippering each turn with a hitch. Place three or four swiftering lines in the rigging at equal distances apart. Lash oars or spars athwart the rigging, about four feet apart, for the men to stand on while at work.

The ratlines, Fig. 319, are usually of eighteen-thread stuff, fitted with a small spliced eye, thrust once and a half. This eye is seized on to the first shroud with marline, Figs. 320-321, or with a rope-yarn, twisted up and rubbed smooth, placing each ratline fourteen inches from the preceding one. A clove hitch is then formed outside around the next leg, put on so that the crossing of the hitch will lie with the lay of the rope, and the ratline hove taut, with a marline-spike. In this manner it is made to reach the last shroud, and then seized on as at the commencement; every fifth or sheer ratline being extended to the swifters and after shrouds, which, with these exceptions, are omitted when there is any great spread between the swifter and shroud next abaft, or between the after shroud and the one next forward of it.

The eye-seizing of the ratline must be passed so that the eye will lie in a horizontal plane, and with the strand first tucked uppermost (if the other part of the splice were uppermost it would form a pocket for water). Having spliced in the marline, pass it around the shroud through the eye of the ratline, back around the shroud, and so on as in Figs.

* At sea there is generally an ugly chafe between the lower and the futtock shrouds, to prevent which good iron scotchmen should be seized to the former. The practice has been to hook the upper ends of futtock shrouds to the straps of the lower dead-eyes of the topmast rigging, the strap having an eye in its lower end which passes through a futtock hole in the edge of the top.

119

Now come up the girts employed in swiftering in the shrouds, which tautens the rigging. After which, square any shroud ends which may have required turning in afresh, capping the ends. Send down the spars and blacken down.

In sparring down rigging the forward ends should be square with each other, the spare ends aft. In rigging of nine shrouds one man should clap on four ratlines in an hour.

The lower ratlines as far up as the ends of the shrouds, are now made of rod iron, to prevent getting out of shape when the rigging is manned previously to laying aloft.

The description of rattling down is given here as in its natural order under the head of lower rigging; but instead of rattling down at this stage of the work, riggers usually fit a few temporary ratlines for their own use in getting up and down from aloft, and postpone fitting the regular ratlines until after all the rigging, masts and yards are in place.

Topmasts. We suppose the ship to be in the stream, to show, while rigging, the methods adopted for getting the various spars on board.

Tow the topmast alongside with the head forward,* and parbuckle it on board. Then secure a large bull’s-eye to the hounds on each side, in the same plane with the lower sheave hole; hitch the end of a hawser at the lower mast-

* It is recommended in all cases of getting spars on board while in the stream (where there is a tide-way), to tow them alongside in the reverse manner -a topmast, for example, with the heel forward, &c.; then by letting the foremost end be swept aft, by the current, during the operation of swaying it on board, there will be no necessity for a hauling-guy to rouse the heel forward against the tide.

120

To Ship the Lower Cap, Fig. 324. The topmast being pointed through the round hole of the cap, slue the cap as nearly fore and aft as the doublings of the mast will admit, with the square hole aft. Pass a secure lashing through the cap eye-bolts and over the topmast-head, and give the lashing as much drift as possible, for which purpose the head of the topmast should be several feet above the upper part of the cap. Now sway up on the pendant tackles until clear of the tenon of the lower mast, then slue the cap around, as it hangs in the lashing, until its square hole is fair with the tenon. If the lashing has not been given drift enough to permit of slueing the cap fair, the topmast itself must be slued by means of a long heaver thrust in the fid-hole and worked by guys from its ends. This ought not to be necessary. Send up the capshore (with a laniard attached, to secure it aloft) and lower away, beating down the cap into place, and tacking over a piece of sheet-lead as a protection from the weather.

To send up the Topmast Cross-Trees. Fig. 325, Plate 58. Cast off the lashings and sway the topmast-head a few feet above the cap. Lash a couple of stout burton-blocks to the tenon, send the falls down abaft for the cross-trees (placed on deck well abaft the mast). Secure the lower blocks to the after ends of the trestle-

* Supposing it to be the foremast.

121

Send up next the burton pendants which shackle to bolts in the under side of the trestle-trees. Using girtlines from each after-horn of the cross-trees, and an eye girtline from the topmast tenon, proceed to get up the shrouds and stays in the following order, after the manner employed in getting up lower rigging, except that two pair, starboard and port shrouds, come up together.

First. Starboard and port shrouds, in pairs.
Second. Backstays.
Third. Fore-and-aft-stays and jib-stay, in one, the latter uppermost.

The ends of these shrouds and stays are allowed to hang down outside the top in their proper directions, on each side, forward, or aft as the case may be.

To Send up the Topmast Cap, Fig. 326. Shift the girtlines from the cross-trees to the topmast-head, lashing the blocks below the tenon; send down the ends for the topmast-cap, which is sent up from forward with the after-part uppermost, the ends of the girtlines hitched to

122

If the topmast is fidded, and topgallant-mast is not aloft, riggers frequently handle the topmast-cap as follows, particularly in stripping ship. A suitable small spar (studding-sail yard) is pointed through the round hole of the cap and the cap is securely lashed to the spar. The spar is controlled by two whips whose blocks are lashed to the masthead below the cap. The whip ends secure to the spar, one near its heel and the other a little below the cap and not in the same vertical plane as the first whip. By means of these whips the spar (and cap) can be lifted and slued as required.

Reeve the topmast-stays through the bees in the bowsprit, turn them around the thimbles of their hearts and clap luffs on them to steady the mast when fidding; reeve off also the laniards of the backstays, and tend the stays and backstays while the mast is being swayed aloft by the top-tackles and fidded. The topmast being fidded, reeve off the laniards of the topmast rigging and prepare to set up.

To Set up Topmast Rigging. Hook the lower blocks of a rigging luff to a strap on the laniard; tail the upper block to the shroud six or eight feet above the upper dead-eye, hook the top burton into the end of the luff. Having given the mast the proper stay, by means of the luffs on the topmast stays and backstays, set up the shrouds in a manner similar to that adopted in the case of lower rigging. Stays, backstays, and shrouds should all be first set up temporarily, and later for a full due, in the order named.

For light rigging a runner may be used instead of a rigging luff, in setting up, Fig. 316, the top-burton being hooked in the thimble of the runner. Avoid the use of catspaws in the laniards, unless the ends are long enough to admit of cutting off afterwards. The rigging being set up, lash on the sheer poles, secure the ends of the laniards and come up the rackings on them. Lash on the futtock staffs below the eyes of the topmast rigging and inside of the shrouds. These are of rod iron, well served and leathered in order not to chafe the topgallant rigging which passes over them in its course to the top. Seize the forward catharpin legs on each side to the forward shroud, and the after-ones abaft the mast to the after-shroud on the opposite side. The two catharpins thus cross abaft the mast

123

Sometimes, after the lower and topmasts are rigged, a tarpaulin coat, fitting snugly, is placed over the eyes of the rigging, as a protection from weather. This answers very well, and if painted, does not detract from the neat appearance of the mast-head.

Jib-Boom. Being in the stream, bring the boom alongside with the head forward, and reeve a spare piece of rope (studding-sail halliards if at hand), through the sheave-holes in each end, a sufficient number of times, and make it fast. Overhaul down the main pendant-tackle, and hook it into a cuckold’s neck formed in the bight of the span, having the boom to hang slightly heel heavy. Sway it up, bearing it clear of the ship’s side – ease it inboard, and land it in the gangway; unreeve the span, and carry the boom forward, pointing it through the bowsprit-cap, and reeve the heel-rope, which is done as follows: Pass one end through a single block, hooked to an eye-bolt on one side of the bowsprit-cap; thence through the sheave in the heel, and clinch it to the other bolt, on the opposite side of the cap. Man the heel-rope, and rig the boom out, until the shoulders are just forward of the bowsprit end.* Put on the band if not already on. This band is fitted with eyes on each side and underneath for the jib-guys and martingale.

The foot-ropes are fitted with eyes in their outer ends which seize to the jib-guys close to the shackle on the band. The foot-ropes are then stopped out to the guys, that on the starboard side for a sufficient distance to keep it clear of the flying jib-boom. Turks-heads are worked on the foot-ropes at equal distances, to keep the men from slipping on account of the inclination, or steeve, of the boom. The inner ends of the foot-ropes are formed into eyes which are seized to the upper bolts in the bowsprit cap after the jib-boom has been rigged out. Thus fitted, the foot-ropes should be long enough to allow the men who go on the boom to stand with the lower parts of their breasts against it. Reeve the jibstay through the inner sheave-hole of the boom end. Sway the dolphin-striker to its place by means of a tackle from the bowsprit cap and a whip from the jib-boom end and hook it to its eye-bolt; shackle to it the lower end of the jib-martingale and the back-ropes. Fig. 333 shows jib-boom end, and Plate 51 general view of head-booms with detail of whisker and dolphin striker. Place the jib-guys

* In handling a large boom, it will be necessary to have a tackle from the fore-stay hooked to a strap on the head of the boom, to raise and guide it through the cap.

124

Whiskers are swayed on board with a tackle from the forward swifter. A whisker is got into place ready for rigging by means of a jigger from the fore-topmast stay, hooked to a strap about one-third the length of the whisker from its outer end, and another jigger from the bowsprit cap to its inner end. When far enough out the whisker is hooked to a bolt in the bees. When hooked, put on the jib guy, which is fitted with a neat eye to o over the whisker end, and then the whisker jumper. This jumper goes over the whisker with an eye, and sets up to the cutwater, or it may lead through a clump block on the cutwater to the ship’s head where it is set up.

When the flying-jib-boom has been placed and rigged, the flying-jib-guys are rove through a hole in the whisker, or through a thimble strapped (with wire rope) to the whisker, outside of all, thimble on top. Jib and flying-jib guys set up to the bows, or cathead, with three scored hearts.

The whisker being rigged, slack the stay jiggers, which serve as lifts, and haul on the jib-guys to bring the whiskers athwartship. For detail of rigging on whisker, see Plate 51, Fig. 305, where standing part of forward guy is omitted to avoid confusion.

Topgallant Masts. Get the topgallant-mast on board by means of the mast rope. Hook the topgallant top-block to a bolt in the topmast cap, and reeve the mast rope first through the block, then through the thimble of a stout lizard, the tail of which is hitched in the royal sheave-hole; lastly, through the sheave in the heel, and cast an overhand knot in the end, or hitch it around the mast to its own part. When the topgallant mast is on board, and up and down forward of the lower mast, secure it there temporarily by a lashing around the head from the lower stay collar, passed clear of the mast rope; cast off the hitch in the end of the mast rope and carry the standing part aloft, hitching it to a bolt in the topmast cap, on the side opposite to where the block is hooked. Fig. 327. Set taut the mast rope, cast off the stop at the stay collar and sway the mast aloft, bending a tripping-line to a bolt in the heel to guy the mast clear on its passage up. Point the head of the royal-mast and sway it up three or four feet above the topmast cap, taking off the lizard, which is now of no further use. When the topsail yard is in its place, the gate, a broad iron

125

First, Fore-topgallant stay.
Second, Flying-jib stay.
Third, Shrouds.
Fourth, Back stays.

The eyes of this rigging are made to fit the funnel exactly. Fig. 330.

A clump-block seized between the topgallant shrouds, below the eye, is for the topgallant lift. Pass the ends of the topgallant shrouds over the futtock staffs, and thence into the top, where they are to be set up with hearts. Do not clamp these shrouds into the horns of the cross-trees until swayed aloft, as it gives just so much more gear to overhaul. The mast can be steadied sufficiently, until fidded, by the fore and aft stay and back stays. Take the back stays to the channels, and reeve the fore and aft stay through its sheave in the jib-boom.

Royal Rigging. Send up by means of the girt-line at the topmast cap the royal band, with the rigging fitted upon it as described in the previous chapter. Place the band on the mast-head, Fig. 329, reeve the royal shrouds through the arms of the jack to the top, take the back stays to the channels and the fore and aft stay through its sheave in the flying-jib-boom, when the latter is ready for rigging out.

A small clump-block for the royal lift is seized in between the shroud and back stay, below the band.

Place the truck, with signal halliards rove and spindle and lightning conductor (copper wire) attached, man the mast rope and sway up the mast, overhauling well the royal shrouds, &c. When the mast is fidded and the flying-jib-boom is rigged out and clamped (see below), set up the stays, back stays and shrouds with jiggers, not forgetting to clamp the topgallant shrouds in the horns of the cross-trees before setting up.

126

The Main Topgallant Stay reeves through a hole in the after-part of the fore-cap, setting up in the fore-top. During continued exercises in sending up and down topgallant-masts this stay is frequently led down to the deck, abaft the fore-mast.

The Main Royal Stay reeves now through the after chock of the fore-topmast cross-trees, so that if the foretopgallant-mast goes the main royal-mast is not in danger. In sending up topgallant-masts the main can be stayed without waiting for the fore. Sets up in the fore-top.

The Mizzen Topgallant Stay reeves over a small roller in the after-part of the main-cap. Sets up in the main-top.

The Mizzen Royal Stay leads through a sheave in the after chock of the main-topmast trestle-trees, and down into the main-top.

All these stays set up with hearts and laniards.

Flying-Jib-boom. Figs. 304 and 332. Sway it on board with a span, as directed for the jib-boom, and rest it on the head-rail ready for going out. Hang the heel by a slip rope from the fore-topmast stays, reeve off the heel rope through a block secured to the jib-guy, through the sheave in the heel of the boom, securing the end to the neck of the wythe. Pull out on the heel rope and point the end of the flying-jib-boom through the wythe, with the shoulders clear of the jib-boom end. Put on the head of the flying-jib-boom, the band (of iron) fitted with eyes for the flying-jib guys on each side, and one eye underneath for the flying martingale. Reeve the end of the flying martingale through a sheave in the end of the dolphin striker, and the guys through the holes (or thimbles) at the whisker-boom ends. Reeve also the flying-jib and fore-royal stays in their respective sheaves, and under the cleats on the dolphin striker. Seize the foot ropes to the shackles for the flying-jib guys, stopping them out a short distance to the guys, and seize the inner ends (when the boom is rigged out) to the jib guys. Rig out, taking off the slip rope from the fore-topmast stays, clamp the heel to the side of the cap, unreeve the heel rope. Set up the flying-jib martingale, then the fore and aft stays, lastly the royal back stays, shrouds, and flying-jib guys.

Observe that in staying all masts the stay is usually set up first and then the back-stays, if any, and lastly, the shrouds.

Topsail Yards. Having towed the yard off to the ship, say on the port side with the starboard yard-arm

127

For detail of slings see Fig. 336, of yard-arm, 339.

Quarter Blocks are iron-strapped, with friction-rollers, shackled to bands on the quarters of the yard, underneath. In case of accident compelling the use of a rope strap, it should be single with lashing eyes. There should be separate bands and blocks for the clewlines, as shown in Fig. 336. If not, the quarter block is either double for the topgallant sheet and topsail clewline, or treble, if the topsail reef tackle leads under the yard.

Burton Straps. Iron bands a few feet inside of the yard-arms, with an eye in the upper part to which the top burton may be hooked.

Bolt for Bead-Earing, Fig. 372, Plate 71. A bolt on the forward side of the yard, just inside the shoulder and well up on the yard; or it may be an eye in the shoulder band.

Backer for Head-Earing, Fig. 372, Plate 71, is a broad piece of sennit nailed around the yard, inside and. clear of the topgallant sheet, and fitted with a thimble in its hanging end. The head of the topsail is hauled out by the turns of the head-earing taken through the bolt and held up on the yard by the turns taken through the backer, as will be described more fully under BENDING SAILS. For backer, see Fig. 372.

Jack Stays for bending are of rod iron, those for reefing, on the topsail yard, may be of wire rope, rove through staples abaft the bending jack-stay on the upper part of the yard, outer ends going over the yard-arm with eyes, the inner ends set up to each other in the slings by

128

Instead of the eye the outer ends of foot-ropes may be fitted with hooks connecting to an eye-bolt on the after-side of the shoulder-band, or else as described under FLEMISH HORSES. Inner ends of foot-ropes omitted in Fig. 336 to avoid confusion.

Stirrups are fitted with an eye in the lower end (no thimble), through which the foot-rope reeves and to which it is seized. The upper ends, fitted with small eyes, are seized to the jack-stay staples.

Flemish Horses. These are spliced around a thimble on the pacific iron for that purpose, and the eye in the other end secured on top of the yard to the jack-stay, the length of the yardarm inside of the sheave hole, with a rose-seizing. These are foot-ropes for the yard-arm men when reefing, &c. It would be better, as is already done on some modern ships, to do away with the flemish horses by carrying out the foot-rope to the pacific iron, fitting the necessary extra stirrups.*

Tye Blocks are iron-strapped and connected by a bolt to a band around the slings of the yard; or, in case of two tyes, the tye-blocks shackle to bands fitted at the slings, at a distance apart equal to the diameter of the topmast. The bands are joined by a span, which is used for the purchase to hook in when sending the yard up and down. In case of an accident to the straps of tye-blocks, requiring them to be fitted with rope-straps, it is well to remember that two single straps are needed to make the block stand fair on the yard.

Parrel. A parrel fitted of wire rope is commonly used. This consists of a long and a short leg, leathered singly, marled together, and again leathered in the wake of

* The flemish horse was introduced when lifts and brace-block straps went over the yard-arm with eyes, and it enabled these to be removed or put on without coming up anything but the inboard lashing of the flemish horse. Now that all this gear is differently fitted, a separate outboard foot-rope is superfluous, and is going out of use.

129

Lifts are four-stranded, hemp, and blacked. Hook to the shoulder-band, reeve through lower sheave of a sister block seized in between the swifter and next shroud in the topmast rigging, just below the eyes, thence to the top, where they turn up through clump blocks. Set up with jiggers.

Jewel Blocks. Single, rope or iron-strapped, hook to the pacific iron with sister hooks. Not put in place until the studding sail gear is rove off.

Tyes. Flexible wire rope. The lower end has a thimble spliced in, to which hooks the fly-block. Passing through the mast-head gin-blocks, they reeve through the tye-block on the yard from out, in, thence up through the topmast trestle-trees, and made fast around the mast-head. The heel of the topgallant-mast is scored out on purpose to admit the tye.

Small ships have a single tye only, which in this case reeves through a sheave in the topmast, in stead of a gin-block. Bell’s purchase (see TOPSAIL HALLIARDS) is used in connection with such tyes.

The length of the tyes should be such that the fly-blocks will be square with the lower cap when the yard is down.

See that the yard is fitted with boom irons, reefing cleats, saddles (inboard from sheave holes) for topgallant sheets, &c., and prepare for sending it aloft.*

Hook a stout double purchase from the topmast-head to the tye-band (or a strap) in the slings of the yard, Fig. 335.

* It may be noted here that the iron work, bands, &c., described in connection with the yard fittings are all in place, as a rule, before the yard is sent on board, and are enumerated only to complete the list of the fittings. In former times nearly all of the above described fittings were of rope.
9

130

N.B.-This routine supposes the yard to be lying in the port gangway, with the starboard yard-armforward.

Lower Yards. Of the many methods suggested for getting a lower yard on board, the following may be selected as the safest and most seamanlike:

The yard is towed alongside, on the starboard side, with the port end forward. Top up the fish-boom, Fig. 337, by its topping lift T, the upper block being hooked at the futtock band. Swing the boom around to the starboard side with the usual forward and after guys. (For description of fish-davit, see GROUND TACKLE.) Should there be no sheave in the boom, as at A, lash a block at that point. Lash together two large single blocks, as at B and C. Reeve a pendant through A and B, securing the outboard end to the head of the boom, and take a turn with the other end of the pendant at the sheet bitts.

Through the block C reeve a hawser, make fast to the bight above C the lower block of a treble purchase from the topmast-head. The other end of the hawser is secured at the slings of the yard, and stopped along the port yard-arm to the pacific iron, with rope stops.

Protect the hammock rail where the yard is to be landed by blocking up in the netting above the level of the rail.

When ready, tow the after (starboard) yard-arm out from the ship, keep it end on to the vessel with a guy from forward. Walk away with the treble purchase, and as the

131

There may be two additional bands, one en each side, for preventer slings, or for the jeer-blocks, if the latter shackle to the yard instead of lashing.

The Chain-slings are sent aloft by one of the top-burtons, and fit over the lower cap in a saddle for the purpose, or they may be fitted with two shackles that secure to the eyes of a crescent, bolted over the cap. A back-lashing abaft the mast, about one-third the doublings from the mast-head, keeps the strain on the slings in a vertical direction. Plate 36.

Truss-bands. Iron bands, outside the sling-bands, to which the arms of the truss are secured. sling-bands, also Fig. 338.

Backer and Staple for Head-earing. There is usually an eye in the shoulder-band for the head-earing. In its absence, a grommet strap of small rope is put on the yard-arm first, with a thimble seized in on top. Backer of rope plaited, fitted similar to the one on topsail yard.

Lifts, are four-stranded, hemp, blacked. In large ships they are rove as luffs, with the double block at the cap, and single block hooking to the shoulder-band. The standing part hooks to the breech of the yard-arm block, or to a bolt on the shoulder-band. In smaller vessels the lift is a gun-tackle purchase, the standing part hooking to the breech of the upper block. Lower lift blocks at the cap are of iron, the fore usually has additional sheaves (the after ones) for the lower boom topping lift.

The end of the lift on deck is turned up around a thimble, into which a double (or lighter) purchase is hooked.

Brace-blocks. Iron strapped, with friction-rollers, hook to shoulder-band, sheave up and down.

Quarter-Blocks for the topsail-sheets, are iron-strapped and shackle to the band, underneath the yard,

* For the main yard the fish-boom is taken aft and the heel secured in one of the jeer bolts forward of the mast. In the case from which this description is taken, the main-yard of the “Colorado” was the spar handled. There were no precautions necessary, except as above stated in protecting the netting. The ship was in port, at Hong Kong, the waistboats remained hoisted, and the gangway ladder shipped. The spar, 110 feet long and weighing nearly 10 tons, was landed on board inside of 20 minutes. Treble purchase 6-inch fall,; hawser 10-inch, pendant 4 1/2-inch hemp, stops on the yard and hawser 2 1/2-inch manilla. In the absence of the fish-boom, use any suitable spar as an outrigger.

132

Quarter-Irons, Fig. 347 b, for the topmast-studding-sail-booms, are screwed to iron bands on the yard about two-thirds out, and are fitted to clamp and unclamp around the boom.

Boom Irons for the same spars are keyed to the ends of the pacific-irons, and fitted with a roller in the lower part. Fig. 334, also Fig. 347.

Burton Straps. Iron bands with eyes at top, fitted to the yard inside the sheave for topsail sheets.

Jackstays, both for bending and reefing, are of iron, the former with staples, the latter passing through eye-bolts on the yard above the bending jack-stay.

Foot Ropes. Fitted similar to those on the topsail yard; the outer end hooks to the shoulder-band, Fig. 334. The foot-ropes cross forward of the mast, each inner end secured to the opposite arm of the truss and seized to the arm on its own side. The two foot-ropes are seized together where they cross.

The necessary cleats, &c., having been attached to the yard, it is sent aloft by the jeers; should these not be available, use two pendant-tackles. In either case, hook both top-burtons to the burton-straps on the yard, and reeve and man the braces and lifts-the latter rove single until the yard is aloft. Keep the yard clear of the mast by a fore-and-aft tackle.

The jeers are two double (better treble) purchases, the upper blocks in small vessels being secured permanently to the chain slings aloft. (See JEER BLOCKS).

The lower blocks lash around the yard on either side of the slings; the upper blocks hang by long lashings or chain slings from the lower cap, over the forward part of the top rim.

Sway aloft, keeping control of the fore-and-aft tackle; when high enough key the truss, hook the slings, square the yard by the lifts and braces, unhook the jeers, bur-tons, &c.

The cross-jack yard differs somewhat in its fittings from the fore and main, as no sail is set upon it. The braces hook to a band well inside the shoulders, so that the brace (which leads forward) may clear the main topmast back-stays.

133

Topgallant-Yards. The yard being alongside, sway it on board with the yard-rope, rove through the sheave-hole in the topgallant-masthead, hooking it to the slings, and stopping it down to the forward yard-arm.

The fittings are as follows, Figs. 340 and 341:

Slings. An iron band around the center of the yard, with a link for the hooks on the yard-rope.

Parrel. A grommet on each side of the slings fits around the yard and the jaws, a score being cut in the latter. Both grommets are leathered, and are seized to form eyes abaft, abreast the opening of the jaws. A third grommet strap, also leathered, is seized to one of the eyes, and, when the yard is crossed, passes around the mast, and lashes to the other eye. In port, exercising, a single lashing is substituted for the third grommet-strap. Instead of the first two grommets there might be eyes in the jaws, but these foul in sending the yard up and down, and are liable to get knocked out.

If the topgallant-yard is not provided with jaws the parrel is formed as above, or with a long and short grommet. The larger strap is long enough to go around the yard and meet the short one, being secured by a lashing of small stuff. Both straps leathered.

Quarter Blocks. These are double, iron-strapped, friction-rollers, and hook to a band on the yard.

Strap for the Lizard. A grommet strap slipped over the yard with a thimble seized in the bight, on top of the yard, the strap itself being a few feet from the slings, and called a quarter-strap. To prevent slipping this quarter-strap should be seized to the jackstay.

Backer and Cringle for Head-earing. Backer same as on top-sail yard. Instead of a head-earing staple, there is a small cringle worked into the eye of the foot-rope, clear of the royal sheet. Figs. 341, b.

Foot-Ropes, Fig. 341. Fitted with eyes to go over the yard-arms. At sea the inner ends generally cross abaft the mast (preventer parrel) and in port they cross forward of the mast. These inner ends are variously secured. They may be fitted with an eye, lashing to the yard with a flat-seizing, eye abaft and on top of the yard. Or, for convenience in shifting, these ends of the foot-ropes may be fitted, as in Fig. 340, with sister hooks to connect with the thimble of a strap on the quarters of the yard. Or, finally, if the neck of the eye-bolt for the quarter-block is long enough, the ends may hook there.

134

The lift and brace may have their ends secured to eyes projecting from an iron ring which is leathered and goes over the yard-arm.

Braces. Fitted with an eye in the end, marled to the lift, or hooked into the iron ring above described. It may be single or a whip and pendant.

Snorters, Fig. 341 a, are in length a little less than half the yard, the outer end spliced into the thimble of an eye-bolt at the yard-arm; the inner end has an eye for the tripping-line, and is secured by a stop to the slings when not in use.

To Cross a Topgallant Yard, Fig. 342. The yard rope, having a lizard attached (overhauled down forward, and outside of all), is rove through a good-sized grommet passed over the upper yard-arm and hooked to the link in the sling-band, the lizard being rove through the upper quarter-strap thimble, and hitched to the one on the opposite quarter. Take the eye of the lower lift and brace in the topmast rigging, and that of the upper one to the opposite side of the topmast cap, and sway aloft. When the upper yard-arm rises within reach of the man on the topmast cap, take off the grommet, slip on the lifts and braces over the snorters, gathering up the slack of the lower one, and sway away until the slings of the yard are well above the topmast cap, take through the slack of the lower lift, then take a turn of the parrel-lashing abaft the mast, through the eye in the opposite strap, tend the lifts and braces, slack up the lizard, and “sway across,” squaring the yard, and passing the parrel for a full due.

NOTE.-The outer ends of snorters are generally plaited like sennit, that they may lie flat, and permit the eye of the lift and brace to fit over snugly.

Royal Yards. The routine of rigging and crossing is precisely similar to that of the topgallant yards; the differences being that the quarter-blocks are single, there are no backers, and the foot-ropes never cross abaft the mast.

In many ships small hand grommets are worked around the jack-stays for the men to hold on by when at sea.

135

TRYSAIL-MASTS, GAFFS AND BOOMS.

These spars are usually swayed on board by means of the fore or main yard and stay tackles; purchases most frequently in use, and convenient at this stage of the equipment.

Trysail-Masts. The trysail-mast is shipped by means of a tackle hooked to a strap above the futtock-band, the head being pointed through a hole in the after-chock, and the heel (over which the hoops are passed) stepped in a socket or mortise, on the fife-rail, or on the deck. After which, the head is secured by a lashing through a B-cleat underneath the top, or with iron keys; copper having been put on in the wake of the gaff.

The spanker-mast may be fitted with an iron spindle m the heel, stepping into the heel-strap of the spanker-boom.

Gaffs. Figs. 343 and 344. The plan at present generally adopted in the service for trysail and spanker gaffs is to fit them with jaws and in connection with a trysail-mast, there being hoops on the gaff and trysail-mast for bending the sail. Gaffs may be seen in some vessels secured directly to the lower mast by means of eye-bolts within each other, like lock thimbles. Another plan is to have a scored batten secured on the after side of the mast in place of a trysail-mast, with metal slides furnished with bending loops sliding up and down in the groove of the batten. In this case the gaff attaches to a sliding chock, which also moves up and down in the score of the batten, “railway fashion,” as it is termed.

The ordinary gaff first described may be fitted with a permanent span of wire rope or chain, from the shoulder band to the after part of the cap, and a similar throat pendant shackling to the upper part of the gaff between the jaws and to a bolt under the top; or, the span and throat pendant may be replaced by peak and throat halliards, sometimes rove in one, as described under running rigging. The blocks for these halliards are iron-strapped.

Vangs are fitted with a pendant that hooks into a band on the shoulder of the gaff.

The vang pendants having been hooked, the gaff is sent aloft by means of its halliards, or by a top burton hooked into a strap around the peak pendant and another tackle from under the top, shackling the pendants as soon as the gaff is aloft, and passing the jaw rope or parrel.

In view of the frequent use of trysail gaffs as derricks in raising weights through the hatches which they plumb, the gaffs and their fittings should be as substantial as possible.

A very important part of the fitting of a gaff is the saddle (a), Fig. 344, Plate 64. This consists of a block of wood, which bolts in between the jaws and is hollowed out

136

The spanker-gaff should always be fitted with throat and peak halliards to hoist and lower, as necessary; for otherwise it would be almost impossible to reef the sail. In brigantines and schooners it is not unfrequently the case that eye-bolts are attached to each side of the jaws, for preventer lashings in heavy weather; and a single block (grommet-strapped) is put over the gaff end for a down-haul; vangs being dispensed with as useless, on account of the sharp angle at which they act, in consequence of the height of the gaff.

Booms. That for the spanker is neatest if shipped with a goose-neck to an eye-bolt on the mizzen-mast, Fig. 345, and fitted with an iron band over the boom-end for the topping-lift and the guys, both of which connect to it with sister hooks. The sheet-blocks are best if strapped with rope-grommets, on account of the jerks and checks in jibbing, which render eye-bolts liable to snap and break at the neck. These blocks are fitted with clip-hooks if the eye is up and down. The foot-ropes hook into a band on the boom end, and seize to eyes on the sheet band. Fig. 346.

The topping-lifts (one on each side) are usually fitted with sister hooks in the end and hook to an iron band, about one-fifth of the extreme length of the boom from the outer end; while the running parts reeve through blocks at each side of the mizzen tressle-trees, and thence to the deck, where gun-tackle purchases are attached. In men-of-war of the smaller class, and in the merchant service, the topping-lift is not unfrequently single, and rove through the gaff-end, and a roller in the after-part of the mizzen-topmast tressle-trees; the end is turned up around a thimble into which a jigger is hooked.

On the main-boom of brigantines and schooners the topping-lift is usually fitted with the standing part secured at the mainmast-head by hooking in an eye-bolt of the wythe; while the lower end is spliced around a double block, in which a fall is rove, leading through a single one, and a sheave in the boom. In this class of vessels the clew of the sail shackles to a band around the boom. A heavy strap (which is cleated forward), with thimbles at each side, is put around the boom at the sheet-block for the boom-tackle pendant, which is fitted with a hook in the after-end and a thimble in the forward, and is used only in going large.

The boom is got in its place by means of the throat-halliards and topping-lift, assisted by guys and thwartship tackles, as requisite.

Studding-Sail Booms. That for the lower

137

The guy-blocks are iron-strapped and hook to the band.

When the boom is rigged out in port a life-line is seized to the topping-lift, about breast-high from the boom, with its inner end secured inboard in the chains, in line with the boom.

When the boom is not in use it is hauled alongside by the after-guy, and rests in cranes, shipped for the purpose in the waist, the topping-lift being unhooked and triced up out of the way.

The lower boom is so called at sea, and is known as the swinging-boom in port.

Topmast Studding-Sail Booms. Round, spruce, or yellow pine spars, unpainted excepting their projecting ends. The outer end is fitted with a permanent tack block, swivelled upon it, Fig. 347, and in line with the axis of the boom, or else there is an iron pin driven through the boom vertically, near its outer end, Fig. 348.

The inner end, or heel, has a deep score for a heel-lashing when the boom is rigged out. Outside of this score there are two holes bored in the boom, one up and down, and one fore and aft, Fig. 347. A grommet strap is worked through each hole, one having a thimble for the in-and-out jigger, and the other a thimble for the tricing-line.

The inner strap is fitted through the hole bored fore and aft, in line with the score. It is used for the boom tricing-line. Splice a heel-rope around the neck of this inner strap.

Unclamp the quarter iron, Fig. 347 b, on the yard, and prepare for sending the boom aloft.

Carry out a whip on the fore-yard, secure it well up on the fore-lift. Hook a clew-jigger from the lower cap to one of the grommets on the heel of the boom; the whip from the fore-yard is hitched to the boom far enough out to clear

138

The above blocks are taken off in port, except the swivelling tack-block, which, when fitted, is a fixture.

Clamp the quarter-irons, hook the boom tricing-line, rig out to the square mark and take off the clew jigger and whip. Lastly, seize a hook horizontally on the yard, just inside the burton strap, with the point outboard, for the purpose of securing the boom, when setting the sail,* and shift the in-and-out jigger ready for use.

Top-gallant Studding-sail Booms, Fig. 349, are rigged nearly in the same manner, but have no halliard-block at the outer end, and the tricing-line goes directly through the inner hole in the boom (no grommet), with a Mathew Walker knot in the end. There is no quarter-iron; instead, a quarter-strap of rope may be fitted. This forms a figure eight around the yard and boom, seized where it crosses on the yard. One end is split to form two eyes. The other end has one eye (all eyes leathered), and the two ends are held together, when the boom is rigged out, by a toggle. The toggle is taken out as soon as the boom is rigged in, to be ready for tricing up. Fig. 350.

Instead of the rope quarter-strap, some ships use a rope jackstay, seized to the eye of the topsail lift, and set up to its opposite in the slings of the yard. In this case a becket is fitted in the heel of the boom, which toggles to a travelling bull’s-eye on the jackstay.

The tricing-line leads from the top up through a single block seized to the forward swifter of the topmast rigging, close up to the eyes, thence down to the boom, where it is rove through a single block, and is then secured to the heel of the boom. When it is required to rig the boom out, the tricing-line is converted into an in-and-out jigger, thus:- The tricing-line is let go in the top, and the single block, through which it passes at the heel of the boom, is taken out on the yard, taking out the bight of the tricing-line with it, and hooks to a thimble on the yard.

The boom, when required for setting the sail, is secured

* The heel-lashing is passed over the hook, and back through the score in the boom, and two half-hitches taken with the end around all parts.

139

RUNNING RIGGING.

Besides enabling us to measure for and cut standing rigging, a fore-and-aft draft of the ship gives the length of all running rigging. To measure for main-topsail clew-lines, for example, supposing them to be double, take twice the distance from the clew of the main-topsail, Fig. 284, Plate 43, to the quarter-block on the topsail-yard, to which add the distance thence to the deck, plus end enough to lead out; double this to get the other clew-line and divide by six to reduce it to fathoms, and so for any other rope. One half of each upper yard should be represented as on the cap, in order to measure for lifts, &c.

When a rope leads direct and is not exposed to unnecessary friction, it is said to have a clear or afair lead, an extremely desirable condition, and one too frequently neglected.

Rope supplied in coil has had turns hove in it in the coiling. To get these turns out, the rope must be “thorough-footed.” To do this, if the rope is right-handed, lay the coil flat, with that end inside which goes around “with the sun” (to the right), now haul that end up through the coil and. coil it down, left-handed. Then dip the new upper end down through and coil again left-handed, and repeat a third time. The rope is then stretched, and the gear cut and rove off. First in importance may be mentioned:

BRACES.

Fore-Braces, Fig. 351. Hemp, left-handed, standing part of wire to extend forward of smoke-stack. Standing part hooks to eye-bolts in the bibbs or to the neck of the brace-block bolt at the bibbs, as in Fig. 351b, thence through blocks on the yard from up, down, back through other blocks on the outside of bibbs and down to sheaves in the fife-rail (usually from aft, forward).

Main-Braces. Standing part hooked into the bumpkins aft, or into an eye in the breech of the block, then through brace-blocks from down, up, back to others on the bumpkin (inside the standing parts) and through sheaves or leaders in the bulwarks.

On board large ships where there is much drift to the

140

The same has been found needful on board very long ships in the main rigging to avoid fouling the waist davits.

The timenoguy is seized to the standing part of the brace, the hauling part reeving through a thimble.

Cross-jack Braces. The standing parts hooked into the strap of a double block*** hooked to an eye-bolt on each side of the mainmast, in a line with the yard****-thence to the brace-blocks fromdown, up, and back to the inner sheaves of those on the mainmast.

Fore-topsail Braces. Standing parts fitted with eye-splices lashed together abaft the main topmast-head, laid along in the doublings of the collar of the main topmast-stay, and stopped down on each side to and below the crotch, to avoid chafe from the foot of the sail and brace blocks; thence forward and down through the brace-blocks to clump-blocks, seized to the main-stay, Fig. 351, at the fork. Thence through blocks at the bibbs to the main fife-rail. Lead there through sheaves, usually from forward, aft.

Main-topsail Braces. Standing part hooks to an iron traveller, which moves up and down the mizzen topmast to shift the strain lower down as it becomes greater (if the mizzen-topsail is reefed or taken in), thence to the yard and down to hanging blocks on the mizzen-mast, about half way between the top and the deck.

Mizzen-topsail Braces. The standing parts hook to the strap of a block at each side of the main cap; thence to the yard from down, up, back to the blocks, and so down through the lubber’s-hole to the deck.

All the above braces are of hemp, left-handed.

Fore-top-gallant Braces are usually rove single, the standing parts going over the yard-arms with

* The same principle may he variously applied, as to a main-tack, the sheet of a schooner’s lug foresail, &c.

** A timenoguy is any piece of rope placed to prevent rigging from chafing or fouling.

*** The outer sheave is for the mizzen top-bowline.

**** Otherwise, the angular action of the brace would cant the yard either up or down, and consequently slack one or the other of the mizzen-topsail leeches.

141

Mizzen-top-gallant Braces. Through small blocks, underneath the main-topmast cross-trees, or seized to the main-topmast backstays. Brace single, manilla rope.

Fore-royal Braces are single (without whips), and rove like the top-gallant braces, except that they are taken to the main-top-gallant mast-head. The blocks are now generally made of metal, and hook to eyes in the funnel, or are seized to the top-gallant rigging.

Main-royal Braces. Same as fore-royal braces, except taken to mizzen-top-gallant mast-head.

Mizzen-royal Braces. Single. and through sheaves in the after-chock of the main-topmast cross-trees. All royal braces are of manilla rope.

Topmast Studding-sail-boom Braces may be either single, going over the boom-end with a running-eye and leading through a tail-block on the forward swifter of the main rigging; or double, with a pendant and whip leading to the main rigging.

Preventer Braces are fitted with a pendant and whip, the former going round the yard, hooking to its own part, and the latter led to the deck, well aft, when for bad weather. When rove for action, they are led forward.

HALLIARDS.

Topsail-Halliards. Where double tyes and gins are used, the standing part of the halliards is spliced to a single block (which is iron-strapped and fitted with a swivel), in the channels, on each side, and then rove through a double one hooked to a thimble in the end of its respective tye. A double purchase is used in heavy ships.*

* Bell’s purchase, as usually fitted for the mizzen-topsail halliards. The tye used is single, of flexible wire, reeving through the sheave in the topmast. The four blocks are single (see Fig. 354); block A shackles into tye abaft the mast, blocks B and C are in the after part of the mizzen chains, one on each side of the ship; block D is at the height of the lower mast-head when the topsail-yard is on the cap, but close down to the leading block on deck when the yard is hoisted. The parts marked 1 and 2 are securely seized together at A. Power gained is as 7 to 1, friction not considered. Fig. 355 shows a similar purchase for heavier yards.

142

Royal-Halliards are best, if fitted with a gun-tackle purchase, thus: The yard-rope, being rove in a leader on deck, is passed through a single block fitted with a strap having an eye, and toggled on abreast the top, as represented in Fig. 352, Plate 65. In the event, then, of having to send the yard down, it is only necessary to take off the, block, which will leave the yard-rope clear for running.

The strap of the block may be a temporary one and made of a selvagee and the yard-rope, Fig. 352 (a).

Throat-Halliards. If for a spanker or trysail, they usually consist of a purchase rove through double and single blocks; the former hooked to a bolt on the under side of the after lower chock, and the latter to a band and eye-bolt at the jaws of the gaff; the hauling part leading through the upper block from aft forward, to the deck. In brigantines and vessels with a boom-mainsail, both blocks are double,

Peak-Halliards. The best plan for peak-halliards is to reeve them as follows: Hook the standing part into the breech of the mast-head block (which is double), and reeve thence through the innerblock of the gaff, from aft forward; then up through the port sheave of the mast-head block, out through the block at the gaff-end, from forward aft; and lastly, back to the sheave of the mast-head block.

The merit of this system will be apparent, if we consider that the hauling part, by being rove last, at the gaff-end, permits the peak to drop the instant the halliards are let go.

The standing part may be rove through the third sheave of the block (treble) at mast-head, and have a small single block spliced in the end, through which reeve a whip; this enables the peak to be pulled up taut. The latter plan is adopted by all large schooners and sloops, and is on the same principle as applying a purchase to the standing part of the main brace.

Storm-Staysail Halliards. The fore-storm staysail-stay, fitted of rope of the proper size, having in its upper end a stout iron toggle covered with leather, toggles into the crotch of the fore-stay. The lower end, after passing through the hanks of the sail, reeves through a stout bull’s-eye strapped to the bowsprit, and sets up with a luff. The halliards are sometimes a luff, and sometimes a gun-tackle

143

Jib arid Topmast-Staysail Halliards are rove through the upper sheave of iron fiddle-blocks, hooked to a bolt in each side of the topmast trestle-trees, thence through hanging blocks in the after-part of the trestle-trees, to keep them clear of the topsail tyes and lifts. The jib-halliards are double, and reeve through a block in the head of the sail, with the standing part half-hitched and lashed to the crotch of the stay collar. Halliards of manilla. The staysail-halliards are single, with sister-hooks to the head-cringle and a whip, the block of which comes just below the hanging block when the sail is taken in. Pendant hemp, whip manilla.

The lower sheaves of the fiddle-blocks serve for the topsail buntlines.

The jib-halliards should be led on the starboard side, and those for the staysail on the port-a rule which is self-evident, when we remember that the latter is set on the port topmast-stay. The method of fitting these halliards with whips, is not approved of by seamen generally, on account of the liability to tangle and get foul in hauling down the sail; and the obvious necessity of separating the parts widely from each other.

NOTE. Whenever a whip is used, as in the foregoing, it is well to use an iron-strapped swivel-block, splicing the pendant into the eye of the swivel, to avoid cable-laying.

Flying-Jib Halliards, manilla, are rove single, through a small iron fiddle-block hooked to an eye in the lower rim of the funnel (on the port side) under the eyes of the rigging, and connected to the head-cringle on the sail by means of sister-hooks. In large ships, however, they are sometimes rove double, and the standing part seized to the splice of the stay on the under side. The small iron fiddle-blocks are for flying-jib halliards, topgallant buntlines, and topgallant bunt-jigger.

All iron hanging blocks, like those above described for head halliards, as well as those for the topsail-tyes, are commonly known as “gin” blocks.

Gaff-topsail Halliards are single, and in barks and ships, are rove through a sheave in the topgallant mast-head, and attached to the yard with a fisherman’s bend; or if the sail is triangular in shape, to the headcringle, with a sheet-bend. On board of schooners and hermaphrodite brigs, they are rove through a sheave in the topmast-head.

Lower Studding-Sail Halliards. The outer halliards reeve through the lower sheave of a fiddle-block, which is strapped with a long pendant, and hooks to

144

By Plate 32, the halliard-block may hook to the link in the crescent on the topmast cap.

Topgallant Studding-Sail Halliards are rove on each side, through a single block (which is fitted with a rope-strap and tail), hitched above the eyes of the topgallant rigging; thence abaft, to the jewel-block, and so to the top, where they are bent to the studding-sail yard, in the same manner as the halliards previously mentioned, the hoisting part being sent down to the deck abaft, and clear of all.

The halliard-blocks at the mast-head are much neater when fitted with lashing-eyes.

All the studding-sail halliards are manilla.

SHEETS.

Fore and Main Sheets. The standing parts are connected to eye-bolts on the outside of the bulwarks with sister-hooks, just forward of the sheaves for the hauling parts; thence they are roveup through the blocks at the clews of the sail, and back, inboard through the bulwark sheaves. Hemp, tapered. Fig. 357.

Topsail Sheets. When double, as on board of first-rates, the standing parts are clinched around their own parts and go around the yard-arms outside of all, and thence rove from out in, through the sheet blocks to the yard sheaves, and the quarter-blocks in the slings; being led, lastly, to the bitts on deck, forward of the mast. If single, they are simply secured to the clew-cringle with hooks; but where chain is used, they are connected by small stout iron shackles.

Topsail sheets are usually hemp, Fig. 356.

145

Storm-Staysail Sheets are temporary purchases, and consist usually of stout luffs hooked (and moused) to the clew-cringles, and brought well aft, in order to form, as near as possible, a line with the foot of the sail. The hauling part should then lead from the forward-block, by which a greater purchase is obtained; although the reverse of this is advocated by many seamen, on account of the difficulty sometimes experienced in getting a turn with the belaying-end, in consequence of the flapping of the sail; but this objection will be entirely overcome, if the sheet be hauled aft, and the foot taut, before hoisting.

Trysail Sheets. The best plan for fitting these is to have a pendant attached to the clew of the sail for the sheet to hook into, as it saves the trouble of “lighting up” the blocks to hook and unhook in shifting the sheet, as in wearing ship, &c. The sheet is an ordinary luff and hooks well aft to an eye-bolt in the deck.

Jib wad Topmast-Staysail Sheets. Both of these are fitted with a hemp pendant and manilla gun-tackle purchase, as follows:

The pendant, which is wormed and served, shackles into the clew-iron, and has a single block spliced into the inboard end. The other block of the purchase hooks to an eyebolt in the deck. A third single block is often hooked into the deck abaft the purchase-block, as a leader for the hauling part.**

The deck blocks for the staysail sheets are forward of those for the jib.

The standing parts of these head sheets hook into beckets in the breech of the pendant block.

Flying-jib Sheets, may be single, but are generally

* In vessels where the quarter-blocks are threefold, the topgallant sheet is rove in the middlesheave.

** The position of the bolts and blocks (or sheaves) must be such, that the sheet, when taut, shall form a line at right angles with the luff of the sail-for otherwise, either the foot or the leech would become slack, and the jib thus be deprived of a great portion of its efficacy. Head sheets should have a cuckold’s neck in the end to prevent unreeving, by accident, as in a squall.
10

146

Spanker Sheets, are rove in one with the guy. The standing parts are hooked to the shoulder-band, and rove to the (double) block in each quarter; thence through the sheet-blocks on the boom from forward aft, and back to the second sheaves of the double blocks.

Boom-mainsail Sheets. In small craft, as schooners, &c., a purchase of double-blocks, and working on a traveller, is used; but in larger vessels, two (attached by separate straps, and hooked to eye-bolts in each quarter) are employed to manage the boom-the hauling parts in either case leading from the upper block. This latter method is by far the better, as every one who has had to “jibe” a boom-mainsail, with a single sheet and crotch-ropes, in heavy weather, will bear witness to.

Gaff-topsail Sheets are formed of a single piece of rope, which is middled, and the bight passed through the clew-cringle of the sail; the ends being thrust also through the bight, are led down on each side of the gaff to a belaying cleat on the boom, near the jaws.

Studding-sail Sheets. Those for the lower studding-sail consist of a single piece of rope, passed through the inner clew-cringle like those for the gaff-topsail (or the two parts may be seized together), and in setting the sail, one sheet is rove from forward aft, through a thimble or block on the goose-neck, in order to bring the clew close down to the boom, and the other led inboard over the hammock-rail, on the forecastle, by which to haul on board the sail, when taking it in.

In fitting a topmast studding-sail, two sheets are also required, which are attached to the clew in the same manner as those for the lower studding-sail. One (called the short sheet), being passedforward of the topsail, and aft through a thimble (seized to the jack-stay or quarter-iron) on the outer quarter of the lower yard, into the top, where it is belayed to a cleat; and the other, or deck-sheet, being led to the forecastle, forward of the yard. The sheets and down-haul are always made up with the sail.

The top-gallant studding-sail sheet is simply spliced into the clew of the sail (having parcelling on it for two or three feet below, to avoid chafe from the foot-rope of the topsail-yard), and led into the top, where it is hitched around the

147

TACKS.

Fore and Main Tacks are hemp, tapered, rove double, Fig. 357 (except now and then on board of small vessels, where they are single). The standing part, which is wormed and served for a fathom or so from the end (as a protection from wet), is hooked to the bumpkin* and rove through the tack-block at the clew of the sail-then back through a leading-block inside of the standing part, and a hole in the bulwarks.

Studding-sail Tacks, manilla, hook to the tacks of their respective sails, and are rove from in out, through the blocks at the boom-ends. That for the topmast studding-sail is led aft, through a tail-block on the forward-swifter of the main-rigging; and the tack of the top-gallant studding-sail, through a leader tailed around the dead-eye of the after topmast shroud.

The top-gallant studding-sail tack is bent, not hooked.

NOTE. The double block in the main rigging for the tack and boom-brace should not be tailed to the shrouds, as it hauls them out of line and stretches them unduly. It should rather hook to the eye of a long pendant, which hooks far enough aft in the main-chains to form a line with the tack, and passes through a lizard at the proper place in the main rigging.

Spanker and Boom-mainsail Tack (Lashings), are passed through the cringle (into which they are spliced), and an eye-bolt on the upper side of the boom.

The spanker-tack lashing is more frequently passed around the spindle of the spanker-mast step.

Trysail-tack Lashings are passed around the foot of the trysail mast, on a line with the foot of the sail, or through an eye-bolt in the after part of the fife-rail.

Where the trysail is fitted “railway-fashion,” the lower end of the grooved batten has a chock to keep the sliding hanks in. This chock has an eye for the tack lashings.

NOTE. In laying-to, in a small vessel, under a balanced-reefed (boom) mainsail, the tack of the sail should be lashed up to the jaws of the gaff, and the whole hoisted several feet up the mast by means of the throat-halliards. In this way the sail is elevated to the wind above the waves, and

* The main tack hooks to a bolt and block in each of the waterways, or deck, forward of the gangway, being rove like the fore, through the block on the clew of the sail, standing part forward.

148

The flying-jib tack is fitted in precisely the same way, the bail being held in its place by the pin of the sheave for the flying-jib stay. Fig. 332.

Both bails have projecting eyes, well down, for the down-haul blocks.

For the staysail is fitted a long strap, with sister-hooks in the upper end. The strap is seized to the topmast-stay. and has drift enough for the foot of the staysail to clear the heel of the jib-boom. The hooks in the strap hook into the staysail tack thimble.

This does away with the necessity of tack lashings.

CLEWLINES.

Clew-Garnets are used only on the courses. Lead from the deck to the clew-garnet block under the yard from in out, through the clew block in the sail, standing part taken between the head of the sail and the yard, and made fast to the arm of the truss.

Topsail Clewlines. For small ships may be single, or single with a whip. For large vessels rove as follows: From the deck through the forward sheave of the quarter-block on the topsail-yard, thence through the clew-line block on the sail, the standing part taken up between the head of the sail and the yard, and made fast to the neck of the tye-block.

It would be far better to have a separate block in the quarter of the yard for the clewline, the same as is fitted for clew-garnets. This enables the clewline to be unhooked and shifted to the cap (as is often done) without interfering with the topgallant sheets. Moreover, such a block has enough play to give a fairer lead to the clewline when the sail is bellied out by a strong breeze, and the sail is always hauled up snugger. Fig. 336 shows such a block, fitted.

Topgallant and Royal Clewlines, are both single, are bent to the clews of the sails, and rove through the quarter-blocks of their respective yards, and thence to the deck by way of the lubber’s-hole. Topgallant clewlines rove double in large ships, standing part secured to the neck of the quarter-block.

149

Topsail clew-jiggers. Like those for the courses. They are found very convenient in taking the clews well up above, and forward of the yard, greatly facilitating the operation of furling. Upper block hooks under the topmast trestle-trees, or to a strap fitted around the forward cross-tree, close in.

The lower blocks of clew-jiggers are secret and fitted with a pendant and sister-hooks. All clew-jiggers should be long enough to reach to the deck.

Fore and Main Buntlines. Usually rove double (i.e., with two legs on each side), a double block hooked under the top and a swivel-block are used in reeving off each pair of legs. The swivel-block resembles a fiddle-block in appearance, except that both shells are of equal size, and their ends connected by a swivel.

Reeve the standing part of the buntline through the upper sheave of its swivel-block, then take both ends of the standing parts through the sheaves of the block under the top, from aft forward, and toggle these ends, which are fitted with eyes, to toggles on the foot of the sail.

Through the lower sheave of the swivel-block is rove a whip, standing part made fast on deck, hauling part led through a sheave in the fife-rail.

Where there is but little drift between the top and the yard for the buntlines (and leechlines) there are fitted instead of blocks under the top a pair of double blocks on each side, hanging by the legs of a short pendant from a bolt in the forward part of the lower cap; sister-hooks in the bight of the pendant hooking to the bolt. The inside double block is for the buntlines, the outboard one is for the leechlines. Fig. 358.

Topsail Buntlines are single, and rove through the lower sheaves of fiddle-blocks* under the eyes of the

* Upper sheaves of fiddle-blocks at the fore for the jib and fore-topmast stay-sail halliards. At the main and mizzen for topsail bunt jigger and main and mizzen topmast staysail halliards, when rove.

150

They are sometimes fitted with two legs, one toggled to the foot, the other to the leech of the sail, so that when the sail is taken in, the leech is brought along the yard ready for furling.

Topgallant buntlines have lizards at the slings the same as topsail buntlines.

In small vessels there is but one buntline. It is spliced around a span, both ends of which are toggled to the foot of the sail.

BOWLINES.

Fore Bowlines. A single rope; the standing part made fast to the breech of a single block, hooked to a span between the fore-stays; the hauling end rove through the bull’s-eye hung from the bowline bridle, back through the block at the stay. In tacking, &c., let go the hauling end, and re-reeve when on the other tack.

Main Bowlines consist of a whip and runner the latter reeving through the thimble in the bridle, and belayed to the fore fife-rail; and the former passing through a block in the end of the runner, led well forward-the standing part of the whip being secured to an eye-bolt at the fore fife-rail, and the reeving end over a pin.

In tacking, when it is required to let go the main bowline the standing part of the runner is cast off, and the whole shifted to the opposite side, ready for reeving.

Top-Bowlines. The fore toggle to the bridles, and lead forward through blocks hooked to the bees and back, inboard, to the forecastle. The main reeve through single blocks, connected to bolts in the after rim of the fore-top, and thence to the deck; and the mizzen, through the outer sheaves of the cross-jack brace-blocks on the main-mast.

DOWN-HAULS.

Jib and Flying-Jib Down-hauls, are each

151

Topmast Staysail Down-haul. Rove same as above, comes inboard on the port side, down-haul block seized to the stay, or an eye-bolt in the bees.

Studding-sail Down-hauls. That for the topmast studding-sail is bent to the outer end of the yardarm and rove thence through a thimble on the leech, to the down-haul block at the tack, leading on deck, forward of the foresail, across the forecastle to the opposite side. That for the topgallantstudding-sail is merely bent to the inner yard-arm of the sail, and led abaft all to the top.

Gail-topsail Down-haul (and Clewline) is led from the after clew of the sail (to which it is bent), through a single block at the head of the sail and thence through the hanks on the mast down to the deck.

OUT-HAULS.

Spanker Out-haul. Hooks to an eye in the shoulder-band on the boom, reeves through a block on the clew of the sail and through the sheave in the boom, belaying to a cleat on the boom.

Peak Out-haul consists of a whip and pendant. The latter is bent to the peak of the sail, rove through the sheave in the gaff, and at a distance equal to the length of the gaff, has a single block turned in, through which the whip is rove. The standing part of the whip is made fast under the top, the running part leads through a single block and thence on deck.

Lower Studding-sail Out-haul is connected by sister-hooks to the outer clew of the sail, and led through a single block (hooked to the boom with clip hooks) to a sheave above that for the guy in the bulwarks.

Gaff-topsail Out-haul is hitched to the clew of the sail, and rove through a sheave at the gaff-end, down to the deck, where it is belayed to a cleat on the boom.

Trysail Out-hauls. They are always single, and attached to the outer head-cringle of the sail, being rove through a sheave in the gaff-end to a leader hooked under the top, and having a whip, which is led thence to the deck.

152

REEF TACKLES.

Topsail reef-tackles reeve up through the lubber’s-hole, through the upper sheave of a sister-block in the eyes of the topmast rigging (or better, through a single block at the topmast cap), thence through a sheave in the topsail yardarm and a secret block on the leech of the topsail. The end of the standing part secures around the pacific-iron.

Sometimes the reef-tackles are fitted thus: The standing part is spliced to the strap of a bloc] shackled to the leech of the sail, below the close-reef bald, thence led upward through the forward sheave of a double block on the yardarm outside of all, down through the block on the leech, up to the remaining sheave of the double block, and so to the after sheave of the quarter-block, and lastly, through the lubber’s-hole to the deck. In this case the quarter-block is three-fold, if there is no special block for the clewline.

Fore and Main Reef-pendants are hooked to the cringle and rove through a single block with lashing eyes, fitted to the yard just outside the lift. There is a thimble in the other end to which hooks the lower block of the clew-jigger, upper block being hooked at the cap.

Instead of these pendants regular lower reef-tackles are being fitted. These consist of a gun-tackle purchase, the lower block hooked to the reef-cringle, upper block to an eye-bolt on the under forward part of the yard-arm. The hauling end leads to the deck through a block seized to the arm of the truss. These reef-tackles are cut long enough for yard-arm jiggers in bending sail.

LEECH-LINES.

These are confined to the courses and are clinched to the leech-outer one about one-third down from the head-earing cringle, and the inner one about two-thirds-and thence rove up through leading blocks on the bending jack-stay* to the inner and outer sheaves (respectively) of a double block hooked under the top, the hauling part of the leech-line reeving through fair leaders on the lower rigging to the side rack, on deck.

See also lead described under BUNTLINES. Fig. 358.

* These blocks should be so placed that the leech of the sails will be taut along the yard when hauled up, and fitted with straps, which permit them to bang about a foot below the yard-a plan obviating the necessity of attending the leech-lines in bracing up. The hauling parts of the leech-lines, after passing through the double block are often rove through a large thimble or hank tailed to the lower part of the forward futtock-shroud. This keeps them from being jammed between the yard and the rigging when braced up.

153

BRAILS.

Spanker and Trysail Brails are middled, and the bights secured to their respective eyelet holes on the leech of the sail by cross-seizings, the ends rove through single blocks seized to the hanks on the trysail-mast.

In addition to the brails there is a down-haul for hauling the head of the sail down on the gaff, rove through a block hooked in the jaws of the gaff. On the opposite side, through a similar block, is rove a clew rope for taking the clew up toward the throat.

A Slab Line is sometimes used on the foresail. It is rove through a tail-block secured to the slings of the yard, abaft, and hanging down clear of the yard. The end is taken down abaft the sail and spliced around a span fitted with eyes, which toggle to the inner buntline toggles.

GUYS.

Lower Boom Guys. When double, the standing part of the forward one has an eye, seizing to the jib-guy just forward of the whisker, seizing to cross at every turn to make the eye lay flat. Rove thence through a single block on the boom, and back to a block with clip hooks at the bees, the hauling part leading inboard to the forecastle. When single, they connect to the boom by sister-hooks, and the block at the boom is omitted. The after guys are rove in the same manner, except abaft, to a bolt in the side and a sheave in the chess-tree, just forward of the gangway,

Spanker-boom Guys. Vide SHEETS.

BUNT-JIGGERS.

Bunt-jiggers are used for the topsails, courses and sometimes topgallant-sails. Courses and topgallant sails have single bunt-jiggers (or bunt-whips), topsails, a whip and pendant. The topsail bunt-jigger pendant for the fore leads through a single block lashed to the topmast-stay collar, close in to the trestle-tree. For the main and mizzen through the starboard and port upper sheaves, respectively, of the fiddle-blocks at the mast-heads. From the block the bunt-jigger leads down forward of the topsail, under the

154

Topgallant bunt-jiggers lead in a similar way through a small iron block at the topgallant mast-head, and into the top.

In many vessels topsail bunt-jiggers* are led through a single block hooked to the eye-bolt in the heel of the topgallant-mast. This gives a better lead. When sending the mast up and down, the block is transferred to a small strap on the collar of the topmast-stay.

CHANGES IN THE LEAD OF RUNNING RIGGING.

The above list comprises the principal running rigging of men-of-war, together with the leads usually adopted. It sometimes happens that the lead of the gear on deck is modified for special reasons. For instance, in vessels with little quarter-deck space, the hauling part of the fore-brace is often ledaft, and that of the fore-topsail brace, forward. The object is to have the foretopmen nearer to their own parts of the ship when bracing in to reef, and to keep them out of the way of the men on the main-topsail brace.

Lead of Gear about the Smoke-Stack. In making long passages under steam against a prevailing contrary wind, it is not unfrequent to see the lead of gear in the neighborhood of the smoke-stack, temporarily altered for the preservation of the rope. The hauling part of the fore topsail-brace and both parts of the fore-brace are brought down; the standing part of the fore-brace being hooked to a band on the mainmast ten or twelve feet above the deck, or to a launch’s davit, if waist launches are carried.

Main-topsail-sheets are unrove from the quarter-blocks; gear about the mainmast is hauled up and covered with tarpaulins. All this takes little time to do, and in the event of a favoring slant, the gear can be readily rove off for making sail. The head braces have a fair lead when shifted as above described, and if a favoring breeze freshens, or seems likely to hold, preventer braces can be clapped on, and the regular ones shifted to their proper places aloft without shortening sail.

Temporary changes similar to the above are unobjectionable, in so far as they affect the lead aloft. But care

* The term bunt-jigger is preferred by many officers to the more correct word, bunt-whip. The latter is likely to cause confusion in hailing the men aloft, from the similarity of its sound to bunt-line.

155