34
5. Footropes, Fixed Lifts,
and Cranelines
As noted earlier, footropes for yards,
spanker boom, and ends of fixed lifts
are more easily installed with spars in
hand. Footropes may require some
adjusting before they hang naturally.
Cranelines are footropes running
athwartships from the lower fore and
mainmast shrouds. They pass behind
the mast. Sailors stand on them to furl
the spanker, main staysails, and course
sails. Cranelines were not on the origi-
nal ship and can be considered optional.
This completes the standing rigging.
Check all lines for shiny glue spots and
touch up with black paint or shoe polish.
Installing Sails
and Running Rigging
Decide whether to rig with or without
sails or with a few furled. The following
discusses the choices and how to rig them.
Seize blocks in place before adding sails
and rigging. Each sail and its spars are
presented separately. Finish one sail group
before moving to the next. Although the
rigging sequence isn't critical, starting at
the bow and working aft is recommended.
Do the fore and aft sails first, then the
square sails.
1. Fore Staysails (Head Sails)
For simplicity, the fore staysail, inner jib,
outer jib, and flying jib can be called
head sails. If using sails, add their hal-
liards, downhauls, and sheets before
bending to their yards. Play out enough
line for reeving, handling, and belaying.
Don't be in a hurry to snip them flush.
They may need retensioning as rigging
progresses. To finish each line, coil it at
the belaying point; or, belay it, then add
a separate coil.
Niagara
has wooden hanks to
bend
(fasten)
the head sails to their stays (Sheet 6). Real
hanks are difficult to make at 3/16" scale,
so substitute split brass rings. Set sails
either to port or starboard, but be consis-
tent. It looks better.
Pull sheets taut on the sail side. Loosely
drape the other sheets over the stays to
their belaying points. Tacks hold the sail
Fig 8-10 Bowsprit Shrouds
Fig 8-11 Manrope Netting
STAGE 9
Eyebolt in hull with sister
hook to eyesplice
Shroud P/S
Chocks
Collar
Bullseyes
& lanyard
Bowsprit
Lashing
Typical seize short tranverse lines
to guys & long lines
Jibboom guy
Seize long line to guy
Centerline
To stbd side
long line
Long lines
Fig 9-1 Head Sails Removed
Halliard
Halliard
Downhaul
Downhaul
Outer Jib
Flying Jib
Fig 9-2 Furling the Outer Jib and Flying Jib
Sheets
Sheets
Downhaul
Downhaul
Halliard
Halliard
Note how
hanks are
close together
Bulk of sail is on top of
the jibboom, other
sider of flying jibboom
Flying jib
Outer jib
