TOPMAST RIGGING.
The topmast rigging will be cut (due allowance being made for the cross-trees), fitted, and served in the same manner as the main rigging, but the eyes at the lower end of the shrouds will be turned in round galvanised iron thimbles, to take the hooks of the setting-up tackles, or falls, as they are termed.
Each topmast backstay is usually in two parts, the lower part being the leg, which is in length equal to the housing length of the topmast. A thimble is eye-spliced into the upper and lower end of the leg, and a shackle joins it to the shroud.
Yachts above 10 tons usually have two topmast shrouds, or two backstays as they are more generally termed, on each side, and one "preventer" or shifting backstay each side. In yachts of 10 tons and under one backstay and one preventer each side are generally considered sufficient; in these vessels a thumb cleat is usually fitted to the cross trees, and when the yacht is at anchor the preventer is put in this and set up with its tackle, for the sake of tidiness. In large yachts a cleat or score is also provided on the cross-trees, for the preventers when not in use. A favourite plan, however, is to set up both preventers from their eye bolts aft on the counter; and the only objection to this plan is, that there is more gear for the yards or jibbooms of passing craft to pick up if they come dangerously near ; on the other hand, so far as appearance goes, it makes a yacht look a little more rigged.
Schooners, in addition to topmast shrouds and preventers, have a main-topmast stay which leads from the shoulder of the main-topmast to the foremast head (see Fig. 28) ; some cruising schooners further have a standing fore-topmast stay, which leads from the fore-topmast shoulder to the mainmast head.
The shifting or " preventer" backstays will be measured for length from the shoulder of topmast to taffrail, and then deduct from this length about six or seven feet for the setting-up tackle. In large vessels this tackle always consists of two double blocks, the standing part being generally made fast to the upper block, and then the fall leads from the upper block ; but sometimes the tackle is put the other way up, so that the fall leads from the lower block. The advantage of this plan is that several hands can get on the fall for a " drag; " the other plan, however, is more shipshape, and if the fall be put under the cavel round a belaying pin, with a couple of hands to " swig" and one to take up the slack, the tackle will always be set up taut enough. The tackles are hooked to the trysail sheet bolts on the quarter. In some racing yachts a capital plan is adopted to avoid any possible mishap before the backstay can be properly set up : a tail block is seized to the lower end of the preventer just above the eye; a single rope is rove through this block, and one end of it made fast to the cavel aft ; a knot is tied in the other end to prevent the rope unreeving. The rope is of sufficient length to admit of the preventer being carried into the main rigging without it being unrove. When shifting the backstays, as in gybing, one hand takes hold of the hauling part of this " whip" to leeward, and hauls the backstay aft and gets it set up fairly taut, whilst another hand prepares the tackle for hooking on as the boom settles over. If backstays
are properly worked in this way, a topmast should never be lost in gybing.
In all yachts it is a great advantage to be able to get the topmast quickly on deck, and in those of 40 tons and under the man of-war plan of sending the rigging up on a funnel can be recommended. A topmast on deck, instead of up and down the mast, is as good as a reef; and in small yachts of 5 and 10 tons, where the stick can be easily " man-handled," the funnel arrangements can be made use of. Mr. Beavor Webb adopted the plan in the Freda, and Mr. Baden Powell in the Kohinoor, and both corn mend it. In the annexed diagram a is the topmast, and b the pole of the topmast ; x topsail halyard sheave; k is the funnel ; m and m are two catches rivetted to the funnel ; the catches rest on the cap of the mast in a fore-and-aft direction when the topmast is lowered, and prevent the funnel going down through with the topmast. The funnel, it will be seen, is made to fit on the shoulder of the topmast, the lower part of the funnel being greater in diameter than the upper part. Fig. A shows the funnel viewed from above, o being the shoulder, b the pole of topmast, and m m the catches. All the topmast rigging, including preventers, also spinnaker and jib sail halyard blocks, are fitted on the funnel over the shoulder. A stout rope grommet should be fitted on the shoulder of the cap as a bolster to prevent the rigging being cut. In lowering the topmast the halyards must be unrove from the sheave 8; then, when unfidded, the topmast will come down; but the funnel, with the catches resting on the upper cap, will remain at the masthead—that is, the lower half of the funnel will be inside the cap, and the upper half above the cap. All the rig ging, &c., of course remains on the funnel. To get the topmast up again, the pole will be shoved up through the funnel, and, when clear of the cap, a hand aloft will reeve the halyards through the sheave hole s. In lowering whilst racing, the flag would have to be taken off before bringing the pole through the funnel, as it might foul. So also if there are signal halyards, they must be unrove. Any good brazier would make the funnel, and rivet or weld the iron catches on. The funnel would, however, be better made of copper. Care should be taken that the lower part of the funnel is made as deep as the cap, and that it fits inside the cap easily, but not too loosely. The upper part of the funnel must be high enough to take all the rigging eyes and tails of blocks. The man-of-war funnels have no lower part, and the catches when the topmast is down have to be lashed to the cap ; this of course takes up time. A topmast, with the funnel as described and as fitted by Mr. Webb in the Freda, can be got on deck iu one minute, and be got up again in nearly as little time.