All the sails were edged with a bolt rope; square sails on the after side, fore and aft sails on the port side. In the British Navy bolt ropes on courses were about 1/3 of the size of their respective stays, those on the topsails 2/3 of their respective stays and topgallant sails 1/2 that of their corresponding topsails. Head ropes on square sails were roughly half these sizes. Lower staysail bolt ropes were roughly 2/5 of the main topmast stay, topsail and topgallant staysails 1/4 and royal staysails 1/5. The bolt rope on the heads of four sided staysails, and the luffs of triangular stays ails set flying, were about twice the size of their leech and foot rope; those of other triangular stays ails were the same all round. The bolt ropes are fitted in the following way: start to right or left on th leech of the sail, leaving the rope a good inch overlength at the head of the sail. It is now taken downwards to the foot, and there forms the clew; it then runs along the foot of the sail to the second clew, and finally up the other leech, where it is again left a good inch overlength. The headrope is fitted as a separate piece, left 1½ to 2ins overlength at either end. The bolt rope is sewn to the sail with thin thread and small stitches. The thread should always lie in the lay of th bolt rope, in the same way as wormed rope. A very practical means of doing this job is to glue the bolt rope to the edge of the sail first, to prevent it shifting during the sewing process.
    The ends of the bolt ropes at the sail head are now spliced together t form the earing cringles, as shown in the drawing on the right. The clew are then seized. If the bolt ropes are served at the clews and cringles the best time to do this is when the bolt rope is already attached to the sail. In the 18th and 19th centuries it was also common to reinforce or double the bolt rope at the clews and parts of the foot bol rope with a served rope of 60 to 75% thickness. The bolt rope was often fixed at these points with several seizings, so that it could not be torn off. The methods used are shown in the drawings on the facing page. Finally, the cringles for the leech lines and bowlines are spliced into the leech and foot ropes. In the 19th century they were laid up independently of the bolt rope rather than spliced into it. Their exact location must be found from the rigging plan. These cringles usually consisted of a rope rather thinner than the bolt rope itself.
Example:
British 74 gun ship late 18th century.
Main stay 18½ ins. Main topmast stay 8½ ins.