ALL ABOUT TRADITIONAL SHIPS, by Wim de Bruijn
Review Handbook of Traditional Ship Rigging, by Floris J. Hin
Spiegel der Zeilvaart, no. 2, March 2025.
As announced in last year’s Spiegel 9, Floris Hin has completed the Handbook of Traditional Ship Rigging after 15 years of study. No less than 352 pages are needed to accommodate all the text and the nearly four hundred photographs and drawings.
The thorough handbook is reflected in 11 chapters and all facets of rigging traditional ships are explained therein.
With this indispensable handbook, the aspiring rigger can now get started on his or her own. After a detailed treatment of all rigging plans, the spars are discussed.
Making solid and glued spars is covered in detail. Then follows a chapter on strength theory with calculations of masts, booms, gaffs and standing rigging.
The longest chapter, of no less than 80 pages, deals with attachments to ship and mast. Then you can read all about blocks and growlers and, of course, how to make them yourself. The next chapter goes on to cover rope and rope types and their strength.
Then a lot of attention is paid to steel wire and steel cables. In lots of color photos, Floris shows how to make a steel wire split step by step. I haven’t come across it that extensively in any other book. Then comes the finishing. Bending, splitting and lining and making loops at the ends of wires. Finally, rigging can be done and the mast can be raised!
The last chapter discusses in detail the use and maintenance of the rigging. With proper and regular maintenance, your rig will last (much) longer and you will sail safer.
Of course, laws and regulations and what can go wrong are also covered.
With this Handbook of Traditional Ship Rigging, Floris Hin has recorded all possible knowledge – for now and later – so that this knowledge will not be lost. Thus, this book makes a great contribution to documenting our maritime heritage. It also provides solutions to problems ship owners may encounter when parts of their rigging need to be replaced responsibly.
Since in our country very many traditional ships are preserved and not scrapped as in many other countries, there is also a need for thorough information when parts of the rigging need to be replaced.
This book is a good guide for all (prospective) owners of traditional sailing vessels. So it really should not be missing aboard these ships! Order it now and take advantage of a ten euro discount.
Handbook of traditional ship rigging by Floris J. Hin. Size 19 x 24.5 cm, bound, full color, size 352 pages. ISBN 9789461563323.
Subscription price until publication € 65. After appearance on March 18, 2025 € 75, – including shipping in the Netherlands. Publisher Bertram + de Leeuw, Haarlem.
Email your name and address to Bertram + the Lion Publishing, info@bertramendeleeuw.nl
and receive the book after it appears. Or order the book from your local bookstore or
via bol.com.
