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Mondfeld " Historic Ship Models " |
LIFTS — supported the ends of the yards to prevent them
sagging under their own weight, Fig.58. The older type, 18th and early
19th century, were arrangements of blocks and tackle sometimes
complicated but in the simplest form running from the yard arm to the
mast cap and leading to a purchase hooked on the channels. After the
introduction of double topsails, early 1850’s, the lifts were
simplified into single ropes (later wire) which were hooked to the cap
and spliced in an eye aver the yard arm. When the yard was hoisted with
sail set (except the lower yards) the lifts would bang loosely in long
loops but with the sail furled and yard lowered they would he taut.
Note in Fig. 58 that when double topsails were
fitted the lower topsail had no lifts but the yard arms
were supported by downhauls from the upper topsail yard arms above. The
downhauls also helped to
haul down the upper topsail for furling.
FOOT ROPES — hanging about 3 ft. below every yard,
from each end to just beyond the middle and supported at intervals by
stirrups. If the yards carried stunsail (studding sail) booms an
additional short footrope called a FLEMISH HORSE was fitted at the
extremities. This was because the ordinary tootropes did not quite
reach the ends of the yards but anything from 12” to 36” away.
SHEETS—which held the lower corners of the sail on
the upper yards were ropes leading through sheaves set in the yard arms
and led along underneath the yard to blocks hanging under the middle of
the yard and thence down to the top. They took a great deal of strain
and quickly wore thin, so that chains were used by the early 19th
century. To prevent their hanging down too much under the yard they led
through a fairlead on a yard band, about half way along each side of
yard. Fig. 58. The lower topsail sheets leading underneath each lower
yard went through two separate blocks on hands near the middle or else
to a combined two-sheave block, the bullock block as on Fig. 57E which
was the final arrangement.
The sheets of the lower sails led through a
large block attached directly to the corner of the sail and then to a
lead block inside the bulwarks, or as in older ships, through a sheave
in the bulwark itself.
BRACES—attached to the same yard arm
hand (if fitted) as the topping lift. The braces trimmed the yards to
the wind. Those on the tore and main mast sails led aft in various ways
and those on the mizzen mast led forward. Merchant ship braces saved
rope by attaching the brace block to a long pendant on the yard arm hut
naval craft attached the block direct to the yard arm, Fig. 68.
CLEW GARNETS — so named on the lower sails and
called CLEW LINES on the upper sails, were ropes leading from each
lower corner of sail to blocks near the middle of the yard and down to
the deck or top. The block was often on the same yard band as the sheet
block. The purpose was to bring the sail up to the yard for furling.
Additional lines serving the same purpose were leech lines and
buntlines from the sides and bottom of the sail, leading through small
blocks or rings lashed along the yard and then to more blocks
underneath the forward rim of the top or the cross trees and then down
to the pin rail.
LOWER TOPSAIL YARD CRANE. This was a heavy
iron swivel on the lower mast cap attached to a single yard band.Fig.
58.
STUDDING SAIL GEAR. Studding sail booms ran
through an iron band with a small roller connected to a bar fixed on
the extremity of the yard. Another band with a hinged half on a bar was
fixed to the yard about a third of the distance between yard arm and
mast. The boom lay slightly forward of and above the yard. Fig. 57E.
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Contents
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Model
scale
Ship lines
The hull, woodworking
Holes in the hull
Gun ports
Decks, laying of
Rails and channels
Wales
Stern and galleries
Head and its rails
Figurehead
Rudder
Steering gear
Deck furniture
Windlass
Capstan
Hatches
Skylights
Hammock nettings
Painting the model, colors
Waterline
Rigging:
 The spars
Tops,
crosstrees, cheeks
Mast,
boom, gaff, yards
Lower
and upper yards,
halliards
The
double topsail
Lifts,
footropes, sheets, braces, clew garnets
Yard
bands
Making the spars
Ironwork
Bowsprit, dolphin striker,
the doublings
Top, construction
Shrouds, deadeyes, lanyards
Books & Tools,
recommendations
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