Deadeye (81A01)
A wooden deadeye with an iron strop around it and fitted to an iron strap, found north of the breakwater near the Breakwater Fort in 1981. The metal strap would have attached to the side of the ship with the wooden deadeye uppermost, with rope attaching it to a second deadeye itself attached to the standing rigging. The standing rigging was used to hold up the masts, different from the running rigging that was used to control spars and sails. By tensioning the rope between the deadeyes the tension on the standing rigging could be increased.
The deadeye may be made of lignum vitae, a particularly hard and resilient wood, as it has survived well without conservation.
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Images
Deadeye and strap |
Deadeyes used to tension the standing rigging |
References