200.—IRON CLAW-STOPPERS, AND CLEAR-HAWSE SHACKLES.
These are used for chain-cables, instead of rope-stoppers, and are found very convenient, and more durable than rope. They are allowed to every ship in the service by the new regulation, and are fitted as follows:—A piece of chain four feet long, is fitted with a devil’s-claw in one end, and a slip-hook in the other; a slip-ring also in the long link in the chain, for the end of the slip-hook.
201.—TO CUT, AND PASS A MESSENGER.
The length should be equal to twice the distance from the after part of the capstan, to the roller in the manger, and add four times the circumference of the capstan-band; this is sufficient for splicing in the eyes and taking turns. The messenger is passed with three round turns, and then the eyes lashed with the lanyard, figure-of-eight fashion. The part which is brought to the cable is undermost.
Note.—Some messengers are fitted with a strap and toggle instead of a lashing; this plan is much quicker than the old way. The size of the strap, ought to be one half the size of the messenger; in length it should be once the circumference of the capstan on the bight. Instead of splicing the two ends of the strap together, make a spritsail-sheet knot with the six strands, reeve one bight of the strap through one eye of the messenger, the other bight through the other eye, and toggle them together.
To dip a messenger.—Cast off the lashing, slack up the turns, and pass the eye up or down, as necessary, between the turns and capstan. Render the turns through each other, and pass the lashing again.
202.—SPLICING ROPE-CABLES.
Cut off the ropemaker’s fag-end, and unlay the cable sufficiently far for splicing. Take the inside yarns and lay them up into three strands, equal to the piece of rope intended for the tails, and splice these small strands and tails together. Take the outside yarns and make them into three-yarn plaits or knittles, then marl the remaining yarn down over the splice and tail, and point over all with the plaits or knittles. The cable is then opened with setting fids and commanders, and the splice made, each strand boused through with jiggers; the ends are put in twice on the tier, and once on the anchor part. Take a good piece of small-rope, and pass it as a round-seizing, close to the splice, and cross it on all sides. When finished it will look square; and pass another, with smaller stuff, close to the ends. Worm the ends into the lay of the cable, and pass three or four spun-yarn seizings, at equal distances round them and the cable, to keep them in the lay—make the seizings, and whip the ends of the tails. The size of the seizing, and number of turns, depend on the size of the cable.
| Packingham’s Rudder. | To bring-to a Messenger. |
| A Cap. | |
| To bit a Cable. | |
| Mariner’s Compass. |
Packingham’s Rudder, &c., &c.
Bends.—The small rope used as seizings in clinching, are so called. The end of the cable for clinching to the anchor should be wormed with good strands, and backed with good spun-yarn, and the end capped. The worming should be long enough to form the clinch, and the cable well tarred before and after its being done. The lay of the cable opens in clinching, and being wormed, it prevents the wet getting into the heart of the rope, or lodging. To pass the bends, have a good piece of rope of the length and size required; bring both parts together, leaving one end a third longer than the other; then pass it round both parts of the cable, and put both ends through the bight. Pass the under turns with the short end, the upper or riding-turns with the long one. Stop both ends well with spun-yarn to their next parts, and cross the whole seizing or bend, with sennit; pass the sennit on the bight, and secure both together with a reef-knot.
203.—TO SHIP, AND UNSHIP A RUDDER.
Have the rudder brought under the stern, hung to a scow. Bore a hole through the beam or carling over the rudder case—drive an eyebolt up through it, and fit a washer and forelock. Strap a large single block[18] with hook and thimble, and hook it to the eye-bolt; reeve a top-pendant through the single block, down through the rudder-case, and hitch it to an eye-bolt, which is temporarily fitted into the rudder-head. Clap a deck-tackle on to the other end of the pendant; have heel-ropes leading forward on each side, after being rove through their respective holes in the rudder. Man the deck-tackle fall, and hoist away. When the rudder is high enough, guy it fair with the heel-ropes; see the pintles fair for entering the gudgeons,—lower away, and fit in the wood-lock. Come up the pendant, unreeve the heel-ropes—take the bolt from the rudder-head, also the one from the beam or carling above—ship the tiller, and reeve the wheel-ropes.
To unship it.—Fit the bolts, single block, pendant and deck-tackle as before, unreeve the wheel-ropes, unship the tiller, knock out the wood-lock, and “sway away.” When the pintles are clear of the gudgeons, lower away, and secure it to the scow or lighter—tow it on shore, and parbuckle, or hoist it out of the water or scow.
[18] If a top-block can be procured, it will answer best, as the neck of the hook being shorter, it will give more hoist.
204.—GETTING THE GUNS ON BOARD.
The gun-carriages and all the equipments belonging to the guns are brought alongside in lighters, and hoisted in with the yard & stay. Get them on their respective decks, and reeve the purchase for getting the guns on board.
Securing the main-yard.—To the bolts in the lower cap, hook the double blocks of two burtons. The single ones are hooked to selvagee-straps, round the yard, close to the lifts, and the falls sent on deck, through leading-blocks. Bouse well taut the main-lifts and burtons together, and belay. Then pass a good lashing round the main-yard in the slings, and main-mast, to keep the yard steady, and support the trusses, they being previously boused well taut.
Take the top tackle-pendant, and reeve it through a top-block, secured well to the yard with a good lashing, passed round the hook, on the outside quarter; take the pointed end over the cap, pass it between the head of the mast and heel of the topmast, take two half-hitches on its own part, or that from the yard, and secure the end with a round-seizing of spun-yarn. Get a single whip upon the main-yard, close to the lashing, bend one end to the hook of the top-tackle fall-block; hoist the block up and hook it to the thimble in the pendant. Through this and the other top-tackle fall-block, reeve a fall; clench one end (the standing part), round the main yard close to the block; the other end, when rove full, through a leading block on deck, by the bitts.
The garnet-purchase is a pendant, with a thimble in the upper end, which is hooked to the main-pendant-tackle; the other end is rove down through holes bored in the deck for the purpose, and a stout hook and thimble spliced or turned into the end. The garnet should be long enough to go on the lower-deck, and the holes bored perpendicular to the centre of the port through which the guns are to be got on board. The slings are made of breaching-stuff, twice the length of the gun, the ends spliced together, and the strands put in twice each way; seize an eye on the bight, large enough to go over the breach of the gun; put over the eye, and put the slings along the upper part of the gun, lashing them with a piece of rope round all, just forward of the trunnion; put the other end over the muzzle, and in toggle. Lash the purchase-block to the bight of the slings, and also bend on a hawser to weigh the gun, in the event of parting the purchase. “Sway away;” drop the lighter from under the gun, and when the breach is as high as the port, hook the garnet and also an a-thwartship-tackle to the breech-ring; haul on the tackle and bring the gun in through the port—run a carriage under—lower away; place the trunnions fair, and clamp them; come up the purchases, and transport the gun to its port. The lower and main-deck guns are got in in the same way. The cannonades are taken over the rail; a toggle is put in the muzzle, one bight of the slings over the cascable, the other over the muzzle, and back-lashed to the toggle; the stay or purchase-block is lashed on midships of the slings, and the stay or pendant-tackle to the same place; consequently the gun will come in square. Have the bed and slide ready, place it fair, and drive in the naval-bolt. Ship the screws, beds, and coins; reeve the breeching, hook side and train-tackles; see the guns square in the ports, and secure them.
The main-deck guns might be taken in over the rail, and struck down the main-hatch; but I prefer their being taken in through the port, if plenty of men.
Note.—The reason for having additional security on the main-yard is, because in getting in the guns, the strain is altogether on the yard; while in getting up the anchors, the strain is divided between two yards. The burtons are sometimes frapped in with the main-lift, between the yard and cap; but I prefer their not being done so, as they will all render fairer, when the strain comes on them. It is customary to top the main-yard up; but I saw a line-of-battle ship’s guns got in without it, and as it brings a greater strain on the slings and trusses, it should not be done to so great an extent as is the practice.
Caution.—When the garnet-purchase is raising the breech to the level required to place the gun in its carriage, care must be taken that the main-purchase be not lowered by a turn, but that the men on the fall “walk back” with a steady step.
When the gun is lodged in its carriage, it is removed to its proper port, and another carriage is rolled to the receiving port, ready for the reception of the next gun, and so on.
205.—FITTING SHACKLE-BREECHINGS.
If it be required to fit the breechings on this recently improved plan, it will be necessary to taper and point both ends of the rope preparatory to splicing or turning-in a shackle on each extremity. The shackle should be turned-in and secured to each end of the breeching by two separate seizings, one close to the shackle, and the other towards the pointed end of the rope. They are frequently spliced into a thimble and then shackled, which I think is much neater.[19]
By this simple and serviceable method, the breeching may be shifted in a few seconds, it being no longer necessary to reeve it through the ring at the breech. An opening is now made in the cascable, which admits the introduction of the breeching on the bight; and the cascable fitted with a hinge or snatch, and sometimes a bolt going through the cascable, confines the breeching, and prevents it jumping out on the recoil of the gun.
[19] This last improvement was introduced by Francis Grice, Esq., chief Naval Constructor, U. S. N.
206.—TRIATIC STAYS.
A double block is strapped into a pendant, a hook and thimble spliced into one end; a single block is strapped with a hook and thimble, a fall is rove, the standing-part bent into a becket in the strap of the single block; sometimes the double block is strapped, and the pendant spliced in over the seizing. A good strap with a thimble seized into it, is fitted to the strap of the lower block. A piece of rope is spliced round the strap of the fore-stay block, and the other end, when cut to the required length, spliced round the strap of the main-stay block, and seized. This is called the span, and is generally the length between the fore and main-hatchways. The main-stay hooks to a strap with a thimble in it, from round the main-mast-head on the fore side; the fore from one abaft, fitted in the same manner. The main one generally comes down alongside the slings, the fore one between the trestle-trees, abaft. The pendant and tackle are sometimes fitted separate, to hook, and are easier stowed away.
Note.—In case of emergency, these pendants may be taken round the mast-head, and hooked to their own parts. I have known some ships to use them this way altogether.
207.—HOISTING IN SPARS.
Overhaul down the fore and main-yard tackles, fore and main-stays, and lead their falls to the opposite side of the deck the spars come in at. Hook burtons to the lower caps (double blocks), single ones to selvagees round the lower yard-arm, close inside the lifts. Send the falls on deck, and pull up the lifts and burtons together, and trusses; brace the fore-yard in, and hook on to the spars. They should be always hoisted in as stowed.[20]
If the spars are too long to come in abreast, between the fore and main-masts, such as topmasts, hook the main-stay to the strap round the foremost end, and fore-stay to the after one; then hook the yards to separate straps made of pieces of stout rope knotted together, or good selvagees, according to the weight of the spar. Man the yards and walk them up; when clear of hammock-nettings, haul on the main-stay, ease the fore and main-yards, keeping the spar square, and get the foremost end inside the rigging; then ease the main-stay, and get the spar in its place on the booms. Small spars can be got in with the main-yard, a double whip on main-stay, or single guy if required.
[20] The spars intended to be stowed underneath, should be hoisted in first; such as topmasts, half-yards, and jib-boom, for the lower tier, and round off with the smaller spars on the top.
208.—STOWING BOOMS.
The spars on the starboard side are stowed as follows, viz.: Main-topmast, head aft; main-topgallant, (mast-fishes) half-yard, main topmast studding-sail booms, and jib-boom. On the larboard side—fore-topmast, head forward; fore-topgallant-mast, mast-fish, half-yard, fore topmast studding-sail booms, flying-jib-boom, &c.
There are several small spars which are equally divided, to make the booms as snug and neat as possible. A great deal of room can be gained by stowing them amidships in one pile, and the boats on each side. As the spars are stowed, they should be numbered on each end, also a list taken, and painted on the foreside of the boom-boards; by so doing it will save much time and trouble to find any spar that may be required; as I have seen all the booms unlashed before a spar was found.
The booms are lashed to span-shackles in the deck for the purpose. A few small spars should be kept out, to drive under the lashing, to set all taut. When stowed they are covered with tarpaulins, or matting made for the purpose. When the spars are all in, square the yards.
Note.—It is becoming the general practice, to stow both topmasts with their heads forward. Many ships stow all their spars amidships in one pile, with the exception of the fore and main-topmasts, which are stowed outside of the boats; spare main-topsail yard on the larboard-quarter, the fore on the starboard-quarter, in the chains, and spare jib-boom across the stern, secured underneath the stern-davits.[21]
[21] Some ships stow topmasts and all amidships; but this is a bad plan, as it would be necessary to take out all, to get a topmast if required, it being underneath.
E. PLURIBUS UNUM
Brig-of-War, under full Sail.