Tarring lines on ship

[Daniel]

A couple of weeks ago I went to Mystic Seaport and got aboard the sail-training full-rigged ship Joseph Conrad, where I had the utterly awesome experience of turning a capstan while singing "Santiano."

For the first time ever, I got to see a vessel with running rigging made of old-style manilla rope (most modern tall ships use nylon, of course). I noticed, to my surprise, that the running rigging had no pitch or tar on it; I had always read that the lines on the old sailing vessels were weatherproofed with pitch. The standing rigging was tarred, even though it was made of steel wire, but not the running rigging.

So was this the standard rule on old-style pirate ships: standing rigging is tarred, running rigging isn't? I would see how it would be desirable not to tar the running rigging; imagine how sticky the sailors' hands would get after working it, and it would also tend to gum up the blocks. But on the other hand, how long could the running rigging last if it wasn't weatherproofed by tar?

[Fox]

That's about right by my experience: serve and tar the standing rigging, but not the running rigging. Replacing rigging was (is) an ongoing job on sailing vessels, but untreated rope can last years. Hemp is far less prone to rot than manilla, fwiw.

[Dutchman]

what foxe said... tarred running lines would be an absolute mess to deal with. if you take a natural fiber line when its wet and twist it into itself the water will separate out- like ringing a towel. imagine trying to haul a line soaked in pine tar sweating out like that!

[oderlesseye]

Eye have a very short video of seafarers singin a shanty as they heaved the anchor at Mystic Seaport when eye went out thar to visit the gal who did the Oderlesseye song.. Here be the video..enjoy..Eye did ! BTW Good Question about preservation of rigging.

http://youtu.be/qu2OwLE2EEQ

Edited July 27, 2012 by oderlesseye