Rigging of ships

[kpnuts]

Hi all got a kindle voucher for 20 quid for Christmas what is the best book for a complete moron like me to rig ships with (I'm building the Soliel Royal)(well was its stalled on the rigging as has the Thermopylae) I need a book especially for s-i-m-p-l-e-t-o-n-s the kit instructions I can't get my head round. I've looked on amazon and they seem to range from 7 to 11 quid.

[lars_opland]

Hi KP,

The books of that sort that I have in my library tend to focus on just one period, show all the spars & none of the rigging, or prove frustrating in some other way. My best rigging references are sailing ship picture books, filled with contemporary art of each period discussed, found on the cheap in used book stores. I've been at this for years so have a nice library shelf or 2 full of the genre. Soliel Royal will have some seriously antique details, what looks like a maze of useless rope even to a modern sailor, while Thermopylae's rig wouldn't be far different from the sail training ships still afloat.

 

There's one here titled "The Lore of Ships" published originally by AB Nordbok & printed in England by Crescent Books in 1975. It has only line drawings, but seems to include many details from many periods. After searching high & low, I found the main yard sling detail I was looking for in there...

 

Cheers, -Lars

[Noel Smith]

Hi KP......Picked up on this very old thread.      For Soleil Royale Rigging.....Seek out Masting and Rigging in the Days of the Spritsail Topmast. by Dr R C Anderson. Only book I can think of that covers that period. There was a reprint by MAP named 17th Century Rigging by same author.         For the Thermopylae get any good book about the Cutty Sark's rigging, that will be almost identical.