The Masting of American Merchant Sail in the 1850s

Download or read book The Masting of American Merchant Sail in the 1850s written by William L. Crothers and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-08-13 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes the intricacies of the construction and fabrication more than 150 years ago of masts and yards installed in American merchant vessels, particularly those spars which were "built" or composed of multiple pieces bound together by iron bands. These were referred to as "made" spars as opposed to spars constructed from a single tree. It also contains instructions for developing the shape and proportions of various spars. Very little information is available on this subject. Generally, the external sizes of individual spars can be found but intimate details are sorely neglected. In addition, the book includes the spacing and location of masts in a ship, and the rake, and it discusses the types of wood that are most desirable in the construction of spars.