The kedge-anchor

108.—GETTING THE TOPS OVER.

Whole tops.—Overhaul the girtlines for the cross-trees, white-lead the squares in the trestle-trees, and ship them. The girtlines being on each side of the mast-head are then overhauled down for the tops; one end is passed from underneath, and up through the hole for futtock plate and hitched to the standing part; the girtline can be rove down through one of the holes in the edge of lubber’s hole; the girtline stopped to the foremost edge, to holes bored for the purpose. A girtline is taken from the mizen-mast-head, and bent to the foremost part of maintop; bend on a tripping line to the pigeon hole leading from the foremast-head. Man the girtlines and “sway away;” when sufficiently high to allow the foremost edge of lubber’s hole to clear the mast-head, cut the stops and cant it over by the tripping line, and the top will hang in the girtlines, when it can be lowered, placed, and bolted.

I have seen girtlines bent from the foremost part of the fore-top to the bowsprit end; and from foremast to the forward part of the maintop; and from mainmast to foremost part of mizen-top, to assist in getting the tops over; but if they are properly slung it is not necessary.

The dead-eyes for the topmast rigging can now be hauled up, and put in their places in the top-rims: and also ship the top-rail, and stanchions in their respective places.

109.—GETTING HALF-TOPS OVER.

Unlash the girtline blocks from each side of the mast-head, and lash them on the foremost and after sides; send the end of the foremost girtline down abaft all, the other between the cross-trees.

If the starboard half is to be got over, place it on the deck with its upper side up, or on its edge with the upper side aft. Take the foremost girtline, reeve it down through the foremost hole, by lubber’s hole for the purpose, (or from aft forward, if on its edge,) take it underneath the top, and if the hole for the futtock plate will take it, reeve it up, (or from forward, aft, if on its edge,) and half-hitch it to the mast-head, or standing part; then take the mast-head part under the top, (if on its edge, to the foremost side,) and seize it well to the foremost corner with a piece of small rope, through a hole bored for the purpose. Take the after girtline, reeve it the same way through the after hole bored for the purpose in the after part of lubber’s hole; pass, and half-hitch it the same way as the fore one, and secure it with a good seizing of small rope, through another hole bored in the foremost corner. If the futtock holes will not take the girtlines, stop them with spun-yarn. The top should be so balanced in the girtlines, as to hang fair when the stops are cut. Reeve the other ends of the girtlines through the leading blocks; man them, and sway up the top with the after girtline; at the same time taking in the slack of the fore one. Have men stationed at the trestle-trees to bear off, cut the stops, and place. When the edge is clear of the cross-trees, cut the after stop and sway on both girtlines; and when the foremost corner is well up, cut the stops; the top will then hang in the girtlines, and can be easily placed. Shift the girtlines for the larboard half, get it up the same way, bolt and secure the top. Shift the girtlines on each side of the mast head, as they were before. A girtline from the mizenmast-head is sometimes bent to the foremost edge of the main-top, to assist in bearing off; (it can be dispensed with;) a rope’s end bent to the top and hauled well aft, will answer the same purpose. Half-tops may be swayed up, before the cross trees are sent aloft, and hung to the mast-head, one half on each side, swayed chock up; then send up the cross-trees, and bolt them to the trestle-trees; lower the half tops down on the cross-trees; place and secure them as before.

110.—GETTING UP TOP-BLOCKS, &c.

Top-blocks are large single blocks, having iron straps, which are formed after being put round the block, into a large hook. Overhaul down the girtlines through lubber’s hole; bend one part through the sheave hole of the block, and stop it to the back part of the hook; hoist it up, and lash it to the mast-head around the hook, with a lashing long enough to allow the block to hang half-mast-head high. Through this block reeve a hawser; send the foremost end down through the square hole in the foremost part of the trestle-trees; the after end through the lubber’s hole through a leading block on deck, and round the capstan.

111.—GETTING UP THE TOPMAST.

Take two half-hitches through the fid-hole, with the foremost end of the hawser, and stop the hawser well round the hounds of the topmast with a good lashing. Man the capstan, and heave the mast up and down. Unbend the hawser, reeve it through the sheave-hole in the topmast; send a hauling line down through the trestle-trees for the end of the hawser, which haul up and clinch round the lower mast-head over the block. Overhaul the girtlines down before all, and get the cap into the top.

112.—GETTING THE CAP INTO THE TOP.

Bend the foremost end of the girtlines, which were sent down before all, through the round hole in the cap, and stop them along to the after part of the square hole, keeping the bolts in the cap up.⁠[6] Man the girtlines and “sway away,” bearing well off the fore part of the top. When high enough, lower, and place the round hole over the square hole in the trestle-trees. Sway the topmast well through and lash it securely to the cap; put a capstan bar in the fid-hole with a hauling line on the end, and heave the topmast up; when the cap is clear of the lower mast-head, haul on the line from the bar in the heel of the topmast, and it will slue the mast and bring the square hole of the cap over the lower masthead; ship the cap-shore, then lower the hawser, or tackle, and place the cap, beating it into its place. Land the mast, unreeve the hawser, unlash the top blocks, and hook them to their proper bolts on each side of the cap; reeve the hawser through one block, through the trestle-trees, through the sheave in the top-mast, up through trestle-trees again, and reeve the end through the foremost bolt in the cap on the opposite side of the block; before reeving it through, parcel it well; take two half-hitches on its own, or standing part, and secure the end with a round seizing of spun-yarn. Bring the hawser to the capstan, heave the topmast up and try the fit; (then lower away, get the topmast on deck, and try the other set); and then lower the mast for rigging. Secure the girtline blocks to eye-bolts in the cap, or to the topmast cross-trees.

113.—TURNING IN DEAD-EYES.

If in the loft, get the length from the mast-head to the deck, from the draft, if the masts are not stepped, and place the dead-eye to that length, making due allowance for stretching in setting up. Turn the dead-eye in as near the end as possible, so that all parts of the shroud may be equally stretched, which will prevent its having a gouty end.

The principal caution is to keep the lay in the rope, as it prevents the wet getting in. If the shroud is to be wormed, and served in the wake of the dead-eye, the worming should not be hove in too taut, as breaking the shroud round the dead-eye would probably snap it.

The score being well tarred, the end of the shroud is taken underneath, round the dead-eye, inside standing, or mast-head part; a bolt is put in a hole of the dead-eye. Take a good strand, knot both ends together; it is then middled and crossed round the end of the shroud; both bights are taken round the bolt, one on each side of the dead-eye, and a smaller bolt put in each bight, which are hove round the large bolt in the dead-eye. As the turns accumulate, it heaves the shroud taut round. The dead-eye should be secured through one of the holes with spun yarn to the shroud before heaving, where the shroud is marked, for the lower part. When the dead-eye is turned in, in a loft, the shroud is hove in with a jigger, (or dead-eye machine).

When the shroud is hove well round, pass a good throat-seizing. When secured, take out the bolts, get a small jigger, hook one end to a strap round the end of the shroud, and the other to the mast-head part; take a good strand, knot both ends together, take it round the end and standing or masthead part; put a bolt in both bights, and heave it round, pulling up the jigger at the same time; this will bring the end taut up, as heaving on the strap brings both parts close together; then pass a round, or quarter seizing, and a smaller one on the end.

If the rigging is turned in on shore, keep the lay in the rope, and when sent out of the loft, to be placed on the mast-head, keep the ends inside, the shrouds being marked with a knot or a piece of spun-yarn, according to the number. The ends will lay aft on one side, and forward on the other; this is of importance and should be remembered.

Turning in dead-eyes, termed Cutter stay-fashion.—The dead-eye being placed to the mark, the end is passed round it as before, but instead of being secured with a throat-seizing, the end is passed round the standing-part and seized to the part round the dead-eye with a round-seizing, and another on the end further round the dead-eye. The same precaution as in the other way, keep the lay in the rope and end inside.

114.—GETTING TOPMAST CROSSTREES OVER.

Overhaul a girtline through the round hole in the cap; and if they are to go up from the starboard side, overhaul and send it down, and the after girtline outside the top; hitch that through the round hole in the cap, well out on the starboard foremost horns underneath, and secure the end with a good seizing of spun-yarn; the after one bend on in the same way, to the after starboard horn; then stop both girtlines well with spun-yarn, close to the trestle-trees, and also with two stops, on the larboard horns; “sway away;” having a guy from the deck to clear it of the top, as it goes aloft. When the upper, or larboard horns are well clear of the cap, take two rope’s ends from the larboard side of the top, and bend them to the larboard horns, and man them in the top—these are called “steadying lines,” and are used to prevent the crosstrees falling back, if a stop is cut too soon, and to assist in getting the crosstrees on the cap, and over the mast-head. “Sway higher,” cutting the stops, and hauling on the steadying lines. When the trestle-trees are as high up as possible on the cap, haul on the steadying lines, and cut the stops close to the trestle-trees on the starboard side, and the crosstrees will fall across the cap; then place the after hole between the trestle-trees, over the round hole in the cap—cast off the girtlines and steadying lines—white-lead the mast-head in the wake of the crosstrees, and sway the topmast through; beat the crosstrees well down on the mast-head; and when placed, sway the topmast a few feet higher for rigging. Pass a lashing through the fid-hole, and round the lower mast, to steady it.

The topmasts are sometimes fidded before rigging, to avoid the greater strain upon the top tackles. If a topmast has only one sheave (like a mizen topmast), it is a good precaution to reeve a hawser through the fid-hole, and haul it taut, as the mast goes aloft; unreeving it only when the mast is high enough for fidding, or previous to the squares entering the trestle-trees.

115.—PLACING TOPMAST RIGGING.

Tar the masthead in the wake of the rigging; send the bolsters aloft, and stop them. After the bolsters are on, put over first the mast-head pendants—then the span for ginn blocks; then follows the straps, with thimble in for standing part of the tyes—next, first pair of shrouds on the starboard side, then the larboard; and so on, until all are over; then lash the breast backstay (if single); if a pair, put them over the same as a shroud; next the after backstays; lash the stays, if fitted for it, if not, put them over the same as lower stays, with mousings. The collars of the stays go between the cross-trees, and lash over the after one. Some prefer chain spans. The most approved method is an iron plate, with a hook on each end, which lays across the trestle-trees.

116.—TO SEIZE-IN THE SISTER-BLOCKS.

There is a score on each side to take the shroud, and three scores for seizing—one on each end, and one between both sheaves. They are seized-in the length of the hanging block, from the eye-seizing, to prevent any risk of the reef-tackle and lift being jammed between the hanging blocks and the rigging—one seizing is passed round the shrouds, above the block, another below the block; and a small seizing put on each score, round the block and shrouds. The topsail-lift leads through the lower sheave, and reef tackle through the upper one.

The larboard block should be seized-in once the diameter of the shroud lower than the other, as, if both are seized alike (the starboard shroud going over first) they would not be square when the rigging is placed.

117.—BACKSTAYS, (BREAST,)

When in pairs, are fitted with eyes, the same as the shrouds, and served sufficiently far down to be square with the service of the topmast shrouds. They are also parceled and served in the way of the lower yards, when braced up. When there is only one backstay it is secured round the mast-head with a lashing passed round it, through an eye spliced in;⁠[7] they are set up to a treble block in the channels. Through these blocks a fall is rove, the standing part being spliced into the strap of the double block, and then led from the treble block through a fair leader in the side, in on deck.

118.—STANDING AFTER-BACKSTAYS,

When in pairs, are fitted with an eye the same as topmost rigging. When an odd one on each side, they are fitted with a horse shoe. They are now fitted the same size as lower rigging.

The backstays are set up with a lanyard rove through dead-eyes, the same as shrouds, having service in the wake of the lower yards and tops.

119.—MAIN TOPMAST STAY

Is fitted of the same size as the standing backstay. A large clump block is strapped round the foremast head, over the eyes of the rigging, and immediately over the square hole in the after part of the trestle-trees. Through this block the main topmast stay is rove down, through the trestle-trees—has a thimble turned in the end, lanyard spliced and rove through it, and set up to a span shackle in the deck, abaft the foremast, for the purpose; or a large bull’s-eye hooked to an eye-bolt, and set up on the end.

The spring stay leads through a block strapped round the foremast above the cat-harpens, and sets up in the fore-top.

120.—MIZEN TOPMAST STAY

Is rove through a thimble strapped round the mainmast-head, over the eyes of the rigging; and when set up, is secured to its own part with round seizings. If preferred, it can be set up with a thimble turned into the end, and a lanyard rove through it; but this is not necessary. When the stays are well stretched, the thimbles can be spliced in, but it is not a good plan; for, should it be necessary to unreeve, the splice must be drawn, which will injure the rope. I have seen them fitted in this way, and pointed over for neatness,—but prefer their being turned in, and the end pointed or capped.

121.—GETTING THE TOPMAST CAPS ON.

The girtline blocks should be lashed well up to the topmast head. Overhaul down before all the foremost ends, and secure them to the foremost bolts in the cap; stop them to the centre ones, and also to the square hole in the after part; sway the cap up;—when well up, cut the after stops, sway higher, and the cap can be easily placed by the man aloft, and girtlines cast off.

If the cap should be very heavy, use a derrick; a capstan bar will answer the purpose.

122.—MAST-HEAD MAN ROPES, &c., &c.

A piece of rope has an eye spliced in one end, and several overhanded knots made on the bight, at equal distances from each other. They should be long enough to reach a third down the topmast rigging, and seized round the mast-head close to the cap; one on each side is sufficient. They are absolutely necessary in large ships, and should be on all.

I have seen them in some very neat ships; and, when it is recollected the small space the men have for their feet when they get near the crosstrees, and the long mast-head, to get on the cap, it is certainly worth while to sacrifice something in the way of appearance to ensure the safety of a man’s life.

Some large ships have ladders with two steps, set up to the eyes of the topmast rigging, from the cap; also, spans and grab-ropes fitted, to go from the swifters abreast of the cap, which will be found very convenient for the topmen, when exercising sails. These may appear trifling matters to some, but ships fitted with them are generally ahead, when exercising in a squadron.

123.—TOP TACKLE PENDANTS, &c.

When cut to the required length, a thimble, well parceled, is spliced into one end, and the other pointed, with a becket in it. There are two to the fore, and two to the main topmasts. In the heel of each topmast there is a dumb sheave;—take one pendant and reeve it through the top block, hooked to the cap, through the trestle-trees, through the dumb sheave, or heel-block, through an eye-bolt in the foremost part of the cap, on the opposite side to the block; take two half-hitches, and secure the end to its own part, with a spun-yarn seizing; hook the top tackle block to the thimble in the pendant, and the lower one, to a bolt in the deck for the purpose; reeve the fall through a leader, and bring it to the capstan; heave well taut, and unreeve the hawser by which the mast was formerly hove up for rigging.

The other pendant reeves through the other top-block, through the sheave hole in the topmast, and clenched to the other eye-bolt in the fore corner of the cap; hook the blocks, reeve and bring the fall to the capstan, taking the other off, and manning it well. When no capstan, both falls must be well-manned by hand.

Top Tackle Falls and Blocks.—The upper block is double, strapped, which is made into a hook; the lower is also double, and should be iron-strapped, having a swivel; a single one is hooked near the double as a leading block; the fall is rove; the standing part hitched, or clenched, over the block; they are sometimes spliced in, and some have beckets.

To hook the double block, clap a single tail-block well up on the pendant, reeve a whip through it, hitch one end of the whip through one of the sheaves of the double block, hoist it up, and hook it to the pendant.

124.—PREPARING TO FID THE TOPMASTS.

Capshores should be stepped and secured, luff tackles clapped on all the stays and backstays. Lower blocks should not be hooked on to the lanyards, but to bolts in the deck, and eye-bolts or straps in the chains; capstans and falls manned, topmast rigging quite clear, and hove over the sides of the tops, and the topmasts hove up and fidded, mast stayed, rigging set up, &c.

125.—RATTLING THE LOWER AND TOPMAST RIGGING.

Cat-harpen legs and futtock shrouds are seized-on and set up; topmast stayed, rigging and backstays set up, lanyards secured as lower rigging,—then commence rattling down.

Girt the rigging with three fore and aft swifters—one by the shear rail, and the others at equal distances, as follows:—Make one end of a small rope fast round the foremost shroud, take a turn round the next, then the third, and so on, until all are taken in; then back the same way, and half-hitch it round the first. The swifter should be just taut, and not so as to bring the shrouds together,—the object being to make the ratlines a little tauter when let go. Sometimes swifters are not used, but the ratlines are never so square, or look well. Care should be taken that they are not too taut, for, when let go, all the strain will come on the seizing in the eyes of the ratlines, and they will be constantly snapping. Two swifters on each side are sufficient for the topmast rigging.

Spar the rigging down, with spare spars, such as studding-sail yards, boat’s oars, boat’s masts, handspikes, or anything light that will answer, and seize them to the shrouds on the outside, at equal distances, leaving sufficient space for three or four ratlines between each spar.

A coil of small well-stretched rope is placed on each side of the deck, two or three on a side when required to be done quick. Splice an eye in one end of the rattling stuff, seize it to the first shroud, and then commence clove-hitching on the second, and so on to the after, but one; then measure the distance from that to the last, cut it off, and splice an eye in the end. Beat the hitches well round each shroud, seize the end to the foremost one, and also the other eye to the after one, and rattle up, taking the shear of the rails. The hitches are formed on the outside, and at equal distances; in three or four places take a ratline to the after swifter;—these are called shear ratlines.

When it is necessary to rattle quick, take three ends up at a time. Fifteen inches is a good distance between the ratlines, and their places should be chalked off all the way up and down before commencing. Each man employed should have a measure within his reach, and care should be taken to make the ratlines on one side correspond in a parallel direction with those of the other. This can only be seen from the outside of the ship. Make the hitches neat, and the eyes small; few things tend more to a snug appearance.

If the rigging is to be blacked, after rattling down, it is best to leave the spars on until that is done, taking them off as you black down.

126.—FUTTOCK-STAVES IN TOPMAST RIGGING

Are iron bolts parceled and served; are seized to the shrouds the length of the hounds, down on the inside; seizings passed as in lower rigging.

Cat-harpen legs on topmast rigging.—Take the length from the starboard foremost shroud round the mast, and to the after one on the same side; get a piece of rope this length, splice an eye in each end, worm, parcel, and serve it. There are two on each mast. Seize the foremost end to the foremost shroud and futtock stave, take it round the mast and seize it to the after one; secure one to the larboard side in the same manner.

I have seen them go from the foremost starboard shroud, straight to the after larboard one, crossing abaft the mast. They are also fitted to set up with thimbles and a lanyard, abaft the mast. When this is done, both eyes are seized to the futtock staves on the starboard side, a thimble seized in the bight, and set up abaft the mast to the larboard one, with a lanyard fitted in the same way. (Vessels with chain topsail ties are fitted with iron bands, to go round the mast, with eyes for the topgallant rigging to lead through.)

127.—TO RIG THE JIB-BOOM.

Hoist the jib-boom on board by the hawser or tackle, which was left at the foremast head when getting on board the fore topmast, run the end out on the bowsprit, pointing it through the stays and bowsprit cap. Reeve the heel-rope, and sway the jib-boom out a foot or two beyond the cap. Reeve the jib-stay through the hanks, traveller if required, and then through the inner sheave-hole, in the boom end, martingale and necklace, and turn a double block in the inner end; reeve the lanyard or fall through this, and a single block bolted to the bows. To the traveler seize the jib downhaul blocks and traveling guys; tar the boom end, put a grommet over, to which seize the fore topgallant bowline blocks, one on each side.

Foot ropes.—There is one on each side of the jib-boom. They should be long enough when in their place to allow a man to stand navel-high along the boom, and are fitted as follows: take a piece of rope long enough to make both; cut it in the centre and splice one end into the other with a cut splice, forming an eye to fit the jib-boom end. Four or five overhand knots are taken at equal distances on the rope, from the eye, according to the length of the foot-rope; the knots are for the purpose of preventing the men from slipping. In each end splice a small eye, large enough to take a lashing, by which they are set up to bolts in the bowsprit cap. An eye is sometimes made by taking a round turn round the boom end, and two seizings passed. Also with a span, horse-shoe fashion, and neatly covered with canvass.

128.—JIB-BOOM MARTINGALE STAY

Is a short rope, with an eye in each end to fit the jib-boom, and end of the dolphin-striker. The eyes are well served, and covered with canvass or leather. The martingale is wormed, and a small twine seizing (snaked) put on round the worming at equal distances between the eyes; three, or four, according to the length, which must depend on the way the dolphin-striker is intended to stand, or rake. It looks best when perpendicular to cap or jackstaff.

Chain is sometimes used for the purpose, as also for back-ropes; and is found to answer well, it not being liable to stretch.

129.—JIB-BOOM GUYS.

There is one pair on each side; an eye is made to fit the boom end by passing a round seizing, when in their place; both ends are rove through thimbles on each yard-arm of spritsail yard (when crossed). Then brought in and both ends set up to bull’s eyes in the bow, or fitted with tackles.

Placing the rigging on the jib-boom.—First, the foot-ropes; next, the martingale stay, and guys. In some ships, an iron grummet is fitted with an eye on top and one underneath, neatly leathered, and put over the boom-end first. The martingale stay is hooked to the underneath eye, the jib-tack and downhaul to the upper one.

130.—MARTINGALE BACK-ROPES

Are pendants, middled and served in the centre, the round of the dolphin striker, both parts crossed and secured with a throat seizing. The service should be long enough to take in the seizing. In the ends splice a single or double block; another single one is strapped into a bolt in the bow for the purpose, or fitted in a strap with a hook and thimble (hook moused). A gun tackle, or luff-purchase, is then rove, the standing part of the fall spliced round the pendant, in after end of the block, rove through the one in the bow, over the head rails, back through the one in the pendant, and through a fair leading sheave, in the forecastle bulwark. These falls, after being pulled up, are racked together outside the bulwark. If belayed on the forecastle, they should be seized to their next part, so as not to be let go by mistake.

131.—PLACING THE RIGGING ON A DOLPHIN-STRIKER.

Back-ropes first, and next the martingale; below this rigging, in the end of the dolphin-striker, are two or three sheaves, and one close above it, large enough to admit the jib-stay, which is rove through it; flying jib-stay in the next sheave, and flying martingale stay under all, which will show two ropes leading from each boom end, to the dolphin-striker.

132.—GETTING THE JIB-BOOM OUT.

The flying jib-boom iron is driven on; the heel rope manned (if rigged), and the boom hauled out. The heel strap is placed in a score in the heel for the purpose, and both bights lashed together; then another lashing passed round the strap, between the boom and the bowsprit, and the strap well frapped together. The heel being well secured, set up the back ropes and guys.

133.—SENDING UP TOPGALLANT MASTS.

The topgallant top blocks being hooked, we will suppose the long mast rope is to be rove, from the starboard side of the topmast-cap; take the end through the square hole in the fore part of the trestle-trees, half-hitch it through the fid-hole, and stop it round the hounds, and the royal mast-head; send the hauling part through lubber’s hole, and through a leading block or sheave on deck. The topgallant rigging is fitted on a sheet-iron cylinder or funnel, attached to the jack cross-trees (by an order from the former Navy Commissioners), leathered and painted on the outside, and tarred on the inside; put on the grommet or strap for the main royal stay⁠[8] to reeve through, then put on the topgallant and flying jib-stays, starboard and larboard shrouds, breast and standing backstays, and secure them over the funnel; overhaul the girtlines down on deck, and bend them on to the rigging, around all parts, about the length of the mast-head below the jack, and a good stop through the funnel; hoist the funnel up and place it, with the rigging on, over the hole in the cap, and take the stays forward and reeve them.

Man the mast-ropes and “sway away,” having men stationed to bear off and place the rigging or funnel. When pointed through the funnel, place the royal rigging and truck, reeve the signal halyards, and attach the conductor; “sway higher,” land the mast on the top or forepart of lower mast-cap, and, if required, reeve the short mast rope; reeve the pointed end through a block hooked to the cap on the larboard side, or the sheave, then through the trestle-trees, through the sheave-hole in the topgallant-mast, up through the trestle-trees, and secure the end to the foremost bolt in the cap, with two half-hitches, and seize the end; to the thimble in the other end, hook the double block of a burton; hook the single one to a strap round the trestle-trees; send the burton fall on deck through lubber’s hole, and lead it through a single leading block, and haul it taut; unreeve the long mast rope, and fid the mast; when the fid is in, the mast rope can be unrove, if wished.

Reeve the ends of the shrouds through the horns of the cross-trees, between the topmast rigging, over the futtock staves, and turn a thimble in each end; strap another round a futtock plate, inside the dead-eyes of top-mast rigging; if there is none placed in the top, splice a lanyard into that in each shroud, and take two or three turns through each, stay the mast, and set the rigging and backstays up.

In setting up the backstays the single block of the jigger, which is hooked to the thimble, is hooked to a blackwall hitch, in the lanyard, and when set up, expend the lanyard through the thimbles, and seize the ends. On both shrouds on each side clap on small jiggers, hook the double blocks to straps on the shrouds, the single to Blackwall hitches in the lanyards, and set up and secure the same as the backstays.

The fore topgallant stay reeves through the outer sheave-hole in the jib-boom, and through a bull’s-eye hooked to the bows, and when set up, is seized to its own part.

The main topgallant stay is rove through the middle sheave in the after chock of the fore topmast crosstrees, or through a block strapped around the fore mast-head, and set up in the fore top.

The mizen topgallant stay is rove through a bull’s-eye in the after part of the main cap, and set up in the main top.

134.—ROYAL RIGGING.

There is one breast, and after backstay on each side, seized as the after backstays on topgallant masts. The breast backstay or shroud, is pulled up with a gun tackle purchase;⁠[9] the after leg has a thimble turned in, and sets up in the after part of the chains, with a lanyard.

Royal stays.—As there is no funnel (although it would be a great advantage to have one), splice an eye in the stay to fit the mast-head, cover it, and serve over the splice. It goes on next to the grommet, then the shroud and backstays, spanned together.

The fore royal stay is rove through the outer sheave-hole in the flying jib-boom end, and pulled up through a fair leader on the forecastle.

The main royal stay is rove through a thimble stopped around the foretop gallant mast-head, through another strapped round the eye of a shroud, and when set up is seized to its own part.

Mizen royal stay reeves through a sheave in the after part of the main topmast trestle-trees, through a thimble strapped round the eye of a main shroud, and seized to its own part.

135.—SHORT AND LONG TOPGALLANT MAST-ROPES.

Short mast ropes have a thimble spliced in one end, and the other end pointed. They are rove when the mast is rigged, and are used for fidding. They should be sufficiently long (when the mast is landed on the top or cap), after being rove through the block and sheave in the heel of the mast, and clenched to the cap, to allow the thimble to hang clear of the cat-harpen legs.

If the topsail-yard is crossed, the mast is landed on it, for rigging; if the topgallant-mast should be too long to allow its being landed on the yard, the mast rope must be lengthened accordingly.

Long mast ropes.—Ropes are often fitted for the purpose; but the topgallant yard rope is generally used. I have seen them fitted as follows, and they answered very well:—

The rope is rove, and stopped to the topgallant-masthead, and royal sheave-hole, leaving a long end over the upper stop, to hitch to the bolt, before cutting the stops. To prevent the rope slipping, rack both parts together above the sheave-hole in the heel of the mast.

136.—TO RIG THE FLYING JIB-BOOM.

Sway it on board and point it through the iron at the jib-boom end. A tail block is put on the neck of the iron, or on the jib-stay, close down to the boom. Through this block reeve the heel rope, one end taken in on the forecastle, and the other bent to the heel of the boom. A rope is bent to the heel of the boom to serve as a guy; sway the boom out a foot or two for rigging. Put over the foot ropes, fitted as the jib-boom, the inner ends seized to the jib-boom end, inside the iron. The martingale, when single, is secured round the boom end, clenched, spliced, or with a running eye, rove through a sheave in the dolphin-striker, and in on the forecastle, on the opposite side to the royal stay. When double, a single block is strapped round the boom end, and the standing part spliced round the dolphin-striker; hauling part as when single.

Guys.—One on each side spliced into each other, forming a cut-splice to fit the boom end. The other end rove through thimbles, strapped round the spritsail yard, through fair leaders in the bulwarks, and pulled up on the forecastle, or set up on the bows.

Man the heel rope and get the boom out; the heel is placed in a step formed on the fore side of the bowsprit cap, for the purpose, and secured with a lashing, rove through the end, and passed round the jib-boom. Set up the martingale, stay the fore topgallant and royal mast, (fore and aft,) by the stays and backstays; and if the spritsail yard is crossed, reeve the guys, turn in thimbles, and set them up.