Rigging Detail

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Every part of the rigging has a name, and able seamen needed to know them all. Masts (Bow to stern): Fore mast Main Mast Mizzen Mast. Yards (top to bottom): Royal Top Gallant Topsail Course Constellation had 12 yards in total. When the wind was not blowing from directly astern, the crew could re-angle the sails by turning the yards. Crews hauled ropes attached to the yards called “braces,” and could turn the sails almost 90 degrees each direction hauling on the rope Look around the deck to find other yards not in place on the masts. Rigging There are two types of rigging on a ship: Running Rigging and Standing Rigging. They are all made of hemp rope. As the name suggests, Running Rigging moves or adjusts part of the ship, such as turning, raising, or lowering yards, and adjusting tension on the sails. When fully rigged, Constellation needed 15 miles of Running Rigging. You can recognize Standing Rigging by its black color. These ropes only give structural support for masts and other parts of the ship. They are black due to a coating of tar which protects the plant-fiber rope from the elements. Since these ropes do not move very often, they are more susceptible to rot and decay. The current rig is all recent construction. However, the masts attach to the ship on the original keel on the bottom of the ship. The 150-year-old structural support and the impracticality of maintaining the required volume of rope prevents the Constellation from sailing under her own power The fighting top is the white platform on the lower third of the mast. It is a work platform that experienced sailors climbed to when working in the rig. Experienced seamen climbed around the outer edge to mount the platform, while the inexperienced lubbers went through the lubber's hole near the middle. Sailing Constellation's got her best speed when the wind hit the sails at a 90° angle. The yards could turn port and starboard to put the sails at 90° to the wind from pretty much 180° behind the ship. These different directions are called the points of sail. (see image). One of Constellation's main disadvantages to the more modern steam ships of her day was that she was limited if the wind was not blowing the direction the ship needed to go. To counter this, Constellation did a technique called "tacking." The whole ship turned 90° to the wind, then the crew turned the yards another 90° to the wind. Of course, now Constellation was off course, heading 90° away from her target position, so they sailed a little while like this, then turned the ship to the opposite angle, adjusted the yards to the opposite tack, sailed that direction for a while, the repeated. It was not uncommon if the ship had to sail 15 miles side-to-side to go 1 or two miles forward if the wind was really unfavorable.

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