Page 529 - The Ashley Book of Knots

THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS

3131. The earliest mast hoop was a short spliced rope grommet,
I
•

• and these are still in use among the fishermen of the West Indies

•
•
I and elsewhere. The grommet is seized to the sail at the ce7lter of the

I
• splice. Nowadays a light line is sometimes seized to the front of each
• ,

• I
(\ I hoop, and at the top this is secured to the jaws of the gaff. The line

, . I I
• lifts the front of the hoops and lessens the danger of jamming. There

I· , $, I
I

',' t(l~ • are two sets of crossing turns to the seizing, one at either side of the
I

I (( ~ boltrope. These are shown as ~ 3132.

I
I I 3132. Wooden mast hoops are still the common practice. Hoops
I
'1,1"(',1
., I \ are also found on the head of a spanker, when the sail is run out on

I , I
" J ( the gaff and brailed to the mast when furled.
I
" ,

,
, 1111 3133. A galvanized iron hoop seized with crossing turns around
, all parts is common on fishing and other small commercial craft.

IIII"~ ~ 3134. This method of lacing a sail to the mast is pictured by Darcy

( "
Lever in 1808.

3135. In out-of-the-way places, both in Europe and America, sails
,
,

, are still laced to the mast of small craft. Th<; best practice is to reeve
\

\
\ the lace line through cringles on the boltrope, but frequently they
\ ,
lace through eyelet holes in the tabling. In either case the lace line

is seized in.

, - ,
, 3136. A lace line on a ship's stays ail is seized as shown here.

3137. Luce and Ward's Seamanship (1884) shows a similar prac-

•
,
, '. . ,/ tice. But in this case bridles of short length are fitted at one end

," \ \
, , \ with a toggle and at the other end with an eye. Lace lines on stay-

- , " \ sails should always be rove opposite to the lay of the stay, as they

are less apt to twist when the downhaul is pulled.

3138. Rope grommets were seized on staysail hoists before wooden
,/
,"
,

-.\ hanks appeared, which was about the middle of the eighteenth cen-

tury. These were rove on the stay while it was being rigged and
\

, were seized in when the sails were bent as ~ JI 33.

,.'
,. 3139. The wooden hank was a great improvement over the grom-

( ,
,
, .
, ,. met, as it would run freely without jamming. It was made of hickory

•
or ash in America, of oak in England. Each end was notched and

it was seized as pictured. If one broke, a new one could be sprung

around the stay.

Wooden hanks are still used, but not often; galvanized iron ones

have taken their place.

3140. The earlier form of iron hank had the ends well spaced so

that a new one could be easily fittoo. Seizing turns were taken on

the horns of the hook itself.

3141. It was found that iron hanks did not have to be replaced

often and, when they were, they could easily be sprung around

•
the stay. The shape was modified so that the seizing was simpler.

-
•
• - - 3142, 3143, 3144. On small-boat staysails, particularly on racing
-

-
craft, snap hooks of various patterns are used. Number 3142 is the
-

common ever day model, ~JI43 is found on racing sails and ~3144

is the earlier orm with a spring steel tongue.

3145. Storm trysails are sometimes fitted with beckets which tog-

gle to the mast. The beckets reeve through eyelet holes in the luff

and a round turn is seized in. These contrivances are quickly but-

toned into place without disturbing other gear on the mast.

3146. Fishermen have an iron-bound, half mast hoop which serves

3 liS'
a similar purpose. A bridle or span is seized into each eyelet hole of

the sail. When setting the sail, the bridles are either snapped to the

hoops or else they are secured with BECKET HITCHES.

3147. Most blocks nowadays are iron-bound, but rope-strapped

blocks are lighter and do less chafing against sails, spars, and rigging.

[ 5 20 J