Model Boat Mayhem
The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Yachts and Sail => Topic started by: Popeye on December 02, 2012, 11:27:57 am
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Was there a preferred, or traditional method of sheeting camber hatches eg. athwart with overlaps facing aft or lengthwise starting at side coamings and working upwards?
My old 'Nicholls Seamanship' references to tarpaulins were no help so I'm off to Maldon (Essex) in an attempt to refresh my failing memory %)
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Well their are some great looking lovingly cared for barges at Maldon. I do wonder as you say if there is now a correct way? Is this now done any way. John.
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I think you may have hit the nail on the head with the word 'preferred method'.
As a civvy boat I would assume that there would be no hard and fast rule.
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Not a barge admittedly, but on the Cardiff tramp I served my apprenticeship on in the 50's, your first suggestion was the method used on there and at a guess was the norm for British ships (?) I never heard an AB say 'this isn't the way we did it on the so-and-so' anyway.
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I worked on motoe barges in the Thames Estuary, one as master was an ex saliorman fitted with an iron topsail the Beric of Harwhich. I f you had two cloths such as on the main hatch , you pulled out the aft one first then pulled the forward one so that the forward one overlaps the aft, if you have a second ( older cover to take wear and tear then you start from aft then Forward, corner folds always put in the side never on the head ledges. If there is a single cloth to cover the whole of the hatch, it is usually always left in battened on the forward head ledge then pulled aft over the hatch. This principle was common on coasters, where you could have 3 to 5 layers of canvas, the best on first the worst on last. Then after the clothes are on and batterned down tight you always put across hatch lashings, these are for emergencies such as in bad weather the battern wedges get washed out and protect the cloths from tearing off completly in severe weather. An yes I have been on deck in bad weather knocking in battern wedges along the combings and headledges. Because a barge in a river loading going round to the Medway had 3 inches freeboard and going on the coast it was 9 inchs freeboard for both barges and coasters. I f you think it does not get rough in the Thames to Medway route , I have been of Southend Pier in a Eastly gale and floated the man overboard floats on my lifebouys to such an extant that they where flashing.
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I forgot to mention, that sheeting down was more a Thames Lighterman expression, as majority of lighters had no hatches and when loaded would normally only go out of the docks to a river wharfe to unload. So sheeting down is pulling usually smaller tarpaulins over the top of the cargo then tying down with lashing line, if a stack or near top of combings to ring bolts in the deck next to the combings. Barges and coasters would normally cover over completly and battern down securly. Except if it was timber, or if drums such as drum oil which was going Medway to Thames then it would be sheeted over. Have seen photo's of sailor man with stack boards in for cargo like coke and then they sheeted over for local trade. Sailor man and coasters going continental would load to the top of combings , then cover over as normal then load the stack on top which was then covered over securely.
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Would an iron topsail be an engine?
Ned
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Would an iron topsail be an engine?
Ned
(Courtesy of Google...)
Iron topsail
In the past, when the wind fell light a gaff-rigged boat would set her topsail. Nowadays someone just presses the starter button of the diesel, otherwise known as the iron topsail.
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Amongst Sailormen (Thames Sailing Bargeman) the auxilliary engine was always known affectionately as a iron topsail.