What exactly do you want to know Jase?

What you call splinter nets are probably the nets which were stretched between the masts to prevent injury not so much from flying splinters but to catch falling blocks and other parts of the rigging shot away during a battle. We British tended to fire our cannon into the sides of the enemy ships in order to inflict maximum damage to the enemy crew in order to win the battle. The French tactics favoured aiming at the rigging to disable the ship and once it was no longer manouverable they would hope to move in for the kill. There were various specialised types of shot such as chain shot and bar shot which were designed to cause maximum damage aloft. Some of the wooden blocks were extremely large and would prove fatal if they landed on top of the gunners working on the decks, hence the nettings were rigged to catch the debris and the corpses of any sailors shot whilst aloft adjusting the sails or repairing battle damage.

Mike T

cheerz for the latest packs mate.

Hi Jase

Your question is proving interesting, everybody knows about these nets but finding a reference to to them is proving elusive.

My best info so far is Eighteenth Century Rigs and Rigging by Karl Marquardt.

He has a chapter on Netting! There was apparently splinter netting which was rigged along the inner sides of the ship to prevent splinters flying, not sure how effective that might have been. The nets you refer to are simply called 'Overhead' nets. Marquardt suggests that they were rigged in the same way as awnings used for shade in the tropics.

The centre line of the awning was rigged between two of the masts using either a block fixed to the mast or a roller fitted to an iron clasp hook around the mast. The quarter deck awning would have stretched between the mizzen mast and the ensign staff.

The side lines were then passed to blocks and tackles rigged to the shrouds. At the stern he refers to wooden stanchions fixed to the hull to take the side ropes.

You would need to manufacture a net probably by knotting some rigging twine and then add some blocks and tackle so that the net is fixed in six places above the deck, I would suggest twice the scale height of a man, say about 45 mm to scale.

If I can find more information I will pass it on. I think I can remember seeing an illustration in a book or a battle scene painting with figures on the deck and various examples of battle debris such as a dead Royal Marine trapped in the netting above. But where that was I can't recollect at the moment.

Mike T

Received the detail packs. Many thanks Jason. As I intend to do a painted version these will be be invaluable. Extra rum rations for you I think, shipmate.

Hi Jase
I do appreciate all the work you are doing for us all and understand if one or two
packs have missed the post so to speak, but I do not appear to have have any yet.I did email you with a request which was returned for confirmation of address but up until today
haven't received any packs. Thanks again for doing this for us, and look forward to
seeing some of your pics soon.
Warmest regards
daffy09

Received with thanks Jase.
Your da man!

Hi Jase
Got your pics pack. What can I say that hasn't already been said.
Wonderful photos, superb detail.
Tusind tak (Danish: a thousand thanks)
Look forward to the follow up sets
Daffy09

Try searching for boarding nets,that was what they were principally used for..to stop an enemy boarding..they did also serve to protect the seamen from falling debris but in the days of no health & safety that would have been a secondary issue!!

Latest detail pack received.
Once again many thanks
CMB

I can not find a pictorial reference for this anywhere so it is not looking like I will be able to model them. as I said i am looking to model victory preparing for Trafalgar so this gives me an opportunity not to display the nets.

thanks for all the help