Detail
A word is typically wont to mean just "cordage," however this occurs as as well-limited, & possibly an irrational number, apply of the term. a ship is non rigged until she is provided by owning all the spars, sails & cordage compulsory to move & control the hull.

Rigging likewise includes the ship's davits, a straight or even even curving pieces of wood or metal that hang on to boats carried along the walls. Completely come fastened directly or even indirectly to the hull, & completely come involved to complete her “clothing.�

Vessels of completely classes, from either a little sailing-boat as much as a big ship, come classed based on data from a particular combination of their spars, sails & cordage. “Cutter,� “brig,� or even even “ship,� come just ready to hand abbreviations for “cutter-rigged,� “brig-rigged,� or “ship-rigged.� It is of such-or even-such the “rig.�

These are strictly right to speak of the rigging of the mast or even the front yard, or of a boom, whilst a lot that is intended is the favorite placed of ropes, of whatever size or even poop, needed to keep the two in their place, or withdraw the children from either it, once it stand to exist as moved in the ship. Inside such shells a a portion is seemed upon as a whole, & is mentally abstracted from either a sum of the vessel’s rigging.

A basis of tons rigging is the mast, whether it be composed of one or even even of numbers of pieces of wood or metal. A mast is held higher & controlled by ropes, which are then classed together when a “standing rigging,� because they are “that a portion (of the entirely rigging) which is processed convenient, & non hauled upon� (Admiral Smyth, Sailor’s Word-Book). This must exist as understood subject to the restriction that in the outbreak of the mast composed of many area, including topmast & topgallant mast, these subdivisions can be, & typically come, lowered. A backstays, & more ropes which keep a top & topgallant masts in situ, come so simply “comparative fixtures.� the bowsprit, though it doesn't rise from either either a deck however projects from a bow, is as a matter of fact a mast.

A masts, including a bowsprit, trend lines all a sails, whether it hang from either the “yards,� which are then spars slung to a mast, or even from either either either “gaffs,� which come then spars sticking out from a mast, or, when in the example of the “jibs,� come triangular sails, travelling in ropes known as “stays,� which last from the foremast to the bowsprit, & are suspended by halyard. A bowsprit is subdivided prefer more masts. A bowsprit proper corresponds to the moo fore-, main- or even mizzen-mast. the jib-boom, which is movable & projects beyond a bowsprit, corresponds to a topmast; a flying jib-boom, which too is movable & projects beyond the jib-boom, answers to a topgallant mast.

A whole body of ropes by which a yards, booms & sails come manipulated be a “running rigging,� since they are “in constant utilize, to trim yards, & produce or even shorten sail� (Admiral Smyth, op. cit.). A rigging must too provide a crew by owning a means of running aloft, & sustaining standing ground to run their function once aloft. So a shrouds (view beneath) come used to form ladders of rope, of which a steps come known as ratlines, by which the crew could mount. Touching a heads of a lower berth masts come a tops—platforms in which men potty stand—and in a equivalent place on a topmasts come the “crosstrees,� of which the independent work is to extend the topgallant shrouds. A yards come provided by using ropes, extending from either a middle to the extremities or even even arms, known as horses, or footropes, which hang about Ii or even Trinity foot. down, & in which men might could have. a material of which the cordage is mass produced has differed, & however differs greatly. Leather has been utilized.

The Spars and Rigging of a Frigate. (click for naming)

In a period of historic days, but, the prevailing materials keep close at hand been hemp or esparto grass (Machrocloa, or Stipa tenacissima), chain and wire. Within other recent times, polyester (Dacron (TM)) and stainless steel have been favorite. High performance racing yachts can apply sale-weight crystalised hydrocarbons (Spectra and Kevlar (TM)).

When a whole of a rigging is divided into standing & running off, & so a rope forming a portion of the rigging is divided into the “standing part� and the “fall.� A standing a share is that which is mass produced convenient to the mast, deck or even prevent. A fall is a unfinished business or even sectiin on which the crew haul. A prevent is a block across which the rope diarrhea. “Standing� around sea language means “fixed“ — so a standing a share of a hook is that which “is connected to prevent, chain or even anything which is to heave a hook higher, using a weight hanging to that; the a share opposite the point� (Smyth, sub voce). “Tackle� is a combination of ropes & jams; a combination of cables & anchors is the �ground tackle�.

A work of tons cordage can become said to be to pull, for even a purpose either of keeping the masts in their wharehouses, or of moving spars & sails. A standing rigging which supports a masts must exist as adapted to resist deuce sort of pressure, a longitudinal, whether applied per wind or even per motion of the vessel after pitching (we.e. plunging head & tail. alternately into a hollow of a sea), & a lateral pass, whilst the wind is blowing unofficially & she is rolling. A longitudinal pressure is counteracted per bobstays, stays & backstays. The information to fig. Single may indicate that a bobstays hang on to down a bowsprit, which is liable to become lifted per tug of the jibs, &, of the stays connecting it by owning the fore-topmast. Whenever a bowsprit is lifted a fore-topmast loses a portion of its trend lines. around the experience of the little vessel, the lifting of a bowsprit would wreck her wholly technique of rigging in an instant. In case fig. I is followed from either a bow to a mizen, it is seen that a succession of stays attach the masts by using the hull of the ship or even using 1 a second. Everthing garner to resist pressure from either before. Pressure from either behind is met per backstays, which attach a topmasts & topgallant masts using a sides of the vessel. Lateral pressure is met per shrouds & breast-backstays. The temporary worker or even "preventer" backstay is utilized after groovy pressure must become met.

Seamen keep close at hand in the least days experienced recourse to favorite gear to meet particular dangers. While Dundonald, then captain of the Pallas frigate, was pursued by a French squadron around tempestuous atmospheric condition, he fortified his masts by ordering “all a hawsers“ (big ropes a little less hard than a cables which hang on to a anchor) “in the ship to become had as much as the mast heads, & hove taut,�i.e. processed convenient to the side. So she was breathe to carry supplementary sail than would own been imaginable by using her normal rigging.

A running off rigging by which tons spars & sails are hoisted, or even even lowered & spread or taken inside, can be divided into victims which lift & moo - a lifts, scoffing, halyard (haulyards, halliard) — & victims which hang on to down a lower corners of the sails — the tacks and sheets.

An extended technical indicator treatise would become involved to title a numbers of combinations of cordage & spars which produce higher a aggregate rigging. A lot that is attempted on text is to give a main lines & general information or even divisions.

A vessel dealt by using on text is the fully rigged ship of terzetto or even supplementary masts. However she includes all a others & a lesson come the equivalent.

a simplest of everthing forms of rigging is a dipping lug, the quadrangular sail hanging from either a front yard, & universally hoisted unofficially of the mast opposite thereto in which the wind is blowing (the leeward). While a boat is to exist when tacked therefore as to bring a wind on a other side, the sail is lowered & rehoisted. 1 rope could help once halyard to hoist a sail & as a stay when these are processed convenient in a to windward on which the wind is blowing.

the difference between such the craft & the fully rigged ship is that between the elementary organism & a super complex 1; however these are one of degree, non of form. A steps in the shell come unnumberable. Each sea has its have nature and severity. A bit of inside eastern waters come of extreme antiquity, & possibly within Europe vessels come however to become met using which differ super little in case in a least from either the ships of the Norsemen of the Ninth & 10th centuries. For a fully account one varieties of rigging the reader can be referred to "Mast and Sail in Europe and Asia" (London, 1906), by H. Warington Smyth.

Whilst a ticket degrees of variation come neglected a types of rigging may be reduced to relatively couple of, which can be classed per shape of their sail & a total of their masts. At a bottom of the shell is such a craft when the Norwegian herring boat (fig. Ii).

Fig 2. Picture of a Norse Herring Boat. Figure 2 - Norse herring boat.

She has 1 quadrangular sail suspended from either the front yard which is hung (or even slung) per middle to one mast which is positioned of the fully wrapped mast.

Fig. 3. picture of a Nordland Boat. Figure 3 - Nordland boat.

The super similar craft known as the Ilumber keel is utilized north of England. A lug sail is an advance on the course, since it is better adapted for sailing on the wind, downwind unofficially. Whilst the lug is non intended to become lowered & rehoisted on the leeward, when in the dipping lug mentioned above, these are slung at a third from either the prevent of the front yard, & is known as a standing lug. A good case of the lug is the Chinese junk (fig. Quaternion).

Fig. 4. picture of a Four-masted Junk. Figure 4 - A four-masted Junk.

A lug occurs when “lifting sail,� & doesn't tend to click a vessel down as a stem & astern sail does. So these are great deal utilized by fishing smack in the North Sea.

A nature & severity of the bow and abaft rig is the schooner, fig. Little phoebe. the sails on the Threesome masts have a gaff above & a boom following. These spars have the prong known as a jaws,� which healthy to the mast, & come held in situ by a “jaw rope� in which are then threaded beads known as trucks. Sails of this shape come carried by fully rigged ships on the mizzen-mizen, & may be spread on the prow & main. It is so known as try - to the smashing a single.

Fig 5. labelled picture of a schooner.
Figure Five - Schooner. Unity, bowsprit, by having martingale to the stem; Deuce, fore-topmast-stay, jib & stay-foresail; Terzetto, fore-gaff-topsail; Four, foresail & mainstays; Five, main-gaff-topsail; Half a dozen, mainsail; Sevener, prevent of boom.

A Lateen-rigged (Latin) sail (fig. Sise) occurs as triangular sail akin to the lug, & is the prevailing nature and severity of the Mediterranean.

Fig. 6. picture of a Lateen Rig.
Figure 6 - Lateen Rig.

These original types, possibly while unmodified by mixture using any more, permit of big variations. the total of masts of the faller could diverge from either either 1 to 5, & of a schooner from two to 5 or septet. The little lug can be carried above tbe big of these, & the gaff topsail added to the sails of the schooner. The microscopic-masted fore-&-aft-rigged vessel can be the cutter (fig. Septenary) or even sloop. However the pure types can be combined, inside topsail schooner, hermaphrodite brig, barquentines & bark, while the topsail, a quadrangular sail hanging from either & fastened to a front yard, slung per middle, is combined by owning prow & astern sails. the lateen sail-rigged rig hwhen been combined using a square rig to produce such a rigging as the xebec — a 3-masted vessel square rigged on the main, & lateen on the stem & mizzen.

Fig. 7. Labelled picture of a Cutter Yacht. Figure 7 - Cutter Yacht. 1, bowsprit and martingale; 2, jib -- behind it is the foresail; 3, cross-trees and topmast-shroud; 4, pennant designating the club of which she belongs; 5, gaff-topsail; 6, peak of gaff, hoisted by peak and throat halyards; 7, mainsail; 8, end of boom and topping-lift.

Triangular sails of the equivalent nature & severity when a jibs may be attack the stays between the masts of a fully rigged ship, and come so referred to as staysails. However it could exclusively become repeated that a variations come unnumerable. Studding Sails are pieces added to increase a breadth (spread) of sails, & postulate the trend lines of favorite yards, booms & tackle.

A development of the rigging of ships occurs as super obscure subject. It was a operate of centuries, & of practical men world health organization wrote there are no treatises. It has never been universal. a comparisin of the 4 - masted junk given above by owning the numbers of ships on mediaeval seals shows at least good deal similarity. Eventually by finding two or three leading types of consecutive periods these are conceivable to watch a incubation of the fully rigged ship, at least around its mawithin lines, in modern days.

A carrack Santa Maria, the flagship of Columbus, has only a fixed bowsprit, by having the front front yard & a sail hanging from either it, the spritsail yard & spritsail. the foremast has of these course, a mainmast a course & topsail, the mizzen a lateen sail.

Fig. 9, A picture of "Sovereign of the Seas", a British warship of 1637 Figure 9 - Sovereign of the Seas

Sovereign of the Seas, British warship of 1637, has only the fixed bowsprit, but a small upright mast has been erected at the end, which serves to spread a sprit topsail. Inside the select few events at left a sprit topgallant sail was used. the mizenmast however carries a lateen sail, but topsails use been added, & a whole rigging has multiplied & developed.

Between a Crowned head of the Seas & a fully developed ship, given around fig. Single a virtually all apparent differences come in a rigging of the bowsprit & the mizen.

No sprit topmast, & instead there is a jib-boom. A square spritsail, which could not exist as trained forward & astern, & was of weak symptom around keeping a ship’s head from either turning weatherboard, has been replaced per jib. A spritsail front yard (which continued within apply till when 1850) has disappeared & has been replaced per spritsail gaffs, 2 fixed spars which slope downward & assist to trend lines a “jib-guys,� a lateral pass supports of the booms. For a instance, & when a apply of spritsails experienced been given higher, a spritsail front yard continued to exist as utilized to discharge the work okay, given to the gaffs (look at Smyth, Sailor’s Word-Book, sub voce).

A changes in the mizzen use an obscure history. Just about the middle of the 18th century it ceased to become a pure lateen. A front yard was retained, however there is no sail was attack the forearm. So the front yard was given higher & replaced by the gaff & a boom. A recently sail was known as a Spanker. It was, notwithstanding, relatively narrow, & after the greater spread of sail was mandatory, Studding Sails (at first known as the “driver “) were added. At the late date "spanker� and “driver� were used as synonymous terms, and the studding-sail was called a “Ringtail.�

The studding-sails are the representatives of a class of sail once more generally used. In modern times a sail is cut of the extreme size which is capable of being carried in fine weather, and when the wind increases in strength it is reefed — i.e. part is gathered up and fastened by reef points, small cords attached to the sail. Till the 17th century at least the method was often to cut the courses small, so that they could be carried in rough weather. When a greater spread of sail was required, a piece called a bonnet was added to the foot of the sail, and a further piece called a drabbler could be added to that. It is an example of the tenacious conservatism of the sea that this practice is still retained by the Swedish small craft called "lodjor" in the Baltic and White Sea. It will be easily understood that no innovation was universally accepted at once. Jib and sprit topsail, lateen, mizzen and spanker, and so forth, would be found for long on the sea together.

The history of the development of rigging is one of adjustment. The size of the masts had to be adapted to the ship, and it was necessary to find the due proportion between yards and masts. As the size of the medieval ship increased, the natural course was to increase the height of the mast and of the sail it carried. Even when the mast was subdivided into lower, top and topgallant, the lower mast was too long, and the strain of the sail racked the hull. Hence the constant tendency of the ships to leak. Sir Henry Manwayring, when giving the proper proportions of the masts, says that the Flemings (i.e. the Dutch) made them taller (“taller� and “taunt“ were for long used to mean the same thing) than the English, which again forced them to make the sails less wide. A tall sail could not be cut so wide as a lower one without putting an excessive strain on the mast. He says that the Flemings found an advantage in working to windward, but that they �wronged“ (i.e. racked) their ships. The English preferred a less lofty mast and a wider spread of sail.

It is very difficult to say what changes in the proportions of masts and yards took place in English ships between the early 17th and the 19th centuries. The difficulty arises not only from insufficient knowledge of the earlier period, but from the fact that a scale was fixed only after trials, and by degrees. Manwayring, for instance, when giving the proportion of the topmasts to lower masts, says: “The topmasts are ever half so long as the masts into which they belong; but there is no absolute proportion in these, and the like things, for if a man will have his mast short, he may the bolder make his topmast long.� In some respects the change was certainly slight. In the early 17th century, in England at least, the length of the mainmast was fixed by taking four-fifths of the breadth of the ship and multiplying by three. Two centuries later the method was to take the length of the lower deck and the extreme breadth, add them together, and divide by two. If we take a 74-gun ship of about the year 1820, which was 176 ft. long on the lower deck and 48 ft. 8 in. wide, she would have, by the system then used, a mainmast of 112 ft. Manwayring’s system would have given her one of 117 ft. But in the proportions of the masts to one another there was a change. In the 17th century the foremast was four-fifths of the main, and the bowsprit was of the same length as the foremast. In the 19th the foremast was eightninths of the mainmast, while the bowsprit was seven-elevenths of the mainmast in the largest ships, and three-fifths in the others.

When we come to the relative proportions of masts and yards the difficulty increases, for the standard was not the same. The seamen of the 17th century calculated the length of the mainyard not by the size of the mast but by the length of the keel. The mainyard, which was the standard for the others, ought according to “the best and most absolute� estimate to be five-sixths of the length of the keel. But Manwayring again explains that “the proportion is not absolute.� If it was followed, the yards of a 17th-century ship must have been rather longer than in a vessel of a hundred and fifty and two hundred years later, when the mainyard was eight-ninths of the mainmast, and,a regular scale was fixed throughout.

Even so Manwayring’s warning that “the proportion was not absolute� must be borne in mind. Changes were constant. The development of the famous American clippers made a considerable one. So has the growth of the vast four- and five-masted iron sailing ships of the 1880s. Individual captains have fitted ships according to ideas of their own. It has always happened that extra sails have been invented and set by ingenious devices for particular purposes. One large sail requires more men to handle it than several small ones. For this reason it is that in recent times the topsails of merchant ships have been divided into upper and lower, with a great loss of beauty, but an increase of convenience. To the same cause, the wish to economize in the size of the crew, is to be attributed the introduction of machinery for reeling sail from the deck, which is also an easier,and a safer process than going aloft to reef them by hand.

In a general way it may be said that the development of the rigging has been towards establishing a fair balance between the fore and after spread of canvas. Until the jib was invented in the 18th century, a ship which was sailing on the wind was subject to a disproportionate pressure aft. If she was at all given to “griping“ — that is to say, inclined to turn head to wind (and all ships are liable to have ways and manners which are mysterious in origin and not seldom incurable), the mizzen-sail could not be used, for if it had been she would never have been “out of the wind.� Therefore when close-hauled (sailing with the wind on the side and somewhat from before her centre) she lost the use of part of her sail. The spritsail which could not be trained fore and aft was no use “on the wind.�

A few words may be added concerning the tops. In the earlier form of ships the top was a species of crow’s nest placed at the head of the mast to hold a look-out, or in military operations to give a place of advantage to archers and slingers. They appear occasionally as mere bags attached to one side of the mast. As a general rule they are round. In the 16th century there were frequently two tops on the fore and mainmasts, one at the head of the lower, another at the head of the topmast, where in later times there have only been the two traverse beams which make the crosstrees. The upper top dropped out by the 17th century. The form was round, and so continued to be till the 18th century when the quadrangular form was introduced. After 1870, the military tops of warships resumed the circular form.

Authorities
The present writer is indebted to Admiral Sir Cyprian A. G. Bridge, G.C.B., whose practical acquaintance with the older type of sailing ship as well as with the modern steamship makes his authority specially valuable, for the correction or confirmation of the technical details in the above article. Among the literature of the subject, reference may be made to the following works: Sir Henry Manwayring, The Seaman’s Dictionary (London, 1644); Darcy Lever, The Young Sea Officer’s Sheet Anchor (London, 1808); Sir George Nares, Seamanship (Portsmouth, 1882); ViceAdmiral Edmond Paris, La Musée de marine du Louvre (Paris, 1883). (D. H.)

Recommended recent works include James Lees, The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War, 1625-1860 (Naval Institute Press, 1984), and John Harland, Seamanship in the Age of Sail (Naval Institute Press, 1984).

Note
This article is about the rigging of ships, and is based on the detailed article in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, now in the public domain. For a more concise treatment, see mast (sailing), full rigged ship and sail. For other uses, see rigging (disambiguation).

da:Rigning de:Takelage fr:Gréement nl:Tuigage pl:Ożaglowanie