This heavily illustrated reference is a treasure house of facts and figures with pages of tabular data providing specific dimensions on masts, rigging, and spars.

A fully illustrated guide to rigging models of historic ships with confidence and accuracy, using a model of the eighteenth-century HMS Melampus. The rigging of period ship models is the ultimate challenge for any modeler. An eighteenth-century man-of-war boasted mile on mile of rigging, more than one thousand blocks, and acres of canvas. To reduce this in scale, and yet retain an accurate representation, is an awesome undertaking. In this classic work, Lennarth Peterson untangles the complexities of model rigging. Using some four hundred drawings, he shows how each separate item of rigging is fitted to the masts, yards, and sails. Each drawing deals with only one particular item so that it can be seen clearly in isolation. The lead of a particular halyard, the arrangement of a bracing line—these and every other detail are depicted with startling clarity. Based on the author’s research of numerous eighteenth-century models, each one with its contemporary rigging still extant, the information is both meticulous and accurate. The remarkable visual immediacy and clarity of this work makes it truly unique and essential for any period ship modeler. In addition, the book is a “must-have” reference work for all those involved in the rigging and repair of historic ships.

“[A] very useful little reference book . . . for members who strive to achieve an accurate set of rigging lines on their models.”—Bottleships Employing superb, clear draftsmanship, this book illustrates each and every detail of the rigging of typical period fore-and-aft vessels. The rigging of period ship models is arguably the most complex task that any modeler has to accomplish; the intricacies can be daunting, and visual references limited. The author’s first book, Rigging Period Ship Models, was a triumph of clarity for those needing to decipher the complexities of square rig and has now sold in multiple editions. This book does the same for fore-and-aft craft and deploys three typical eighteenth-century types—an English cutter, a three-masted French lugger and an American schooner. Some 200 diagrams show clearly where each separate item of standing and running rigging is fitted, led and belayed. Whatever the requirements of the modelmaker, all the information is here. This edition brings a visual clarity to the complexities of period rigging and will delight anyone with an interest in the rigging of traditional fore-and-aft craft. “This book is naturally highly commended to its target audience, but anyone with an interest in sailing ships will find it an interesting source of information that can be very hard to find.”—Firetrench “Not just for modelers but also a boon to traditional seafarers and readers of historical fiction.”—Julian Stockwin, author of To the Eastern Seas

Important study describes every improvement made in seafaring equipment up to the mid-19th century — from anchors, bobstays, booms, and cat-head stoppers, to a flying jib, halliards, nippers, and topsail buntlines. 218 illustrations.

The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich houses the largest collection of scale ship models in the world. Many of the models are official, contemporary artifacts made by the craftsmen of the Royal Navy or the shipbuilders themselves, ranging from the mid-seventeenth century to the present day. As such they represent a three-dimensional archive of unique importance and authority. Treated as historical evidence, they offer more detail than even the best plans, and demonstrate exactly what the ships looked like in a way that even the finest marine painter could not achieve. Now available in paperback, this book tells the story of the evolution of the cruising ship under sail. It includes a large number of model photos all in full-color as well as close-up and detail views. These are captioned in depth, but many are also annotated to focus attention on interesting or unusual features. Although pictorial in emphasis, The Sailing Frigate weaves the pictures into an authoritative text, producing an unusual and attractive form of technical history. While the series will be of particular interest to ship modelers, all those with an interest in ship design and development will be attracted to the in-depth analysis of these beautifully presented books.

“McKay’s artful renderings provide a fitting tribute to this amazing vessel and those who participated in her planning and construction.” —Pirates and Privateers Sovereign of the Seas was the most spectacular, extravagant and controversial warship of the early seventeenth century. The ultimate royal prestige project, whose armament was increased by the King’s decree to the unheard-of figure of 100 guns, the ship finally cost the equivalent of ten more conventional warships. A significant proportion of this total was spent on her gilded decoration, which gave the ship a unique combination of firepower and visual impact in battle that led her Dutch opponents to dub her the “Golden Devil.” It is unsurprising that such a high-profile ship should be well-documented, but there are no contemporary plans and much of the visual evidence is contradictory. In this book, John McKay sets out to analyze the data and reconstruct the design and appearance of the ship in a degree of detail never previously attempted. The results are presented as a folio of superbly drafted plans, isometric drawings and colored renderings, covering every aspect of the design from the hull form to the minutiae of sails and rigging. Each section is accompanied by an explanatory text, setting out the rationale for his conclusions, so the book will be of value to historians of the period as well as providing superb reference for any modeler tackling of one of the most popular of all sailing ship subjects. “A magnificent book on a magnificent ship.” —Nautical Research Journal “Very few books of warships contain the level of detail provided here.” —Firetrench