I’m starting on the topsail yards with a little different approach that the lower yards. Instead of doing them one at a time – I went ahead and attached all the necessary accouterments to the three topsail yards before rigging them. One more quick note here – While the kit shows an additional t’gallant yard on the mizzen, most other sources show that a ship this size would not have that additional level of mast or yard (I mentioned this when stepping the upper masts).
My process this time was to start with the stirrups and horses on each so I could stiffen them with diluted PVA before moving on to blocks. For the mizzen, the stirrups and horses are 2″ (.25mm). Sheet blocks are 10″ (4mm), clueline and brace blocks are 5″ (2.5mm is the smallest block I use). Brace pendants are 1.5″ (.20mm).
As with the lower yards, the main and fore topmast yards have the same blocks as follows: 14″ (5.5mm) Tye Block with two 7″ (3mm) buntline blocks attached, two 6″ (2.5mm) sheet blocks, and the pairs of clueline, lift, and brace blocks are all 8″ – which is a bit of an in-between size, so I’m using 3.5mm blocks simply because I have more of them. Note: There is some controversy here on whether the 14″ Tye block is single or double and a well documented error in the Fully Framed Model) – but I will cover that later when I address rigging the fore and main topsail yards. For now, just know that I used a single block and will explain why then.
Mizzen Topsail Yard
Based on the Fully Framed Model as well as Lees’ Masting & Rigging of English Ships, I’m using a truss parrel instead of a parrel made of trucks and ribs that you’ll see for the other topsail yards. This is based on the smaller size of both the yard and the ship itself. The truss parrel is a set of two 2.5″ (.30mm) lines (one short and one longer) that end in a seized eye. Each wraps around the yard and seizes to itself before both eyes are seized together.
The yard tie and halliards originate in the middle of the yard with an eye seized and the line wrapped around the center of the yard and up through the eye. From there the line runs up through the sheave in the top of the yard and down to a set of blocks, the bottom of which seizes to an eye bolt on the tressletree inside the top rail. Even though every source calls for this location of the eye bolt, this immediately created an immediate issue with the lines fouling against the mast cap. So I relocated the eyebolt to the mast cap itself which solved the issue. As with all the topsail yards, the mizzen is mounted in it’s lowered position, which is proper without sails. This means the upper block on the aft of the mast has to be high enough to allow for the run of the yard when it’s raised.
The fall of the line belays to one of the cleats at the base of the mizzen mast.
The yard lifts of the mizzen are a simplified affair. Instead of lift blocks on the ends of the yard, the lifts (.25mm) are simply eye-spliced over the ends of the yard, then run up through the bottom of the sister blocks seized into the shrouds before falling to belay on one of the cleats at the base of the mizzen mast.
The braces are relatively uncomplicated as well. While the FFM suggests each brace eye splices over the gaff, I chose to measure out the entire line for both port and starboard braces and used a clove hitch on the gaff. This gave me some extra flexibility when adjusting the tension of both sets of braces before belaying them. So, the standing end of the braces starts at the aforementioned clove hitch, runs up through the brace blocks on the ends of the pendants, back down through the pair of brace blocks on the end of the gaff, then down toward the deck.
The FFM shows the braces heading down to run through a lead block seized to an eyebolt on the quarter piece before running through the fixed sheave on the rail. Once again, I don’t have that sheave back there, so I made another adjustment. My lead block is seized to an eyebolt at the aft of the deck before belaying on one of the timberheads
This change to the fall of the braces has the added benefit of creating slightly more separation between the braces and the vangs which creates a cleaner look.
Fore Topsail Yard
Before beginning the rigging on the topsail yards I noticed I was missing a couple of blocks not shown in the Fully Framed Model plans – which does not include bunt lines and leech lines. Two buntline blocks are added under the heads next to the jeer tyes.
Unlike the mizzen mast, the fore and main topsail yards are fitted using the more traditional truck and rib parrels rather than just a truss pendant. The parrel is made up of six “b” shaped pieces of wood that make of the ribs and separate the trucks which are barrel shaped separators (the same as the gaff parrel). While the kit comes with small metal ribs, they are not quite the right size of scale for my application. I also wanted to use wood rather than metal to be more authentic.
Although there are only a couple of pictures here, this was a LOT of work. The ribs are 5mm wide and about two millimeters tall. I started out by shaping a length of harder wood in those dimensions then using a round file to create the valley in the center. The piece was cut into one millimeter slices with holes drilled into the rounded portion. Finally, each parrel was individually sanded and shaped into it’s final appearance.
After test fitting the parrel on two 2″ lines, I stained them darker so there would be lest contrast between the trucks and the ribs. Mounting the parrel itself is a fiddly process. The two lines start with an eye seized in one end. Those two ends wrap around the yard and are seized together. The loose ends wrap through the ‘valley’ of the ribs around to the other side of the yard where one goes over and the other goes under. It then wraps back through the valley to repeat the process two more times before being seized together. This is a very confined space to accomplish all of this and took a fair amount of patience.
As I hinted at above, there is some confusion regarding the rigging of the topmast tyes for the fore and main topsail yards. A well documented error in the Fully Framed Model has a 14″ single block is listed in the text of section 19.15 regarding the fittings on the yard. However, when referring to the actual rigging in section 19.25 it lists a double block. The use of the latter is confirmed in Lees’ Masting and Rigging of English Ships as well as David Steele’s description. Steele and Lees describe the tyes as originating as loops over the topmast head above the shroud wrappings then descending through the double block, back up to the single jeer tyes, then down to seize at a double block where the falls occur.
Here’s my problem – I simply don’t have enough room to loop anything else over the topmast head without interfering with the double sheaves. Further – Steele actually refers to a single block instead of a double for the topmast yards on smaller vessels – specifically sixth rate ships with fewer than 20 guns. This was the perfect excuse for me to go with the single 14″ block rigging. In this case, it means that the tyes themselves are rigged more similar to the lower yards.
A 14″ double block is spliced into each end of the tye. I start with one end of the 4.5″ (.60mm) tye line secured onto the double block, the other end is fed up through the jeer tye, then down to the 14″ single block in the middle of the yard, back up to the opposing block under the mast top, then down to the second double block – thus creating the same “M” as with the lower yards.
The falls themselves are made of 2″ (.25mm) line with the standing end secured to a single block with a long stropped hooked to an eyebolt in the channel just aft of the shrouds. The line then runs up through the outboard hole of the double block, down through the single, back up through the inboard hole of the double, then back down again to belay on the rail. Since I substitute my fore rail with a snazzy cable line, my fall will belay on a convenient timberhead.
Here’s a layout of the entire tyes and falls with some notes as it’s difficult to see the fall of the line amidst all the other rigging. Note that when taught, the two double blocks at the ends of the tyes are located about the height of the masthead. It takes some care to adjust all the lines so that the two blocks are even with one another. Once again, the topsail yards are fitted in the lowered position when sails are not present.
Main Topsail Yard
The main tyes, halliards and their falls are essentially a mirror of those of the fore mast (same sizes of ropes and blocks) with the exception of where they secure and belay. In case of the mains, the eyebolt is located in between the sets of stays at the swivel gun. One must pre-measure the falls to avoid any fouling, particularly with the swivel gun. The following pictures show the run of the line from the 14″ block in the center of the yard, up through the jeer tye blocks, down through the tackle between the double and single blocks before they belay on the rail.
Yard Lifts
The Topsail yard lifts serve the same purpose as the lowers of course (to square the yards) but are rigged a little differently than the lower ones. Instead of running through blocks at the mast heads, they are run through thimbles. Each of the fore and main upper yard lifts start with a 30′ (140mm) span of 2.5″ (.30mm) tarred line that end in thimbles. The span clove hitches around the topmast cap. The thimbles are lashed to corresponding thimbles seized in the standing ends of the lifts themselves – which are of 2.5″ (.30mm) untarred line.
The lifts then run down to the lift block on the end of the topsail yard, back up through the lower block of the sister blocks seized into the shrouds, then down through the every shrinking amount of space in the hole of the mast top.
The fore topsail yard lifts belay to a timber head on the fo’csle railing, while the main lines belay to a shroud cleat.
You’ll also notice in the images above that I’ve attached the studdingsail booms to the topsail yards at this point – just prior to adding the yard lifts. The booms are mounted in the same way as the lower version.
Topsail Yard Braces
The topsail yard braces for both main and fore are similar in that they involve a separate span with single blocks on the ends to facilitate the run of the lines. In this instance it was much easier for me to start with the main. The span for the main braces is a 21′ long (just about 100mm) 3.5″ (.40mm) tarred line with an 8″ (3.5mm) blocked seized to each end. This span is clove hitched around the mizzen mast just above the cross jack. Both the length of the span and its exact location needs to be pretty precise to prevent the braces from fouling with any other lines – especially the crow’s feet. It is definitely tricky trying to tie a clove hitch in this area especially with blocks seized to the end and still get each end of the span equidistant from the other.
The standing end of the braces (.30mm line) is hitched to this span above the blocks (see above right) then runs through the brace pendant on the end of the yard. It runs back through the block on the span then down to belay at one of the mizzen cleats at the bottom of the mast.
The fore topsail braces are a similar process but a little more complicated. These braces utilize TWO spans, both of which are hitched to the main stay. One is located just below the fore yard brace blocks, the other is located just above the belfry. Both spans are still .40mm tarred line with 3.5mm blocks on each end. The spans are a bit shorter (about 40mm for me) as they only wrap around a line instead of a mast. Still quite tricky to get the ends equidistant. The standing end of the braces starts on the main stay just below the standing ends of the fore braces. Note: Just like the fore braces, I chose a clove hitch of a single very long line rather than two separate standing end hitches which (to me) creates a little bit of a bulky mess.
From there, the braces run up to the brace pendants on the yard, back to the blocks on the upper span, down to the blocks on the lower span, then down to belay on the inner ends of the fo’csle breastwork rails.
As you can see, the railing is getting a little crowded. And I suppose it goes without saying that things are starting to get quite complicated over the main deck of the ship at this point, and rigging is becoming an expert level version of cat’s cradle. Understanding that it’s getting difficult to follow the run of the lines, here are a couple of photos to indicate the locations of the spans and hitches.
Once again, the level of engineering on these ships amazes me. Planning the runs of the lines in ways that keep them fully functional without fouling is something that has always (and continues to) impress me.
Clues & Sheets
The clues and sheets on the topsail yards are a little more straightforward in terms of path as compared to the lower yards. However, they do take a fair amount of preplanning to run the lines so they are functional and don’t foul other lines. The main topsail clue lines follow the same general pattern as the lower yards. The sheets (.40mm) are crown knotted (mine is simulated) and fed through the strop of the clue block (3.5mm). The clue lines are .30mm with the standing end timber hitched to the yard, run through the clue block, then back up through the clue block on the yard before heading down through the hole in the mast top to the deck. The Sheets run from the crown knot down to the lower shoulder block on the end of the lower yards, behind the yard to the quarter block then down to belay.
The main topsail clue lines run down to the breastwork at the mast or one of the available eye bolts. The fore lines belay on the bitts at the base of the mast. I’ll be completely honest here – at this point, I’m finding any available railing, bitt, or eye bolt that allows for belaying without fouling any of the lines. There is VERY little room at the base of the masts at this point and belaying points are at a premium. Even so, lines have been rearranged multiple times to run free of binding.
The Mizzen clues run in the same fashion, and once again I find real estate to belay lines. As with the others, I’ve shifted the lines around at the base of the mizzen several times at this point, and will likely shift them more.
Bunt & Brail Lines
Once again (as with the lower yards) I’m running bunt lines even though there are no sails. Following the same policy as the lower yards, the buntlines for the topsail yards will knot at their respective blocks, then run their course. In the case of the topsail yards, the bunt lines are knotted at the two blocks attached to the center of the yard, then run up to two more blocks at the mast top before heading down along the mast to belay.
Following my policy of running sail lines without sails as much as possible – I’m also running the mizzen’s brail lines. These are similar to the bunt lines on the other yards, but unique because of the nature of the ship’s aft most sail. These are not something I’ve seen on very many (if any) models without sails. But, once again, I don’t like seeing “empty” blocks, and the three pair of brail blocks on the gaff would typically hold the sail. The three pair are the throat brails (closest to the mast), the middle brails, and the peak brails. According to Marquardt (pg 214) and Lees (pg 109) the peak would belay at a cleat on the aft spirketting – I’m substituting an eyebolt in that area. The middle would run through a lead block down to a shroud cleat, and the throat brails would belay at the mast. As with the buntlines, I’m knotting the lines at the blocks and then running them along their designated path.
As the rigging continues to multiply, the ship becomes a chaotic, but well orchestrated run of lines – all of which have a specific function.
Next up, the top most yards – the Topgallants – or more commonly the T’Gallants; the final aspect of the running rigging.
The Lehman Shipyard 