U.S.S Constitution
“Ole Ironsides” was covered in HEMP!
More than 60 Tons of Hemp Rigging & Gear
Partial list of rigging (rope) required for the 1927 restoration of the U.S.S. Constitution from “The Frigate Constitution” by F. Alexander Magoun, S.B., S.M. The Southwest Press.
©1928 by the Marine Research Society, Boston, Massachusetts, Pgs. 96, 97.
Each mast (fore, mizen, main, etc.) required lifts, braces, reefs, jiggers, tackles, etc.
The Constitution carried well more than four miles of hemp rope.
Standing Rigging, Hard Laid Hemp
Item | Circumference |
Mainstay | 12 inches |
Forestay | 12 inches |
Pendants | 9.5 inches |
Fore & Main Shrouds | 9.5 inches |
Mizen Shrouds | 7 inches |
Topmast Backstay | 9 inches |
Topmast Stays | 8 inches |
Topgallant Backstays | 5 inches |
Topgallant Stays | 4 inches |
Royal Stays | 2.5 inches |
Tons of Hemp Ropes with Thick Circumfrences
Please excuse the blurry images, They are from a video entitled Hemp for Victory Film, put out by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1942.
Running Rigging, Soft Laid Hemp
Item | Circumference | Gross Length |
Truss Tackles | 2.5 in | 260 feet |
Jeer fall | 4.5 in | 350 ft |
Pendant tackles | 3.25 in | 1200 f |
Lifts | 3.5 in | 470 ft |
Braces | 4 in | 608 ft |
Tacks | 4 in | 400 ft |
Sheets | 4.5 in | 400 f |
Clew garnets | 3 in | 400 ft |
Main Bowline | 3.25 in | 120 f |
Reef tackles | 3.25 in | 350 ft |
Buntlines | 2.5 in | 530 ft |
Leechlines | 2.5 in | 432 in |
Clew jiggers | 2 in | 520 ft |
Top burtons | 3 in | 1060 ft |
Topsail tye halliards | 3.25 in | 1440 ft |
Topsail lifts | 4.25 in | 360 ft |
Topsail braces | 3.25 in | 600 ft |
Best bower anchor cable | 22.5 in | 720 ft |
Messenger | 14 in | 600 ft |
Gun breeching (each) | 7 in | 24 ft |
Out-haul tackles (each) | 2.5 in | 60 ft |
Text from “The Emperor Wears No Clothes” © Jack Herer
And Sourced from: DigitalHemp.com | www.digitalhemp.com/hemp/html/emp/02/ech02_18.htm
