RIGGING, BLOCKS & TACKLE

Standing Rigging
This will be of 6x7 (6 strands,7 wires) construction ,or, with a steel core, 7x7 construction.
For larger sizes 6 x19 or 7x19 may be encountered. Examples in use would be the shrouds to
port and starboard of the mast, forestay, backstay, triatic or what used to be called jumper
stay, ships’ wire guard rails etc. In standing rigging the wire is non-flexible, and under
normal circumstances it is a permanent fixture of the vessel in that it does not or will not be
moving at any time. There are exceptions to this, e.g. preventer backstays to a mast when
operating a heavy lift derrick, ships guard rails being removed to allow access.

Running Rigging
These are flexible ropes of 6x12, 6x18, 6x19, 6x24, 6x36 or 6x37 construction. The number
of wires per strand (wps) may be as many as 91, but these ropes are generally confined to
heavy industry, such as launching slipways, towage and salvage operations, as opposed to
the normal working marine environment. Running rigging examples may be seen in lifeboat
falls, topping lifts for derricks and cranes etc. As a general description, any wire, or cordage
for that matter, passing over a sheave or about a drum may be classed as running rigging.

Forestay
This is a wire stay secured to the mast table and running forward to the fo’c’sle deck. It is
usually made either of ‘iron wire rope’ 7x7 or ‘steel wire rope’ 7x7 or 7x19, and secured by
a rigging screw in the forepart.
It is now no longer common practice to use iron wire rope, as the masts of modern vessels
accommodate cargo-handling gear and the load stresses could be too great.

Topmast Stay – Topmasts are Now Only to be Found on the Tall (Sailing) Ships
This is a steel wire running in the fore and aft line which may be secured either forward or
aft, depending on the position of the topmast. It is secured to the hounds band of the topmast
at one end,and at the other end at deck level with a rigging screw. Construction is 6x7 or
7x19.
The mariner should be aware that for maintenance purposes, or to allow greater access for
cargo working, the forestay and the topmast stays are often removed; if carried the
construction and size of these stays make it essential that, when the rigging screws of either
stay are removed, the weight of the stay is taken up by a handy billy or equivalent purchase.
The handy billy is rigged from the stay to a convenient deck bolt so as to take the weight off
the rigging screw, allowing its removal and the controlled release of the stay by easing out
the handy billy purchase.

Jumper Stay (obsolete)

An old-fashioned stay now very rarely seen, the jumper stay fell out of use when the signal
stay and triatic stay became popular. The name ‘jumper’ was acquired from the early sailing
ships, which carried a block secured to this stay; a single whip passed through the block and
light bagged cargo was discharged by securing one end of the whip to the bags, while the
other was held by a seaman who ‘jumped’ down to the quay from the ship’s side. This action
caused the cargo to be raised and discharged overside – not a very practical method by
today’s standards but effective for the day.
The stay was made of steel wire rope standing rigging usually of 12–16 mm diameter, six
strands being laid about a steel core right-handed. The jumper stay, when fitted as such,
extended from the after mast to the foremast. This later gave way to the fitting of what is
now termed the signal stay, which ran from the foremast to the funnel, leaving the jumper
stay to become a so-called continuation from the aft side of the funnel to the after mast, until
eventually it became obsolete.

Triatic Stay
This is a stay that runs from the foremast to a secure position over the Monkey
Island/Bridge. The stay was often secured to the funnel on many of the three-island type
vessels, but for the stay to be effective, it was necessary to reinforce the thin metal work of
the funnel with a doubling plate. This reinforcement allowed the tension to be taken in the
triatic stay, and permitted that stay to work in the desired direction of opposition to the
forestay. Several of the old ‘Kent’ class cruisers of the Royal Navy secured the triatic stay
between the fore and after masts, in the place of the jumper stay. This stay was made of 11 2
in. (12 mm diameter) flexible steel wire rope, a construction not to be expected on a
merchant vessel, where the common type of triatic stay is standing rigging of a 6x6 or 6x7
nature.

Shrouds
The function of shrouds is to provide the mast with staying support to port and starboard.
They are secured under the mast table (if fitted) or to the hounds band of the mainmast
structure. They are now given as wide a spread as possible without interfering with derrick or
crane operations, to provide not only athwartships support but a fore and aft support as well.
The smaller vessel often has shrouds made of round iron bar, but the more general
construction material is steel wire rope, 6x7, laid about a steel core. The number of shrouds
fitted varies with the vessel’s length and deck design, and with the height and expected
stresses that the mast will be required to handle. Three or four shrouds are common, and
more recently, where four shrouds are fitted, they are secured in pairs, providing longitudinal
as well as athwartships support. When an odd number of shrouds are required, the single
shroud, which is left unseized, is known as a swifter, the double pairs of shrouds being
seized under the mast table. All shrouds are secured at deck level by a rigging screw
shackled into a hard eye, with a solid thimble set into each end of each shroud. The solid
thimble accommodating the pin of the shackle prevents movement of the shackle within the
eye of the shroud, and provides a certain amount of rigidity about the shroud. The rigging
bottle screw is usually secured against movement by being locked with a locking bar or
locking nuts, which prevent accidental unscrewing of the bottle screw.

Preventer Backstay
This is a general term used for describing stays that act in opposition to the general direction
of weight. They are extensively used when a ‘jumbo’ heavy lift derrick is in use; they are
then temporarily rigged to support the additional weight that the mast will bear. The term is
also used for stays having a lead opposite to the forestay, which are often led to port and
starboard as with the normal shrouds. Their construction is the same as for standing rigging,
and they are secured by rigging screws at deck level.
Derricks
A derrick is a spar, made of wood or steel, rigged as a swinging boom and used for
hoisting boats, stores, cargo, ammunition or gear in and out of a ship. It can be fitted to a
mast or a king-post, when it is called a mast derrick, or to the side of a ship’s superstructure,
when it is called a screen derrick. The lower end or heel is pivoted in a goose-neck, allowing
the derrick to pivot both vertically and horizontally. The upper end or head is supported by a
topping lift and stayed by guys. The load is hoisted or lowered by a whip or a purchase,
which is rove through a block at the derrick head and a leading block at the heel and then
taken to a winch. The rig of a derrick varies considerably in detail according to the purpose
for which it is provided, the weight it is designed to hoist, and the position in which it is
fitted. A simple mast derrick as fitted in merchant ships is illustrated in Fig. The topping lift
and guys are shackled to a spider band at the derrick head. The topping lift of a mast derrick
is usually led to the masthead, and that of a screen derrick to a point on the superstructure
directly above the heel of the derrick; the guys are led to positions on deck near the ship’s
side and well before and abaft the heel. Topping lifts are of two main kinds, standing and
working.
Guys usually take the form of short pendants tailed with tackles; two are usually fitted, but
heavy derricks may be fitted with as many as four; some derricks are provided with standing
guys called preventer guys, which are fitted to prevent the derrick from swinging too far in a
certain direction. A screen derrick as fitted in ships is illustrated in Fig. This is shown rigged
with a standing topping lift but sometimes it may be rigged with a working topping lift. As
well as the simple mast derrick illustrated in Fig , merchant ships may be fitted with derricks
of different types and rigs, capable of very heavy lifts, and employing various methods of
operation.

SIMPLE MAST DERRICK

SCREEN DERRICK
RIGGING FITMENTS

Blake Slip & Senhouse Slip

This is used mainly in anchor work aboard naval
vessels. It is a rigid style of slip not having the
versatility and hence not as popular as the
Senhouse slip. Senhouse Slip is a common fitment
aboard most modern vessels and encountered in a
variety of sizes. Examples in use may be seen
securing the web straps over life rafts or in the
gripes securing lifeboats.

Bulldog Grips
A temporary eye, either soft or thimble, can be made in wire rope by using bulldog grips,
which are screwed clamps holding the two parts of the rope together. It is important that the
grips should be fitted with the U-bolt over the tail end of the rope and the bridge on the
standing part, as shown in Fig 3-138. Grips should be spaced at a distance of six times the
diameter of the rope as follows:
SWR up to 19mm - 3 grips 20mm to 32mm - 4 grips
Grips are supplied in various sizes to fit each size of wire rope up to and including 32mm
It is essential that the correct sized grip is used and that grips are fully tightened. Failure to
comply with these requirements will greatly reduce the efficiency of the termination. Grips
are apt to mark or crush the rope, and both grips and rope should be inspected for security
and wear before and after use and grips retightened as necessary. Bulldog grips must not be
used to join two wire ropes together.

Rigging Shackles
Rigging Shackles are coupling links used for joining ropes, webbing and chain together or to
some fitting, and are usually forged from carbon magnesium steel. This section deals only
with shackles used with rigging; shackles which form part of anchor and cable, or towing
arrangements, are dealt with in the relevant Chapter.
U-shaped shackles are called straight or D shackles, and those which have curved sides are
called Bow shackles. A bow shackle is weaker than a straight shackle, but is the more
convenient to use with hooks or sling chains because a large hook may be used with such a
shackle having a relatively short pin; bow rather than straight shackles are also used in
conjunction with boats’ webbing slings because the relatively greater width in the clear at the
crown of the shackle prevents pinching of the webbing at the bearing point. The size quoted
for a straight or bow shackle used with rigging is the diameter of the metal at the crown.

a. Parts of a Shackle. The ends of a shackle are called the lugs, the space between them is
called the jaw, and the part opposite the jaw is called the crown. The inside width or
length of a shackle is called the clear; thus a shackle may be described as being
‘long in the clear’ or ‘ wide in the clear’ the jaw is closed by a removable bolt which
passes through a hole in each lug. Rigging shackles are usually named by reference to the
manner in which its bolt is secured in place.

Rigging Screws (Also Known as Turn-buckles or Bottlescrews)

Rigging screws are used to set-up, ie adjust for length or tension, any rigging equipment.
There are two types;
a. A screw fitting into an internally threaded sleeve, with a swivel eye at the head of the
screw and a standing eye on the sleeve.
b. A similar assembly. but with the standing eye incorporating a slip.
Thimbles
Thimbles are classified according to the diameter of the rope for which they are intended and
also their shapes; most thimbles are manufactured from galvanised mild steel, although for
certain applications stainless steel, phosphor bronze or polyamide thimbles are used.
When an eye splice is formed at one end of a fibre or wire rope a thimble is inserted to take
the chafe of a shackle or shackle bolt and also to support the eye formed in the rope. The
support given by the thimble prevents a bad nip in the rope when under tension.
Large thimbles are made from material of special section and bent to shape; small thimbles
are cast in one piece. Thimbles are either round or heart-shaped and open or welded. The gap
formed at the throat can be sprung open to allow the eye of a tackle hook or lug of a shackle
to enter. Heart-shaped thimbles are preferable for thimble or hawser eyes, in both wire and
fibre ropes, because the rope can be spliced close to the throat of the thimble.
Hooks
There are various types of hooks used on ships. They are usually made of carbon manganese
steel, and are generally much weaker than shackles of similar size. All hooks used for lifting
purpose must be fitted with a safety catch (spring-mousing). Open (tackle) hooks may still be
encountered in certain roles, for example on awning tackles, but it is likely that all such
hooks will eventually be replaced with a spring-moused equivalent. In use, open hooks must
always be moused. It is intended that eventually all hooks in service will bear evidence of
their safe working load. Details of hooks in regular use in the service are given below
Talurit Clamp (ferral)
Tests have shown that use of the Talurit
clamp is probably the strongest method of
putting an eye in the end of a wire. The
method is most certainly stronger than an
eye splice or a socket. The ferrule, whose
passages have a diameter corresponding to
that of the wire rope, is fitted into position
loosely about the two parts of wire. If a
hard eye is required, then a thimble would
be inserted at this stage. The ferrule is then
compressed about the wire by a very powerful Talurit (press) machine. The disadvantage of
this method is that the machines are expensive and will accommodate only up to certain size
of wires. For practical purposes it is therefore a method which is generally employed as a
shoreside occupation.

Eyeplates and Eyebolts

Steel eyeplates are used for securing an eye to a structure. In steel ships they are usually
welded permanently in position, but in certain instances they may be bolted in place when
required for a specific task, then removed on completion; eyeplates in GRP ships may be
bolted to a backing plate, or screwed to a plate set in the gel, or glued in position with a
special adhesive. It must never be assumed that the strength of an eyeplate is necessarily
determined by its size, because the strength of the structure to which it is attached is equally
important. For this reason there is a requirement that a tally plate giving details of the testing
and safe working load of eyeplates must be fastened to the adjacent structure. Details of
eyeplate sizes and their safe working loads are given in ship’s ‘As Fitted’ drawings. Eyebolts
are often employed for lifting heavy concentrated loads such as machinery, but the seaman
will rarely come across them.

Eye Plate and Eyebolts

Union Plates
These are triangular or square metal plates with a hole drilled at each corner. They are used
as links for shackling the ends of three or four ropes or lengths of chain together; the
triangular plates are usually known as monkey faces or shamrock plates.