|
PROCEDURAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR VARIOUS
SEAMANSHIP EVOLUTIONS Get
in Sheers and Masts Get on board sufficient quantity of ballast
to steady the ship under the operation of masting. Shore the decks fore and aft from the skin
up. Have skids from the channels to the
water's edge to prevent the Sheer legs from catching under them, from the
channels to the gunwale, and from the gunwale to the deck to ease the sheer leg
down on. Have a spar rounded off on top
lashed on the gunwale to prevent the parbuckles from
chafing them, and mats on the quarter galleries. Now reeve the first parbuckles
from out in through two ports on the quarter, having five or six intervenings. Throw
the ends over the gunwale down between the ship's side and the sheer leg (which
should be towed alongside head aft), up over the gunwale and reeve them through
blocks in the opposite waterways, and clap luff
tackles on them. The counter parbuckle is rove from in out through the Gun
ports, the ends taken down outside the sheer leg then under it and up through
the main deck ports, having hands to attend them. Now man the parbuckles,
rouse the sheer leg up to the gunwale, ease it into the counter parbuckle and down on the deck, letting the head rest on a spar
placed athwart the taffrail for that purpose. Launch the sheer leg aft to clear the capstan
and place the heel on the other side of the deck. Get the other sheer leg on board in the same manner,
unserve the parbuckles,
cross their heads, square their heels two thirds the breadth of beam for a
loose throat lashing which should be passed on the bight with a well stretched
rope. Whip on board the shoes which
should be stout pieces of oak plank long enough to cross them over four beams
with sockets in them for the heels of the sheers, and an eye bolt to lash them
to. Spread the heels and place them in
the shoes lashing them temporarily.
Middle and clew hitch two stout hawsers one on each sheer head for
forward and after guys, also one on each leg, one that from the sheer head
lashing down for quarter guys. Clap off
tackles on the guys, have four good tackles, two leading forward and two aft
from the heels of the sheers. Now lash
the upper block of the main purchase (a large three fold block) close in the
crotch so as to hang plumb, the upper block of the small purchase on the after
part of the sheer head looking just far enough above the main to hang
clear. Carry forward the lower block of
the main purchase and toggle it in the bowsprit bed. Bend and reeve the fall making the standing
part fast to the sheer head. Lash two girtline blocks with girtlines
rove through them to the after part of the sheer heads for canting girtlines, also a sheer head tackle for getting over the tressle [sic] trees.
Now launch the sheers aft as far as possible without canting and haul
taut the after heel tackles. Lash the heels
to the bulwarks
to prevent slipping. Man the forward
guys and attend the after ones. Lead the
fall of the main purchase to the capstan.
Man the bars and heave round, rowsing the
sheers up and catching them as they rise with the spar across the stern. When up, cast off the bulwark lashing and
pass the lashing of the sheers afresh.
Wet the deck and transport the sheers one leg at a time to forward of
the partners of the mizen [sic] mast. Rake them aft so that their heels may be
plumb with the step of the mast, haul taut the guys and heel tackles,
lash the heels to the bulwarks and clap on an athwartship
tackle to relieve the strain on the waterways.
Now come up the main purchase forward, bring it aft and overhaul it down
abaft the sheers over the ship's side and toggle it to the garland on the mizen mast which is lashed on the forward part about 3/4
from the heels. Previous
to launching lead the fall to the capstan. Heave round.
As the head of the mast comes above the gunwale avast
heaving, overhaul down the sheer head tackles for the tressle
trees, hook on and sway up. Place them,
observing beforehand to wipe the mast dry and give it a good coat of white
lead. Beat them well down in their
places. Place the bolsters which should
be covered with tarred canvas and secure them to the tressle
trees. Put over the lower pendants with the
long legs aft (they are fitted with an eye formed by two servings connecting
the forward and after legs, the mizen has generally
but two legs which go with a cut splice).
Lash two girtline blocks with girtlines rove thru them to the after part of the tressle trees, one on each side, also two small blocks
fitted with a span over the tennon [sic] of the mast
for eye girtlines.
Fit a stirrup and man rope to the mast head, clove hitch a back rope and
make fast the canting girtlines and the bibbs of the mast.
Heave round and as the heel of the mast comes up to the gunwale, clap on
a rope and ease it in. Sway on the
canting girtlines and place the mast in a vertical
position over the partners. Give the mortice & tennon a good coat
of white lead. Have carpenters below to
attend the stepping. Slew the mast fair
with a slue rope, lower away and step the mast.
Send up and hook the pendant tackles.
Set them up to steady the mast.
Come up the main purchase. Cast
off the canting girtlines. Take the garland off the mast. Overhaul down the purchases & sway on
board the mizen top.
Place it abaft the mast with the right side up. Come up the athwartship
tackle. Cast off the bulwark lashing to
the heels. Wet the deck, and transport the
sheers as before with the guys and heel tackles to forward of the partners of
the mainmast. Get in the fore and
mainmasts in the same manner as the mizen mast. Transport the sheers as far forward as the
curve of the bows will allow. Lash them
to the bulwarks. Middle and clovehitch a stout hawser
around the foremast head and set it up well aft on the quarter deck. Lash a large Cringle block on each side of
the foremast head, through which reeve the forward sheer head guys. Take the forward quarter guys to the
catheads. Carry foreward
[sic] the after heel tackles. Shift the
smaller purchase from the after part of the sheer head lashing to the forward
part to prevent it from crossing the main purchase as it is taken farther out
on the bowsprit. Now rake the sheer
heads over the bows so that the main purchase may hang almost 4 feet clear of
the cutwater. See that all the guys bear
an equal strain (before launching lash the garland on
the bowsprit so that it will hang head heavy.
Nail cleats and saddle for jib boom.
Bring the bowsprit under the bows head forward, toggle the main purchase
to the garland, and the smaller purchase to a strap round the bowsprit between
the bees and the cap. Overhaul a tackle
from the gun deck between the night heads [sic] and hook it to a strap round
the heel of the bowsprit. Have guys from
the cap to the bridle ports to keep the bowsprit in its proper position while swaying. Lead the fall of the main purchase to the
capstan. Man the bars & smaller
purchase. Heave. When high enough, cant it
to its proper position with the smaller purchase. Wipe dry and white lead the heel and mortice. Rouse in on
the heel tackles and guys. Lower away
and step the bowsprit. Untoggle the purchases.
Cast off the sheet tackles and guys.
Take the garland off the bowsprit.
Overhaul down the smaller purchase for jib boom. Sway it on board. Point it through the cap and lash it. Sway on board the lower caps and place them
by their respective masts. Take off the
after heel tackles. Cast off the heel
lashings and those from the bulwarks.
Cast off the athwartship tackle, tend the
forward heel tackles and after guys. Wet
the deck in the wake of the shoes. Rouse
the heels aft, lower away upon the guys and land the sheers on the
bowsprit. Unrig and launch them
overboard. Remarks
upon Sheers If the
sheers (as in large vessels will be frequently the case) be wanting a foot or
two in length, the difficulty may be obviated by lashing the lower block of the
main purchase to the mast in the place of the garland. By this means the diameter and stretch of the
garland may be avoided. If also either
or both of the sheer legs be so slender as to excite apprehension for their
safety, they may be much strengthened by placing a shoulder between the sheer
legs about half way up after the sheers have been secured as usual. This shoulder should be constructed with jaws
to fit the sheer legs and should be rounded out gradually from jaw to jaw, so
that after it is placed a lashing may be passed around it and the sheer legs as
taut as it will bear and frapped on amidships, the rounding out of the shoulder
permitting. By this means, when the
strain of the mast comes upon the sheers, they will be prevented buckling in
toward each other by the shoulder, and the lashing round them and the shoulder
will prevent them from buckling out. The
forward and aft
guys will prevent them from buckling forward or aft. Rig the Bowsprit........Rig
a stage under the bowsprit for the men to stand upon. Two thirds from the night [sic] heads out, seize on strap and hart [sic] for fore stay. The strap is doubled and lashes underneath
the bowsprit with the heart on top.
Outside of this, the heart and strap for inner bobstays, which is as the other a double strap and lashes on top while the
heart stands underneath. Outside
of this is another strap which lashes either on top or underneath with two dead
eyes in it, one standing on each side of the bowsprit for inner bowsprit
shrouds. Once the diameter of the
bowsprit farther out a heart and strap for fore spring stay, which is fitted
like that for fore stay. Outards [sic] of this, heart and strap for middle bobstay,
which is fitted like that for inner bobstay.
Outside of this a strap and deadeyes for the outer bowsprit shrouds, fitted
like that for inner ones. And just
inside the cap, a strap & thimble for outer cap bobstay. In sloops of war the topmast stays often go
from the bees through thimbles in a span round the bowsprit, then to the
catheads, where they supply the place of outer bowsprit shrouds. Parcel serve and leather the bobstays in the
wake of the cutwater and scuttles. Serve
and short splice them and turn in their hearts in the splice. Middle the laniard
[sic] and put its bight through one of the hearts, serve its end through the
bight and jamb it down. Take two turns
of the laniard through the heart on the bowsprit and
in the bobstay and clap luff upon luff
on them. Hook the bowsprit shrouds. Reeve their laniards,
clap luff upon luff on them
and stand by to set up. [**] Hook a tackle to a strap round the bowsprit
end and to this hook a boat, an anchor, or any thing as will hang heavy. Nail on cleats and saddle for jib boom. Bring
the bowsprit under the bows head forward, toggle the main purchase to the
garland, and the smaller purchase to a strap round the bowsprit between the
bees and the cap. Overhaul a tackle from
the gun deck between the night heads [sic] & hook it to a strap round the
heel of the bowsprit. Have guys from the
cap to the bridle ports to keep the bowsprit in its proper position while
swaying. Lead the fall of the main
purchase to the capstan, man the bars & smaller purchase & heave. When high enough cant it to its proper
position with the smaller purchase. Wipe
dry and white lead the heel and mortise.
Rouse in on the heel tackles and guys.
Lower away and step the bowsprit.
Untoggle the purchases. Cast of the heel tackles and guys. Take the garland off the bowsprit. Overhaul down the small purchase for jib
boom, sway it on board, point it through the cap and lash it. Sway on board the lower caps and place them
by their respective masts. Take aft the
after heel tackles. Cast off the heel
lashings and those from the bulwarks, cast off the athwartship
tackle. Tend the forward heel tackles
and after guys. Wet the deck in the wake
of the shoes. Rouse the heels aft. Lower away upon the guys and land the sheers
on the bowsprit. Unrig and launch them overboard. [At
this point in the original document, Midshipman Anderson repeated verbatim the
paragraph concerned with "Remarks upon Sheers." He then repeated the section on "Rig the
Bowsprit" verbatim down the point marked "**" above, at which
point the text changes as follows. It appears
that, in the first instance, he began writing about rigging the bowsprit, then realized he hadn't described the procedure to get it
stepped first. Without deleting
what he had just written, he proceeded to outline the stepping process, then repeated the business about the shears and then rigging
the bowsprit.] Hook
a tackle to strap round the bowsprit end and to this hook a boat, an anchor, or
any heavy weight. Man the fall and
suspend the weight to the bowsprit end, at the same time setting up on the
bobstays and bowsprit shrouds. When the
bowsprit is thus brought well down in its bed, rack the laniards
and proceed to pass the gammoning.
Leather the bowsprit in the wake of the gammoning and let the leather be
so large that after all the turns are passed, it will haul back and cover them
all and tack down to the bowsprit. The
gammoning should be hawser laid rope well stretched, with an eye spliced in one
end. Tar the bowsprit and gammoning
scuttles. Pass the 1st turn of the
gammoning round the bowsprit through the eye in its end and haul it well taut,
square with the after part of the gammoning scuttle & take it down through
the scuttle, up over the bowsprit & hitch its end to a pendant with a hook
in one end and an eye at the other, rove through a block secured to one of the
head knees with the eye leading into the hawse hole. Hook a purchase to the eye, bowse the turn well taut and rack it. In this manner clinch all the turns,
observing to rack each turn and keep it close aft on the scuttle. When all the turns are passed, bring up the
end between the gammoning and the bowsprit.
Hook the fore pennant tackle to it and jamb the end and secure it. Take a piece of stuff half the size of the
gammoning and frap all parts together under the bowsprit, bowsing
each turn taut with a jigger from the bumpkin.
Secure the ends, tar the leather and gammonings
in the wake of each other. Haul the
leather back and tack it down to the bowsprit.
Cast off the block from the head knee.
Lower the weight from the bowsprit end.
Set up the bobstays and bowsprit shrouds for a full due with a tackle
from the bowsprit end. Sway aft and ship
the dolphin striker. Clove hitch the goblines [sic] round its heel and set the end up at the
bumpkins. Cast off the tackles from the
bowsprit end. Hook the man ropes to the
bowsprit cap and set
them up. They reeve through iron
stanchions and set aft
to bolts in the deck. Fit to the heart
strap of the fore stay the fore, and to staples in the bowsprit cap the foretopbowline blocks.
Fit the fairleads and unrig the stays. Rig the Foremast.........Overhaul
down the mast head girtlines & sway up as many
men as can conveniently work. Cast off
the masthead girtline and overhaul down those from
the tressle trees. Middle the girtline
and turn a toggle into it, using one end to overhaul down by. Seize the two legs of the starboard forward
shrouds together about the length of the mast head from the throat seizing,
toggle the girtlines below the seizing and stop it to
the crown of the eye of the shroud. Man
the girtline and sway away. When the eye comes up to the tressle trees, reeve the break rope. Make fast the eye girtline
below the eye seizing. Cut the stop from
the crown of the eye. Sway away &
when high enough break the shroud over. Observe to dip the eye girtline. Lower away.
Let the men in the tressle trees place it in
its proper slue and maul it down in its place. Overhaul down the larboard girtlines
for the larboard forward pair which send up and place over in the same
manner. (It will give the rigging a
snugger fit if as fast as a pair of shrouds are got
over you take two reeve with the laniards & set
them up temporarily.) Then shift the girtlines to the foremast head & overhaul down from the
fore stay, which is fitted with lashing eyes.
Bend them on at the splice and stop one girtline
to each leg. Sway up and pass the legs round
the mast. Lash them temporarily and
cleat the collar up above the eyes of the lower rigging. Overhaul down fore the spring stay which is
bent on and sent up in the same manner.
Now reeve the laniards of the stays on their
bights. Set them well up to stay the
mast forward for setting up the lower rigging.
Reeve two turns of the laniards of the lower
rigging to bring the strain on the standing part. Set them well up, using luff
upon luff, one pair on each side at the same time,
the forward ones first. Come up the fore
and aft stays. Knock off cleats and drop
the collars over the eyes of the lower rigging.
Lash and set them up for a full due.
Reeve the laniards of the rigging in full and
set them up as before. Have two stout girtlines from the mast head for the crosstrees, bend on,
sway up and bolt them to the tressle trees, observing
to white lead them in the wake of each other.
Overhaul the girtlines down abaft the mast for
the top. Take the ends underneath the
top up through the girtline holes in the side or after
rim of the top & hitch them to their own part. Stop them to the pigeon hole. Have a girtline
from the mainmast head bent to a span from the after corner of the top. Stop the span to the pigeon hole. Man the girtlines
& sway away using the guy from the mainmast head to clear aft of the tressle trees. When
clear cut the stop from the span & sway until the top is up to the girtline blocks. Cut
the stop from the girtline at the pigeon hole. Sway again and cant the top over with the
guy. Lower away. White lead it in the
wake of the crosstrees. Bolt and key
it. The mizen
top is got over forward of the mast.
Sway up and ship the top stanchion and top rail. Reeve the fancy lines. Send up the futtock plates with dead eyes in
them for topmast rigging. Ship them in
the mortices. Take one half the breadth of the after part of
the top, which distance set off from the lower part of the tressle
trees down the mast opposite to which on the rigging goes the plate for the futtocks
staff, which should be seized on outside athwart the rigging leaving out
the forward and after shrouds. Lash a
capstan bar a few feet below the futtock staff to which a tail block corresponding
to each shroud should be lashed. Middle
a fall and commence reeving through the tail blocks,
one end going forward and the other aft.
Snatch them in the opposite waterways.
Clap hands on them and swifter on the rigging sufficiently for seizing
on the catharpin legs, which are wormed, parcelled and leathered with an eye in each end and a laniard spliced in the eye ready for seizing on. Send them up and serve them to each shroud
& the futtock staff, leaving out the forward and after swifters. Come up and unreeve
the fall. Take off the tail blocks. Send down the capstan bars. Seize on the sheer poles. Spar and rattle down the rigging. Send up and hook the futtock shrouds and set
them to the futtock staves with a Spanish windlas
[sic]. Hook a large single block over
the eyes of the lower rigging for the main topmast stay to serve through (a
bull's eye is better), also one for the main topsail spring stay to set up
to. The main and mizen
masts are rigged in the same manner, except that the mizen
mast has no spring stay. After the masts
are rigged and stayed in their proper positions, let them be wedged for a full
due and nail on the mast coat. Overhaul
down girtlines for lower cap, cap sure [i. e., cap shore] and topmast fid. Bend on & sway up and place the round
hole in the cap over the mast hole in the tressle
trees. Take the girtline
block from off the tennon [sic] of the mast. Note. The shrouds are distinguished by knots tied
in their eyes, the starboard ones being numbered with
odd knots lashed 5 inches from the fore and open aft. The larboard ones with the
even knots at 2 inches. Should
the knots be knocked off they may be told starbd and
larboard by the way the eyes are turned in by the nip around the dead eye and
the forward pair which are the shortest beneath forward leg & served, then
the next shortest, &c, &c. Send up Topmasts. Hook a large single block over the eyes of
the lower rigging, having the lashing long enough to allow it to hang clear of
the top. Reeve a hawser through it. Overhaul it down over the ship's sides. The topmast is towed alongside head
forward. Reeve the hawser through the
upper sheave hole. Bring the end up and
hitch it round its own part and the head of the topmast. Snatch the hawser and take it to the
capstan. Heave round. As the heel comes up, clap on a heel rope and
ease it onboard. Point the heel thru the
mast scuttle in the deck. Sway up until
the mast enters the mast hole in a lower cap.
Avast heaving.
Lash the lower cap to the topmast head.
Hook the pennant tackles to a selvagee strap
through the fid hole. Haul them taut. Unhitch & unreeve
the hawser. Place a heaver in the fid
hole with a rope hitched to it leading to the opposite side of the deck. Sway away.
When high enough, slew the mast fair with the hawser. Place the capsure. Lower away and ship the cap. Maul it down in its place (observing beforehand
to white lead the tennon of the mast). Tack sheet lead over to keep the water
out. Hook the top blocks to the after
bolts in the cap. Reeve the top pennants
through them and the upper and lower sheave holes and clench them to the
forward bolts in the opposite side of the cap. Take one fall to the capstan. Man the other. Bowse them well
taut and unhook the pennant tackles, cutting off the straps in the fid
hole. Have two girtlines
from the topmast head and overhaul them down abaft for the crosstrees. Sway the topmast up a few feet for getting
over the crosstrees. Take them under. Bend them to the after & stop them
to the forward part. Bend and stop on
like manner a guy from the mainmast head.
Sway away. Guy the crostrees [sic] clear of the top. When high enough, let the after horns rest
upon the lower cap & lash them to it.
Cast off the girtline blocks & hitch them
to the after horns of the crostrees [sic]. Lower away the topmast and let the hole in
the crostrees [sic]fall over
the topmast head. White lead the mast head & crosstrees in the wake of each
other. Cast off the lashing. Sway up the top mast a few feet & beat
them down in their place. Place the
bolsters and secure them to the tressle trees. Tar the mast head in the wake of the
rigging. Put over the gin straps, then
the burton pennants which are fitted with a cut
splice. Clove hitch a
break rope round the mast. Hook
the burtons. Sway up and fid the
topmast. Steady the mast by the
burtons. Overhaul down the girtlines for the shrouds, which send up & put over in
the same manner as the lower with the exception of using the eye girtline, which is not necessary. Then put on the breast backstays,
which are put over first to avoid chafe, then the standing
backstays, then the topmast spring stay, then the topmast stay, then the jib
stay, which sometimes goes with an eye lashed to the collar of the topmast
stay. Cleat the collars above the eyes
of the rigging. Reeve the topmast &
spring stays through the bees and set them well up. (For setting up rigging, reeve the laniards of the rigging & set it up with a runner and burton.) Haul taut
the breast & set up the standing backstays.
Come up the fore and aft stays.
Knock off cleats & drop the collars over the eyes of the
rigging. Set them up for a full
due. Seize on the futtock staff inside
the rigging and catharpin in the rigging in the same
manner as the lower sides on the sheer poles.
Spar & rattle down. Send up
the topmast cap, capsure & top gallt fid. Place the
round hole in the cap over the mast hole in the crostrees
[sic]. Jibboom. Whilst rigging the topmasts, some hands may
be employed rigging the jib boom. Reeve
a heel rope through a block on one side of the bowsprit cap, thence through the
sheave hole in the heel of the jib boom & hitch it to a bolt on the other
side of the cap. Sway and run out far
enough for rigging. Tar the boom end
& put over the traveller, through which and the
inner sheave hole reeve the jib stay. Turn a double block in the end & connect
it by a fall with another block on the head.
Put a gromet [sic] with two single blocks for
top gallt bowlines, one on each side of the
boom. Put over the foot ropes & set
them up at the cap. Put over the
standing guys, then the martingale stay block, through which reeve the stay,
then thro [sic] the dolphin striker to the fair leader on the bowsprit &
carry it to the head. Ship the wythe for flying jib boom. Seize to the traveller
the jib downhaul & brail blocks & travelling guys. Sway on the heel rope. Light out the rigging. Run out & pass the heel & belly
lashing. Spritsail Yard. Get it on board, tar & leather the guard
in the slings, fit the tye, which goes with a running eye round the yard
& a hook & thimble in the end, which hooks to a bolt in the cap or
bowsprit. Then fit the parrel, which goes with two straps round the yard with
running eyes & lash together on top of the bowsprit. About half way out from the slings to the
yard arm, fit a strap & thimble for flying jib sheet & nail on stirrup
for foot rope, with a round turn around the yard to hang abaft between this
& the yard arm strap & thimble
for travelling guys. One third from the strap
& thimble for jib guys. One
half out from this strap is thimble for flying jib guys. All thimbles stand on top of the yard. Over the yard arm put first the foot ropes
which reeve through straps, set up to each other and tries [sic] up at the slings. Then put over lower boom guy block brace to
left block. Reeve a yard rope from the topmast
stay plumb with the berth of the yard, which is just inside the bees. Overhaul it and bind it to the labd quarter & stop it to the starbd. Hook a tackle from the fore stay to the labd quarter. Sway
the yard on the gunnel [sic] to reeve the lifts &
braces, passing the starbd ones underneath the
bowsprit. Sway on the yard rope and
tackle, cutting the necessary stops. Top on the larbd lift & starbd brace. When in its berth hook the tye. Seize the parrels & square the yard. Top Gallant Masts. Tow the masts alongside head forward. Lash a jack block to the topmast head. Reeve the mastrope
& overhaul it down the mast through the mast hole in the crosstrees. Reeve it through the sheave hole in the topgallt mast and clinch it around the topgallt
mast head above the hounds and its own part, leaving end enough to clinch round
the topmast head. Rack the parts
together in several places & stop it to the royal mast head. Sway away the mast rope. Point the skysail mast thru the mast hole in
the crosstrees and cap. Sway away until
the royal mast enters the cap, cutting the stops as necessary. Stop the cap to the royal mast head and fit it
as the lower. Nail lead over to keep the
weather out. Unclinch
the mast rope from about the topgallant mast head, leaving the mast to hang by
the racking stops. Pass the end up
through the mast hole in the crostrees [sic] &
clinch it to an eye bolt in the topmast cap.
Lower the mast and let the strain come upon the standing part and the
same stops as before. Come up the
lashing of the jack block from the top mast head & hook it to an eye bolt
in the cap. Set taut & cut the stops
from the mastrope.
Lower the mast to within a few feet of the skysail mast head above the cap. With a girtline
from the cap, sway up the jack and funnel.
Tar the funnel inside & out & put it over the mast head. Put over first gromet
[sic] and thimble for main royal stay,
next topgallt and flying jib stays, then the starbd & larboard shrouds alternately, then the breast
& standing backstays, then the royal stay shrouds & backstays &
lastly truck with signal halliards rove & spindle
shipped. Sway aloft the topgallant
mast. White lead
the mast head & ship the truck. Sway
again. Tar the mast head & fit the
royal rigging. Sway. Tar the top gallant mast head. Place the funnel and beat it down. Reeve Tp Glt stay through the outer sheave hole in the jib boom, the
shrouds through holes in the ends of the crostrees
[sic] & the fairleaders on the inside of the topmast futtock staffs. Turn thimbles into their ends. Reeve the flying jib stay through the inner
sheave of flying jib boom, the royal stay through the outer. Reeve the royal shrouds through the jacks horn. Turn
double blocks into their ends and connect them with falls to other double
blocks in the corners of the top. Sway
up and fid the topgallant mast. Stay the
mast by the head stays and set up the rigging.
Haul taut the breast and set up the standing backstays. Flying Jib Boom. Lash a block to the jib boom end through
which reeve a heel rope. Bend it to the
heel of the flying jib boom and stop it to the end of the jib boom. Man the heel rope. Sway & light out until the jib of the jib
boom end is far enough on the wythe
for rigging. Tar the book end and put
over a gromet [sic] with royal bowline blocks served
in, then flying jib foot ropes, guys & martingale. Run out until the flying jib boom end comes
through the wythe. Tar it & place the rigging, reeve the
stays and martingales. Take the guys
through their thimbles on the spritsail yard into the head. Set up the flying jib foot ropes to the jib
boom end. The martingales reeve through
the dolphin striker, the fairleader on the bowsprit & set up in the head. Rig out & step the heel of the boom against
the bowsprit cap. Pass the heel and
belly lashing. Topsail Yards. Should be towed on the
larboard side of the ship with the starbd yardarm forward. Reeve a hawser through a block at the topmast
head and bend it on to the slings. Stop it
to the forward yard arm. Sway away. Ease the yard on over the gunnel
[sic] & land it on chocks the labd side of the
deck with the starbd yard arm forward. Unbend the
hawser. Tar the yard in the slings &
leather it. Lash on the tye blocks with lashing eyes round the yard. Heave each turn well taut with a Spanish windlas [sic] outside the tye
blocks. Seize on the parrel. It is tarred, parcelled
& leathered and has an eye in each end.
Seize it round the yard, leaving a long & short leg. The long leg is then taken abaft the mast,
seized round the yard & the eyes are lashed together abaft, outside of this
seize on the quarter blocks. They are
double, one sheave for the topsail clewline, the
other for the T. G. sheet. Then strap & thimble for standing part of topsail clewline. One third out from the slings, strap & thimble for rolling
tackle. Two thirds
out, strap & thimble for Lower yards. Tow them on the larboard side with the starbd yardarm forward.
Use the same block & hawser employd [sic]
in getting on the topmasts. Overhaul
down forward. Bend it to the slings of
the yard & stop it to the forward yard arm.
Sway the yard up & down. As
the starbd quarter comes up, hook the starbd pennant tackle to a selvagee
strap. Pound it & do the same with the
larboard quarter. Sway high enough to
clear the gunnel [sic]. Haul taut & let the strain come on upon
both pennant tackles. Ease away the yard
rope & cut the stops. Haul it taut
again. Bowse
upon the lower pennant tackle. Ease away
the upper one. Land the yard on chocks
on the gunwale fair for any guns. Cast
off & unreeve hawser, take the block off the mast
head, tar & leather the yards in the slings & place the chock for the D
thimble. Let the leather be long enough
to haul back & cover the D thimble & its lashing. Tar & parcel the D thimble. Lash it on with a strand of well stretched
rope passed on the bight, heaving each turn as taut as it will bear with a spanish windlass & flare them
well out on the yard so that they will not ride each other. Secure and jamb the end. Frap all parts together between the thimble
& the yard. Secure the end of the frappery. Cover the
whole with leather. On each side of this
seize on the quarter blocks & connect them with a span under the yard to
prevent slipping. Outside of this seize
on the truss straps & pennants, seize on the starboard pennant, next the
quarter blocks & the strap outside the larboard ones the reverse. By this means they will reeve without a
cross. The pennants go with running eyes, the straps with lashing tyes. They are both
leathered. Next to this seize the clew
garnet blocks, then the straps & thimbles for standing part of clue
garnets. One third out from the slings
strap & thimble for rolling tackles.
Two thirds out strap & thimble for burton. Outside of this strap & thimble for heel lashing of topmst stunsl boom. Tar the yard arm. Put over the jackstays. Drive staples in the yard. Reeve the jackstays through them & set them
up to each other in the slings. Put over
strap & thimble for head earing [sic], then the foot
ropes. Nail the stirrups on the
yard. Reeve the foot rope through
them. Set them up to each other &
trice them up to the D thimble. Next put
over strap & thimble for yard tackles, then braces & lift blocks. Reeve the lifts & braces. Lash the blocks for geer
pennants over the eyes of the lower rigging so that they will hang under the
tops. (The geer
pennants have a thimble at one end & are tailed at the other.) Reeve them from aft forward & round up
till the thimble in the end comes up to the geer
blocks. Hitch the tailed ends round the
quarter of the yard. Hook the upper
blocks of the geer tackles to the thimbles & the
lower blocks on deck. Snatch & man
the falls. Hook a stout tackle from
forward to a strap round the slings of the yard. Send into the top the lower slings with a laniard spliced in to the bight. They are leathered & go with lashing eyes
over the cap & a back lashing round the lower mast head about 5/8 down from
the cap to the tressle trees. Shove the bight & laniard
down through the pigeon hole. Man the
lifts. Take through the slack of the
forward tackle. Come up the pennant
tackle & take the selvagee off the yard. Sway aloft by the geers
and the lifts. Keeping
that yard clear of the mast by the forward tackle & geers
by the lifts & braces. When the lower part of the yard is square with the futtock staff, avast swaying.
The yard is swayed that high because when the strain is taken off the geers & comes on the slings it will sag down until the
center of the yard is square with the futtock staff. Expend the laniard
of the slings through the D thimble.
Secure the end & cover the whole with canvass [sic]. Take the tree pennants round abaft the mast
end & reeve them through the straps on the opposite side of the yard. Turn single blocks into the ends & reeve
the truss falls through the single & double blocks at the mast head. Haul taut the trusses. Come up & send down the geers & forward tackles. Take the straps off the yards & square
them. Reeve a line thru a tub block on
the left just inside the shoulders of the yard.
Overhaul it and the burton down forward of the
yard. Bend on to the steeringsail
boom. Sway aloft,
point it through the boom iron past the heel lashing. Clamp the boom & send down the purchase. Spanker boom & Gaffs. Bend a hawser from the mast head to the boom
about one third from the heel & stop it to the head. Sway away.
Ease the boom in with a guy & point the end over the toprail. Tar and
leather the boom in the wake of the crotch and sheet blocks. Tar the boom end and put over the foot ropes
& guys. Seize on the sheet
blocks. Set the foot ropes up inside the
tafrail [sic].
Reeve the guys through single blocks on the quarter. Splice the toppinglifts
into the bolts on the band round the boom.
Reeve them through cheek blocks on the cheeks of the mast. Turn double blocks in their ends & connect
them with falls to single blocks in the chains.
Cut the stops on the hawser, sway & ship the gooseneck. Cast off the hawser from the boom, top on the
lifts & catch it. Reeve the sheets
and haul them and the guys taut. Bend
the hawser to the gaff. Sway it on
board. Unbend & unreeve
the hawser. Leather the jaws of the
gaff. Reeve the jaw rope through the
trucks & secure it round the trysail mast to the opposite jaw. Toggle a double block to an eye on top of the
gaff & another to the lower part of the top. Thru these reeve the throat halliards. Put a gromet [sic] over the gaffend
& cleat it about the center of the gaff with a single block for peak halliards. Reeve
them through it & a double block in the cap. Hook at the cap and secure the
end with an eye over the gaff end and cleat it about 1/4 of the way in. Clove the vangs
round the end of the gaff and fit gun tackle purchases to them. Seize the signal halliard
block to the staple in the gaff end and reeve the halliards
through a cheek block each side of the gaff one third of the way out & 2/3
of the way for inner & outer peak brails.
Toggle a single block under the jaws on each side for throat brails
& two others on the hoops for foot brails.
Sway aloft the rings & hook the tie to an eyebolt under the top
& another in the jaws. Topgallant Yards. Reeve Tp Glt tyes & halliards. Lift & sleeve. Hook the tie to the jack block
with the long mast rope rove through it.
Trice up the jack block to the masthead.
Overhaul down the yard rope & bend on to & sway the yard on
board. Land it on chocks in the larboard
gangway. Unbend
the yard rope. Tar & leather the
yard in the slings. Lash on thimble for Tp Gt tie & splice the snorter into staples at the ends of the yard. Otherwise rig the as the topsail yard with
the exception of the straps & thimbles for burtons, rolling tackles &
heel lashings for the sail booms. Put a
strap & thimble for lizard. Reeve
the yard rope through the gromet [sic] & lizard
& bend it to the thimble in the slings of the yard. Put the gromet
[sic] over the yard and pass the lizard.
Sway aloft. When
high enough, let a man in the topmast crosstrees & another in the topmast
rigging. Take off the gromet [sic] & put over the lifts & braces. Sway higher. Attend the lifts & braces and laniards. Sway
across & pass the parrel lashing. Square the yard & let go the halliards. Lower
down the jack block. Unhook it from the
top & hook the tie to the thimble on the yard. Haul taut the halliards. Send the jack block into the top. Haul up the yard rope & coil it down
there. The royal yards are rigged & crossed
in the same manner, except that the jack block is not used and the halliards answer for the yard rope. Then rig & step the quarter davits, reeve
the wheel ropes, &c. Stow
the Hold. Raise in the limber boards and clear the limbers. Clean out the hold & whitewash it. Nail the battens athwart the skip. Whip on board the kentledge
having previously weighed, scraped & whitewashed it. Stow it according to the build of the
ship. In sharp vessels stow it low down
in flat. In flat floord
[sic] vessels wing it out in order to ease her rolling. Commence amidships. Stow a row on each side of the kelson [sic] forward & aft. Commence amidships again & wing it out
tapering forward & aft, observing that each pig rests upon three battens
& that they break joints. The
ballast being stowed, commence stowing the ground tier of water casks. Begin at the spirit room bulkhead and stow a
row of the largest along the kelson [sic] on each
side, proceed in the same manner with the remaining rows of the ground tier,
stowing the smaller casks well out in the wings, having them all bedded and
wedged, bung aft & bilge free. Fill
up the cantlines with barked wood to make the hold as
solid as possible. Stow the riding tier
on the cantlines of the ground tier so that each cask
may nest in four. Stow the beef on one side,
the pork on the other. Naval stores at
the fore hatch. Everything
else to the best advantage. The
spirit room is stowed in the same manner, beginning at the forward bulkhead. Get
on board & coil away Cables. Coil them in the lighter with the sun &
bring them on the opposite side to the tier in which they belong. Have mats in the lower sills of the ports to prevent
chafing. Rouse the coil of the cable in
& if it is the larboard bower, point it down the starboard tier and clench
it round the main mast with an outside clench.
Coil away with the sun, observing not to bag out at the hatchways. Tail the upper end. Rouse the end of the other half on board
& tail it. Splice the two halves
together & go on coiling as before.
Rouse in the other cable & coil it in the same manner in the other
tier. The stream is coiled in the heart
of the sheets and the hawsers in seperate [sic] tiers. The chains are pointed through the hawse
holes provided in board with a hook rope, the ends lashed to a bolt in
the kelson and the chain paid down into the locker. Get
on board & stow Anchors. The anchors are brought under the bows in a
lighter. Rouse up the end of the
chain. Point it through the hawse hole
& shackle it to the ring of the anchor.
Reeve the cat & fish falls.
Overhaul down & hook the cat, haul taut. Walk away the cat. When up, pass the cat head
stopper. Hook the fish in & fish
the anchor. Drop the lighter under the
waist. Brace in the foreyard & up a
little of the main. Hook the
burtons. Haul them well taut to bear an
equal strain with the lifts which are bowsed well
up. Truss the yards to and haul taut the
braces. Hook the rolling tackles to the
opposite quarters and haul them well taut.
Get up the triadic [sic] stay & hook the fore and main stay
tackles. Have an athwartship
tackle to hoist the anchor to its berth.
Hook the fore and main yard tackles to pennants rove through the bulls eyes
lashed on the yards, and the upper ends made fast to the lower cap. Pass a stout selvagee
strap around the shank close to the stock & stopped up the stock about half
way to prevent the anchor from canting.
To this hook the fore yard tackle.
Hook the main yard tackle to a strap round the crown, the fore stay to a
strap through the ring, the main stay to a strap round the outer fluke just
inside the palm, and the athwartship tackle to the
shank. Bend the stream cable in case of
accident. Man the purchases & sway
away. When high enough,
breast the anchor to its berth and ship the shoes. Pass the trip & shank stopper and stock
lashing. Unhook & send down the
purchases. Take off burtons &
rolling tackles. Square the yards. Clear
Hawse. Reeve the clear hawse
pennant through a block on the bowsprit end, and overhaul down and hook onto
the cables below the turns. Trice them
well up and pass a stout lashing round both cables below the turns. Now if the inner turn of the clearing cable lies uppermost, send in the bowline over both cables,
otherwise under. Get
in Guns. Brace the main
yard over the port just forward of the gangway and top it well up by the
lifts. Hook a burton
from the main topmast & one from the lower cap to the yard. Haul them taut to bear an equal strain with
the lifts. Truss the yard to well tauten
the braces. Hook the rolling tackle to
the opposite quarter of the yard & haul it well taut. Frap the yard to the mast with a cross
lashing. Put canvass [sic] on the yard
about two feet outside the gunwale & lash on a bulls
eye. Run the top pennant through the bulls eye and clinch the end round the lower masthead. Have a single block just under the bulls eye and another hooked to the lower cap. Trice up & hook the tackle to the pennant. Leave the block with the fall in it
below. Take the fall up. Reeve it through the blocks on the yard &
lower cap. Bring it on deck and snatch
it. Bore a hole in the deck just over
the port and through it reeve the garnet pennant with a hook in the lower end
and a thimble in the other. Hook a
tackle from the main stay to the garnet.
Have a burton from the main topmast head
hooked to the main stay to relieve the strain.
Have an athwartship tackle from the opposite
side of the deck. The guns being brought
alongside, sling them. The slings go
with an eye over the pomellion [sic] & are lead
out toward the muzzle and secured with a stout lashing round the gun far enough
outside the trunnions to clear the carriage. Hook the main purchase to the slings & the athwartship tackle to a strap through the breech ring. Sway away.
When high enough, bowse the
breech of the gun into the port with the athwartship
tackle. Hook the garnet to a
strap through the breech ring. Bowse on the stay tackle.
Ease away on the winding tackle.
Run under the carriage. Throw
back the clamps. Lower & mount the
gun. Carronades are slung with the
slings over the pomellion and a billet of wood in the
muzzle. They are taken in over the
gunwale, as also are lower deck guns in a ship of the line. Note. Topsails now a days
[sic] are more commonly sent aloft with either the top burtons or topgallant
yard ropes. They are swayed up &
down the mast & the yard jiggers hooked in readiness to haul out by. After being bent the sails should always be sheeted home and mastheaded, so that all defects may be remedied before
going to sea. Get
in a Launch. Clear
the launch. Brace in the fore yard with
the larboard brace & the main yard lift a little by the starboard
brace. Top them
well up by the lifts. Hook the burtons
and haul them taut to bear an equal strain with the lifts. Truss the spar as well & haul taut the braces. Send up the fore & main purchases which
go with pennants rove through the bulls eyes on the yards & clinched to the
lower masthead. Get up the triatic stay. Hook
fore and main stay tackles & overhaul down the purchases & hook them to
the span which goes with a long & short leg in the bow and stern of the
boat. Man the purchases & walk
away. When high enough, if the launch does
not clear the fore rigging, the foretopmast backstays should be frapped into
the fore rigging. Hook the main pennant
tackle to her stern & rouse her aft.
Haul over the stays. Ease away the yard and land her on the chocks. Source: The foregoing excerpt is from a notebook kept
by Midshipman Edward Clifford Anderson while he was attached to USS
CONSTITUTION (1835‑38) and later in USS LEXINGTON. It is to be found among his papers in the
Southern Historical Collection of the
|