12-27-2015, 12:34 PM
[quote="MasonJar What's the reason for the stepped mast? And that schooner is a beautiful thing. Andrew[/quote]
If you are referring to my comment, "the masts are stepped"....... it means the mast has been lowered through the deck, and the "key", carved at the bottom of the mast has been set into the "slot" in the top of the keel. This, and the wedges driven around the mast where it goes through the deck, keep the mast in place and prevent any "rotation" of the mast itself.
If you mean the lighter spars at the tops of the masts, these are the "topmasts", and aside from a place to prominently display flags, sails, can also be set there.
If you "go back" a few posts there's a color photo of the two mast Schooner Stephen Taber, that shows the same Two Part Main mast, Her fore mast, doesn't have a topmast.
I have seen a few Two Mast schooners, whose "topmasts" have been removed. ( the topmasts are hoisted up through the trestle trees ( fore and aft) and cross trees ( port and starboard ), and held in place by a fid, through the bottom of the mast that rests on the trestle trees. They can easily be taken down by removing the fid, and lowering the topmast )
Most square rigged ( rectangular sails set across the mast instead of fore and aft ) vessels have three part masts...lower mast, topmast, and top-gallant mast . USS Constitution "Old Iron sides" had three part masts, as did the clipper ships like Sea Witch, and the Whale Ship Wanderer, that sails out of Mystic Seaport Village and Museum, Mystic Conn. .
Pete Seeger's 87' Hudson River Sloop, "Clearwater", has a Topmast. I learned a lot about ship building, watching Clearwater's construction up in South Bristol, Me. . Her mast, makes a telephone pole look like a toothpick. :o
If anyone else has questions about ships and ship rigs, ask. I'll do the best I can to "enlighten".
If you are referring to my comment, "the masts are stepped"....... it means the mast has been lowered through the deck, and the "key", carved at the bottom of the mast has been set into the "slot" in the top of the keel. This, and the wedges driven around the mast where it goes through the deck, keep the mast in place and prevent any "rotation" of the mast itself.
If you mean the lighter spars at the tops of the masts, these are the "topmasts", and aside from a place to prominently display flags, sails, can also be set there.
If you "go back" a few posts there's a color photo of the two mast Schooner Stephen Taber, that shows the same Two Part Main mast, Her fore mast, doesn't have a topmast.
I have seen a few Two Mast schooners, whose "topmasts" have been removed. ( the topmasts are hoisted up through the trestle trees ( fore and aft) and cross trees ( port and starboard ), and held in place by a fid, through the bottom of the mast that rests on the trestle trees. They can easily be taken down by removing the fid, and lowering the topmast )
Most square rigged ( rectangular sails set across the mast instead of fore and aft ) vessels have three part masts...lower mast, topmast, and top-gallant mast . USS Constitution "Old Iron sides" had three part masts, as did the clipper ships like Sea Witch, and the Whale Ship Wanderer, that sails out of Mystic Seaport Village and Museum, Mystic Conn. .
Pete Seeger's 87' Hudson River Sloop, "Clearwater", has a Topmast. I learned a lot about ship building, watching Clearwater's construction up in South Bristol, Me. . Her mast, makes a telephone pole look like a toothpick. :o
If anyone else has questions about ships and ship rigs, ask. I'll do the best I can to "enlighten".