The first step was to fix the mast hoops to all the applicable sails and then slide the fore and main sails on to the fore and main mast respectively. (Note that the main and fore top masts will be installed at a later stage,)
Mast hoops.
I then roped the fore sail to the fore boom and fore gaff and the main sail to the main boom and main gaff. The main difference between the rope lacing for boom and gaff is that on the boom, the rope loops are perpendicular whereas on the gaff they are spiral.
Perpendicular sail wrap on main and fore boom.
Perpendicular sail wrap on jumbo boom.
Spiral wrap on main and fore gaff.
Before stepping the masts, though, there are a few associated items not previously covered: these are the Boom Jaw Rest, the Mast Collars and the gaff jaw rollers.
Boom Jaw Rest.
Producing the mast collars was one time when the lathe came in particularly handy. Not sure how I would have turned them if not for the lathe.
Fore mast collar. (Similar one on main mast under fife rail.)
This view shows the curve of the main gaff jaws as well as the retaining rollers, used on both the main gaff and main boom. On the foremast, only the fore gaff is fitted with rollers.
Main gaff jaw rollers.
Main boom jaw rollers.
The last major items to complete the bottom masts were the cross trees, the bands to provide attachment points for the peak halyard and other blocks,and the top band to connect the lower masts to the top masts. I have no build pictures for the bands but they were constructed of sheet copper strips formed in loops and soldered together with attaching rings. This was fairly straightforward in the case of the halyard bands, which only had to be adjusted to fit the ever decreasing diameter as you moved up.the mast.
However, the top connecting bands took a bit more time and effort. This was because they were essentially two hoops soldered together with short straps, designed to connect the top of the main mast to the bottom portion of the top mast. And since I was using soft solder, any adjustment or adding of attaching rings risked melting the whole assembly, which happened on a number of occasions as getting the right fit for masts was largely a trial-and-error undertaking.
For the cross trees, Jenson provides measured drawings for both sets as well as for the trestle trees on which they were mounted, (Note that in order to put the mast hoops on the masts after the cross trees were affixed, their diameter had to be large enough to fit over the large end of the mast. Fortunately, I had thought that far ahead!)
Jenson's cross tree drawings.
My rendition of the cross trees.
As mentioned, the bands for the peak halyard and other blocks blocks were fairly simple.
Peak halyard bands - main mast. (Fore mast is similar)
After a number of iterations, I eventually was able to to produce an assembly that fit snugly to the very top of the main mast while at the same time fitting the top-mast equally snugly at the appropriate insertion spot. Note that because of the taper on all masts, the top mast had to be slid into the connecting ring from the bottom and then the complete assembly lowered over the main mast and the foot of the top sail fitted into the cross tress.
Close-up of main to top-mast band.
Close-up of main to top-mast band.
Having got the main and fore mast fitted with their respective sails, booms and gaffs, it was time to install the top masts. Once this was done and the top masts secured, the mast hoops were affixed to the fore and main gaff top-sails and the sails mounted on the respective top masts. Only this time, the mast hoops merely had to be slid on from the top.
The assembled main and fore masts, with their sails, will now be installed on the deck.
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