Shrouding the shrouds
The standing rigging on the Centennial was (partially) fashioned in the traditional way, that is: with loops on the end of the shrouds that go over the masts, rather than modern fittings and shackles.
The shrouds are modern, though, in that they are made of stainless steel cable, and that creates an issue: the shrouds can be hard on the masts, and a bit noisy.
The Loys came up with the solution of lacing leather over them, and we’re continuing that style. I got a big bag of pigskin scraps and we’re lacing that over the loops. I really like how they look (click pic for more).
Long term, I’ll be tempted to figure out a shackle-based attachment scheme that includes turnbuckles (especially since we’re not obliged to drop the masts every year).