Rigging, Sails

[Red Cat Jenny]

During the course of it's sailing life a ship would no doubt need replacements of rigging and sail.. is there one or more areas where these were produced and purchased or traded for? Where did one go for the materials?

[Fox]

Although there were certain towns (Bridport, for example) that were centres of the ropemaking industry, most port towns of any reasonable size would have had chandlers where canvas and cordage could be purchased. Most ships in fact carried a large amount of spare anyway for running repairs.

[JohnnyTarr]

I had found this book on Amazon. I can not buy books this close to Christmas, but if I don't get it I plan on buying it.

Sailmaker book

[Matusalem]

Foxe wrote:

Although there were certain towns (Bridport, for example) that were centres of the ropemaking industry, most port towns of any reasonable size would have had chandlers where canvas and cordage could be purchased. Most ships in fact carried a large amount of spare anyway for running repairs.

I can't speak for Bridport Dorset, but my old home town Bristol R.I. was a shipbuilding port that primarily specialized in sailmaking because some of the textile mills were located there, and still is. Think of it as similar to the auto industry where most parts manufacturers are located in northern Ohio and Indiana not far from Detroit.

[Fox]

Yar, most ports of any size would have had the facilities for making much of what was needed close by. Even the tiny fishing town of Brixham had a long rope-walk. However, a lot of the time these small centres couldn't keep up with demand so you find other places more concentrating on an industry. For example, even though the major naval ports of England (Portsmouth, Chatham, Plymouth, London etc) had rope-walks, the navy still imported rope from abroad to meet demands.

[blackjohn]

It is interesing to note that "naval stores" became enumerated goods in the middle of our period (1706).

[Red Cat Jenny]

Found an interestinmg site with some rigging descriptions and pics. I'm sure there are others, but it also has some interesting linksThe Ships List

[MorganTyre]

One minor correction to the link above. The difference between a sloop and a cutter isn't the number of foresails (though that is how it's distinguished now-a-days) but by the relative fore or aft position of the mast. This is why you'll see photo's of old boats (such as the friendship sloop) with a large array of foresails and yet still called a sloop.

Note that the mast is very far forward. That's what defines it as a sloop. Of course it doesn't need to be THAT far forward to be a sloop. 1/3 or so of the way aft of the bow qualifies. As the mast approaches the half-way mark or so it becomes a cutter. Note that a sloop may carry multiple headsails but I don't think (emphasis on think) that a cutter may be rigged for only one.

Here's another rig comparison website -

Ships and Rigging

[Coastie04]

Another note about that link. Brigantine is described as a vessel with two masts, the fore square rigged and the main fore and aft. This is another example of a modern nomenclature. It's common now because ASTA supports it. Historically, that description was called a hermaphrodite brig, hermaphrodite schooner, or half brig. A true brigantine is fully square rigged on the foremast and has a schooner main sail with squares above it (see picture).

Note that the main mast could easily be the fore mast of a square tops'l schooner. A brig, on the other hand, has a relatively smaller main sail that's used more as a balancing sail than a driving sail (as below).

Coastie