Rigging sequence for HMS Victory

[JohnReid]

Please note: the decision to use harbour,furled or full sail rig has to be made very early in the process .I plan to discuss some of the full sail rigging options later.

[JohnReid]

Re: HMS Victory
In my opinion,HMS Victory,by Noel CL Hackney is the best by far as a guide to the step by step rigging of this ship and other English ships-of-the-line.It was written by a modeler for other modelers .I have all the other books on modeling Victory but this little book, that I paid $1.98 for new in a hobby store 35 years ago ,is the best.Unfortunately they now only come up on the secondary market and only occasionally and they want up to $150.00 bucks for it.There are only 7 libraries in the world that stock it and there was only one printing made in the English language in 1970,the others are in German.If anyone knows how to put a little pressure on the owners of the rights to this book,please do so. Mr Hackney was foremost a modeler and he went to a lot of effort to make sure this information was available to modelers.I am sure that he would be very unhappy today to see the price that modelers have to pay and to whom the money is going.I am sure that in his lifetime it wasn't him.
Check it out on the web ISBN 0 85059 053 1.

I personally used his book over a 30 year period when building my own Victory and I don't think that I would have finished it as easily or as accurately as I did without it.It is a real shame that it will not be available to future modelers.And no I am not selling mine.
Thanks Noel!

[JohnReid]

This will be a real time online booklet based upon Noel Hackney's method of rigging HMS Victory.
What I am attempting here is to fill the gap between nothing at all and all the experts.I am no expert myself and Victory was my first attempt at rigging a ship-of-the-line.I almost gave up myself until I discovered Noel's little book.Written for the inexperienced rigger, by a modeler for modelers of plastic or wooden ships,it is clear and concise on how to properly rig this ship in the proper sequence.I have all the other books on Victory,but they are all really confusing on where to begin the rigging and where to end.I hope this helps!This booklet is about sequence of rigging only.
Because I am doing this in real time ,if you would like to request a picture of a particular area that we are dealing with at the time please feel free to ask.Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

Please feel free to post questions or comments to this thread at any time.The booklet pages will all be numbered.

[JohnReid]

Please note: that this is a real time build booklet so if you would like me to take a pic of a specific area that we are dealing with at the time,just ask.If you have a Victory in plastic or wood that you would like to finish why not drag it out of the closet and do it now.I know that a lot of guys just give up when they get to the rigging stage,I almost did.This online booklet is meant mostly for beginners rigging their first large ship, like I was
at the time of my 1/72 scale Victory build.

[JohnReid]

Revised format
One of the problems in doing a real time online information booklet is that you kind to have to learn as you go along.I didn't like the format up until now as it is too confusing.If this is going to be a step by step method the following format should better reflect what I am trying to do here.



STEP 3-Bobstays

Longridge-Text page 226,Plan 6.

Hackney-Text page 61,figure 13.

Three bobstays are fitted between the head and the bowsprit.They are of 8" rope each one doubled and rigged by hearts and lanyards.The hearts are 14" long and the lanyards are of 4" rope.Two hearts are required for each bobstay.

Note: I will revise steps 1 and 2 to conform to this new format.Thank you for your patience.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

Bobstays.

[JohnReid]

Step 1-Pendants

Longridge -Text P228, Plan # 8

Hackney-Text P61,# Fig 20

The first item of rigging to go on the lower masts are the pendants,each consisting of a length of rope with an eye in the end.On both fore and main masts there are two of them each of 11" rope(TPI).On the mizzen there is but a single one of only 5" (TPI)The starboard side is put on first with the aft leg of each pair hanging lower than the other.These pendants come down to roughly the third mastband below the cheeks.The single pair on the mizzen are single spliced instead of using seizings.

[JohnReid]

Mizzen and topmast pendants.

[JohnReid]

Step 2-Foremast shrouds.

Longridge P219-33 plan#8

Hackney P61 Fig 36

Note: there is a definite sequence for rigging the shrouds.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

Step #4

Bowsprit Shrouds:

Longridge P226 Plate 72 (excellent picture)

Hackney P62 Fig 13

Attach four 14" hearts to the bowsprit.Two collars of 8" rope each carry a pair of these hearts mounted one on each side of the bowsprit.

[JohnReid]

Please note:

If I have time and live long enough,I plan to expand upon each step in the future( based upon Hackneys book.)

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

Step 5 Mainstay.

Longridge P220-21. Plan 8. Plate 74.

Hackney P62 .Plate 11.

Lead a length of 14" rope down through one of the two rear slots of the marines walk,down through the angled drilling in the knighthead ,through the large hole in the gammoning knee, up through the other knighthead and up through the other rear slot in the marines walk.Seize the two ends around a 26" heart .Then lead a length of 19" rope up through the maintop round the back of the masthead and down through the other side of the main top.Seize a second 26" heart in the free end.Lead this end down to the starboard of the foremast and reeve the two hearts together with 6" rope ,tying the end around the turns.

Please note:When the mainstay has been rigged attach a 16" single block to each side of its collar close under the main top just forward of the lower shrouds.These blocks will be used for the fore braces at a later stage.

[JohnReid]