Mast head/top

Don Case

Don Case

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Jul 10, 2021
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In Historic Ship Models zu Mondfeld lists mast dimensions on page 216. He gives the length and diameter and also the "length of the top". He dosen't give the length of the masthead. In the Rigging of Ships 1600-1720 Anderson says that the top and the masthead are roughly the same length. Should I be using zuMondfelds "length of top" as also the length of the masthead?
 
If that were the case why would zu Mondfeld have gone to all the trouble of writing that great long chart of mast dimensions. All the dimensions are based on the beam of the ship so there is some kind of pattern/rules about rigging I would think.
 
Can we try a different tack. I'm now looking at Finchams "Treatise on Masting". I think the info I'm after is there but the terminology is stalling me. On his charts Fincham refers to "Main mast headed" and Main mast hounded". On one example hounded is 53.7ft and headed is 10.4 ft. I'm thinking this means it's 53.7' to the hounds and another 10.4' to the cap/top/upper end(choose correct term :)) . Or in other words the masthead is 10.4'. Does that sound logical? The dimensions seem about right to me but I just want to make sure that something ahead of me is not going to bite me if I get this wrong. Thanks.
 
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