The drawings of forecastle arrangements give the most common arrangements met with in the tea clippers (47, 48). With the capstanoperated patent windlass the forecastle deck was higher, at least head height, and under it were storerooms or possibly accommodation. A capstan showing a double rim ofholes for bars indicated a patent mechanical windlass below, and this capstan had a flat domed top. The capstan for warping only was smaller and had a higher domed top with only one rim of holes.

  It was not usual to fit rails or stanchions on the shallow forecastle decks, or even ladders, although there were some exceptions with wooden stanchions and rail. The higher full deck height forecastles did fit metal rails and stanchions and ladders, the rails being either solid iron bars or light chains tightened at one end by a rope lanyard. In either case the stanchions and rails were portable, detachable or hinged in the area where the anchor would swing inboard for stowage.

  The main rail of the bulwark ran to the stem with the smaller type of forecastle deck and also formed its margin plank. The thwartships margin plank was always raised a little proud of the forecastle deck planking, about 3/4 in., to form a waterway to small lead scuppers at each side, as whenever possible on sailing ships clean deck space was utilized in rain showers to replenish the main fresh water tanks.

  The large wooden catheads were set off as square as possible to the deck and bolted down to the deck over a heavy beam on the underside, the catbeam. If the deck was fairly wide the jib-boom guys would lead to the cathead and be secured with deadeyes or hearts and lanyards. With a very narrow forecastle deck, in order to give a more efficient spread to these guys, hinged iron bars (whisker booms) were attached to the ends of the catheads, and the jib-boom stays or guys led over a fork or cleat at the end and then attached to the hull just aft of the cathead. This would especially be the case with flying jib-booms. The whisker boom would hil1ge upwards to clear obstructions when docking.

  As indicated on the drawing of anchors, there were two main types fitted in the tea clippers, wooden stocked and iron stocked (49). The former, which dated back centuries but with more angular arms, was mostly favoured in America, and some Down Easters of the 189OS still carried them. Evidence from photographs indicates that occasionally both British and American clippers carried one of each type on opposite sides.

  American stocks were commonly rounded in a barrel shaped taper, or left square on the centre portion and octagonal beyond that, whereas the British pattern had squared corners and a taper on the lower side. The wooden stock was made in two halves which in earlier times were unshipped at sea and stowed away.

The type of wooden stock which had an upward curve, sometimes seen in maritime museums' gardens today, was a European style but occasionally found its way onto British ships, probably as a replacement. The proportions of different makes of anchor varied, as weight was the criterion, the tendency over the years being to make them shorter and thicker. The common anchor with its easily removable iron stock was the most popular. At first the stock had two straight sides and could be unshipped completely at sea. Later, with the tip of one side bent, it could be withdrawn partially and lashed alongside the shank. Anchors were best stowed across the deck, with the stock vertical against the side of the hull if it was not withdrawn completely. The third bower anchor was stowed in any convenient position, sometimes vertically in a slot in the forecastle deck near the after edge, the arms being uppermost. To move the anchor about for stowing or into a position for letting go, a heavy tackle (fish tackle) was suspended from a pendant from the fore topmast hounds. The large hook on the lower block was triced up to the foot of the forestay when not in use in coastal waters, but on a long voyage the tackle would be stowed away.

  The older method of letting go the anchor 'cock-billed' was to suspend it below the cathead with a chain ( cat stopper) one end of which had some releasing arrangement such as a slip link or a pin through a link which could be knocked out with a mallet. This could be dangerous as the end of the chain might fly out and whip back again, so a safer method was devised with a tumbler releasing pin operated by a remote lever. In either case a man would have to go over the side beforehand to release the fish tackle hook from the shank of the anchor or from a ring on a gravity band on the shank. This operation was in turn eliminated by preparing the anchor for letting go by the 'catting and fishing' system, whereby the anchor was held horizontally to a releasing bar with a chain at each end, the shank painter and the cat stopper. Several varieties of releasing gear were invented, the one shown being typical (49). In all cases the two chains were led from their fixed inboard ends under the anchor or the ring, and then over and back to the release pegs, so that when released they flew outwards and downwards clear of the operator.

  To bring the anchor aboard it was always necessary, once it was hanging from the hawsehole clear of the water, for a man to go overside in order to hook on the fish tackle; an operation carried out by an experienced hand owing to its danger. It was not until the introduction of stockless anchors, which could be hauled up into the hawsepipe and left there, that the man overside became unnecessary, although this was after the clipper ship era; and in fact the stockless anchor did not appear on the late windjammers even though it was common on steamships at the time.