Page 246 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

Chapter Three
Van Yk says that the width of a cloth of Holland canvas, of which main, fore, and top sails were made, was 1 1⁄8 ells, which is 78 centimeters, but after sewing, a finished width of only 72 centimeters was left. According to a contract for a 160-foot-long ship, each cloth is 3 feet wide, or 85 cen- timeters: The main yard is wide 30 cloths, each cloth taken to be 3 feet, so that 30 cloths is 90 feet (128 II 2). But this is too wide compared with the cloth widths of the sails for the pin as. In the e arlier section of contracts for masts and spars, the c ontract for the 1 36-foot ship (115 I 13) mentions that 32 ells (69 centimeters each) equal 27 cloths, which would make the width of the cloth 81 centi- meters(32×69÷27).Thecontractforthe130-footship (115 I 41) states that 29 ells equal 25 cloths, making one cloth 80 centimeters wide (29 × 69 ÷ 25); it further states that 27 ells equal 22 cloths, indicating a cloth width of 84 centimeters (27 × 69 ÷ 22).
The two s ample contracts below are for s ails for a boyer and a g alliot, for whic h only sail sizes in el ls and cloths are stipul ated. Using Witsen’s data, professional rigger Floris Hin has provided reconstructed sketches of the sails, figuring the widths of the cloths at 77 centime- ters, with an overlap of 2 inches (5.2 centimeters).
Additional contracts are included for sails for different sizes of seagoing ships.9
(137 II 12) For a Boyer of 60 Lasts.
A Ga sail is made, aft deep 291⁄2 ells, forward deep 18 ells, head wide 13 cloths, below wide 1 5 cloths. A Topsail head wide 8 1⁄2 cloths, below wide 1 5 cloths, deep121⁄2 ells;aSpritsailwide11cloths,deep6ells, aStaysailaftdeep191⁄2 ells,forwarddeep201⁄2 ells, below wide 10 cloths; a Mizzen wide below 7 cloths, forward 103⁄4 ells, aft 12 ells.
(137 II 35) A Galliot long 75 feet, wide 19, deep 10, loading 50 lasts.
Has a Sail below wide 12 1⁄2 cloths, upward 11 1⁄2 cloths,aftdeep251⁄2 ells,withitsbonnet,andithas been cut on the front side, the largest cut is in the rst gore, the other ones lessening, up to the two after- most cloths, which should be straigh t cut. For under theMast41⁄2 clothsshouldbegoredandthereare5 straight-cut cloths, three cloths on the aft side are cut upward, here one or two bonnets were cut o as long as desired, the seams and gores should be drawn on the ells, measured with a piece of rope, until 81⁄2 ells of gore are obtained. Its square Foresail is wide 11 cloths, deep 16 ells and has a Reef on top, w hich on one side is 6 ells, the other side to nothing; so that the Reef is oblique 6 ells, and in times of distress it can be used as
a Ga sail: below it has another Reef, deep 3 ells. I ts Topsail is below wide 11 cloths, upward wide 7 cloths, deep 12 ells, and has a block on each sheet, and three cringles on each side. The Mizzen is wide 10 cloths, deep 121⁄2 ells, and has a reef below deep 2 ells: the Boltrope runs half an ell above the Reef. The J ib is wide 9 cloths, deep aft 19 ells, and above one ell cut o to make it blunt, so that 18 ells remain, forward it is cut up 3 cloths, backward 2 cloths, so that 4 square cloths in the middle remain: it is seamed up from below and bolt-roped on the two most aftermost cloths: the rst boltrope is thick 5 paer [no English equivalent], then forward a boltrope of 11 paer is tak en. And upward twoeyesaresplit,asisdonewithaSquareSail,ithasa Reef with a bonnet deep 21⁄2 ells. On the aft side of the Reef a tabling [reinforcing lining? ], in w hich two Reef eyes, in which the cringle comes. The narrow Foresail wide 81⁄2 cloths, deep aft 20 ells, for ward 201⁄2 ells: at the top another ell is tak en o for the block so that 19 ells stay and forward 191⁄2 ells: it has two reefs with linings, the lower Reef is deep 3 ells, the other one 2 ells. These Reefs are with holes, and at the back of the Reefs two tablings, and on each tabling 2 cringles, but forward no tablings are necessary; because there comes only one Cringle on two Reefs: these C ringles are struck through Reef holes. The spritsail is wide 4 cloths, deep 4 ells. The Mizzen [probably a storm sail] is wide 41⁄2 cloths, deep aft 7 ells, fore at the Mast 6 1⁄2 ells. The Foresail [probably a storm sail] wide 3 cloths, deep aft 51⁄2 ells.
(135 II 23) Sails for a Ship of 235 lasts.
Its Mainsail without the bonnet was wide 22 cloths, deep 14 ells, total amount of cloth, tablings included: 328 ells. I ts Foresail with a bonnet 19 cloths, deep withoutabonnet12ells,thebonnetisdeep2 1⁄2 ells, together 15 ells of cloth, with the tablings 309 ells. The Main Topsail above 121⁄2 cloths, below 21 cloths, deep 18 ells of cloth, with the tablings 307 ells. The fore Topsail above wide 101⁄4 cloths, below 181⁄2 cloths, deep 15 ells, with the tablings 244 ells. The Mizzen with its bonnet wide 16 cloths, deep aft 20 1⁄2 ells, 170 ells of cloth. The spritsail wide 14 cloths, deep 18 1⁄2 ells, 119 ells of cloth, of Dutch Canvas. The sta ysail was made of French Canvas, wide 16 cloths, deep aft 16 ells, 128 ells. The Main Top Staysail wide below 8 cloths, deep aft 13 ells, together 52 ells. Two studding sails for the Topsails, each wide above 1 cloth, below 51⁄4 cloths, deep 18 ells, together 114 ells, of Flemish canvas. Two Studding Sails for the main Y ard, above 11⁄4 cloths, below 5 1⁄2 cloths, deep 17 ells, together
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