"Haul the main sheets, men. Bring her close to the wind!" Captain Norman Monroe commanded, his eyes fixed on the sails and rigging. The "Blazer" was fresh out of the shipyard in Balondia, and she was proving to be quite a flyer. Closely observing her every move and the lay of her rigging, Monroe was putting her through her paces, finding the limits of her capabilities. For merchant shipping and privateers alike, fore and aft rigging was getting more and more popular on the Brick Seas. While not as fast as square rigged vessels with the wind abaft the beam, it is faster on a bowline and requires less crew, allowing for larger shares per sailor, when the profits are divided. (And, more for the owner...) After finishing the first few trials, and making the necessary adjustments, the Blazer will set sail for King's Harbour with supplies for the naval base, before seeking new employment. Captain Monroe had high standards, and outfitted his crew with uniforms rivalling those of the navy, and that out of his own pocket. The brass was polished and the white manila rigging spotless, and the Blazer was fit for an admirals inspection. Her captain would have no rude comments from his navy colleagues. Thanks for looking - I have included a few more pics - and as always, I would like to hear your comments and suggestions. I am certain I can still improve! (Well, at least I hope!.. ) It is my first go at cloth sails, and I quite like how they turned out. While not perfect, they allow for the next new thing for me on this vessel: The running rigging. While the standing rigging (stays, shrouds, etc.) is quite similar (albeit more advanced and historically correct) to my earlier vessels, the running rigging (sheets, halyards, etc.) is new. In fact, all sails and yards can be raised and operated from the deck, which was a very interesting challenge. It really gives an insight in how complex rigging was in the age of sail! And as the pictures below should show, that is a lot of ropes! If I find rest in my fingers again, I might show a picture where the sails are all lowered and packed away, but for now, I can't handle another round of fiddling with those tiny ropes.