Explanation   I have, for years, observed builders who struggle with rigging, while others meet with limited success or don’t try at all. I myself suffered repeated failures before scraping together enough information to develop this technique. The guiding principal is to emulate the real thing as to take advantage of the thousands of years of convention on sailing rather than “reinventing the wheel”. For many the “just make it look good” attitude works well but I have found the prevailing reason for this attitude was a belief that string rigging would be too costly and time consuming. Whereas I won’t lie to you and let you think it doesn’t require patience, I do intend to dispel those myths. It can be, not only affordable, but down right cheap. Once you grasp the concept you may also find that it really is just a series of repeated steps which can be done rather quickly once you’ve figured out your knots and jigs. Expectations This will be less of a tutorial and more of a guide. The goal is not to lead you through the process of copying one rig in particular but to give you the tools and techniques you can use to build your own to suit your needs. The hull(s) you’ll see in this treatise are unconventional constructions and not required to apply these lessons. This essay is not about hull building and will not cover the subject except to illustrate specific needs such as stability. So long as YOUR design can withstand the pressure the rigging will apply to it, it will work for you. Where this author does, wholeheartedly, ascribe to the belief that there is only one “right way” to do a thing, it is not contradictory to consider the subtle nuances of that method as particular to the user. Because of this I leave a lot open to your interpretation, like materials. I’ll tell you what I use, and why, but substitutions are up to you all on an individual basis. Necessity is the mother of invention and that’s exactly how I came up with many of the tools and materials I use. Simply, they are what I had available. The primary subject of this series will be a topsail schooner of the Baltimore Clipper variety. The actual sail plan is my own design, heavily inspired by contemporary replica Pride of Baltimore II and others. This rig was chosen for both its simplicity as well as it inclusion of multiple types of sails, useful to builders like you. Through this process you will not only learn to apply rigging to Lego, but garner something of a basic education on rigging in general. Needs Materials String, and lots of it: I use embroidery thread available from any arts and craft or hobby store. Many other types of retailer carry it as well, such as Walmart. I find it useful as it is not only ridiculously cheap, but comes in several gauges and myriad colors. For our purposes on this build I’ll be using two different gauges of black to simulate tarred rope in the standing rigging and beige to mimic the color of hemp rope in the running rig. Fabric for sails: More later Glue: While I insist tying knots is essential to the process I do often ensure their stability with a dab of glue as one of the weaknesses of the thread I use is a tendency to slip. The glue is also useful for wicking the ends of your string so it can be easily passed through narrow openings or just stop it from fraying between uses. Tools -Scissors -Tweezers -Forceps -Hobby knife -Probe/pick set -A clean and well-lit work space -Plenty of light -Plenty of patience -1/8” dowel: Not necessary but may make your life a lot easier. More on that later -A hull which meets the parameters mentioned in the forward. -Bricks and Plates: pieces set aside to construct jigs around which many of your knots will be tied. What you need to know Useful Knots (bends, seizing and splices)   Vocabulary This list will grow with time as the tutorial develops and even more terms will be worked in to the lessons as we go, but here’s a few to get you started.   Bend- aboard ship, never a knot. Knots are accidental, bends are intentional Fast- not a reference to speed but short for fastened as in tied securely. Half-fast not half a… well you get it. It means poorly executed. Belay- Temporally secured but not knotted Cord- what lubbers call rope. Rigging-The rigging or “rig” of a ship is essentially the drive system of the vessel. It harnesses the wind to create a differential in atmospheric pressure which compels the hull through the water. Rigging is made of three major systems; the rigid, semi-rigid and soft. The rigid comprises all the members made of wood, metal and other hard materials which you’ll be simulating with Lego. These include, masts, spars, blocks, ring bolts and many other such elements. The semi-rigid is the standing rigging. Made of initially flexible rope, these members are placed under constant tension and provide additional support to the rigid portions. Because they are not intended to move or change they are often tarred and served with additional cord, which increases the rigidity and adds to their strength. The soft members are the likes of control lines such as halyards, tacks and sheets. Lacings between blocks, and the sails themselves also comprise the soft portion. The relationship of these elements in the machine that is a ship is interdependent and it has been the observation of this author that no one will work (well) without the others. Block-and-tackle-The term block and tackle refers to a number of devices which increase mechanical advantage and are comprised of both rigid and flexible elements such as a pulley. The rigid portion is the “block” of either the eye or pulley variety. The tackle is the lacing, a rope run through the block to create the action. Eyes are used primarily to increase friction in order to hold elements of rigging fast but can also serve to change the direction of a running line. Pulleys reduce friction and increase lifting/pulling power. Most commonly used in running rigging to lift heavy elements or control sails against the power of the wind.   If you have any comments, questions or concerns about the tutorial, please take them over to the Discussion Thread. Thank you.