Wolfram zu `Mondfeld Historic Ship Models`content

I should really have finished off the previous page with a thick red line.
Why?
   Because that was the end of the first part of this book, which connected the hull and its fittings. In this second part we have to leave the safety of the deck to climb up into the lofty heights of the masts, sails and rigging, with the vast number of spars and ropes which looks so baffling at first sight, some of them reaching up to a height of 200ft above deck.
   You may occasionally be surprised at the sequence of construction advised in the next chapters -for example, the fact that the sails are discussed before the chapter RUNNING RIGGING tells you how to attach a yard to a mast.
Now, this sequence is no accident. It is the pooling of the experience of generations of ship modellers. Masts, yards and rigging are not half as confusing and obscure as they may appear to the beginner, but they are certainly confusing enough to make the work considerably easier or more difficult depending on whether the modeller sticks to the wrong or the right sequence of work. One way or another, if you have patience and determination, you will finish job in the end, but why make yourself unnecessary work?
   Let us return to the masts and yards for now - what we might call the skeleton of the rigging as a whole. It is the purpose of the standing and running rigging to support or move these items. The selection the right materials is of the utmost importance here. More than any part of the hull, the masts, topmasts and yards are subject to bending, warping and twisting. The following timbers are the most satisfactory: lancewood, degame ( lemon wood) and spruce. In each case be sure to use knot-free and thoroughly seasoned timber only.
    The masts and yards were natural brown in color until the beginning of the 17th century, the only exceptions to this being Mediterranean and Spanish ships, with their black and red masts and yards. In the 17th century mastheads and topmast heads, crosstrees, tops (until then often brightly painted) and caps were painted black, as were the yards of English and French ships, The masts, topmasts and yards of Dutch ships remained natural brown. None of these colors changed in the 18th century, except that from the middle of the century the lower masts, bowsprit and topmast head of French ships were usually painted white, and in Holland more and more black yard, came untill use.
From the first half of the 19th century the lower masts complete with mastheads were white overall, while the masts of clippers and sometimes of warships were painted black. The yards were often white on merchant ships, but the yardarms were always black, The topmasts generally remained natural brown, often with white mastheads, although occasionally they were white or black overall. The tops, crosstrees and caps of some merchant ships were also white, while clippers and warships and also many merchant ships preferred the more somber black.