Sunday October 14, 2012

*** Scroll down for this week's photo***

Last week's photo and answer:

This "item" is one of many that are located along the sheer strake at the fore and main mast. This fitting is one of the ELISSA's chainplates. It is more accurately known as a chainplate palm and is the lower end of the chainplate that is riveted to the sheerstrake/ bulwark interface.

The winners of last week's contest are:

• Root Choyce
• Ed Green
• Janine da Silva
• Rick Bounds
• Erich Wagner

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Sunday October 14, 2012

What Is It? Contest!

Thought I would make it a little more challenging this week. I have so often heard this fitting referred to a variety of names and seldom the correct one. You do not need to identify which one this is, only what is its name. Part of the idea behind this contest is to educate all of us on the proper terms for the bits of gear we all see or use every time we step aboard ELISSA ~ a kind of vocabulary quiz from the lexicon of a square-rig sailor. I hope more people give the contest a try and remember to look at 19th century British sources for the answers.

I would suggest looking at one of my favorite rigging sources for 19th century British sailing ships - Masting and Rigging the Clipper Ship and Ocean Carrier by Harold Underhill...and we just last week received a copy for TSM's Maritime library. Please avail yourselves of the wonderful library at TSM.

Fair Leads,

Jamie