Making Parrels? References, Sizes, Materials, Etc.?

I'm no physicist, but the answer is yes.

The running rigging is designed to control the sail - to set and furl it, and to adjust it relative to the wind. The sail (by means of the robands) pulls the yard, the yard (by means of the parrrel or, later, truss) pulls the mast, the mast pulls the shrouds and backstays, and they, by way of the chain plates, pull the ship through the water.

The lower shrouds are among the heaviest lines in the ship. The braces are relatively light by comparison, because they aren't subjected to such enormous forces. And under normal circumstances the braces are somewhat slack, whereas the shrouds and backstays are bar taut (at least those on the weather side).

The sheets stretch the sail downward. They do get subjected to powerful forces; the lower and topsail sheets are about the same weight as their respective shrouds. The clew lines just "clew up" the Lowe corners of the sail when it's being furled. 

A question for the physicists.

(Newtonian).

when a big square sail is loaded up from over the stern. How does the force translate to the hull?

in no particular order, braces, sheets and clews. Parrel take any load?

Dave..just remember..a Parrel is just a roller bearing that allows the yard to roll up and down the mast securely.  Rolling wood(balls) placed between the wood (raceway) slats.  Rope binds it all together and to the spar.  I have lots of modleing books with them designed in them.

Rob("The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War, 1620-1865."  is on sale at HPB)

Half Price Books has "The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War, 1620-1865." for sale for $37

I wasn't sure ;

   Methinks that there isn't much info , except what you mention. Parrels / Parrals  Do vary and I have found they aren't covered well in the HECABOP Kits !   T.B. 

Bluejacket offers glass "parrel beads." That's it.

Bluejacket caters almost exclusively to American subjects. I'm a big fan.

Unfortunately the Anderson and Mondfeld books seem to be the only ones (in the English language, at least) that take up French practices. Modelers of English/British ships are cared for much better, by James Lees's "The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War, 1620-1865." It was published about 40 years ago by the Conway Maritime Press, of London; the Naval Institute Press sold an American edition. I have no idea how hard it is to find nowadays. My old copy is really showing its age.

I suspect there wasn't much, if any, difference between French and English parrels in the seventeenth century. (By the way, either spelling is correct.) I'd recommend getting hold of a copy of Lees's book (if possible) and using it as a starting point.

I continue to suspect that there are some good, French-language publications that we just don't hear about. We do, of course, have the wonderful books of Jean Boudriot, but so far as I know they only deal with the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. [later edit: I found several used copies at www.bookfinder.com . The prices were around $38.00. Thats pretty reasonable, I think.]

Good luck.

DavidK

 Why don't you contact Bluejacket Shipcrafters ? They can guide you in this quest .  T.B.

David,

I believe that the three basic references we have shared on this site to have the best diagrams and descriptions of parrels/parrals (Both spellings are used in these three).

1. Anderson, R.C.,The rigging of ships in the days of the spritsail topmast, 1600-1720. pp140-143.  

2. Campbell, G. F., The neophyte shipmodeller's jackstay. pp 43-44.

3. Mondfeld, W., Historic ship models. p 312.

I am sure that there are other references that might have greater detail, but I do not have them.  I have also written an email to Chuck Pasaro and posted a thread on the NRG modelshipworld website posing your question.  I hope that it helps!

Bill