SEA-BOATS,OARS AND SAILS

byCONOR O’BRIEN

with thirteen pages of drawings by the author,

photographs by Tim Cooke,

and design drawings by François Vivier

With a Foreword by SAM LLEWELLYN

Lodestar Books

44 standard rigs

ismadethesamelengthasthefootoftheunreefedsail,sothatthereefcringlecomesinthesameplaceastheclewdid,butofcoursethesheethastobeshiftedtothecringletosetthesailproperly,astheclewnowcomes2or3feettoofaraft.However,inanemergencyonecouldcarryonwithoutshiftingthesheetortyingthepoints,becausenearlyhalfthesailwouldbedownintheboat,whereitcouldhardlycapsizeher.Tomakethedeviceworkalmostautomaticallytwoextraitemsofgeararewanted:anupperhalyardsplicedtoathimblewhichslidesonawirejackstaystretchedfromtheslings,thepointwherethemainhalyardisbenton,tothepeakoftheyard.Itisbelayedatsuchalengththatwhenthepeakishang-ingfromitandthemainhalyardhasbeenletgotheheeloftheyardisatthelevelofthetackofthewholesail.Atthispointtheremustbeablockthroughwhichaheel-ropeon theyard is rove tohold it in to themast.Merely lettinggo themainhalyardandhaulingintheheel-ropeshouldmakeitsafeforthehelmsmantoleavetheshiptolookafterherselfwhilehereefsherproperly.Butafeatureofthisrigistheeasewithwhichasmalllugwithashorteryardcanbesubstitutedforthebigoneinsteadofreefing;notagreatextravagance,forthebigsailanditsyardwouldbeoflighterstuffandthereforemoreefficientinlightwinds,anditwouldneednoreefcringlesandpoints,linings,andsoon.

Fig.IIIashowsroughlytheLochFyneskiff,generalintheWestofScotland;buttheskiff,havingasharpstern,hasashorterfoottohersail.TheoneIhavedrawncouldnotbesheetedproperlyexcepttotheleequarterofatransomstern.Inasmallboatthereisnoneedtoworktwomainsheets,asintheskiff.Asinglesheetisbenttotheclewofthesailandleadsthroughablocktravellingonahorse,anironbaroverthetransom,abovethetiller,tothehelmsman’shand(Fig.IIa).Itisnomoretroublethanthesheetofaboomsail,whichisbenttoatravelleronthehorseandleadsthroughablockontheboomtohishand,exceptthatitpre-ventspassengersfromsittinginthestern.Iftheleachofthesailisfairlyuprighttheclewwillnotmenacepeople’sheads;anywaythereisnoneedforablockonit.Somepurchasemaybewantedtosheetasailof120squarefeet,butifthereisabigbrassthimbleintheclewcringlethatwilldoforablock.Noonewhohassailedwithoutaboomwantstobedependentononeagain,butatemporaryoneisusefulinalightfollowingwind;theboathookcanserveforit.Ifthestandingpartofthesheetismadefasttotheleadblock,unbendit—youwillnotwantthe

standard rigs 45

VIII

SUNDRY FITTINGS

Fittings of various kinds are neededtofinishtheboatasitcomesoffthebuildingstocks,andtoequipitforitsparticularwork.Allboatsmust

haveanattachmentforthepainterandmooringrope;this,inanopenboat,isalargering-boltinsidethestem,andtheropepassesoverthegunwale,where,withnothingtopreventitfromshiftingsideways,itisexposedtochafe.Themooringropeiseasilyprotected;makefasttothering,andputaturnovertheendofthestem,whichgenerallystandsupaninchortwoabovethegunwale,takingcarethatthepartfromtheringtothestem-head,whereitmakestheupperpartoftheturn,istaut;andtherecanbenoshifting,andsonochafe.Butapaintermadefasttoalargervessel,ortoaquaywall,mightbepulledupoffthestem-head,soiftheboatishabituallytiedupinthisway,joinittotheinsidering-boltbyabitofchainjustlongenoughtogooverthegunwale.Ofcoursethebreast-hookandthegunwalemustbeprotectedbyastripofmetalorstoutleather,orthechainwillcutthem.Itisveryconvenienttokeeptwopaintersalwaysbenton,astoutoneabout6feetlongwithalargehookontheend,andalighteronewhoselengthwillbedictatedbythekindofplacetheboatisusedin;ifthereisabigrangeoftideitshouldbeverylong.Itisnotthesamethingtocarryasparelongropeintheboat;thatwouldprobablybemissingwhenmostwanted.Thelongpaintercanbequitelight;theboatwillneverbreakit,foritselasticitysavesitfromtheshocksthatbreakashortrope.

Inahalf-deckedboat,wherethestem-headdoesnotusuallymakeaconven-ientbollard,themooringlinepassesthroughafair-leadonthebowandismadefasttoacleatscrewedtothedecksomewayabaftthat,or,ifasisoftenthecasethecleat isnotbigenough-totakeadecent-sizedrope,tothemast.Theropecannotshiftsidewaysinthefairlead,buttheinboardpartofitcanstretch,andsoallowchafethere;theropeshouldbeparcelledinthewayofthefair-leadwithastripofcanvaswoundrounditandlashedfirmly.Thisprecautionwillmoreoftenthannotbeforgotten,soitisbettereverywaytohavealengthofchainreachingoutsidethefair-lead,which,beingofmetal,cannotbedamagedbyit,andbend

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sundry fittings 71

thelinetothat.IntheWestCountrytheyhavea largehookontheendofthechain,anddropaneyeonthemooringropeoverthat,thuskeepingallthepos-siblymuddyropeoutboard(Fig.XIIa).

Iftheboatistobetowedatsea,orifsheislargeandheavyandhastobehauledupabeachwithatackle,youcannotpullherwithherownpainter,foryouwantthepointofattachmentaslowdownaspossible.Thebestattachmentismadetoathwartshipsholeinthestemortheforeendofthekeel.Youcantowfromalargeshacklewithitspinthroughthehole;ifthepinisscrewedintheshackleitwillworklooseunlessithasalock-nut.Itwillalsoworklooseinthehole,andcutthroughthewoodunlessthatisprotected;thebestplanistoputtwosideplatesoverthescarfbetweenstemandkeel,wellfastenedtoboth,anddrilltheholeforthepinthroughthem.

Inmostopenboatsthemastpassesthroughaholeinathwartandissteppedinashallowboxfastenedeithertoafalsekelson,thelongitudinalplankservingtoholddownthefloor-boards,or,becausethefalsekelsonismovableandsomaybeaccidentallydisplaced,tothekeelorhog-stave.Tostepit,youhavetoliftitverticallyabovethethwart,andthenloweritvertically,noeasyjobsifthemastisalongoneandtheboatabitlively.Ifshegivesalurchafterthemastisenteredintheholeitisliabletosplitthethwart,andevenwhenitsheelisrightdownitmayhavemissedthestep,whichisinvisibletotheoperator.Amastwhichhastobesteppedandloweredatsea,asshouldbepossibleinallopenboats,shouldbeclampedinahalf-roundnotchcutintheedgeofthethwart,notpassedthroughit.

Amastisnaturallyloweredandboatedwithitsheadaft,soitisclampedtotheaftersideofthethwart.Youhaveonlytoentertheheelinthestepandliftthemasthead,andthehigheritisraisedtheeasiertheliftbecomes.Buttillitisraisednearlyuprighttheheelmayslipoutofashallowstep,sotheforesideofthestepmustbemadehighenoughtobuttitagainst,orbetter,builtupasatabernacleorshallowtroughfastenedtotheundersideofthethwartandhelpingtosupportthat.Orthemastmaybeclampedtotheforesideofthethwartwiththeneatde-viceusedbythewhale-boatsintheAzores(Fig.VIIa).Theclampisacompletebandhingedtoturnuponthethwart,andthemasthasacollartopreventitspass-ingtoofarthroughtheclamp.Itsheelisguidedbyatrough,thebottomofwhichisraisedacoupleofinchesabovethebottomofthestep.Asthemastcomesto-

98 gear and gadgets

gear and gadgets 99

isthattheturnsshouldbepackedintoasolidmasswhichisalmostimperishableand, inthecaseofaserving,quitewatertight.Onlysoftcordagewillpack likethat;yachtmarline,lackingthecontinuouscontact,isliabletoworkloose.Evenifitisdrownedinvarnish,thatmaycrackandletthewaterintoaserving,andifthereisanyplayinaseizingthepartswillchafeandsoonbreak.Ifyoucannotgettarredropingtwineorgoodsmalltarredspunyarntrythiswayofmakingaservingwithuntarredstuff.Soakyourparcelling—astripofcalicowoundspirallyroundthewire—inStockholmtarbeforeyouputiton;itwillstickwithoutanyneedtomarlitdown.Nowputontheservingastightasyoucan—youcan’tbreakthestuff—andifyouarenotusingaservingboardrubitdownasyougowithyourfingerorabitofwood;thetarwillbesqueezedintothetwineandimpregnateitthoroughly.Itisamessyjob,buttheresultisneatandeverlasting.

Whenthingsgetadriftitisusuallybecauseaclip-hookhasshakenloose,apindroppedoutofashackle,oraropeslippedoffacleattowhichitwasbelayed.Theclip-hookiseasilydealtwith.Putanindiarubberring,astightasyoucangetiton,roundthenecksofthehooks,andyoucan’tloseorforgetit,asyoumightamous-ing.Wherepossibleuseclip-hooksratherthanshackles; Ihavetwice lostsailsthroughshacklesbreaking;neverfromaclip-hook.Thepinsofshacklescomeun-screwedunlesstheyarewiredin,anditistooeasytodropthepinortheshackleitselfoverboard.

Alltheshacklesusedinboatshavepinsthatscrewinwithaneyeintheendtoturnthemwiththepointofamarling-spike;theeyeisoftensosmallthatthepointofthespikewon’tenter,orbreaksoffifthescrewisabittight;oneoughttocarryasmallfootprintspannerinone’spocketratherthanamarling-spike.Forashacklewhichhastobeshiftedoften,itmightbeworthwhiletoadoptapattern(Fig.IXb)inwhichthepinisnotscrewedbuthasakey-endwhichpassesthroughakey-wayandislockedbyahalf-turn,thekeybeingheldinthatpositionbybe-ingdrawnintoashallowslotbyaspring.Butsmallspringsareperishableandnoteasytoreplace,soIprefertoholdthekeyinitsslotbyscrewingdownawing-nutagainsttheeyeoftheshackle;thenutcanbescrewedtightenoughwiththefingerandthumb,andaturnandahalfortwoturnsbackgivethekeyenoughclearancetoallowthepintorotate.Asthekey-wayiscutonlyhalf-waythroughtheeyenextthenut,thekeycannotpassthroughitandallowthepintodropout.

120 the boat under oars

the boat under oars 121

Fig.VII