Page 201 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

How Ships Are Built in Holland Today
Blocks for the topmast on the Bowsprit.
12 Deadeyes.
1 Parrel.
3 Halyard blocks.
3 Small dumb sheaves for th e stay, and 6 heads for
the agpole.
4 Lift blocks.
6 For the braces.
4 For the clew lines.
Blocks for the Fore topmast.
16 Deadeyes.
4 ——— For the backstays.
1 Parrel.
1 Topsail halyard block with 2 sheaves. 1 ——— With 1 sheave.
4 Lift blocks.
4 For the garnets.
4 For the braces.
2 To the topmast stay with 2 sheaves. 4 For the bowlines with 1 sheave.
4 Without sheaves.
4 Clew-line blocks.
4 Buntlines.
[Blocks for the fore-topgallant mast:]
2 For the tackle of the topmast stay with 2 sheaves.
4 For the bowlines with 1 sheave. 4 Without sheaves.
4 For the clew lines.
2 For the buntlines.
1 For the tackle of the topmast stay. 1 For the topgallant stay.
Blocks for the Main-Topgallant mast.
12 Deadeyes.
4 Lift blocks.
4 For the braces.
2 For the clew lines.
4 For the bowlines without sheaves. 4 ——— With sheaves.
2 Small blocks.
1 Parrel.
For the Mizzen topmast.
12 Deadeyes.
1 Top rope block.
1 Parrel.
4 Lift blocks.
4 For the braces.
4 For tackles without sheav es. With these the sails
are hoisted in the middle, to sl ow the speed, and these are also called spruit blocks.
2 With 2 sheaves.
2 Halyard blocks.
2 For the mizzen yard lift. 6 Deadeyes for the bridles.
128. Blocks
The rigging plan (see drawing 4 in ap pendix) was recon- structed as much as possible with the help of Witsen’s listsofblocks.Fromthenumberofb locksitwasoften possible to deduce the exact course of a rope, but in other cases this was not so easy, especially because the fashion changed several times during the seventeenth century.
I should point out that in Witsen’s treatise the blocks of the fore-topgallant mast are listed as a continuation of the blocks of the fore topmast; I have separated them for clarity.
129. Sails
(135 II 8) About the Sails in general.
Concerning the dimensions of the sails, these are di erent,theirwidthisconformedtothelengthofthe Yards, and the height to the length of the Masts, and such in accordance with th e master’s judgment, some hanging loose, others taut and stretched . Fixed and invariable laws for their dimensions I have not found.
. ..
(64 II 42) The Sails are.
The mainsail. The foresail to the foremast. The
Bonnet; attached below to the sails, to catch more wind. The main topsail: or the second sail , on the mainmast, counting from below . The fore topsail , or second sail on the foremast. The spritsail , the sail forward, underneath the bowsprit. The mizzen or sail aft, with its bonnet. Spri tsail topsail, the sail on the bowsprit. The mizzen topsail; or the sail above the mizzen. The main- topgallant sail, or the topmost sail of the mainmast. The fore- topgallant sail, being the topmost sail of the foremast. Sta ysails: studding sails: fatzen en geiken [ fatsen en gijken: small additional sails, mostly to fill the gaps between larger sails]: the last
183