B L O 



the fheave is coakcd with brafs, and the pin is iron, and 

 nearly as thick as the (lieave. It is iif^;d in heaving up the 

 anchor. The viol palTes round the jter-capftcrn, and 

 through tht block, which is lafhed to the main-mall ; and 

 the cable is faftened in a temporary manner to the viol in 

 feveral places. It is fcldom ufed except in the largefl Ihips 

 of the Royal Navy. 



Block, Warpin^^, is made of elm or adi board, fliaped 

 like the body of a bellows ; the fides or cheeks are 81 inches 

 broad in the middle, and tapered to 2 inches broad at the 

 ends; the back, or longed cheek, is 16 inches long, and 

 fths of an inch thick, with a hole bored through the upper 

 end to receive a leathein ftrap ; the upper cheek is i 2 inches 

 long, and gtlis of an inch thick, except the lovvtr end, which 

 is If inch thick, and forms the fheave-hole. The flieave is i^- 

 inch thick, and yi inches in diameter, made of lignum vits, 

 coaked with brais ; it is let into the cheeks one eighth of 

 an inch, to prevent the yarn from getting between the 

 iheave and the cheeks. The cheeks are faltened together 

 at the lower end with three fcrews and nuts ; and the pin, 

 which is iron, is feven inches long, dnven through the mid- 

 dle of the block, with a fhoulder on the upper fide, and 

 clinched at the point on the lower fide of the (liell ; the 

 upper part of the pin is tapered fmall, and a wooden handle 

 livettcd upon it. The cheeks have a broad chamfer round 

 the outer edges ; the infide edges, and infide of the block 

 above the flieave, are lined with thin iron neatly fcrewed on, 

 to prevent the block from wearing. This block is finiihed 

 in a neater manner than blocks in general, and is feldom 

 ufed but by rope-makers, to warp off the yarn into hauls 

 for tarring. 



Blocks, Jingle, double, or trchle, in Rope-makhig, are 

 ftrapped with a hook and thimble, and reeved with a rope,, 

 called the tackle-fall, which is ufed to ilretch the yarn to its 

 full extent, before the prefs is put on, by a capftern, or 

 crab, at the lower end of the rope-walk. The fall is then 

 belayed, until every yarn is hove tiirough the ftrands and 

 brought down, fo that the rope may not exceed the circum- 

 feience inten.led. For other blocks, fee Bulls-i°).'<-j, Dead- 

 fi'Cj-, and EuPHROES. See Plates of Ships. 



Blocks, Strapping of. A feventeen-inch block has a 

 five-inch rope ftrap, and every inch in length above or under, 

 to a twelve-inch block, has half an inch more or lefs fized 

 rope allowed for the ftrap ; a i i-inch block lias a 3-inch 

 ftrap; a 10 and a 9-inch block, 2i inches ; an S and 7-inch 

 block, 2 inches ; a 6-inch block, 1 4- inch; a 5-inch block, 

 I inch ; and a 4-inch block, ^ of an inch. The fcore round 

 iron-bou'id blocks is taken out to the fize of the iron ilrap, 

 fufficient to bury it, except at the pin. Iron ftraps are 

 from 5: of an inch to i inch in thicknefs, and nearly three 

 times the thicknefs in width ; the thicknefs of thefe ftionld 

 corrrfpond to the ftrain which they are to reiift. The cat- 

 block muft have a ftrong ftrap and large iron hook, which 

 hooks the ring of the anchor in catting. The top block 

 fhould have a ftout iron binding, with a ftroug ftiort hook. 

 Top tackle blocks have ftrong iron bindings, the upper 

 block with a tackle-lvook, and the lower block with a fvvivel- 

 hook. The fwivel, in iron-bou-.id blocks, ferves to turn it 

 eccafionally, in order to untwift the parts of the rope that 

 form the tackle, as the mechanical power is greatly reduced 

 thereby. 



In rigging, the whole length of all the different fizes of 

 block-ftiapping is got upon the ftietch, and hove out tight 

 for worming and ferving ; it is then wormed and ferved, and 

 cut into ftiorter lengths, to fuit tlie different blocks. The 

 ftrapping of jeer-blocks is wormed, parcelled, and ferved ; 

 ftrapping of 4 inches diameter, and above, is wormed and 

 ferved ; and all under four inches is only ferved with fpun yarn ; 



6 



B L O 



except the fprit-fail brace, bunt-line, and leech line blocks, 

 that are laflied under the tops, which are only ferved with 

 fpun-yarn over the fplice, and the tail left half a fathom iu 

 length. Jeer-blocks are double fcored, and the double and tre- 

 ble blocks are ftrapped with a double ftrap, thus : it is fpliced 

 together at the ends, and, when doubled, to be the fize of 

 the block and circumference of the yard ; it is then doubled, 

 and the block feized in the bght, with a long and ftiort 

 leg ; the fplice lying in the arfe of the block. 



The fcores of all blocks are to be well-tarred, and the pin 

 and ftieave examined, before the ftrap is put on. The block 

 is fet well into the ftrap with wedges, thus : the four parts 

 are frapped together with rope-yarn under the block, with 

 a chock between, and the wedges are fet between the brcafl: 

 of the block and chock. Then the ftrap is r.ippered, with 

 a heaver, round the block ; the wedges, chock, and frap- 

 ping, taken away, and the block hung upon the ftake-hcad, 

 or poft, and the ftrap well feized together, clofe under the 

 block, with nine under and eight riding turns, every turn 

 ftrained tight round by a heaver, and croffcd each way with 

 two turns. 



Jeer-blocks, for the maft-heads, are ftrapped with long 

 eyes, to receive many turns of the lafiiing ; and the block is 

 feized into the ftrap as before, as are all feizing blocks, in 

 proportion to their fizes. The ftraps are cut agreeable to 

 the following table. 



A TABLE of the Dimenfions of Straps for Laftiing antt 

 Seizing Blocks. 



Blocks, ftrapped with eyes or tliimbles fpliced in the ends, 

 are feized tight into the bight, and tiie legs left long enough 

 to lafti through the eyes, round a maft, yard, &c. as the lop- 

 fail ciue-hnes, clue-garnets, ar.d fpritfail cluc-lincs, &c. 



Blocks ftrapped with a thimble, or hook and thimble, 

 have the ftrap fpliced together at the ends. The block is 

 fixed in one bight, for the fphce to lay on the arfe of the 

 block, and the thimble in the other bight ; the feizing is 

 pat on, between the block and thimble, with eight under 

 and fix riding turns, according to the fiz<; of the block, 

 each turn ftrained tight by a heaver ; the turns double 

 crofted, and the end ftopt with a wall-knot crowned. 



Blocks (1 rapped with double tails, are fixed in the ftrap,. 

 fimilar to blocks with eye-ftraps ; and thofe with a fingle 

 tail are Iphced in, and ferved with fpun yanroverthe fplice. 



Girtline blocks are ftrapped in the houfe, and tlie girt- 

 lines reeved. See Elements and Practice cf Rigging, £;c.. 

 vol. i.. ' 



Ei-OCKv 



