An interesting picture today from Boss of Volunteers, Basil accompanied by the following write up.
Cambria’s longstay, rigging by John Barber; Picture by Basil Brambleby.
Basil writes that, “John Barber, since retirement from PLA has worked as a volunteer at Chatham Maritime demonstrating ‘Rigging Skills’ with special emphasis on wire splicing to the many Dockyard visitors . As you will all
know, he undertook the splicing of Cambria’s rigging for her
restoration as part of this demonstration work.
Now Cambria is in commission he helps out as one of our volunteers as well.
The photograph shows a splice which he has just put in to the end of
Cambria’s longstay; to date she has been sailing with a temporary fix.
Last year he visited the barge at Gravesend to help us rig a whip to
the end of her jibstay; again she had been working with a temporary
fix. Both wires are now as they ought to be. It was difficult to
ascertain the exact lengths of these wires until they were offered up.
We are much indebted to him for this work as it is a dying art.
He also does work on other Heritage Vessels when asked.”
Not being familiar with the term ‘log stay’ I asked Basil what it was and where it fits. Basil tells me that, “the longstay runs from a whip on the jibstay winch to the topmast head, down to the end of the bowsprit and is secured at the inboard end. When the bowsprit is raised, the whip is wound almost fully on to the winch drum; and as the bowsprit is lowered the whip runs up toward the masthead.
Hi Matt, Edgar J March says jibstay goes from bowsprit end to main cap (and down to winch via its whip…) Topmast stay takes the jib topsail, surely?
I’m sure you’ve got this book.
Hi Matt
The longstay runs from the topmast head through the fiddle block on outer end of bowsprit and made of at inboard end and carry’s the jib tops’l, the jib stay is also made fast on outer end of bowspit just inboard of longstay and goes through a turning block at masthead then a whip is attached to it that leads to the jib say winch on the stb mast deckwich allows us to stev the bowsprit up eg when we get towed up creek or getting ready to come alongside.