Cleat
Description
This is a stop cleat; they were used both to stop the rigging sliding off the yardarm when it was lowered, and to keep the rigging in position when the yard was set. By the 18th century stop cleats could be found both on the bowsprit and yard arms. This was for the similar purpose of preventing the gammoning (“the lashing that binds the bowsprit close down upon the stem to make it rest well in its bed”) and tackle slipping. In the yardarms stop cleats were generally fixed in pairs on both the fore and aft sides, with their positioning ultimately dependent upon the length of the yard. When fitted to the bowsprit stop cleats were fixed to both sides - this was to keep both the mainstay and the main preventer stay collars from slipping, while at the same time holding them at the required angle to support the main mast. Stop cleats were also fitted to the base of the bowsprit to hold the fore and aft gammoning in position. In both cases, multiple stop cleats would be fitted in order to meet the significant loads exerted on the stays and gammoning.
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Object Detail
Width: 23mm
Depth: 27mm (1 1/16")