Nautical Research Journal
Securing ratlines By William E. Sproul
Installing decent-looking ratlines on sailing ships is a relatively straightforward project (even if a bit boring at times) that defi nitely enhances the authenticity of your model if done well using a little foresight and care. T ere are some potential diffi culties in the process, in that you usually cannot create an exact miniature of an original full-size installation, and achieving the ‘proper droop’ (the downward catenary) to the ratlines seems to be beyond anyone’s control most of the time. T e knots (mainly clove hitches) are a little fussy and duplicating the splices (usually short splices) is almost always out of the question in all but the largest scales. But, by using a slightly diff erent hitch technique, a little subterfuge and some fi nesse, a credible job can be done by all.
Figure 1 shows a gang of shrouds on my model of the French ship La Belle. T e ratline confi guration is pretty standard and could probably be used as a
2. Ratline knots.
model for the ratline arrangement on any wooden sailing ship regardless of time or place. Almost all sailing ships used ratlines and they all looked basically like Figure 1, simply because the rope had to support the size and weight of the sailors going up and down the shrouds and this did not change with the size or nationality of the ship; sixth rate through fi rst rate, sailors were pretty much the same size the world over.
Ratlines generally used three-strand right-hand twist rope more than likely between 1/2-inch and 5/8- inch in diameter. At 1:48 scale, this will be between 0.010-inch and 0.013-inch in diameter, and, at that scale, the smaller line probably will look less clumsy and thus better. T e knots most used for the ratlines were clove hitches, short splices and simple lashings. Figure 2 is a detail view of a demonstration sample. It simply shows a short splice turned into both ends of the ratline. T e short splice could be served for strength and security. T e bights of the short splices are secured to the outboard shrouds with simple lashings. A standard clove hitch is turned around all the inboard shrouds. So simple and straightforward.
1. Ratlines on La Belle.
One of the consequences of this standard design, as adapted to models, is that it leaves a very prominent Irish Pennant protruding from each ratline outboard of each of the outboard shrouds. (Figure 3) T ese would not be tolerated on a real ship because they are unsightly, would pose a continuous snag problem to both sailors and rigging alike, and could cause the ratlines to come undone, leading to a sailor falling. T us, in real life, a clove hitch was used to connect the ratline to the outboard shroud; a short splice in the end of the ratline was seized to the shroud instead.
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