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Deadeye?

Geo-TH,In

Geo-TH,In

Well-known Member
I never heard or seen a deadeye before. Though it was an interesting piece of sailing ship history.
a151974.jpg
 
They were used in pairs like three sheave pulleys. There ought to be a groove around its circumference. If it is "U" shaped, this dead eye was held by rope. A flat bottomed groove shows it was held by an iron strap. They were made in various sizes to suit the job and could be found in various places in the rigging. This is a big one though and was probably used in rigging the shrouds which were arranged in rows alongside the rail. Attached to chain plates or channels, the shrouds provided the masts their main support. Between the shroud lines were rat lines, smaller line arranged like a rope ladder. The rat lines allowed the crew to climb aloft. The shrouds were part of the standing rigging, used only for support, and once set, were not changed. The standing rigging was complicated enough, but when the running rigging for navigation was added, the rigging took on its bewildering characteristic.
 
You will see them on old sailing ships. Modern sailing vessels use turnbuckles to tighten the standing rigging. Of course stainless steel wire rope wasn't available 200 years ago and hemp rigging didn't have anywhere near the same tension as modern rigging.
 
I have over a dozen of them that we have recovered off sunken ships while scuba diving. They are usually made from a tropical hardwood called lignum vitae which is extremely hard and more dense then water. They will sink if dropped in. My favorite diving artifact.
 

We have many of them near by on the USS Constitution in Boston Navy Yard. My daughter took my wife and I there for father's day last year. It is still open to the public every day for free despite the major refit going on.
 
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