This section brings together the approximately 700 objects and photographs used in Canada's Naval History. Use this section to directly access objects and photographs grouped by type, as shown below, or use the search function above to search through them by title.

HMCS Rainbow Sailors and Capstan

Sailors aboard HMCS Rainbow use a piece of equipment called a capstan, probably to weigh (raise) one of the ship's anchors.

A capstan is a type of winch turning around a vertical axis. Bars inserted into the capstan, which is visible in the centre, allowed a large number of the ship's crew to push at the same time. Ropes joining the ends of the bars allowed still more to join in the effort. By 1910, weighing anchor was more usually done by steam power, but manually operated capstans could serve as back-ups to powered equipment.

VRP992.74.11
CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum