Building Friendship: Reports by John Monaghan

September 2000: Bowsprit, Jibboom, and Dolphin Striker

Away up in the bow (the front end) of Friendship are the bowsprit and jibboom. These two long, overlapping spars project out from the bow of Friendship at an angle of about 20 degrees from the horizontal and together they add over 65 feet to the overall length of the ship, for a total ship length of 175 feet.

The bowsprit and jibboom act somewhat like masts and carry the forestays and jib sails, also known as the head rig, out beyond the bow of the ship. These spars are under a huge strain that is not evident at a casual glance. Much of the forward support of the masts is carried through these spars down into the hull of the ship.

They also carry the strain of the jibs and staysails. These sails not only help propel the ship, but also, actually help steer the ship by changing the ship's balance. The rudders in some of the old ships could only travel through an arc of a mere 14 degrees and the sailors in these ships learned to use the sails to swing the bow or stern around to the direction they needed to go. Here in an old painting of Friendship from the Peabody Essex Museum, one can see the elements of the bowsprit, jibboom and dolphin striker.

Left: detail of painting of Ship FRIENDSHIP of Salem, attributed to Guiseppi Fedi. Courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum.