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Components of a
museum-quality model
The Bobstay
Head Stay. Fixed to an eye or ring bolt on the head, and set up to port and starboard on the forecastle bulkhead with deadeyes. Appeared around 1680, and disappeared again in 1720
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Around 1690 the bobstay began to appear, the purpose of which w to absorb the tension of the fore stay and the fore topmast stay. The bobstay was a French invention. A block was stropped to the knee c the head and a second one to the bowsprit, which was prevented from sliding by several thumb cleats. The blocks were linked by a tackle, which belayed to a cleat on the bowsprit, on the stem, or on the forecastle. As early as 1695 the British followed the French example. In this case the bobstay was doubled over its fulllength, reeved at its lower end through the hole in the knee of the head, was spliced together at its upper end, and a deadeye was seized into it. The two parts wer, seized together in several places. A second deadeye was stropped to the bowsprit, and the bobstay was set up with a deadeye lanyard exactly as described for setting up the shrouds. This form was adopted by the French and the rest of the Continental shipbuilders by the beginning of the 18th century. Until about 1850 the bob stay remained very largely unchanged, only th: number of them being increased: around 1700 there were two, arouru 1740 three, and around 1770 a cap bobstay was fitted to the bowsprit cap. The bobstays were tensioned with deadeyes, although from 1750 on hearts were used more arid more on the Continent. After 1850 the bobstays - now usually fitted singly again - were made from chains, and set up with hearts or rigging screws (see also JIB RIGGING).
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The Bowsprit shroud
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From 1710 on the bowsprit was given lateral support with one or two pairs of shrouds. The bowsprit shrouds were fixed to the hull sid to starboard and port on eye bolts, and were initially set up with blocks, but soon after with deadeyes (Continental) or hearts (British, and from about 1770 also Continental). As with the bobstay chains were used for the bowsprit shrouds from about 1850, which were set up with hearts or rigging screws.
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Sequence of the bowsprit gammoning
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Bumkin shrouds
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From the 18th century onward, the fore tacks were no longer taken through the knee of the head, but through blocks at the head of the bumkin. The bumkin itself was stayed by two bumkin shrouds, which prevented it bending upwards when under tension. The forward shroud was led through a hole in the knee of the head and fixed to the bumkins to starboard and port. More often the shroud was fixed to a ring bolt on the knee of the head. The after shroud was made fast to a ring bolt in the hull. The bumkin shrouds were set up with a combination of blocks or deadeyes, and less often with hearts, and the tackle made fast to the bumkin shroud. If the mizen or jigger was situated so far aft that the leech of the mizen or jigger sail projected out over the stern of the ship, as was often the case from the 15th to the early 17th century , an outrigger had to be fitted to take the sail's sheet. This outrigger in turn was supported by two guys, leading downwards at an angle on both sides.
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Outrigger guys
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If the mizen or jigger was situated so far aft that the leech of the mizen / or jigger sail projected out over the stern of the ship, as was often the case from the 15th to the early 17th century , an outrigger had to be fitted to take the sail's sheet. This outrigger in turn was supported by two guys, leading downwards at an angle on both sides. A spliced eye in the outrigger guys was fitted over the end of the outrigger, and the other end fixed to ring bolts to starboard and port. Tensioning arrangements with blocks and deadeyes were extremely rare in the case of these guys.
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Gaff jackstay, 19th century: Left: older form with rope;
Right: later type with metal rod
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