01-19-2016, 12:07 PM
First, my apologies to many who may be confused by some of the terms I use here..... I am guilty of "Common Knowledge Syndrome", as in, " I know what it is, so everybody must know. 
I'm posting this picture:
to help explain, and define some of the terms. The three masts on the left side of the picture belong to two different vessels. The one, in the center is on a sloop, the other two are on a schooner, which is closer to the camera.( yeah the fore mast of the Schooner is shorter than the main mast )
The white area is the "doubling of the mast" in this case where the lower mast and the topmast are joined, so ! from the bottom, up, we have the "cheeks". These are the "shelf support like" pieces with the curved forward edge. On top of the cheeks,are the trestle trees ( two timbers running parallel to the center-line of the hull, one on each side of the mast ),
and the cross trees ( The three timbers running across the trestle trees ). At the top of the lower mast is the mast cap.
This has a square slot at the aft end, and a round hole at the forward end. The top of the lower mast has been cut square to fit in the square slot. the topmast passes through the round hole in the cap. Once the topmast is hoisted through the "trees" ,until the square bottom of the topmast is level with the bottom edge of the trestle trees, and the rounded upper part of the topmast is in the round hole through the cap, a fid ( wedge ) is inserted through a slot, cut through the bottom of the topmast, and that fid rests on the upper edge of the trestle trees, holding the topmast up in place.
The reason for "doubling" the mast, is to make the combined mast easier to repair, or replace ( trees, strong enough , and tall enough, for a single piece mast in a large ship, are rare indeed )
Hope that is a little clearer than mud
Class dismissed :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
I'm posting this picture:
to help explain, and define some of the terms. The three masts on the left side of the picture belong to two different vessels. The one, in the center is on a sloop, the other two are on a schooner, which is closer to the camera.( yeah the fore mast of the Schooner is shorter than the main mast )
The white area is the "doubling of the mast" in this case where the lower mast and the topmast are joined, so ! from the bottom, up, we have the "cheeks". These are the "shelf support like" pieces with the curved forward edge. On top of the cheeks,are the trestle trees ( two timbers running parallel to the center-line of the hull, one on each side of the mast ),
and the cross trees ( The three timbers running across the trestle trees ). At the top of the lower mast is the mast cap.
This has a square slot at the aft end, and a round hole at the forward end. The top of the lower mast has been cut square to fit in the square slot. the topmast passes through the round hole in the cap. Once the topmast is hoisted through the "trees" ,until the square bottom of the topmast is level with the bottom edge of the trestle trees, and the rounded upper part of the topmast is in the round hole through the cap, a fid ( wedge ) is inserted through a slot, cut through the bottom of the topmast, and that fid rests on the upper edge of the trestle trees, holding the topmast up in place.
The reason for "doubling" the mast, is to make the combined mast easier to repair, or replace ( trees, strong enough , and tall enough, for a single piece mast in a large ship, are rare indeed )
Hope that is a little clearer than mud Class dismissed :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
We always learn far more from our own mistakes, than we will ever learn from another's advice.
The greatest place to live life, is on the sharp leading edge of a learning curve.
Lead me not into temptation.....I can find it myself!
The greatest place to live life, is on the sharp leading edge of a learning curve.
Lead me not into temptation.....I can find it myself!