Rigging with Deadeyes

Deadeye Rigging is comming back.

Deadeyes in rigging have been used for years, and was the traditional method of supporting the standing rigging of working crafts and yachts.   Deadeyes traditionally were made of Lignum vitae. The deadeyes had a rim around or a groove around it allowing the shroud wire to be placed tightly round it. 

Two deadeyes are used to tension the shroud. Deadeyes for small crafts usually had 3 holes. The holes in the deadeye are faired, allowing the lanyard to lay fair around it. The tensioning lanyards need to be well stretched and they are often given a slippery coating of tallow where they are to render through the deadeye.

The lower deadeye is attached to the chain-plate usually by an iron hoop that goes around the outside edge of the deadeye and bolted to the chain-plate so the deadeye is positioned above the rail.  The top deadeye has the shroud wire attached to the groove around that deadeye. 

The tensioning lanyard is then threaded through the holes to tension the shroud. The lanyard is sometimes looped around the shroud wire on the top deadeye when threading the deadeyes, helping to secure and keep the shroud wire tight on the deadeye. 

This is one way to thread the lanyard...it loops around the shroud to help keep it snug around the upper deadeye.

The forestay can use a similar deadeye set up with just one deadeye. For the backstay, a runner and tackle is commonly used, not a deadeye set up.

Deadeye rigging is functional and it is very nautical looking. Deadeye rigging is now coming back in to use as the new no stretch lines are being used in place of shroud wires. Arrg.. is not that great!  8-)