Posted by Laurence Monkhouse on December 29, 2007 at 08:36:07 from 82.27.31.42 user Laurence_.
In Reply to: Re: WDMTGTS questions, one fairly esoteric/nautical posted by Andrew Craig-Bennett on December 29, 2007 at 00:51:37:
I have just one photograph of Nancy Blackett's foredeck with the jib set, and there is a block and whip on the jib halyard.
If, like me, you don't have halyard winches you certainly need some way of tensioning the halyards of a bermudan sloop or cutter. Nowadays, with the halyards inside the mast, you can't use a block. My own boat is far smaller than Goblin but I still have to use what I call a lorryman's hitch to give a purchase on the main halyard to tighten the luff of the mainsail.
I don't know how common Nancy Blackett's rig was in the 1930s, but I have never seen anything like it elsewhere, and have to say that by even 1950s standards - as far back as I can remember - it is distinctly less than perfect! But she was AR's favourite, and that is what matters.