Page 244 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

Chapter Three
The masts are in proportion, thick 20 palms, long 86 feet. The foremast long 77 feet, thick 18 palms. The bowsprit long 58 feet, thick 19 palms. The miz- zenmast long 66 feet, thick 14 palms. The main topmast long 56 feet, thick 13 or 131⁄2 palms. The fore- topmast long 47 feet, thick 11 palms. The main yard should be 24 or 2 5 cloths, is long 78 feet. F urther- more with the topsail yard an d spritsail yard as said heretofore.
Contracts for Blocks
Dutch contracts for b locks are always interesting, par tly because of the c olorful names of some of the b locks, whose double meanings are lost in translation.8 Further- more, as some par ts of the rigging sy stem were typic ally Dutch, they have no suitable English equivalent.
There is always a certain logic in these lists in that they usually begin w ith the bigg est block on board: the r ams- head. Typically Dutch, this huge block (almost three feet high) was connected to the knight (the top of which was nicely carved as a black moor) by the halyard, which was rove through both, and by the halyard tie to the main yard. The doubled tie ran over the half-rounded top of the mast cap; by hauling on the halyard, the yard was hoisted. The same system was employed for the foreya rd with slightly smaller components.
Tackle pendants were put over the mast top before the shrouds were laid over. In Holland there were always two types on each side of the mast: one with a double-sheaved block stropped to the pendant (with sheaves of similar sizes next to each other) and one with a fiddle block (with a smaller sheave below a bigger one). The lower blocks of these tackles had iron hooks and were hooked into rings on the channels, just inboard of the deadeyes.
Next the c ontracts describe the pendants hung from the yardarms to hoi st heavy loads, suc h as cargo or the ship’s boat. Thereafter the she aves in the c atheads and topmasts are mentioned, fol lowed by the b locks for the running rigging.
(95 II 32) Sizes of Blocks, of a Ship long about 134 feet.
The main halyard ramshead block, big 3 feet mi- nus 1⁄4 foot. The main knight at the mainmast, to hoist yard and sails, has 3 pockwood [lignum vitae] sheaves, just like the ramshead-blocks, or also metal sheaves. The fore knight has similar sheaves. 2 Double tackle blocks inboard the main shrouds, each 28 inches.
2 Single-Sheaved of 16 inches against double ones with the same mast. 2 Double-sheaved inboard the fore shrouds, of 2 5 inches each. 2 Single- Sheaved to
go with them of 14 inch es each. 8 T ackle blocks of 14 inches, fore and aft. 2 P endants on the main yard , of 18 inches each. 2 P endant blocks on the foreyard , 16 inches each. 2 Pendants of 18 inches under the top. 2 blocks of 18 inches to hang from the mast cap to hoist or lower the topmast in times of rough weather . 4 Topsail sheet blocks, one on each yardarm, the two big ones are 2 7 inches, the smallest 1 5 inches. A double Tackle Block, with a single ( because a double onenevergoeswithoutasingle)tohoistgoods,lik e beer, water, wine, etc., the double one of 26 inches, the single one 14 inches. The anchor tackle big 26 inches. Two bow rope blocks, big as they come. 3 Sheaves in each cathead, with which the anchor is raised , of un- certain size. 2 Main sheet blocks to the mainsail of 18 inches. 2 Fore ones of 16 inches. 1 Cat block, made with a swivel. Some have this block, others do not. 2 Sheaves of pockwood or metal in the topmasts. 2 Main sheet clamps of uncertain size. 2 F oresheet clamps of uncertain size. 2 Snatch Blocks, a sheave in each one. The main topsail hal yard block has 18 inches in its width, namely the two-sheaved one, the single one 1 foot. The fore topmast hal yard block 16 inches. The single one 10 inches. 4 lift blocks each 18 inches. 4 spritsail lift blocks, 2 of 16, 2 of 18 inches. 2 B ridle blocks on the bowsprit, of uncertain size. 1 Lizard , or deadeye with one hole, through which the spritsail sheet runs, which rope has the same name, of uncer- tain size. 1 Double block on th e bowsprit, of 8 inches. 1 Spritsail halyard block of 20 inches, with 2 sheaves. The ribs of the main topsail parrel are 16 inches, com- bined with 10 Trucks of 8 inches. There are about 20 shroud bull’s-eye fairleads, which are notched. For the topsail parrel, the ribs are 14 inches. F or the mizzen parrel the ribs are 16 inches. A main parrel is 3 feet.
A fore parrel is 2 1⁄2 feet. 4 Sleepers for the two sails of guessed size. The snatch block, of uncertain size; against which comes a tackle block, double and single. A mizzen halyard block, with two sheaves of 18 inches. 8 sheet blocks, four main and f our fore, of 10 inches. A metal or pockwood sheave in the mizzenmast. 80 clew-line blocks, each 10 inches. 50 Brace blocks, each of 8 inches. 70 Topgallant blocks, 5 inches each. 44 Topgallant deadeyes, 5 inches each, four in the main crosstree, four in the fore crosstree, four in the miz- zen crosstree, four in the bowsprit. 4 Deadeyes for the boat,each8inches.Asheaveforeintheboat’sbow.70 Belaying Pins, used to belay the ropes in the top of the sides. 4 Pins in the bitts. A pair of sheet blocks at the back of the ship. A small deadeye hooped with a hook on the mizzenmast, both of uncertain size. 2 cleats on
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