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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