Uses of Capstan

[AThompson]

Me again, I mean, what's the point in a forum if you don't use it, right?

I'm reading some text that mentions a capstan can be used for hoisting heavy spars and even ship's boats. But my question is, how?

I know the capstans are used for hauling anchor cables through messengers and can be used for club hauling, etc., but I can't figure out how this turning action can be transferred to hoisting spars high up to the masts.

[wadinga]

Hi AThompson,

It's great to see activity on the forum. And there are no daft questions. Much knowledge is not recorded because the author forgets the reader has not had the same experiences as them, and "everyday" things are not explained.

Take a pulley block and secure a tail rope from its body to a deck strongpoint. A rope passing through the pulley can be redirected upwards to a second block high in the rigging, around that and back down to the deck where it can be attached to the object to be lifted. Install your fiddle player on the capstan, get him to play a suitable tune, and with sufficient jolly tars at the capstan bars, up, up and away goes the heaviest item.

Later, when steam capstans become the norm, the same arrangement works for the ship's derricks to load and unload cargo from the ship's holds. The winding power is transferred across the deck from where it is available to where it is needed by ropes and pulleys. Only with hydraulic and later electrical power is it possible to make a shipboard crane self-contained.

All the best

wadinga

[OpanaPointer]

It's a human powered motor.

[Byron Angel]

Other uses of the capstan -

"warping"
https://www.oxfordreference.com/display ... 0513B62DED

"kedging"
https://nsc.ca/nsc_library/techtalk/dewitte_kedging.php
(most famously employed by a becalmed USS Constitution to escape a pursuing British squadron during the War of 1812)


Byron

[marcelo_malara]

One little known aspect of the age of sail is that there were not davits for the boats, at least not for the heavier ones. The yards were used to hoist the boats from deck and lower them to the sea, a time consuming task, no wonder they were not considered life boats . For this and to avoid damage boats were lowered to the sea previous to battle (if time and weather allowed).

Another little known curiosity is that not only were capstan used to rise spars, but also masts. The mast as you can see in any masting diagram, was composed not of a single piece, but from at least three masts, the lower one that rested on the keel, the topmast on top, and the topgallant (clippers had more). They were not piled one above the other, but each steeped in front of the lower one, so the could be lowered.

In this image the topgallants have been stroke down in front of the topmasts, and the topgallant sail yards have been sent down on deck.

[OpanaPointer]

Link not working.

And I think you mean "struck", not "stroke".

[marcelo_malara]

Link not working.

And I think you mean "struck", not "stroke".

Yes! Struck is the correct word. For the link I can´t help, I can see it.

Here are some more.

[OpanaPointer]

That pics works. I get the error I saw from imgur sometimes.
"Life is hard, then you DIE!"

[marcelo_malara]

That pics works. I get the error I saw from imgur sometimes.
"Life is hard, then you DIE!"

That´s good! You know, marine artist of the old days are a respected source of information regarding masting and rigging, they had good eyes for detail.

[AThompson]

Hi AThompson,

It's great to see activity on the forum. And there are no daft questions. Much knowledge is not recorded because the author forgets the reader has not had the same experiences as them, and "everyday" things are not explained.

Take a pulley block and secure a tail rope from its body to a deck strongpoint. A rope passing through the pulley can be redirected upwards to a second block high in the rigging, around that and back down to the deck where it can be attached to the object to be lifted. Install your fiddle player on the capstan, get him to play a suitable tune, and with sufficient jolly tars at the capstan bars, up, up and away goes the heaviest item.

Later, when steam capstans become the norm, the same arrangement works for the ship's derricks to load and unload cargo from the ship's holds. The winding power is transferred across the deck from where it is available to where it is needed by ropes and pulleys. Only with hydraulic and later electrical power is it possible to make a shipboard crane self-contained.

All the best

wadinga

Thanks, Wadinga.

That... actually makes a lot of sense now you say it. I still maintain in all nautical text there should be a glossary of picture diagrams at the back for each activity stated in the text.

[marcelo_malara]

Thanks, Wadinga.

That... actually makes a lot of sense now you say it. I still maintain in all nautical text there should be a glossary of picture diagrams at the back for each activity stated in the text.

In the case of the age of sail this would need at least 3 or 4 volumes!

For the construction, decks, etc...



Masting and rigging



Shiphandling

[AThompson]

I have Seamanship in the Age of Sail. I just haven't finished it, yet. It's a beast. The other two are oddly already on my Wishlist. Birthday soon. Fingered crossed.

[Byron Angel]

Check out “The 74 Gun Ship” by Jean Boudriot ..........

Byron

[OpanaPointer]

For a small town boy in Indiana Hornblower was a bit of a challenge, but I plunged through all those nautical crises he managed. Nearly wore out two librarians chasing information not available in a library serving a town of ~7,000 Hoosier hicks.

[marcelo_malara]

For a small town boy in Indiana Hornblower was a bit of a challenge, but I plunged through all those nautical crises he managed. Nearly wore out two librarians chasing information not available in a library serving a town of ~7,000 Hoosier hicks.

I think there was a companion volume, explaining some things about the era.