How times change

There is some interesting time lapse footage of some rigging work being done on victory, including looking down from a crane jib. All safety lines and hard hat stuff. You just have to compare the video below with some Pathe News footage from 1964

Holy crow, that is a serious bowsprit. Would love to see the Victory in person someday.

Was it just me or did that crane make anyone else nervous? I kept waiting for the operator to drop a yard or knock apart a mast.

The Society for Nautical Research recently produced an excellent DVD of Victory. Basically it is the tourist's tour, although some extra areas are also included. The SNR costs £34 a year ($80 American), which includes four copies of The Mariner's Mirror - worth the sub alone. Other benefits include free admission to Victory and the Royal Naval Museum. (And their AGM's can be pretty explosive as well...) More details here: http://www.snr.org.uk/index.htm

Borrelpeff (Alaric Bond) wrote:the Royal Naval Museum.

Sure would love to go there, too!! Ah, someday...

I had planned and saved for literally years so that I could be in England on Oct 21st 2005. That had been my dream since I was 5!

In June of 2005 my wife of 16 years, now my ex, cleaned out the bank accounts and went off with her boyfriend/drug dealer of the last seven months while I was at sea delivering an Irwin center- cockpit ketch from Kodiak to Juneau, AK..... So much for going to see the Victory.

Cranes?! LOL! What luxury! We cross the yards on the Kalmar Nyckel using the strong backs of the crew.

I kid you not. The spars are hoisted onto the shoulders of about 50-60 trainees -- this goes on during the spring crew training class, and is deliberately scheduled so that trainees participate in the various phases of maintenance and rig up. Trainees do the brawny part of lifting while the experienced crew handle safety and other equipment, such as moving the sawhorses that will support the yard when it reaches its intended destination (going in or out of the rigging loft), steering, calling the action, and so forth.

For small spars, the gantlines and taglines are used to haul up, but the main yard and foreyard are hauled with their own halyards. The capstan is of great use.

We do have a dockside winch that assists with getting spars aboard, but it's all muscle-power, too.

I have some photos from 2010. These are from several different work sessions, so are not all the same mast and sail, but show you the steps.

A trainee learning how to climb the futtock shrouds: https://picasaweb.google.com/108497791620061112079/KalmarNyckelUpriggingMaintenance#5453809702019081410

Experienced crew aloft, standing on the catharpings, getting ready to raise the main top mast: https://picasaweb.google.com/108497791620061112079/KalmarNyckelUpriggingMaintenance#5473525124337208498

The main topmast in the lowered position: https://picasaweb.google.com/108497791620061112079/KalmarNyckelUpriggingMaintenance#5473528057326610402

Trainee learns to breast the capstan: https://picasaweb.google.com/108497791620061112079/KalmarNyckelUpriggingMaintenance#5473525109834130914

Trainees looking aloft. Notice the topsail bent to its yard lying ready on the dock: https://picasaweb.google.com/108497791620061112079/KalmarNyckelUpriggingMaintenance#5453809710676341698

Experienced crew and boatswain aloft, preparing to raise the fore topmast in the rain: https://picasaweb.google.com/108497791620061112079/KalmarNyckelUpriggingMaintenance#5448336056438004802

The topmast before it receives the top yard: https://picasaweb.google.com/108497791620061112079/KalmarNyckelUpriggingMaintenance#5453809695300077522

The vessels with her topmasts raised but uncrossed; trainees are learning to set the fore course, aft, on the quarterdeck, more are working with the mizzen sail, which is down to the deck: https://picasaweb.google.com/108497791620061112079/KalmarNyckelUpriggingMaintenance#5549074617879068962

Avast! Trainees hold the tagline while experienced crew aloft make adjustments to bring the fore topsail into the top: https://picasaweb.google.com/108497791620061112079/KalmarNyckelUpriggingMaintenance#5453809731186305058

Raising the fore top yard. Trainees are avasted on the tagline, waiting further instruction while experienced crew aloft make adjustments: https://picasaweb.google.com/108497791620061112079/KalmarNyckelUpriggingMaintenance#5453809723170625346

Chief mate standing on the mizzen cross trees after raising the mizzen flagstaff: https://picasaweb.google.com/108497791620061112079/KalmarNyckelUpriggingMaintenance#5473526954118683634

I admit that I envy you enough to feel ashamed of it! My experience is all in small sailboats. The largest I've even crewed on, much less commanded, is all of 44'. Thanks for the photos.

What a great looking ship. Thanks for the photos

Ah, I found one more essential picture for crossing the yards: Timmynocky, the ship's cat, performing his designated duty as trip hazard and crew distractor: https://picasaweb.google.com/108497791620061112079/SeaCats#5548153933891643810

malchya wrote:I admit that I envy you enough to feel ashamed of it! My experience is all in small sailboats. The largest I've even crewed on, much less commanded, is all of 44'. Thanks for the photos.

I'm no commander! Just a dogsbody with a camera. (Until the salt water killed it. Only took a few months.)

Making the switch from a fore-and-after to a square-rigger was harder than I thought it would be. Going through the Kalmar Nyckel's crew training was a demanding course of study, both practical and classroom.

On the other hand, accustomed to the primitive accommodations aboard a skipjack, the KN seemed positively luxurious. Bunks, by god! Heated belowdeck quarters in the winter! What luxury! Beats the heck out of eight hours in an open boat in winter. In the rain. With brand new foullies leaking.

~K~