Deleted posts and drawings.
I have deleted some posts here and on my photobucket .I have decided to use my pictures only.No drawings or other material will be used as this is available from other sources on the web.It is really only the sequence of rigging that is missing on the websites and besides my drawing are lousy.Thank you for your understanding ,I am kind of learning about what works and doesn't work as I go along too.
Cheers! John.

Step 16

Fore Topmast Standing Backstay

Hack P64
Long P222


Three each side,of 7" rope.

____________________
Step 17

Main Topmast Standing Backstay

Hack P64
Long P222

Three each side of 7" rope belay to the foremost eye on the backstay stool.

Please note:
For large pics of the rigging please go to my photobucket.When on my main page scroll down the albums list on the port side.
Click on "Victory book" and there you will find large and very large pictures , in approximately the right sequence for rigging Victory.Remember these pics are of a 1/72 scale model blown up to make your job of rigging easier.Color,scale,small flaws and mistakes will be embarrassingly obvious to the expert but at scale distance to the ordinary modeler it looks fine.Remember this is a diorama and I did use some artistic license for overall effect.Anyway that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

The most important thing is the rigging sequence and that I can vouch for because when I finished I only had two pieces of running rigging that I couldn't place properly.I forget what they were now but because I no longer had access to the bottom of the mast I had to belay them to the shrouds.
After I finish the sequence of rigging I plan to identify the belaying points on the ship for each step of the rigging process that I am showing here.I plan to identify them by keying them to each step that I am working on now.The actual run of the rigging is covered very well by Longridge but he like all the others(except Hackney) is very confusing on the step-by step sequence,In other words the "how to..." of how the rig the ship in the proper order, which in this case happens to be how the real ship was rigged by her riggers at the time.Luckily for us as modelers it also happens to be the best method to rig a model. If you are not careful you can very quickly loose access to critical areas in all the maze of rigging.As a general rule I never permanently belay anything down until thinking it though.Sometimes it is tempting to want to completely finish a step without really thinking about it.A good example would be the shrouds ,do not finish them with laniards and ratlines until the end of the rigging process.You can finish them individually but leave the laniards(the ropes between the deadeyes} loose.I don't know how many times I had to free them to get access to the running rigging belaying points at the foot of the masts.The ratlines you will have good access to until the end so there is no rush to finish them.
It is very important to keep asking yourself "will I need future access to this area ?" and resist the temptation to "finish it " permanently.

Please note:
There is one exception to what I said about rigging the ratlines and that is the area between the futtock stave and the deadeyes at the top.Due to reasons of accessibility the ratlines that run from the futtock stave to the masthead are best installed before the futtock shrouds.See:Longridge P229 Fig 157 and Plate 63.
When climbing the shrouds to the top most sailors would use the ratlines attached to the futtock shrouds instead of going up the safer way through the "lubbers hole".( "landlubber")

Step 18

Mizzen topmast standing backstay.

Hack P64 Fig 11

Long P222


One each side 4 1/2" rope leading to the forward eyebolt on the mizzen backstay stool.

Step 19

Fore topmast shifting backstay

Hack P64

Long P231

One each side 7" rope with a 12" double block tied to the lower end.12" single becket block tied to the foremost of the two eyebolts in rear end of fore channels.The blocks are joined by a 3" rope in a luff tackle,the fall being tied back on the eyebolt.

Step 20

Main topmast shifting backstay.

Hack P65

Long P231


Same as fore backstay but the lower 12" blocks are tied to the main channel eyebolts between the ninth and tenth deadeyes.

Step 21

Mizzen topmast shifting backstay.

Hack P65

Long P231-32
Same as the fore and main but using a 4 1/2" rope for the backstay and 9" blocks with the lower single one tied to the single eyebolt on the aft end of the mizzen channel.The blocks are connected by 2 1/2" rope.

Step 22

Foretopmast preventer stay

Hack P65

Long P222


Tie one 12 " single block to the base of the port knighthead.Tie one end of a 6 1/2" rope around the foretopmast head.The lower end is led through the hole in the port bee.A single becket block is tied to its end.The two blocks are connected with a 3" rope in a gin-tackle,with the fall around the knighthead.

Please Note:
that you have to jump around from one page to the other when following Longridge,Hackney however is consistently step-by-step.This is the beauty of Hackney's book.

Step 23

Foretopmast stay

Hack P65

Long P222


Tie a 12" single block to the base of the starboard knighthead.Rig the stay as in step 22 but using a 8 1/2" rope.Lead it through the hole in the starboard bee and connect the blocks with a 3 1/2" rope,belaying the fall around the knighthead.

My Reference Source for this thread is Hackney's book.
He lists his reference sources as the following:
Published
The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships
Longridge

HMS Victory;Building ,Restoration and Repair
Bugler

Unpublished
Admiralty rigging charts and deck diagram at Portsmouth Dockyard.

Observation
Detailed examination of HMS Victory in Trafalgar condition at Portsmouth Dockyard

Discussions with
The Captain and ship's company of HMS Victory
The Master Rigger and his staff at Portsmouth Dockyard
The Curator and staff of the Victory Museum

Here is a better pic of steps 15 and 16.

Note:The Topmast Backstays
The fore and main topmasts each have five backstays on both the port and starboard sides.The miizzen topmast has only two.
There are three types of topmast backstays,-Breast
-Standing
-Shifting

Fore Topmast Backstays.
The fore to aft sequence for rigging the backstays at the foremast port channel:

1-Breast backstay eyebolt-between deadeye 1 and 2.

2-Standing backstay 1-4th deadeye.

3-Standing backstay 2-10th deadeye.

4-Standing backstay 3-14th deadeye.

5-Shifting backstay-eyebolt just aft of 15th deadeye.

The foremast port channel is similar.

Main Topmast Backstays.

1-Breast backstay eyebolt -same as foremast.

2-Standing backstay 1-same as foremast.

3-Standing backstay 2-8th deadeye.

4-Standing backstay 3-1st deadeye on stool.

5-Shifting backstay-same as foremast.

Mizzen Topmast Backstays.

1-Standing backstay-1st deadeye on mizzen stool.

2-Shifting backstay-eyebolt at aft end of the mizzen channel.