Tag Archives: mainsail

Needed Help with Rigging Conundrums

We need some insight into rigging the RELIANCE model. She has a metal mast, boom, and gaff, so we suppose her rigging differs from wooden-sparred large cutter/schooner rigged boats. You can see this in the mast drawing (86-111), where there are angle iron cheeks.

Here are some questions we have:
1. How exactly is the main sail lashed to the gaff? What material is used?
2. What line is the mate holding onto below?
3. What line are the sailors hauling below?
4. What is the attachment half-way along the gaff which has a loose pennant hanging down? Is that the attachment for the Club Topsail Club? How was that rigged?

5. How are Gaff Span wires attached to the boom? RELIANCE rigging plan (86-101) indicates that these are attached to “collars” which we’d presume are angle irons like the ones on the mast. (P.S.: on the Museum’s large model of COLONIA, it has thumb cleats mounted on the underside of the gaff, but then she had a wooden gaff.)

Some insight would be greatly appreciated!

Plan drawings courtesy of the Curator, Hart Collection, MIT Museum
Photo courtesy of Mystic Seaport

The Work Continues.

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Just returned from ten day trip to Santa Fe, Taos and the Canyons of NM, AZ, and UT. Must say that our RELIANCE is certainly the equal of the great art of Santa Fe and Taos (no bias all all!) but it is very hard to compete with the grandeur, scale, and beauty of nature. No contest, it is nature every time…. We flew home from Las Vegas: I am still struggling to wrap my head around the mirage of Las Vegas appearing out of the desert after visiting Grand, Glen, Bryce and Zion Canyons and Monument Valley…..

In my absence, work continued on RELIANCE with multiple efforts underway.

We are starting to splice wire. In the first photo Herb and Bill are developing splicing jigs. In the second photo, hands of our new “expert” are worming, parceling and serving – complete with miniature serving mallet – (see 1938 instruction manual in background)
Bill is also working on the spreaders (photo 3).
Keith is placing miniature rivets in pad eyes (photo 4). (These latest fittings bring RELIANCE into conformity with our “Configuration Date” (First AC race). From pictures we can see that fittings and components were added, moved and changed during the racing campaign.
Steve is working on the boom crotch (photo 5). Although our RELIANCE will ultimately be posed underway with sails, we anticipate that for a short interim period until the atrium is built, she’ll be displayed at a mooring with topmast housed, and gaff, boom and mainsail resting on the boom crotch.
Meanwhile Mike and Harrison Casting Co are making our gooseneck assembly, and Burr is completing the capstan assemblies.

RELIANCE: All the Bits and Pieces

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We continue to work on the deck preparing it for paint and canvas, but in the meantime we are receiving more and more of our bits and pieces. These are really small jewel-like masterpieces from Mike Mirman which we’ll finish up with buffing and polishing.
The first picture is the mainsail clue outhaul slide. In real life it fits onto a 6 foot long heavy duty sail track at the tip of the boom. Inserted in the top is a fitting sewn into the clue of the sail and then pinned to the slide. You can see its size compared to a penny in our scale. The second picture shows the mainsail outhaul sheave holder which is to be attached at the very tip of the boom.
The third picture is of our the belaying pins – about two inches long. The longer ones will be threaded and be used for the forward and aft legs of the pinrail which fellow RELIANCE teammate Steve Siok is making.
MIke has also made a port and starboard mainsheet sheave holder, the fourth picture. It also is about 2 inches long. It sits amidships. The mainsheet comes from aft to here, through the bellow and around an internal sheave to drums and winches below deck. He’s taken them back to his shop to attach brake levers and add the internal sheaves. We also received two mainsheet span shackle assemblies from Mike. The whole assembly is about the size of a silver dollar! Upon close inspection you a see that the shackles are actually twisted.

Meanwhile Joe Uzzo continues to work on his hatches and companionway. Here you see the barometer, race card and clock sitting on a ledge in the companionway. If you really look, you’ll see actual barometer and clock faces complete in all detail. The second picture shows the companionway and its ladder.
We also have a new RELIANCE team member Burr Sebring who brings a wealth of metalworking skill, having retired from Gorham – the silverware company . In this last photo you can see his work-in-progress on the metal strut that forms the back edge of the douglas fir mainmast spreader. The little insert that will carry two shrouds to the top of the mast has been completed. Same piece count in 1/6th scale as the original!