The InterKnot Newsletter of the International Guild of Knot Tyers

North American Branch

April 2010

Up-rigging the Santa Maria – Mains’l - continued

The Santa Maria in summer

InterKnot April 2010 Pg 1

The Santa Maria is located in Columbus, Ohio and is permanently

docked on the Scioto river in downtown Columbus. It commemo-

rates the first European voyage to America by Christopher Colum-

bus and the sailing and operation of the traditional square-rigged

sailing vessels which made the voyage. The Santa Maria is an

educational museum used to teach the importance and impact of

the first voyage as well as the technology of the square-rigged

ship.

This article is continued from January 2010 issue of the InterKnot.

It sure is nice to work on the

main deck and have a gangway

to use. We’re bending the port

side of the mains'l to the main

yardarm. Even though it’s at

the main deck level, the sail is

still heavy to move around.

Knots used for bending the

mains’l to the yardarm are reef

knots.

Bending the mains’l to the main yardarm - Pic: DSC-0287 (L to R) Smitty, Tom, Glenn, Mike

InterKnot April 2010 Pg 2

Bending the mains’l earring to the main yardarm - Pic: DSC-0291 (L to R) Glenn, Gary, Smitty, Tom

We’re bending the port mains'l

earring to the main yardarm.

Mains’l lift line.

The mains’l brace line goes

horizontally to the right. You

can see the serving we’ve done

on the brace line. The mains’l

lift line goes up at about a 45

degree angle. You can also

see the serving we’ve done on

the lift line.

Mains’l Brace line.

After we’ve bent the main-

s’l to the main yardarm we

have to reef the mains’l.

Here we’re marling the

mains'l to the main yard-

arm. Starting from the

port outboard side and

working in towards the

middle. We’re standing on

the gang way used for the

tourist season while mar-

ling the mains’l.

Rope used for the lines is

Hemp-x. Obtained from

R&W Rope works. Marling the mains’l to the main yardarm - Pic: DSC-0298 (L to R) Mike, Smitty, Gary

Smitty (on the left) and Gary (on

right) are bending the mains’l Parrals

to the main yardarm before hoisting it

to the working position.

Gary has his left hand next to a very

nice example of Round Turn Seizing.

Round Turn Seizing

InterKnot April 2010 Pg 3

(From previous page.)

Parral (or parral): (pronounced “pearls”). A rope loop or sliding collar by which a

yard or spar is held to a mast in such a way that it may be hoisted or lowered.

Etymology: Middle English perel, parelle, short for apparail apparel (rigging)

The round wooden balls are the parrals. The vertical wooden pieces are called

“trucks”.

In normal working

conditions, we would

bend the parrals to

the yardarm only in-

stead of running the

lines around the sail.

However, since the

yardarm goes up to a

stationary position

for the summer, we

run the lines around

the yardarm and sail.

Here I’m tying off

the mains’l parrals.

Bending the mains'l parrals. #2 - Pic: DSC-0309

Marling the mains'l

to the main yardarm.

This is another good

picture of the halyard

bent to the main

yardarm. Knot used

for the halyard is a

Mains’l Halyard

hitch.

Mains’l Halyard

Hitch.

Marling the mains'l to the main yardarm.- Pic: DSC-0280

InterKnot April 2010 Pg 4

The article on up-rigging the Santa Maria will be continued in the next issue of the InterKnot.

I volunteer at the Franklin

County Furniture Bank.

It’s a registered charity

that supplies free furni-

ture to needy families.

The furniture bank re-

ceives “broken boxes”

from furniture stores.

These are damaged furni-

ture crates with furniture

the stores can’t sell.

Our job as volunteers is

to assemble these “broken

box” furniture pieces for A picture of the completed table. It was sold at auction.

use by the furniture bank clients or to be resold at auction.

Recently the furniture bank

received a very nice

wrought iron side table.

Everything was going fine

during assembly until I tried

to assemble the last leg. Be-

cause the wrought iron was

spread out, I had to pull the

leg back into position and

try to drive in the last metal

screw. No matter how I

pushed or pulled, the leg

would spring out of

InterKnot April 2010 Pg 5

position before I could get the screw started! We were short volunteers that day,

so it was just me and the table. Cuss and swear!

However, knotting to the rescue! I carry para-cord for demonstration and prac-

tice. Figuring it would be strong enough to give me the third hand I needed, I

quickly looped it around the table legs, made a modified Trucker’s Hitch and was

able to pull the leg into position long enough to start and tighten the screw.

Problem solved!

The graphic picture at the right

shows how the cord was

wrapped around the table legs.

An Alpine Butterfly knot was

used to create a “pulley”.

The working end was run

through the loop and pulled

tight to pull the legs in.

I used a clove hitch around the

first leg to adjust the tension

so I could start the screw.

Editor’s Note: If you have a practical knotting

solution please send your infor-

mation to alexd_3@juno.com.

I’d like to publish practical knot-

ting solutions.

Subject: Meeting info for New Jersey : Hello there,

I am a new member of the IGKT and found your email in the handbook. I live in New Jersey and would like

very much to get together with some fellow knot enthusiasts to learn something new. Do you know on any

local groups in the New Jersey area that get together?

Contact: Thomas Larkin via his e-mail tlarkin77@gmail.com

InterKnot April 2010 Pg 6

IGKT-NAB InterKnot C/O 4417 Academy Street Dearborn Heights, MI 48125

SUBMISSION OF ARTICLES & PICTURES FOR THE “InterKnot”

Please submit written articles in MS Word Document or convertible document. If

sending instructions for tying a knot please include black & white sketches with mo-

tion arrows would be easier to understand. Pictures are welcome but try to make

sure that they are high-contrast black & white photos in jpeg format. Color Pictures

are also welcome, but it increases the cost of publication significantly.

Please send submission items to alexd_3@juno.com

Include “IGKT article” on address line.

Please Note Your Membership Expiration Date is shown on the “InterKnot” next to each member’s name. E-mail will be in cover letter.

Back Issues of the InterKnot Back issues of the InterKnot are available through e-mail. Please send an e-mail to alexd_3@juno.com specifying which issues you would like. A listing of what is available is shown below: Jan 2009 March 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 June 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 September 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 December 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2009