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Belaying pins
All the smaller sizes of rope were made fast to
belaying pins, which were plugged into pin rails, the fife rails, or
the rails. Until
1830 shouldered belaying pins were always made of wood, and thereafter
sometimes of metal. Metal belaying pins which were a force fit in the
pin rails and which tapered slightly towards both ends were in use in
the British Navy in the late 18th century.
Generally speaking, the lower diameter of a
belaying pin was never less than the diameter of the rope which was to
be belayed. As only one size of belaying pin was kept on board, its
diameter was that of the thickest rope to be belayed. The proportions
of the pins and the
method of belaying the rope are illustrated on the right; excess rope
was coiled up and hung over the pin -for the model builder it is often
the best idea to make this coil of rope separately and then hang it over
the pin.
Cleats
The ends of thicker ropes were belayed on
cleats, but in ancient times, in the Middle Ages and in the
Mediterranean, cleats were used exclusively, as belaying pins were
unknown. The cleats were fixed to the deck and to the bulwark. After
1720 very long cleats were
often attached to the masts, and other cleats were lashed to the
shrouds with seizings.
The dimensions of the cleats given in the
following table are in mm, and again the figures represent a guideline,
and do not take possible variants into consideration.
|
A
|
B
|
C
|
| Rope dia. |
Length
|
Height |
Width
|
| 6 |
120 |
40 |
30 |
8
|
160
|
53
|
40
|
13
|
220
|
73
|
55
|
19
|
270
|
89
|
68
|
25
|
312
|
103
|
78
|
| 32 |
355 |
117 |
89 |
38
|
380
|
125
|
95
|
51
|
463
|
153
|
116
|
63
|
525
|
173
|
131
|
76
|
584
|
193
|
146
|
Thimbles
Trucks were used to guide ropes. They were
lashed to the shrouds with a seizing. The hole was always big enough
for the rope to run
through it easily, and the outside diameter was three times that of
the hole. The height was the same as the outside diameter .
From the 17th century onward, strop eyes generally incorporated a
thimble. These thimbles were round and made of wood until the beginning
of the 19th century , and after that time they were sometimes
heart-shaped and made of metal.
Euphroes
The euphroes were long wooden rods or flat blocks
which had drilled holes instead of sheaves. They served as guide blocks
for the crow's feet. (See STAYS, BACK STAYS, TOPPING LIFTS, CLEW LINES).
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