What is the purpose of these things? (headrails)

A good question. I have often wondered why they were so commonly used in the 18th/19th century. They must be difficult to make - they are certainly difficult to model - and don't look particularly strong. The simple planking used on the side of beakheads of earlier (Tudor?) ships seem more practical if less ornate. When did they first become fashionable?
 
The so called "head rails" were installed for decorations, but I guess they had also some structural reasons

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Glossary 1.JPG

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The upper and lower cheeks were constructed like a knee between the hull (under the hawse holes) and the stem
And the main rail was ending in a knee under the cathead

and in addition these rails formed a railing, so no seaman can fall down when sitting on the "seat of ease" ;)
 
These rails are for the good look. But the men on board are also glad that these rails are available. When you sit there in the morning doing your poop thing and the sea is rough, your glad that these rails are there and you can hold them to stay in position. Till your morning (or evening) ritual is done. Alien
 
Viper said:
Very Interesting, almost like catch nets on modern ships along the flight decks.
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My thoughts exactly. I don't think they would make a warship or an industrial ship with these things on the bow without a purpose. My best guess is that a person handling the rigging of the anchor could climb onto this nest-like array without falling into the ocean, for at night, maybe a rope could lasso around your ankle, but you could be assured that you had a knife handy and something solid to hold onto. Anchoring was not just for business, but to let a storm go over.
 
UVSaturated said:
The bow of the ship has ornimental stuff attached to the bow and such. I am wondering the purpose of these:View attachment 424236
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In response to your question you might be interested in a 1925 book “Old Ship Figureheads and Sterns” by L.G. Carr Laughton who addresses the very subject of the development of ornamentation, including the figurehead and the construction and structure of the “head”.

In the introductory chapters the book discusses how the projection of the forecastle beyond the stem head came about and why it tended to stay as part of sailing ship construction. He considers and supposes that the original projection was a beak (as a weapon) so that early sailing ships could meet oared galleys. This beak or spur was an open framework but moving forward in time this “spur” was decked and a bulwark and additional timbers added. Ornamentation was very much a factor and remained even as the form of the head changed over the years. As time went by more changes were undertaken, so much so that the original horizontal structures, for construction purposes, took an angle of 30 degrees with the waterline. This meant the rails had to be curved. Later more changes saw the shortening of the projection of the head and raising the rails to more convoluted angles.

Suffice to say even more changes came about and the rails became higher as the cheeks remained low. The head became narrower and ran from the figure to the corners of the forecastle.

What I understand from the book is that the head rails were, in much later years and up to the decline of sailing ships, simply a matter of retaining the fashion of early stem head design and later served only some limited structural purpose/s. Ornamentation remained a factor throughout the centuries though.

Thus, as modellers we have beautiful curved, twisted and ornamented rails on our models, to enjoy and frustrate us, as we test our skills. The book is well worth reading.
 
RogerD said:
In response to your question you might be interested in a 1925 book “Old Ship Figureheads and Sterns” by L.G. Carr Laughton who addresses the very subject of the development of ornamentation, including the figurehead and the construction and structure of the “head”.
Click to expand...

RogerD said:
In the introductory chapters the book discusses how the projection of the forecastle beyond the stem head came about and why it tended to stay as part of sailing ship construction. He considers and supposes that the original projection was a beak (as a weapon) so that early sailing ships could meet oared galleys. This beak or spur was an open framework but moving forward in time this “spur” was decked and a bulwark and additional timbers added. Ornamentation was very much a factor and remained even as the form of the head changed over the years. As time went by more changes were undertaken, so much so that the original horizontal structures, for construction purposes, took an angle of 30 degrees with the waterline. This meant the rails had to be curved. Later more changes saw the shortening of the projection of the head and raising the rails to more convoluted angles.

Suffice to say even more changes came about and the rails became higher as the cheeks remained low. The head became narrower and ran from the figure to the corners of the forecastle.

What I understand from the book is that the head rails were, in much later years and up to the decline of sailing ships, simply a matter of retaining the fashion of early stem head design and later served only some limited structural purpose/s. Ornamentation remained a factor throughout the centuries though.

Thus, as modellers we have beautiful curved, twisted and ornamented rails on our models, to enjoy and frustrate us, as we test our skills. The book is well worth reading.
Click to expand...
 
RogerD said:
In response to your question you might be interested in a 1925 book “Old Ship Figureheads and Sterns” by L.G. Carr Laughton who addresses the very subject of the development of ornamentation, including the figurehead and the construction and structure of the “head”.
Click to expand...
very good, that you mentioned this old (first edition 1925) and very interesting book

For everybody interested take a look in the Book Review I made some years ago

Old Ship Figure-Heads & Sterns
with which are associated galleries, hancing-pieces, catheads and divers other matters that concern the "grace and countenance" of old sailing ships
by L. G. Carr Laughton (Leonard George Carr)

Book review - Book Review: "Old Ship Figure-Heads & Sterns" by L. G. Carr Laughton

Book Review: Old Ship Figure-Heads & Sterns with which are associated galleries, hancing-pieces, catheads and divers other matters that concern the "grace and countenance" of old sailing ships by L. G. Carr Laughton (Leonard George Carr) Edition 1991 Published London : Conway Maritime...
shipsofscale.com
 
Well, the “seat of ease”, as they were quaintly referred to, was out there. That was the crew’s commode. Just a plank seat with one or more seats — no plumbing required. Must have been quite a trick to use in rough seas or freezing conditions….
 
This is remembering that sailboats run before the wind and ere' foul drafts before the crew, the seat of ease is placed at the head of the boat.
 
Steef66 said:
These rails are for the good look. But the men on board are also glad that these rails are available. When you sit there in the morning doing your poop thing and the sea is rough, your glad that these rails are there and you can hold them to stay in position. Till your morning (or evening) ritual is done. Alien
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I've heard that too and have even seen a picture of how they were used. I used to hear people refer to the toilet as "the head" and I guess that's why.
 
Over the years of my modeling and the random research I have come to understand there are several uses of bow head rails. As discussed above decoration and crew safety being most commonly understood. I have also seen minor remarks that head rails work in concert with gammoning to stabilize the bowsprit and the bow stem from the forces and stresses of rigging. The head rails help stabilize side to side stress from the bowsprit on the stem. I don’t have the reference anymore but I remember this whee bit.
 
file.php
 
Good morning
These pieces in Spanish are called "brazales"
They have an structural function.
The upper one is at the level of the grating that serves as support and also a toilet for the sailors who have to access the stem or cutwater.
It is a structure to brace the stem and support the grating at the level of the ship's deck.

Explanation and notes by Leopoldo García Echeveste

https://www.foromodelismonaval.es/viewtopic.php?t=13677&start=135






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