Mast Specifications
The original mast specifications as laid down by the ships designer still exist and are listed below as "tea rig". This arrangement was used during the ship's time on the tea trade route, where it was necessary to maximise the area of sail to get the greatest possible propulsion when the ship might be becalmed in the doldrums. For the route to Australia it was not necessary to carry such a large area of sail and the masts and yards were reduced. The trade winds required great strength in masts, but the wind could best be captured by relatively small, high sails. A smaller rig also represented a saving in maintenance costs. Each of the three masts (fore, main and mizzen) is in three overlapping sections
| Tea rig | Sydney | |
|---|---|---|
| Foretop | 18.8 | 16.5 |
| Topgallant | 29.8 | 24.3 |
| Royal | 39.6 | 35.4 |
| Maintop | 19.8 | 16.9 |
| Topgallant | 31.9 | 22.8 |
| Royal | 36.3 | |
| Skysail | 44.5 | |
| Mizzentop | 17.0 | 14.8 |
| Topgallant | 25.7 | 22.8 |
| Royal | 33.2 | 31.7 |
| Tea rig | Sydney | |
|---|---|---|
| Fore course | 23.8 | 21.0 |
| Lowertopsail | 20.7 | 16.8 |
| Uppertopsail | 19.5 | 14.6 |
| Topgallant | 14.6 | 11.5 |
| Royal | 11.6 | 9.4 |
| Main course | 23.8 | 21.6 |
| Lowertopsail | 20.7 | 18.5 |
| Uppertopsail | 19.5 | 16.8 |
| Topgallant | 14.6 | 14.2 |
| Royal | 11.6 | 10.4 |
| Skysail | 10.4 | |
| Mizzen course | 18.3 | 17.4 |
| Lowertopsail | 16.5 | 14.9 |
| Uppertopsail | 14.6 | 13.4 |
| Topgallant | 11.9 | 11.0 |
| Royal | 10.1 | 8.2 |
| Spanker | 15.8 | 14.1 |
Read more about this topic: Cutty Sark
Famous quotes containing the word mast:
“I did not wish to take a cabin passage, but rather to go before the mast and on the deck of the world, for there I could best see the moonlight amid the mountains. I do not wish to go below now.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)