A.J. Griffiths: Observations on Some Points of Seamanship, 1824.

[page 238]

Rudder - losing the.

The present jury rudder of Captain Edward Pakenham is admirable. But this accident generally occurs in consequence of getting on shore, at which time it not unfrequently happens you lose your masts. If this should be the case a top mast can very ill be spared. It should then be well to make the rudder out of the two spare fish, indeed my own opinion is, they are the better material, can at all times be better spared. On the principle that if necessary, a top mast can readily be converted into a fish, but the fish cannot become a substitute for the top mast.

Let the fish be cut off the requisite length, the heels brought together, and the upper ends, where the tiller is to ship, exactly the width apart necessary to admit the tiller, to become in truth the tiller hole. A yard arm piece, or any broken spar for the filling piece, in the vacancy thus left between the two fish, and another filling piece in like manner above the tiller hole. Then bolt the two fish and filling pieces together, and secure the head by the anchor stock hoops. The rest to be made the same as if the top mast had formed the main piece, only perhaps it will be better to bolt these pieces on, so that the bolts may take hold of both the filling piece and fish, to be driven a little slanting, or diagonally.

The security against the pressure of the tiller is greater than in the top mast, where the substance of the fid hole is to be so much cut away. We made an admirable rudder for the Abraham Newland, a West Indiaman, of near 700 tons, on this plan.

Anslem John Griffiths: Observations on Some Points of Seamanship; with Practical Hints on Naval Oeconomy, &c &c.
J.J. Hadley, Cheltenham, 1824 (1st). -8vo, 15.5x8.5 cm, xii, 290 pp.

Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius

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