As mentioned earlier, the Tayleur's fore and main mast had iron lower sections. The mizzen and the rest of the mast assemblies were wooden.

And... luckily for me, they are handled in different ways. Yee Haaa, just what I needed ... more mystery to unravel.

Anyway, following advice I had received, I managed to secure the loan of a copy of Masting and rigging the clipper ship & ocean carrier : with authentic plans, working drawings and details of the nineteenth and twentieth century sailing ship by Harold A. Underhill. from Internet Archive.

https://archive.org/

The attached images detail most of what I was looking for in relation to the iron mast sections, but now adds the very real possibility that a mixture of iron and wooden fixtures would have been utilised across the vessel.

So, here is the first instalment of fixtures and fittings for the iron part of the masts.

Updates to follow.

On the advice a member from another forum, one that specialises in 'scratch built' historical vessels, I retrieved some diagrams of the 1886 built 'Balclutha'.

Though similar at first appearance, it needs to be noted she is a newer vessel by 32 years, built on the Clyde in Scotland by Charles Connell and Co. rather than at Bank Quay on the Mersey in Liverpool, constructed of a combination of steel and iron, rather than strictly iron as the Tayleur was and was built for 'General Trade' rather than Australian migration and freight.

However, with little I have to go on of the Tayleur itself, these drawings and records will help the understanding of the Tayleur's, possible, structure immensely.

The public facing website is here:

https://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/item/ca1493/

More to come.

Attached are some, truly great, images showing the design, location and 'fixing' of the 'Balclutha's masts.

Further research is required, but I am calling this new find real progress.

Updates to come.

I'm pleased to have, finally, received from Cormac Lowth, the half-model's 2004 restorer, an 'overhead' view of the Tayleur's deck and mast layout.

Though much less detailed than others I have seen, it is still better than having to 'imagine' it.