Page 160 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

Chapter Two
heavy oak plank, almost four and a half meters long, con- tributed considerably to the streng th of the fore ship to- gether with the riding bitts.
The main partner was much smaller—not even one and a half meters. It lay on the main deck between the binding strakes.
OnWitsen’spinasallthreemasts hadtogothrough another deck above the par tner. In these, a s mentioned before, a small partner was fitted; often the aperture was octagonal.
94. Step the Masts.
Figure 2.194. (left)
Plate XXIX. Little hatch around the mast.
(62 II 38) The main mast standing in the middle of the ship, deser ves the rst place. After w hich comes the foremast, that is the fore straight-up mast, and the bowsprit pointed lower and the mizzen, or rear mast: andalsothemaintopmast,orsecondupper- middle mast: and the fore topmast. The main yard , or cross- mast from w hich the sail hangs. And the foreyard . Lateen yard, or cross mast; from w hich hangs the mizzen. Spritsail yard, from which hangs the foremost and lowest sail. Main topsail yard , or second middle cross-mast, from which the highest but one sail hangs. Fore topsail yard. The main-topgallant yard, or third and highest middle cross- mast, from w hich hangs the highest sail , the fore-topgallant mast. The miz- zen topsail yard , or aft cross- mast, above the mizzen. Besides the mizzen topmast. The spritsail topmast, or little mast, coming up from the bowsprit. With its sprit- sail topsail yard . Mizzen and main- topgallant masts. Fore-topgallant mast.
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(94 I 27) On short ships t long masts and short yards; because as the wind blows parallel to the water , long masts on long ships would plunge the bow too much into the water, which on short ships cannot happen, because the angle which the bow makes with the water cannot be as large. The longer the lines, the larger the arcs they describe, when they are moved.
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(94 I 40) Proportions of the Masts.
To arrange the masts in proportion, so tak
depth and width twice, as for example, the width is 29, the depth 12.
29 41
12 41
41 82 of the height of the mast. The thickness
of the mast is derived from the depth of the ship, for as many 6 feet depth, one foot thickness.
To get the measuremen t of the end, the thickness of the mast in the partner, 3⁄4 for the end: Example,
18 palms [1 palm = about 10 centimeters]
131⁄2 for the thickness of the end.
For the thickness of the topmast, this proportion is,
namely 5⁄6 parts of the end of the mast, is the thickness of the topmast:
Example, 131⁄2 thickness of the end of the mast,
111⁄2 for the thickness of the topmast, which is in the mast cap.
When the Ship has been launched
masts are then brough t into it, w hich on small ships is done with a crane (as said before); with which the masts are hoisted: but on large Ships, w hich cannot be brought under the cranes, sheers are made of heavy masts, on the ship’ s main deck, against the sides, which sheer legs lock on to each other at the top, and are joined with ropes; from this then blocks are hung, with which the masts are raised and stepped . But as this also h urts ships somew hat, often sheer H ulks or Barges are used, ships of which the shape is shown be- low: these then are laid alongside the ships, if it is a heavy vessel, which by consequence needs a very large mast, two of these hoists, or sheer h ulks, and secure them to each side of the Ship, on w hich stands a very heavy and thick mast, or rather post, with w hich the mast is hoisted with sheaves, and set in the ship in its appropriate place: In this winding either on one side or to both sides of the Ship, cleats are nailed on to the masts, to which ropes and lines are tied , when wind- ing; care is to be taken that the sheer hulks are not too light for the weigh t of the mast that is to be stepped , and the same shall not break out, which I have seen at times.
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(156 II 36)
, the
142
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