U.S. Brig Niagara, Instruction Manual

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then sets up to laser-cut hearts and an
eyebolt on the starboard bowsprit bitt.
The chock on the foremast bends the
stay down, while applying tension. 

Main Topmast Stay and Spring Stay

: These

stays reeve through a collar with thimble
on the foremast and belay to bullseyes and
eyebolts in the deck. The topmast stay also
reeves through a grommet attached to a
metal band on the foremast.

Main Topgallant Stay and Royal Stay

: 

The topgallant stay reeves through a collar
with thimble on the fore topmast, then
down to a tackle on the port side of the fore
top. The tackle's fall belays to itself. The
royal stay belays to thimbles with a lanyard
on the starboard side of the fore top. 

4. Bowsprit Rigging

Bobstays

: The inner bobstay belays to hearts

and a collar on the bowsprit, but the outer
bobstay sets up to an iron band on it.

Jibboom Martingale

: The martingale is eye

spliced around the end of the jibboom and
at the dolphin striker. From the dolphin
striker, port and starboard backropes belay
to bullseyes in the hull (Figure 8-9).

Flying Jibboom Martingale

: This martingale

is eye spliced to the flying jibboom head,
then reeves through a hole in the dolphin
striker. It ends in an eye splice and thim-
ble just aft of the dolphin striker. A back-
rope reeves through the thimble and sets
to an eyebolt on the port side of the hull
and to bullseyes on the starboard side.

Bowsprit Shrouds

: These shrouds belay to

port and starboard eyebolts in the hull,
then to bullseyes in a collar on the
bowsprit (Figure 8-10).

Jibboom and Flying Jibboom Guys

: Guys

are eye spliced at the ends of the booms,
pass over cleats on the spritsail yard,
then belay to bullseyes at the catheads.

Manropes

: 

Niagara

has an elaborate net-

work of manropes to prevent a crew
member from falling overboard. Two
long fore and aft lines, port and star-
board, begin with a knot on the inside
of the chock rail, reeve through holes in
the rail, and seize to the shrouds and
guys. Transverse short lines seize to the
guys and long lines to form netting
(Figure 8-11). Manropes are tan, even
though they are standing rigging.

Option: Melbourne Smith's design shows
traditional footropes on the jibboom and
flying jibboom. If choosing this approach,
add footropes on the spritsail yard.

Fig 8-6 Outer Jib Stay Tackle

Fig 8-7 Fore Royal Stay Backrope

Fig 8-8 Mainstay at Foremast

Fig 8-9 Jibboom Martingale

Belay to itself

Double

Fiddle block

Eyebolt

Dolphin Striker

Thimble

Backrope

Hole in hull

Eyebolt–port 
side of hull

Cleat on side of
bowsprit inboard

Royal stay

Laser–cut hearts

Mast

Chock

Lashing

Port side

same

Eyesplice

Jibboom martingale

Eyesplice

Jibboom

Dolphin striker

Eyebolt on hull

Bulleyes with

lanyard

Backrope

Seize

Bowsprit cap

Outer jib stay