Day 631.

The balloon jib sail is the last sail that goes forward of the fore mast.  It hangs up above the jib and jumbo jib sails.  This sail is very similar to the jib sail in its construction and rigging.

The sail was made in the normal fashion, using a paper template.  Like the jib sail, the balloon jib has a unique seam pattern.

The paper template and marked sail cloth for the balloon jib sail.

Balloon Jib Halliard

The balloon jib halliard holds the top corner of the balloon jib up.  It is pretty straight forward, and is similar to other halliards we’ve encountered so far.

A block is hooked to the band on the fore mast, and another block is attached to the corner of the sail.  Some tan rigging line is seized to the mast’s block, then run through the sail’s block and back through the mast block.

The balloon jib halliard runs between two blocks, then gets belayed to a pin on the main rail.

From there it runs down to the rail where it is belayed to a pin.

Balloon Jib Sheets

The sheets are very similar to the the ones for the jib sail.  There are two sheets – port and starboard.  Only one of the sheets is ‘tight’ at once, depending on which side of the ship the sail is set to.  The other sheet is left loose and draping over the jib sail.

These start with a black line sized to the corner of the sail to make the pendant.

Both the port and starboard sheets start with a pendant seized to the corner o the sail.

The pendant runs about halfway towards the deck, where it is seized to a single block.  Tan line runs through this block.

The pendant runs to a single block, which has some tan rigging line run through it.

One end of the tan line is seized to an eyebolt, while the other runs further aft and is belayed to a pin.

The tan line has one end seized to an eyebolt, while the other end is belayed to a pin.

The ‘loose’ sheet is rigged the same way, except the pendant runs back over the jib sail before heading for the deck.

One of the sheets is pulled tight, while the other is left loose and draped over the jib sail.

Balloon Jib Downhaul

The balloon jib downhaul is pretty simple.  This thin tan line is seized to the top of the sail.  It runs loosely down to a block on the bowsprit.

The downhaul is a loose line that runs from the top corner of the sail down through a block on the bowsprit.

After passing through the block, it runs through a fairlead (eyebolt) and gets belayed to a pin

The end of the downhaul runs through a fairlead and gets belayed to a pin on the bow.

Balloon Jib Tack

The balloon jib tack is also very simple.  This is a tan line that is seized to the sail on one end, and the bowsprit on the other.

The tack is a simple line that is seized to the fore corner of the sail and the bowsprit.

Hanks

The hanks are just like those we added on the jib and jumbo jib sails.  They are made from brass wire, and used to hold the sail on the stay.

Hanks were simulated with brass rings.

That finishes off the balloon jib sail.  Only two sails remain!

The completed balloon jib sail.