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12. SAILS AND SAILMAKING

Information about the Making of Sails, and How they should be Rigged—Detailed Instructions foe. Mak­ing Blocks and Tackles employed in conjunction with Them.

Custom has evolved two classes of old-time ship model; one group exhibits a remarkable perfection of detail but seldom provided with sails. The other group is scenic in char­acter and is generally represented with all sails set. Examples of the latter classes are the waterline models such as the Carrack described in Chapter III., and the Revenge and Ark Royal detailed in Chapter IV.

Models in this general category include a host of model representations of early and mediaeval ships, of which the examples illustrated in figs. 156-157 are worthy representatives. The former is a model of the Great Harry depicted as in full sail; the latter represents the Golden Hind and is similarly treated as regards the sails. Both models are the work of O. E. Daumiller, of Alfred Place, Store Street, London, by whose courtesy they are here illustrated.

Obviously the methods of making and spreading the sails for this general group of old-time models differs considerably to what must be done for a true scale model.

On most of the true scale models coming into the first category the sails are completely omitted, but most of the rigging is shown in place as if the sails were furled or had been stowed away. The reason for this is that it enables the rigging to be shown very clearly and is more instructive. There are also many problems concerned directly with sail-making and particularly the difficulty of imparting a neat workmanlike appearance to the complete model. If the sails are all set, the material of which they are made never looks really well, generally  hangs  badly  and consequently detracts from that character and atmosphere which should always distinguish the well-made model.

Fig.   156. The Great Harry,   circa 1512, by Mr. O. E. Daumillef.

Furthermore, the presence of the sails inevitably acts as a screen and prevents close inspection of the rigging and other details.

For these excellent reasons, sails on a high grade scale model are generally omitted. There arc, of course, some notable exceptions, and the French with their native fertility of resource have evolved a useful compromise by representing the sails with soft cream-coloured chamois leather. They are shown furled; that is, gathered up closely and tied on to the yards in the regulation way.

Fig. 157. The Golden Hind,   the Flagship of Sir Francis Drake,   by O. E.   Daumiller.

Hard and fast rules cannot be laid down for this vexed matter of sails, nor is advice of much greater service; choice between sails or no sails lies with the ship modeller, and each builder must decide personally.

A few hints based on successful ways of representing sails on old-time ship models may, however, be helpful and may be adopted or adapted as seems more expedient.

Small scenic or waterline models generally can have their sails made of soft pliable paper, preferably cream coloured. The paper can be cut to shape with scissors, and the bandings, ornamental crests and armorial bearings painted upon them with water colours. The paper can be gummed directly to the yards and the ropes attached with a trace of adhesive. Larger scenic models may have sails made of paper, or thin materials such as fine lawn, silk or casement curtaining. Sails made of these materials are very often dipped into a strong solution of starch or diluted plaster-of-Paris, and as it dries the sail is modelled so that it appears to be bellying out with the wind.

When this is nicely done the effect is quite good and imparts a sensation of motion to the model. Paint can be —and indeed in most cases must be—relied on for the representations of the seams, reef bands and other details of the sails; also for the decorative features and so forth. The ropes can be attached with adhesive or may be sewn directly to the sail according to circumstances.

Sails can be made with many fabrics; those chiefly employed are cambric such' as handkerchiefs are made of, fine linen, calico, silk, and a variety of the recently introduced materials wholly or in part composed of artificial silk.

These should all be cut in such a way that the head of a square sail will be at right angles to the selvedge and the fore and aft sails cut so that the selvedge comes on an outer edge. Real sails are made of strips called bolts and their average width is 24 inches, hence on the model sail parallel rows of stitches should be worked at the appropriate scale distances to represent the "cloths" as the separate pieces are called. This can well be seen in fig. 158, which shows an armed merchantman circa 1800 a.d., and is a splendid example of good "sail" model craft. On a large scale model a better effect is obtained by forming a tiny tuck and stitching it along each of its edges. This calls for exquisite skill on the part of the seamstress if the work is to look really good. Alternatives  are  to  rule  pencil lines  on the material or to heavily crease it by ruling with a blunt pointed awl or the edge of a bone paper-knife.

The edges of the sails can be hemmed, or bound with a narrow binding, and a thin cord stitched to it to represent the bolt-rope. Similarly the tablings and other doublings can be made of narrow baby ribbon sewn on to the sail with a double row of neat stitches.

Fig. 158. A Beautiful Example of a Fully-rigged Ship with Sails.

Eyelets and rings are fitted as requisite, the former in the usual way by putting them through the cloth and expanding with an eyelet punch.

The sails are attached or "bent" to their spars by sewing them to a rope or wire called a "jackstay," or in early ships by sewing around the spar itself. Sails which are attached to a stay are frequently sewn on, but more properly attached by small rings. On most sails a loop or eye is formed in the bolt-rope at the corners and this was called a "cringle;" its purpose was to allow the sail to be securely lashed, and it should therefore be shown on practically every sail, whether or not it be complete in detail.

A useful tip when a sail is to be stitched and have reef bands and tablings is to cut the material to a convenient but much larger size than the sail, then do all the stitching and sewing and run in a tacking cotton just inside the line of any curved edges to keep the sail in shape. Afterwards cut out the sail and hem it all round, putting the hem on the after side of a square sail, and on the starboard side of fore and aft sails.

Reefs are a difficulty to determine both as to when they should be introduced and where they should be placed. As a rough guide, reefs can be considered as correct on fore and main topsails of ships of 1660 or thereabouts, a single reef on early ships, and double reefs on ships of 1680 or later. This is only an approximation, however, and must be taken with caution.

There are many details which can be shown on the sails of an old-time ship model; the subject should be carefully studied and the details copied in exactly the same way they were worked on the real ship.

Blocks and tackles are, of course, employed throughout a ship for the purposes of guiding a rope and forming a system of ropes and blocks called a tackle, whereby the effective pull on one part is greater than that on another. A few simple blocks and tackles are described in this chapter as their provision or construction precedes their application to the rigging.

Practically speaking, all the commercially made blocks are constructed of boxwood more or less oval in shape, and pierced near one end with a hole for the passage of a rope. A groove is formed around the body of the block in a plane at right angles to the hole. A rope can then be turned around it and spliced or otherwise fastened.

A block so treated is said to be stropped, and when a pulley wheel is fitted in the body it is called a sheaved block.

Furthermore, they are designated as single, double or triple according to the number of ropes that can be reeved through the block.

Previous remarks about the details of rigging apply equally to theblocks, and here again the student will find a wealth of material for investigation.

For all practical purposes of the ship modeller, however, the minute details of stropping, the mode of attachment and such like can be disregarded, as unless the model is built to a fairly big scale it will be physically impossible to simulate them and keep everything exactly to scale.

Fig.  159. Punching the Leather when making the Blocks.

The prevalent fault, is to make all the blocks too big; of the twoevils, a model that is rigged with blocks a little smaller than scale size always looks neater than one correctly detailed but having blocks much over scale size.

Limitations of space preclude a detailed description of every block and tackle employed on old-time ship models, but some of the more important or interesting kinds are illustrated and briefly described. These may be taken as a basis, any modifications can be made as requisite; similarly the amount of detail can be determined by circumstances or personal desire.

An excellent way of making small blocks for a representa­tive model is pictured in fig. 159. Thick soft leather is used as the material and oval-shaped punchings are made from it with an oval-shaped wad punch known as a "crow punch." The punchings are made by holding the punch upright and driving it downwards with a sharp blow from a light hammer. The leather should rest upon a smooth piece of wood, straw-board or sheet lead while the punchings are made.

Having made sufficient of them they can be stropped with wire or thread as requisite and the holes pierced by driving a sharp pointed awl through the leather. The thread or other cordage is easily reeved if it is threaded in a large needle in the usual way.

A large number of these leather blocks were used on Royal Albert and they look remarkably effective.

Dead-eyes can be punched in the same way, but for them an ordinary circular wad punch is employed. Examples of various blocks and tackles arc given in fig. 160 where A is an ordinary commercial single stropped block, and B a similar block but having a pendant or cord attached. This can be fixed by turning the cord around the block and splicing the end; another way, shown at C, is to double the end and whip or bind it to the long part; or the simpler method shown at D can be used, where adhesive is used to hold the two parts together.

An example of a single tackle with standing end is shown at E. One part of the rope is spliced to an eye-bolt and forms the standing end, the other part of the rope is reeved through a block with pendant and pressure is exerted by hauling in the direction of the arrow on the free end of the rope.

A mizen burton is shown at F and is given as a distinctive type. It here consists of two single blocks, one stropped and having a hook. The rope is reeved through the first block, then through the second block, and one end made fast to the stropping on the first.

Fig. 160. Examples of Blocks, Tackles and Ropework.

It will be realised that there is nothing basically different on the work of rigging or making such a tackle; the stropped block with hook is the same as block A, the block with pendant is similar to B, but there is an eye on the strop for the attachment of the standing rope.

A backstay tackle with fiddle blocks is shown at G; the interest lies in the blocks, which are double, but one sheave is in front of and smaller than the other and not side by side as is usual.

The lower halyard tackle shown at H is extensively used on old-time ship models but calls for a special block. This has one sheave at right angles to the other three, the bight of the tie passes through the single sheave; the tackle rope has a standing end on the knight-head and then reeves through the block and through the sheaves on the knight-head and is then belayed to the knight-head itself.

There are several ways of attaching blocks to masts or spars. One way is shown at J where a block on a pendant is attached to a mast, the pendant is double and is passed through itself as is clearly shown in the sketch.

An alternative is to use a block with a long double strop as shown at K and lash it in place.

An arrangement of the topsail sheet and lower lift blocks on a yardarm is shown at L; note the arrangement of stropping whereby the blocks are stropped together and looped to the yard.

An arrangement of clew line block, sheet block and the tack is shown at M and is a customary arrangement on the clew of a square sail. Note the toggle fitting of the tack and the arrangement of the strops on the blocks and the bolt-rope.

Two unusual forms of block are represented; that at N is an early English clew line block and has a wooden cap over the stropping to keep the clew line clear of a sail or spar.

A snatch block is shown at 0 and is a robust fitting as a slot has to be cut across it as shown to enable the bight, or looped part, of a rope to slip in and bear against the sheave; it is used where a rope has to be employed occasionally or when it may have to be cast oft quickly as when changing tack.

The foregoing are only a few of the many and various kinds of blocks and tackles used on a ship, but the work involved on any is in its elements a very simple proceeding; it is time and patience rather than exquisite skill or knowledge that ultimately produce the well-rigged ship model.

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