A NEW TALL SHIP TAKES TO SEA
Rigging a Sail Training Ship for the Indian Navy by Morin Scott A small feature from TS Royalist (the After many years' consideration the In- fore and main masts. She carries the dian Navy is building a 141-foot bark of German-sty le double gaffs on her mizzen 1971 Royal Navy Sea Cadet brig) is to be 430 tonnes with the government-owned to escape the problems found with found in the special arrangement of the Goa Shipyard Ltd. in the port of Goa, a brailing up a large gaff sail. In this con- mizzen topsail and the trysail. Both the former Portuguese colony in southwest nection it is interesting to note that the boom and the gaff jaws are mounted on India dating from the 15th century with USCG bark Eagle was originally rigged a heavy gauge stainless steel track on the a long tradition of shipbuilding. The in this way when in the German Navy as after side of the mast. Stainless slides bark is to be named Tarangini, meaning are her sister ships Sagres II , Mircea , made to fit this track are provided to hold rider or mistress of the waves. Gorch Fack II and Tovarisch (ex Gorch the luffs of the lower and upper mizzen Construction of the bark commenced Fack I). This rig was only restored by so that there is no need for mast hoops or in late 1994 and completion and trial s are Captain David Wood after a number of lashings around the mast. This enables a scheduled for spring 1996. years of sailing with an overlarge mizzen smaller track to be fitted to run up the The vessel port after side of has been dethe mast past the s igned by the boom and both internationally gaffjaws. Above known naval arthe upper gaff chitect Colin jaws this track Mudie with the swings over to the after centerengineering line of the mast company Three Quays Marine and continues Ltd. responsible to the masthead. for the engines, The main use for generators, electhis track is to trical and plumbenable the ny Ion ing services, and slides of the luff Square Rigged of the topsail to Services Ltd . be fed in at deck acting as conlevel from where sultants on the it can be hoisted rigging. Procto the masthead tor Masts have under control the contract for and sheeted out to the upper gaff the spars and rig, with Ratsey & Specifications for INS Tarangini: Sparred length , J 77ft; Length on deck, J41 Ji; Length waterline, J22 peak. Thus itcan Lapthorn sub- ft; Beam , 28/t; Draft, J3.5 ft; Sail area, 10,451 sq.ft; Displacement, 430 tons ; Fuel capacity, 33 tons; also be lowered contracted for Fresh water capacity, 46 tons, Water making capacity, 5 tons/day; Auxiliary engines, twin 300 BHP to the deck under full control the sa il s and Kirloscar!Cummins Diesels; Generators, 2 (p lus harbor auxiliary). andeitherstowed Spencers forthe rigging. following someone's idea of "improv- there or removed from the track, bagged The three-masted-bark rig chosen for ing" the rig by removing the lower gaff. and stowed below. This method is far the vessel closely follows the rig design As is often the case, a return to the simpler and safer than having to stow it of Lord Nelson (designed and produced original was a good move. The double aloft or hoi sting it up a jackstay as is by the same team in 1988 for a physi- gaff seems to have been a German inven- often done. The secondary use of thi s track is to cally handicapped crew) and, in fact, the tion and was certainly found in most only difference is the replacement of the German-built and -owned ships from hoi st the storm trysail , the head of extensive roller furling equipment by around the tum of the century. As far as which reaches just above the lower traditional gear, since there is now no I can discover, Lord Nelson was the first gaff jaws. The clew is lashed to an eye plate on the top of the boom so that British ship to be so fitted . need for the former. By a similar token it is peculiar to once thi s is sec ured the normal mizzen Deep single topsails follow Royal Navy custom where-as in sail training note that Captain Jarvis's magnificent boom sheets can be used to control it ship's-a large crew is available and the brace winches were seldom, if ever, fit- and haul it to weather if req uired. To big reef produces a storm sail of similar ted in British ships but they found great. enable safe access to the boom while dimensions to a lower topsail without favor with Laeisz and other German securing the trysail clew lashin g, the incurring the extra windage, cost and shipowners, and his clew lines are still to boom can be lowered down onto the inconvenienceofadditional spars on both be found in German ships. 1deckhou se rail and held steady there 34
SEA HISTORY 77, SPRING 1996
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