Rigging

Raw OCR of 1911 enc. Britannica- needs the illos and fixes

Rigging(Anglo Saxon wrigan or wrihan, to clothe), the general term, in connexion with ships, for the whole apparatus of spars (including both masts and yards), sails and cordage, by which the force of the wind is utilized to move the hull against the resistance, and with the support, of the water. (See also sailing ship, sail-plan and shipbuilding).

The word is often used as meaning the cordage only, but this is a too-limited, and even an irrational, use of the term. A ship is not rigged until she is provided with all the spars, sails and cordage required to move and control the hull.

The straight or curved pieces of wood or metal, called davits, from which the boats carried along the bulwarks are hung, belong to the rigging. All are fastened directly or indirectly to the hull, and all are required to complete her “clothing.”

Vessels of all classes, from the smallest sailing-boat up to the largest ship, are classed according to the particular combination of their spars, sails and cordage. “Cutter,” “brig,” or “ship,” are only convenient abbreviations for “cutter-rigged,” “brig-rigged,” or “ship-rigged.” They are of such or such a “rig.”

It is strictly correct to speak of the rigging of a mast or a yard, or of a boom, when all that is meant is the special set of ropes, of whatever size or material, required to keep them in their place, or withdraw them from it, when they have to be moved in the ship. In such cases the part is looked upon as a whole, and is mentally abstracted from the total of the vessel’s rigging.

The basis of all rigging is the mast (q.v.), whether it be composed of one or of many pieces of wood or metal. The mast is held up and controlled by ropes, which are classed together as the “standing rigging,” because they are “that part (of the whole rigging) which is made fast, and not hauled upon” (Admiral Smyth, Sailor’s Word-Book). This must be understood subject to the restriction that in the case of a mast composed of several parts, including topmast and topgallant mast, these subdivisions may be, and often are, lowered. The backstays, and other ropes which keep the top and topgallant masts in place, are therefore only “comparative fixtures.” The bowsprit, though it does not rise from the deck but projects from the bow, is in fact a mast.

The masts, including the bowsprit, support all the sails, whether they hang from the “yards,” which are spars slung to the mast, or from “gaffs,” which are spars projecting from the mast, or, as in the case of the “jibs,” are triangular sails, travelling on ropes called “stays,” which go from the foremast to the bowsprit, and are suspended by halliards. The bowsprit is subdivided like other masts. The bowsprit proper corresponds to the lower fore-main- or mizzen-mast. The jib-boom, which is movable and projects beyond the bowsprit, corresponds to a topmast; the flying jib-boom, which also is movable and projects beyond the jib-boom, answers to a topgallant mast.

The whole body of ropes by which the yards, booms and sails are manipulated constitute the “running rigging,” since they are “in constant use, to trim yards, and make or shorten sail” (Admiral Smyth, op. cit.). The rigging must also provide the crew with the means of going aloft, and with standing ground to do their work when aloft. Therefore the shrouds (see below) are utilized to form ladders of rope, of which the steps are called ratlines, by which the crew can mount. Near the heads of the lower masts are the tops—platforms on which men can stand—and in the same place on the topmasts are the “crosstrees,” of which the main function is to extend the topgallant shrouds. The yards are provided with ropes, extending from the middle to the extremities or arms, called horses, or footropes, which hang about 2 or 3 ft. down, and on which men can stand. The material of which the cordage is made has differed, and still differs greatly. Leather has been used.

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FIG. 1.—The Spars and Rigging of a Frigate. References are not re I, bowsprit; 2, bobstays, three pairs; 3, spritsail-gaffs, projecti~ are jib-guys and flying jib-guys; 4, jib-boom; 5, martingal 7, flying jib-boom; 8, fore-royal stay, flying jib-stay and II fore-topmast-stays and fore-topmast staysail halliards; II, th 12, two fore-tacks; 13, fore-truck; 14, fore-royal mast, yard a topsail-yard, lift and reef-tackle; 17, foretop, fore-lift, and toç sheets; 20, fore-gaff; 21, fore-topmast backstays and topsail and main-royal-stay; 24, fore-topgallant braces and main-topl topmast-stays; 26, hauling parts of fore-topsail-braces and ii 29, main-tacks; 30, main-truck; 31, main-royal-braces; 32, braces and mizzen-topgallant-braces; 34, standing parts of braces; 36, hauling parts of main-topsail-braces, mizzen-tol stay; 38, standing part of peak halliards; 39, vangs, similar boat’s davits; 43’ one of the davit topping-lifts and wind-sail; 44

During historic times, however, the prevailing materials have been hemp or esparto grass (Machrocloa, or Stipa tenacissima), and in recent days chain and wire. As the whole of the rigging is divided into standing and running, so a rope forming part of the rigging is divided into the “standing part” and the “fall.” The standing part is that which is made fast to the mast, deck or block. The fall is the loose end or part on which the crew haul. The block is the pulley through which the rope runs. “Standing” in sea language means “fixed “—thus the standing part of a hook is that which “is attached to block, ‘thain or anything which is to heave the hook up, with a weight hanging to it; the part opposite the point” (Smyth, sub voce). “Tackle” is the combination of ropes and blocks; the combination of cables and anchors constitutes the” ground tackle.”

The function of all cordage may be said to be to pull, for the purpose either of keeping the masts in their places, or of moving spars and sails. The standing rigging which supports the masts

must be adapted to resist two kinds of pressure, the longitudinal, whether applied by the wind or by the motion of the vessel when pitching (i.e. plunging head and stern. alternately into the hollow of the sea), and the lateral, when the wind is blowing on the side and she is rolling. The longitudinal pressure is counteracted by the bobstays, stays and backstays. A reference to fig. 1 will show that the bobstays hold down the bowsprit, which is liable to be lifted by the tug of the’jibs, and, of the stays connecting it with the fore-topmast. If the bowsprit is lifted the fore-topmast loses part of its support. In the case of a small vessel, the lifting of a bowsprit would wreck her whcle system of rigging in an instant. If fig. I is followed from the bow to the mizzenmast, it will be seen that a succession of stays connect the masts with thehull of the ship or with one another. All pull together to resist pressure from illustration goes here

peated for each mast where the names and functions are identical. Lg on each side of the bowsprit—the ropes at the extremities e• stay, and below it the ‘flying-jib martingale; ,6, back-ropes; illiards; 9, fore-topgallant-stay, jib-stay and halliards; io, two I foretop-bowlines, stopped into the top and two fore-stays; rid lift; 15, topgallant mast, yard and lift; i6, fore-top mast, sail-sheet; 18, foremast and fore-shrouds, nine pairs; 19, foretye; 22, royal and topgallant backstays; 23, fore-royal-braces allant-stay; 25, standing parts or fore-topsail-braces and mainLain-top-bowlines; 27, fore parts of fore-braces; 28, mainstays; aiizzen-royal-stay and mizzen-royal-braces; 33, main-topgallantsam-topsail-braces and mizzen-topmast-stay; 35, mizzen-topsail

-bowlines and cross-jack-braces; 37, main-braces and mizzenn each gaff; 40, ensign staff; 41, spanker-boom; 42, quartermain-yard-tackle; 45, a bull-rope.

in front. Pressure from behind is met by the backstays, which connect the topmasts and topgallant masts with the sides of the vessel. Lateral pressure is met by the shrouds and breastbackstays. A temporary or “preventer” backstay is used when great pressure is to be met. Seamen’ have at all times had recourse to special devices to meet particular dangers. When Dundonald, then captain of the “ Pallas” frigate, was chased by a French squadron in stormy weather, he fortified his masts by ordering “ all the hawsers “ (large ropes a little less strong than the cables which hold the anchor) “in the ship to be got up to the mast heads, and hove taut,” i.e. made fast to the side. Thus she was able to carry more sail than would have been possible with her normal rigging. The running rigging by which all spars and sails are hoisted, or lowered and spread or taken in., may be divided into those which lift and lower— the lifts, jeers, halliards (haulyards)—and those which hold down the lower corners of the sails—the tacks and she,ets. ‘A

long technical treatise would be required to name the many combinations of cordage and spars which make up the total rigging. All that is attempted here is to give the main lines and general principles or divisions.

The vessel dealt with here is the fully rigged ship of three or more masts. But she includes all the others and the principles are the same. ‘The simplest of all forms of rigging is the dipping lug, a quadrangular sail hanging from a yard, and’ always hoisted on the side of the mast opposite to~ that on which the wind is blowing (the lee side). When the boat is to be tacked so as to bring the wind on the other side, the - sail is lowered and rehoisted. One rope can serve as balliard to hoist the sail and as a stay when it is made fast on the weather side on which the wind is blowing. The difference between such a craft and the fully rigged ship is that between a simple organism and a very complex one; but it is one of degree, not of kind. The steps in the scale are innumerable. Every sea has its own type. Some in eastern waters are of extreme antiquity, and even in Europe vessels are still to be met with which differ very little if at all from the ships of the Norsemen of the 9th and 10th centuries. For a full account of these varieties of rigging the reader may be referred to Mast and Sail in Eu)’ope and Asia (London, 1906), by H. Warington Smyth.

When the finer degrees of variation are neglected the types of rigging may be reduced to comparatively few, which can be classed by the shape of their sail and the number of their masts. At the bottom of the scale is such a craft as the Norse herring boat (fig. 2).

Fig. 2.—Norse Herring Boat.

She has one quadrangular sail suspended from a yard whkh is hung (or slung) by the middle to a single mast which is placed

Fig. 3.—Nordland Boat.

of a fully clothed mast. A very similar craft called a Ilumber keel is used in the north of England. The lug sail is an advance on the course, since it is better adapted for sailing on the wind, with

the wind on the side. When the lug is not meant to be lowered1 and rehoisted on the lee side, as in the dipping lug mentioned above, it is slung at a third from the end of the yard, and is called a standing lug. A good example of the lug is the Chinese junk (fig. 4). The

Fig. 4.—Four-masted Junk.

lug is a “lifting sail,” and does not tend to press the vessel down as the fore and aft sail does. Therefore it is much used by fishing vessels in the North

Sea. The type of the fore

and aft rig is the schooner .~ (fig. 5). The sails on the 3

masts have a gaff above and a boom below. These spars have a prong called the jaws,” which fit to

the mast, and are held in 4 6

place by a “jaw rope” on

which are threaded beads

called trucks. Sails of this ,.~ct~’’ ‘‘ 7

shape are carried by fully I ~

rigged ships on the mizzen- -

niast, and can be spread ___

on the fore and main. —-----~—-~— — They are then called try- FIG. 5.—Schooner. 1, bowsprit, with sails and are used only in martingale to the stem; 2, forebad weather when little topmast-stay, jib and stay-foresailS sail can be carried, and 3, fore-gaff-topsail; 4, foresail and are hoisted on the trysail mainstays; 5, main-gaff-topsail; 6, mast, a small mast attached mainsail; 7, end of boom. to the great one. Tl.e

Lateen (Latin) sail (fig. 6) is a triangular sail akin to the lug, and is the prevailing type of the Mediterranean. These original types,

Fig. 6.—Lateen Rig.

even when unmodified by mixture with any other, permit of large variations. The number of masts of a logger may vary from one to five, and of a schooner from two to five or even seven. A small lug may be carried above tbe large one, and a gaff topsail added to the sails of a schooner. A small-masted fore-and-aft-rigged vessel may be a cutter (fig. 7) or sloop. But the pure types may be combined, in topsail schooner, btigantines, barquentines and barques, when the topsail, a quadrangular sail hanging from and fastened to a yard, slung by the middle, is combined with fore and aft sails. The lateen rig has been combined with the square rig to make such a rigging as the xebec—a three-masted vessel square rigged on the main, and lateen on the fore and mizzen. Triangular sails of the

Fig. 7.—Cutter Yacht. I, how- -

sprit and martingale; 2, jib

—behind it is the foresail; 3, cross-trees and topmastshroud; 4, pennant designating the club to which she belongs; 5, gaff-topsail; 6, peak of gaff, hoisted by peak and throat halyards; 7, mainsail; 8, end of boom and From Sir George v. c. Holmes’s Ancic topping-lift.

same type as the jibs can be set on the stays between the masts of a fully rigged ship, and are then known as staysails. But it can only be repeated that the variations are innumerable. Studdingsails are pieces added to increase the breadth (spread) of sails, and require the support of special yards, booms and tackle.

The development of the rigging of ships is a very obscure subject. It was the work of centuries, and of practical menU who wrote no’ treatises. It has never been universal. A comparison of the

four - masted junk

given above with ______

the figures of ships on medieval seals shows at least much similarity. Yet by selecting a few leading types of successive periods it is possible to follow

the growth of the ______

fully rigged ship, at

least in its main ‘1

lines, in modern

times. ______________

Fig. 8 gives the sail

plan of the “Santa ______

Maria,” the flagship _______

of Columbus. It is

a modern reconstruc __________

tion, made in 1893 in __________

Spain at the Carraca ___________

arsenal, but is based ______

on good authority.

She has only the fixed

bowsprit, with a yard 1~~

and a sail hanging _____________________________________

from it, the spritsail

yard and spritsail. _____________________________________________

The foremast has one

course, the mainmast - _________

a course and topsail, -

the mizzen a lateen

sail. Fig. 9 is the From Sir George V. C. Holmes’s 4ncient and

ii and Mmfern Ships, Part I., by permission of the Controller of H.M Stationery Office.

FIG. 8.—Sail Plan of the “Santa Maria.”

Seas,” a British warship of 1637. She still has only the fixed bowsprit, but a small upright mast has’ been erected at the end, which serves to spread a sprit topsail. In some cases at leaft a sprit topgallant sail was used. The mizzenmast still carries a lhteen sail, but topsails have been added, and the whole rigging has multiplied and developed. Between the “Sovereign of the Seas” and the fully developed ship, given in fig. 1 the most apparent differences are in the rigging of the bowsprit and the mizzenmast. The sprit topmast has disappeared, and is replaced

Wodgyn Ships, Part L, by permission of the Controller of H.M. Stationery Office.

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