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Sending aloft and striking
Topgallant masts
A Primer on traditional rigging
aboard the full rigged ship BALCLUTHA 1886
Dedicated to Jack DickerhoffMaster Rigger
“Dickerhoff was royalty and he knew it for he was recognized as master of a vanishing art. He was a rigger extraordinaire and all about him, ordinary men became obsequious when he spoke. When he cared to expound, there came from his thin lips all the wisdom of a hard-sailing generation at sea”. – Ernest Gann.
“Traditional” rigging is traditional so you don’t have to make 200 years of mistakes…”
• Sending spars to deck and swaying them aloft is an evolution that is well within the skill set of anyone who has gone to sea on a square-rigger.
• The most important aspect of the evolution is to anticipate and to “listen and feel” what the ship is saying.
• If at anytime the work becomes heavy or the crew is having to overly strain…BELAY and investigate. Remember, sailing ships are machine meant to work with effort; not undue exertion.
Many a top rope and mast rope has parted due to “Let’s just add a few more hands to the capstan” mindset
To strike a Mizzen Topgallant mast to deck
• Inspect mast rope and safety/preventer line
• Inspect ALL blocks and slings
• Inspect ALL deck fittings and belay points
• Inspect pawls on capstan for fractures
• Shift dead end of upper topsail yard tye chain outboard to allow T’gallant heel to clear
• Brace lower yards sharp up.
Top Rope dead end
Top Rope lead block
Top Rope web sling & preventer sling (safety)
Stb. Side view aft
Stb. Side view fwd.
Topmast cap stay
Initial Set Up• Rig Top block and
top rope / safety preventer
• Cast off shrouds• Slack away stays &
backstays• Rig heel preventer
web sling below gate• Inspect ALL leads for
chafe
• Web sling heel safety /preventer rigged
• Cast off after initial 3” hoist to remove fid and settle onto top ropeT’gallant mast heel Preventer heel
sling
• Always prevent chafe
Preventer ranged out on deck
Top rope and lead block to midship capstan
• Top rope lead to midship capstan
• Preventer is tended aft at the stern bitts to afford some protection to crew member
Top rope
• Mast is hoisted 3” to remove fid
• Be vigilant about the top rope being pinched in the gate
• Rig heave a head and heel tag lines
• Allow rig to fold upon itself
• Prevent any kinking of shrouds, stays and backstays
• Tend heave a head and heel tag line to control mast
• Coil stays and back stays as the turn backs settle to deck
• Note order of gang and remove rigging eyes – standing weight of wire is held by stoppers placed at spreaders during initial set up.
• When royal hounds are accessible and pole section is still captured in the doubling –
• rig top rope lizards to prevent the mast from pitch poling as the pole clears the trees.
• Pole section captured by gate.
• Top rope lizards rigged
• Stays stopped off at trees & spreader
Truck tenon
• Guide the spar to deck using the heel and heave a head tag lines.
• Land heel on plywood/carpet skid or cart to prevent damage to decking or land ashore.
• Settle onto deck and properly block to prevent introducing a set into the spar.
• Reeve off Top rope and preventer and strike below – do not leave exposed to weather or UV longer than necessary.
Sending aloft a Fore Topgallant Mast
Swaying aloft a Fore Topgallant
• Inspect all deck fittings, capstan pawls, etc. as noted on mizzen evolution.
• Ensure Top rope is lead INSIDE of gate at trees and then rig through heel sheave etc.
• Rig heave a heads and heel taglines
Sending mast aloft from the Pier
• Rig hold backs to heel that will become heel tag lines
• Lift heel with a sling using a basket hitch to fork lift blades –rig hold back from sling to forklift mast.
• Take a light strain and check all gear
Rig lizards with shackle bales on the Top rope not the pin!!! This will prevent the pin from unscrewing itself.
Top rope lizardsPreventer
(safety)
• Hauling round on the capstan
• Note I am using hand signals to communicate to line handlers
• Lead blocks in use Note wood blocking at boat skid beams to prevent chafe
• Use 2 points of belay on older historic fittings that may be suspect
• Once mast will clear topgallant rail, slack away and settle mast inboard
• Haul away
• Tend heave a head and tag lines
The “target”
Note: the hauling end
of the top rope is lead forward of the topsail and fore yard and to the capstan
Top rope bight through spar
Slow and steady – always checking for binding and chafe
• Once royal pole section is inside the gate prepare to cast off top rope lizards to allow mast to travel.
• Begin stacking the gang in the proper order as they came off!!!
• Settle eyes with a block of wood and a top maul or single jack
REMEMBER TO REEVE THE GANTLINES!!!
• The last 12” is the most dangerous part of the evolution.
• All the weight of the standing rigging and the mass of the mast is on the top rope!!!
• That’s over 3,500 lbs. on Balclutha
• Rig the heel preventer before last 6” of hoist to be a safety in case the top rope & safety carry away.
• Haul away until fid hole is 2” above trestle trees and slid the fid home.
• Settle top rope until fid is taking all the weight.
• Strike top rope and preventer as soon as possible to avoid undue exposure to elements
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