Existing comment:
Elements of Rigging:
To those not accustomed to sailing ships, the spider web of rigging seems almost incomprehensible; to the sailor, every line is understandable and functional. Rigging has three basic purposes: it supports the masts, it raises or lowers the yards, and it controls the sails in maneuvering the ship. Rigging that does not move, such as the stays that hold the masts, is known as standing rigging and was generally coated with tar as a preservative. Running rigging is left natural so that it remains flexible and moves easily through the blocks, or pulleys, that can be easily belayed, or secured to a belaying pin.
In the mid-1700s, it could take two-and-a-half years to build a 74-gun ship of the line, but in two weeks the masts could be stepped and all of the rigging set up ready for sea. |