Naming the Parts of a Ship's Rigging
Sail, yard, shrouds and tackle labelled: orza, oste, amanto, bigotta
This verso is a glossary of a lateen-rigged vessel's gear, each rope and fitting marked with letters and given its name. Leonardo defines the orza (the bowlines, fore and aft) that swing the yard when tacking, the oste that steers the antenna (lateen yard), the constiere (shrouds) that only hold the mast upright, and the amanto (halyard), and he distinguishes a taglia (a block, which has a sheave) from a bigotta (a deadeye, which has none). He remarks that all the ship's working lines run inside the sail and none outside. Pen drawings at the right show the masthead with its block-and-tackle and a deadeye.
On this page
Bowlines that swing the yard when tacking (orza)
a b is the forward orza, and c d the orza at the stern, which pulls the yard aft when the sails are turned; the forward orza does the same at the bow. f d, the oste, is the "helm" of the yard, steering it as needed.
Block versus deadeye: taglia, girella, bigotta
c is not a taglia (pulley-block), Leonardo notes, because it has no girella (sheave); it is only a bigotta (deadeye). He also lists the amanto (halyard), the trozza (parrel, a b) and the anchino (c d).
Pulley names: caruglio, cascese, quarnale
A second set of lettered figures names the tackle: the pulley called cascese, and the one called quarnale. Letters b, a c, n p, m q, o r, f d and n, a b, c, d key the drawings.