Sprit Topmast
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Sprit Topmast
A sprit topmast is a small topmast that was sometimes carried on the end of the bowsprit of a large European warship during the Age of Sail. Its purpose as initially built was to assist the spritsail (square-rigged), spritsail (which hung below it) in bringing the around when Tacking (sailing), tacking. Unlike other topmasts, the sprit topmast, because of its odd angle, lacked a sheave. Instead, the short vertical pole (the mast proper) was secured to the bowsprit with a Knee (construction), knee, and held a platform ("top") supported underneath by trestletrees and crosstrees and further secured to the bowsprit with a series of special chainplate, chain plates. Above the platform ran a horizontal yard, the sprit topsail yard, from which a square square rig, square-rigged sail called the sprit topsail (the only sail on this mast) hung. Above this was a jackstaff. The mast was secured to the rear with a backstay that led to the foremast of the ship. The hoisting and hauling the ...
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Sprit Topmast Kalmar Nyckel MD1
The spritsail is a four-sided, Fore-And-Aft Sail, fore-and-aft sail that is supported at its highest points by the mast (sailing), mast and a diagonally running Spar (sailing), spar known as the sprit. The foot of the sail can be stretched by a boom or held loose-footed just by its sheets. A spritsail has four corners: the Parts of a sail#Throat, throat, Parts of a sail#Peak, peak, Parts of a sail#Clew, clew, and Parts of a sail#Tack, tack. The Spritsail can also be used to describe a Rigging, rig that uses a spritsail. Historically, spritsails were the first European fore-and-aft rigs, appearing in Greco-Roman navigation in the 2nd century BC. The rig The luff of the sail is bound to the mast, but unlike the gaff rig where the Parts of a sail#Head (corner), head is bound to a spar, this rig supports the Parts of a sail#Leech, leech of the sail by means of a diagonal spar or spars named a sprit ( ). The forward end of the Sprit, sprit spar is attached to the mast (sailing), m ...
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Jibboom
A jibboom (also spelt jib-boom) is a spar used to extend the length of a bowsprit on sailing ships. It can itself be extended further by a flying jib-boom. The heel (i.e. rear and lower) end of the flying jib-boom is attached to the jib-boom, and the heel of the jib-boom to the bowsprit. The point (i.e. higher and fore end) of the flying jib-boom is generally the fore-most extent of a ship. The jib- and flying jib- booms carry the tacks of the jib and flying jib sails, respectively, and the stay for the fore topgallant mast and the royal stay. Jib-boom The jib-boom is—as the name suggests—the boom for the jib, extending its foot. On smaller, merchant, sailing ships, it is commonly attached to the bowsprit by a cap and a saddle, either lashed down or secured with a crupper chain. Alternatively, it can be attached by a boom iron and a cap, or even by two boom irons. The cap and saddle allow it to be withdrawn aft along the bowsprit as a ship enters harbour, reducing the opp ...
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Backstay
A backstay is a piece of standing rigging on a sailing vessel that runs from the mast to either its transom or rear quarter, counteracting the forestay and jib. It is an important sail trim control and has a direct effect on the shape of the mainsail and the headsail. Backstays are generally adjusted by block and tackle, hydraulic adjusters, or lines leading to winches. Types Backstays may be ''permanent'' or ''running''. A permanent backstay is attached to the top of the mast. Running backstays appear in pairs attached about two-thirds of the way up the mast (sometimes at multiple locations along the length of the mast). In general, most modern sailboats have a permanent backstay and some have a permanent backstay combined with running backstays. Backstays are not always found on all vessels, especially smaller ones. A permanent backstay is attached at the top of the mast and may or may not be readily adjustable. In a masthead rig, tensioning the permanent backstay directly te ...
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Jackstaff
A jack staff (also spelled as jackstaff) is a small vertical spar (pole) on the bow of a ship or smaller vessel on which a particular type of flag, known as a jack Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ..., is flown. The jack staff was introduced in the 18th century. A jack is typically flown from military vessels (including submarines) while at anchor or moored pierside, but not while underway. Civilian vessels (such as private yachts and sailboats) have been known to fly the jack of the nation of their homeport, also from a jack staff, while moored or at anchor. References Sailing rigs and rigging Nautical terminology {{Flag-stub ...
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Square Rig
Square rig is a generic type of sail and rigging arrangement in which the primary driving sails are carried on horizontal spars which are perpendicular, or square, to the keel of the vessel and to the masts. These spars are called ''yards'' and their tips, outside the lifts, are called the ''yardarms.'' A ship mainly rigged so is called a square-rigger. The square rig is aerodynamically the most efficient running rig (i.e., sailing downwind), and stayed popular on ocean-going sailing ships until the end of the Age of Sail. The last commercial sailing ships, windjammers, were usually square-rigged four-masted barques. History The oldest archaeological evidence of use of a square-rig on a vessel is an image on a clay disk from Mesopotamia from 5000 BC. Single sail square rigs were used by the ancient Egyptians, the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans, and the Celts. Later the Scandinavians, the Germanic peoples, and the Slavs adopted the single square-rigged sail, with it be ...
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Chainplate
A chainplate is a metal plate used to fasten a shroud or stay to the hull of a sailboat. One end of the chainplate is normally fastened to a turnbuckle A turnbuckle, stretching screw or bottlescrew is a device for adjusting the tension or length of ropes, cables, tie rods, and other tensioning systems. It normally consists of two threaded eye bolts, one screwed into each end of a small metal f ... which is connected to the shroud or stay, whereas the remainder of the chainplate normally has multiple holes that are bolted to the hull.Rig-Rite Inc's description of chainplates
This distributes the load across the hull, making it possible for a somewhat lighter hull to support the load of the shrouds and stays.


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Crosstrees
Crosstrees are the two horizontal spars at the upper ends of the topmasts of sailing ships, used to anchor the shrouds from the topgallant mast. Similarly, they may be mounted at the upper end of the topgallant to anchor the shrouds from the royal mast (if fitted). Similar transverse spars remain on steam ship and motor vessel masts to secure wire antennae or signal flag halyards. Explanation Any vertical structure like a mast is subject to dynamic swaying stress from wind, which levers immense force at the base of the mast. Such stress is countered through guy ropes which are diagonally supporting ropes from mast top to its base. These ropes share the load on the mast tops and communicate that force to the base structure. The taller the mast, the wider a base is required for the guy wires so as to form an appropriate angular support against the sway the mast is exposed to. Yet, ships are fixed in their beam (width) and hence only a limited angle is possible for the guy ...
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Knee (construction)
In woodworking, a knee is a natural or cut, curved piece of wood. Knees, sometimes called ships knees, are a common form of bracing in boat building and occasionally in timber framing. A rafter, knee rafter in carpentry is a bent rafter used to gain head room in an attic. Strength characteristics Wood is a highly anisotropic material (its strength varies considerably with the direction of applied force, i.e. parallel, radial, or tangential to the grain). Because wood is strongest when loaded in tension or compression along the grain, the best knees are those in which the wood grain follows the bend. For a knee with relatively little bend, it may be possible to cut the knee out of a single straight-grained board and still achieve sufficient strength. However, with increasing bend this method becomes problematic since more and more of the knee is aligned across the grain and is therefore considerably weaker. A knee laid out this way might easily snap in two under hand pressure alon ...
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Topmast
The masts of traditional sailing ships were not single spars, but were constructed of separate sections or masts, each with its own rigging. The topmast is one of these. The topmast is semi-permanently attached to the upper front of the lower mast, at the top. Its shrouds run to the edges of the top, rather than to the sides of the hull, though long shrouds leading well aft to the hull, more in the manner of backstays, are sometimes seen. In accordance with the standard square rig sail plan, the topmast carries the topsail. In the late 19th century, however, topsails became so big that merchant ships began to divide them into two separate sails for easier handling; since these were still on the topmast they were known as upper and lower topsails to preserve the consistency of the naming scheme. The majority of large square-riggers today carry separate upper and lower topsails. The main topmast carries the upper end of the main-topmast-staysail; a mizzen-topmast may carry the e ...
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Sheave
A sheave () or pulley wheel is a grooved wheel often used for holding a belt, wire rope, or rope and incorporated into a pulley. The sheave spins on an axle or bearing inside the frame of the pulley. This allows the wire or rope to move freely, minimizing friction and wear on the cable. Sheaves can be used to redirect a cable or rope, lift loads, and transmit power. The words ''sheave'' and ''pulley'' are sometimes used interchangeably. Adjustable pulley A sheave can also refer to a pulley which has an adjustable operating diameter for use with a mechanical belt. This is accomplished by constructing the pulley out of several pieces. The two main "halves" of the pulley can be moved closer together or farther apart, thus altering the operational diameter. The usual construction is some sort of locking collar or set screws to secure the components, one half with a threaded central shaft and one half with a threaded center. By rotating the components, one can "screw" the parts ...
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Tacking (sailing)
Tacking is a sailing maneuver by which a sailing vessel, whose desired course is into the wind, turns its bow toward and through the wind so that the direction from which the wind blows changes from one side of the boat to the other, allowing progress in the desired direction. The opposite maneuver to tacking is called 'jibe', or 'wearing' on square-rigged ships, that is, turning the stern through the wind. No sailing vessel can move directly upwind, though that may be the desired direction, making this an essential maneuver of a sailing ship. A series of tacking moves, in a zig-zag fashion, is called beating, and allows sailing in the desired direction. This maneuver is used for different effects in races, where one ship is not only sailing in a desired direction, but also concerned with slowing the progress of competitors. The need for tacking Sailing ships cannot proceed directly into the wind, but often need to go in that direction. Movement is achieved by tacking. If a v ...
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