Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg
I'm inclined to agree! I could never remember the names of all those sails!
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Hmm.
Flying Jib, Outer Jib, Inner Jib, Forestaysail. Fore and aft mast stay bent.
Forecourse, Lowerforetop, Upperforetop, TopGallant. Athwartships yard bent.
Main Knocksail, Maintopstaysail.
Maincourse, etc.
Mizzen Lnocksail and topstaysail.
Mizzen course, and up, and the fore and aft Gaff rigged Spanker.
Just off the top of the head.
Stays, shrouds and ratlines, the standing rigging. Halyards, downhauls, sheets, preventers, clews, the running rigging, all on their own specific pin or cleat on deck and never to be moved anywhere else. The deck is worked in darkness. A sailor must KNOW his/her ship.
Lets not forget the "ground tackle", her anchors and mooring equipment. Then there is all the emergency and firefighting gear. Power supply and distribution, domestic water storage and supply, waste disposal and the smelly bits.
An idea of the complexity of a "simple" old fashioned sailing ship.
"One and All", a mere 100 feet long, only 2 masts, 13 sails in all, and more than 120 lines down to the deck to control those 13 sails.
Now think of Cutty Sark, or some of the other clipper ships, of 4 or 5 masts. The kind of ship Captain Slocum Mastered.
It's the same meccano set Greg. Different ships, different oceans. But, not that different, deep down in spirit. It's still that same "stuff". That wonder of, whats over there? I know, lets make a thing, and go and have a look!!
