David Nelson's Web Site

Masts and Rigging

Profile with Bowsprit, Jibboom and Flying Jibboom complete.  Lower Foremast, Main mast and Mizzen masts are complete but not yet painted.  Top masts,  Top Gallant and Royal masts are mounted temperately for this photo.

Head of lower Main mast prior to painting and rigging.

Head of the main mast and the Main Top on the completed model.

Here we see the lower section of the three masts with the rigging complete.

View of the Bowsprit, Jibboom and Flying Jibboom with standing and running rigging in place.  There are two yards.  The longer one, suspended from the Bowsprit, is the Spirit Sail yard and the one suspended from  the Jibboom is the Spirit Topsail yard.

The lower section of the Main mast with the rigging for this mast and the Main Topmast, Main Topgallent mast and Royal masts above it.

This is the head of the Main mast and the Main Top (the platform)  The shrouds and stays were made fast around the masthead and then lead down to the point on the channels, a lower mast or the deck where they were lashed down and made secure. 

The deadeyes along the edge of the top are for the Topmast shrouds.  They are hooked to the Futtock shrouds which are lashed to the lower mast shrouds.  When the crew had to go into the rigging they climbed the Ratlines (horizontal lines tied across the shrouds) up the lower shrouds, then the Futtock shrouds and, is required up the Topmast shrouds.  Blocks for the running rigging is seen suspended from the top.

The tops were not the safest places to be.  There was a railing across the back and shrouds along the sides but no protection from falling off the front or down the large openings near the mast where the shrouds pass through.  When the ship was under sail the upper portions of the mast would be out over the water.  A fall meant you landed in the water or on the deck  which, in either case, resulted in almost certain death.

Note the Admirals lantern at the rear of the top.

Main Topmast head.

Foremast top.  The Foremast had more rigging than the other masts.  In addition to it's own standing and running rigging it supports some of the rigging for the Main mast, Jibboom and Flying Jibboom .  In this picture we see the braces for the Spirit sail and Spirit Topsail yards coming up through blocks under the top and going down to where they belay on the Foredeck.