In article ,
HiFlyer wrote:

In addition to nets, they rigged "preventers", lashings, to heavy
spars, yards, and platforms to prevent them falling if they were
broken off.

Then they brought the rolled hammocks (crews sleeping hammocks) up and
lined the main deck with them, in nets, to block splinters that flew
around in battle.

HF


On Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:42:49 -0600, Faan Hates Spam
wrote:

Hanging a net above the deck was quite "standard" during battle as quite a
bit
of rigging including blocks/sheeves and all kinds of heavy stuff would come
crashing down from above, especially if chain shot was usedon your rigging.
You
would rig the netting the same way as you would any awning to create shade
on
deck, this was also quite common in port or at anchor when there was less
wind
across the decks. If it was used at Trafalgar i have no idea as i wasnt
there,
but most likey some of the ships would have been rigged that manner. Also
just
remebered that they used the netting as a means of keeping off boarders when
the
boats came along side as an additional means to keep boarders off your decks
or
at least prolong their exposure on the rails so you could bring your swivel
guns
into play (old shotgun type blunderbuss mini canons).
The net would span across all exposed decks not just the quarterdeck, might
not
have been any netting over the "qd" but more likely in the waist and gundeck
Hope that helps
Faan

Kruger cmpq wrote:

I read somewhere that before an action, crews would span nets over the
quarterdeck to prevent sails etc from falling on the falling on the deck
and
entangling the sailors during action does anyone know how this was done
or
can anyone let me have an illustration can anyone say whether this was
the
case on the victory at Trafalgar?

Splinters -- often feet long -- were the biggest cause of casualties
among the crews of wooden warships. Cannonballs would smash the timber
sides and big splinters would fly around like shrapnel.

At least so I have read. I have no direct experience with battle in a
wooden sailing ship. ;-)

--
Bill Collins
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