Jack, Thanks for the information on the ship masts. It adds more pieces to the puzzle we are considering. There is a nice article on masts here: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/sail-masts.htm here are some excerpts from the article:
The masts of a warship were more lofty than those of a merchant ship of the same tonnage. In sailing merchant ships, the masts became more lofty with time. A merchant ship of 1300 tons, in 1830, had a mainmast 179 ft. in height; a vessel of the same size would have a mast of 198 ft. by the end of the 19th century..... With the development of very large sailing clippers in the middle of the I9th century a return was made to the practice of carrying more than three masts. Ships and barques are built with four or five. Some of the large schooners employed in the American coast trade had six or seven, and some steamers have had as many... As the 15th century advanced the growth of the ship made it difficult, or even impossible, to find spars large enough to make a mast. The practice of dividing it into lower, and upper or topmast, was introduced. At first the two were fastened firmly, and the topmast could not be lowered. In the 16th century the topmast became movable. No date can be given for the change, which was gradual, and was not simultaneously adopted. ... Increase of size also made it impossible to construct each of these subdivisions out of single timbers. A distinction was made between whole or single-spar masts and armed and made masts. The first were used for the lighter spars, for small vessels and the Mediterranean craft called polacras. Armed masts were composed of two single timbers. isIade masts were built of many pieces, bolted and coaked, i.e. dovetailed and fitted together, fastened round by iron hoops, and between them by twelve or thirteen close turns of rope, firmly secured. Made masts are stronger than those made of a single tree and less liable to be sprung. The general principle of construction is that it is built round a central shaft, called in Engliah the spindle or upper tree, and in French the mkche or wick. The other pieces side tree keel pieces, side fishes, cant pieces and fillings are coaked, i.e. dovetailed and bolted on to and around the spindle, which itself is made of two pieces, coaked and bolted. The whole is bound by iron bands, and between the bands, by rope firmly woulded or turned round, and nailed tight. The art of constructing made masts, like that of building wooden ships, is in process of dying out. ... Ed http://nature-web-network.blogspot.com/ http://primalforests.ning.com/ http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=709156957
