The kedge-anchor

245.—BENDING A SPANKER.

Overhaul the brails well, and pass the sail through their bights. Haul the earing in the jaws out first; then the outer one. Splice the lacing into the outer eyelet-hole, lacing, and secure the lacing in the jaws. Bring the after-leech taut, along the gaff, and within a few inches of the blocks; mark the place for the throat-brails, also for the peak, opposite their respective cheeks on the gaff, and seize the brails to the leech-rope, by passing the seizing between the strands and round the brails. Eyelet-holes, worked close to the leech-rope, are far preferable for seizing the brails to.

The throat-earing is generally passed through an eye-bolt in the lower part of the jaws; but this never brings the sail close to the mast, and looks very bad. In preference, I would recommend having a score cut under the leather in the jaws, and the earing passed from the cringle through this score, and an eye-bolt on the upper side of the jaws, back through the cringle, and so on, until sufficient turns are taken to secure the sail. Large staples also are fitted to the jaws for the purpose, and keys on top, which answer better, and are more secure; also bending battens, instead of lacing round the gaff.

The outer earing is passed round a cleat on the upper side of the gaff, for the purpose. Take the earing from the cringle, pass it round outside the cleat, back through the cringle, and round the cleat, until sufficient turns are taken; then take several inner turns round the gaff and cringle; frap all the outer turns together, with the remaining part of the earing, to bring the parts close, and prevent any chance of their slipping over the cleat; take two half-hitches, expend, and seize the end.

To haul out this earing, and stretch the head of the sail well, use a small jigger; secure the double block to an eye-bolt in the end of the gaff, pass three turns of the earing, cat’s-paw the end, to which hook the other block, and pull the earing well out. I have frequently seen only one earing used; but would prefer two, as all inner turns, when much strain is on them, should have a separate earing. If a new sail, and requires much stretching, it is hauled well out before passing the earing, by hooking the inner block of the jigger to the cringle. Man the throat and peak-halliards, hoist the sail up gradually, seize the hoops, and reeve the lacing.

246.—FITTING SEA-GASKETS.

Gaskets are made with foxes, or small spun-yarn, and platted, like making sennit. The spun-yarn is middled over the bolt, and platted together, the bight forming the eye; sometimes a piece is platted for the eye, then all worked together; if not, the eye is served over afterwards. Sea-gaskets are long enough to have only two on each yard-arm, and to furl the sail over booms and all, when close-reefed, as there will be no more sail on the yard-arms than at any other time. They are secured round the jackstay, by reeving the end through the eye; sometimes round the yard.

247.—FITTING HARBOR-GASKETS.

In making, the eye is left large enough to take a small thimble, then platted broader in the centre, and tapered to a small end. The broad part should be long enough to make the sail in when furled with two reefs. They may be (to look well) about two-and-a-half inches wide, but this is quite a matter of taste. When put on the yard, the thimble is put underneath the jackstay from forward, and secured to it by a seizing passed round the neck of the gasket and jackstay, close to the thimble, and when the sail is ready for their being passed, it is taken up and rove through the thimble, and the sail tossed well up; the end then shoved underneath between the sail and gasket, once or twice. These always look better than any other, are easier passed and secured, and keep the sail well up. There is generally one harbor-gasket to every other seam.

248.—BUNT-GASKETS.

These are always, as to fitting, a matter of taste, but at present they are generally made of wove mat, two or three inches wide, with the two legs crossed, and an eye in each end. I have seen them made of rope, in the following manner:—Take the distance between the two quarter blocks, and measure it off on deck; drive a nail slightly into the deck at each end; then measure from the centre the height the bunt is intended to be, and there drive another nail. Take a piece of rope, from two and a half to three-inch, and measure off sufficient to go over these nails, forming a triangle; splice both ends together, and seize a thimble in each corner; put these thimbles over the nails again, and fill the space in diamonds or squares, according to fancy. The thimbles in each end are secured by the quarter-blocks to the jackstay, and also in the centre. It is not necessary to have thimbles in each end, as an eye will answer every purpose. A long sennit-gasket is middled and seized by the upper thimble; it should be sufficiently long to go round the mast, when the gasket is boused up, to secure it and the bunt well into the mast.

249.—HAMMOCK GIRTLINES.

Whips are rove at the yard-arms. If rope is not used on purpose for girtlines, the studding-sail halliards will answer; they are rove as follows:—A tail block is put on each side of the jib-boom end, and another on the spanker-boom. Overhaul down the whips, and bend them round the girtlines with a bowline knot, allowing room for their rendering through. Belay the foremost ends of the girtlines and trice up; haul upon the after-part, and get all taut. A man lays out on each yard-arm, and marks the girtline with rope-yarns where the tricing line, or a whip, should be bent; then lower away, cast off the bowline knot, and bend the tricing lines round the girtlines with a rolling hitch.

The whips are led from the lower yards to the lower caps, through blocks hooked to the bolts, and on deck. The lower end of the tricing-line is often bent to the girt-line as an inhaul or downhaul; but it is best to have them separate, as it prevents walking the hammocks up, and laying across the deck; and there are plenty of other ropes’ ends which will answer the same purpose.

When one girt-line of a side is not enough, others are rove inside in the same manner. The generality of ships reeve them inside of the lower rigging, as they are much easier got down, and the hammocks are not so likely to get dirty, or overboard.

250.—STOPPING ON HAMMOCKS.

Every man should be obliged to have three knittle-stops at the head, and two at the foot of his hammock. When stopping on, they should overlay at each side about two or three inches, and be stopped together at the foot—numbers up and in.

The forecastle-men should stop their hammocks on forward, next foretop-men, next maintop-men, next mizentop-men, next after-guard, idlers, and boys. Boatswain’s mates abreast of each hatchway.

251.—FURLING OR STOWING THE BUNT OF A SAIL.

When the sail is nearly rolled up, hook the bunt-jigger, bouse it well up, lower the buntlines, and shove the sail well into the skin, taking pains to keep the bunt square; pass and secure the bunt-gasket—take off the jigger—lower and square the studding-sail booms, and pass the heel-lashings.

252.—FURLING COURSES.

The leeches are handed in along the yard, then the sail rolled up snug, with the ends of the points passed in towards the bunt, to give the sail a gradual increase in that direction. Pass the gaskets, lower the booms, and, if required, stop up the gear.

Bowlines are stopped to the slings close down, and hauled taut on the forecastle.

The bowline-bridles of all sails, in furling, are laid with the toggle towards the bunt, and bridles taut along the yard.

When a sail is neatly furled, it appears neither above nor below the yard—earings well slewed up—sail smooth under the gaskets, bunt square, and a taut skin. The heels of the booms should be square, and every thing necessary completed, previous to squaring the yards.

253.—MAKING UP SAILS.

In making up a course, stretch the head of the sail well taut along the deck or loft; bring up to the head the belly-band, then the foot, leaving the clew-blocks out at each end; also the bowline-bridles, and roll taut up; pass the head-earing round the sail close inside the bolt-rope, and put a stop of good spun-yarn to every seam. The reef earings are made up in the sail.

In making up a topsail, stretch the head of the sail taut along; bring the second reef up to the head, and lay all the points and earings snugly along; then bring up the belly-band, and then the foot. The clew-blocks, bowline-bridles, reef-tackles, and toggles or span, should be left out, so that when the sail is sent aloft for bending, the sheets can be rove, reef-tackles and bowlines toggled, without loosing the sail, which will be found of great advantage when blowing fresh. Roll well up, stop with spun-yarn at each seam, and expend the head-earings round the ends of the sail.

Topgallant-sails are made up with the clews out, and bowline-bridles, (if wished,) but they are always bent to the yards on deck; so the neater, they can be made up the better.

254.—TO MAKE UP A TOPMAST STUDDING-SAIL.

Stretch the sail taut along, and overhaul the downhaul through the thimble and block, and bight it along the whole length of the leech. Then roll up towards the inner leech, lay the sheets along the whole length of the sail, roll up over all, and stop the sail well up with spun-yarn or foxes. The earings are expended round the head of the sail when bent to the yard.

255.—FURLING FORE AND AFT SAILS, (WITH CLOTHS OR COVERS.)

The jib is hauled close down, and the sea-gasket passed round it. The cloth is then placed over, and the stops tied. Eyelet-holes are made in each edge for the stops. Jib-sheets and halliards stopped, and hauled taut.

Furling Spanker.—It is also furled best with a cover; it can be furled in the two after cloths, the same as a jib, but it never looks so well, takes time, and in most instances has to be loosed two or three times before it gives satisfaction.

In furling with a cover, the sail is brailed close up, and the cover stopped round, commencing from the end of the gaff, and working in to the mast, and down on deck.

Trysails are stowed in the same manner as spankers.

The fore-topmast staysail is stowed as a jib, in the netting.⁠[24]

256.—REEFING COURSES TO JACKSTAYS.

When this plan is adopted there is only one point requisite, and that on the fore side of the sail; some use two, but it is unnecessary.

Reeve the point through the eyelet-hole from the after side, the points being made with eyes. Through the eyes reeve a small sized rope; this is called the jack-line. Between every four eyelet-holes, stitch the rope well to the sail, on each yard-arm, leaving three points out. Take a piece of small rope, splice one end to the eyelet-hole in the head of the sail, reeve it through that left in the reef, and splice the other end into the same eyelet hole in the head, leaving about two feet slack. This will be found of much use in gathering the sail up for reefing—it is called a grab-rope, or reef-line.

257.—REEF-EARINGS

Are fitted the same as the head—an eyelet-hole is worked below the cringle, large enough to take the earing; through this put the earing, reeve the end through the long-eye, and haul it taut through. The earings are sometimes put in the cringles, but the cringle cannot be so well hauled up on the yard, and consequently will not be so well secured for carrying sail; and it not only puts more strain on the yard-arm points, but also injures the sail. They are also fitted on the bight, and passed on both ends; one end for the outer turns, and the other the inner turns.

To pass a reef-earing.—For the first, second, and third reef, take it from the sail, on the foreside of the yard, round the cleat for the purpose, through the cringle, round the yard and through the cringle, until three or four outer turns are passed; then reeve the bight through the cringle from aft forward—take a round turn in the cringle; then take the end from the latter under the yard up abaft over, and through the bight; then back over the yard on the foreside, through the cringle, from underneath the yard; slew the cringle well up, and leech off the sail, and pass sufficient turns to secure; then expend the end round the yard and half-hitch round all, or a clove-hitch to the lift.

A close reef-earing is passed the same way, but hauled out on the after side of the yard. Being hauled out abaft, it covers all the other reefs, and there being so much sail on the fore-side, it would never keep up.

In passing the outer turns for each reef, take two for the first; three for the second and third, and four for the fourth. For the inner turns, expend the earing, except your earings are fitted on the bight.

258.-BENDING STUDDING-SAILS.

All are bent to the yard alike, and the same precautions used as in other sails, keeping the rope next the yard. The earings are rove through the holes in the yard-arms, and cringle in the head of the sails; two or three outer turns are taken, and the earing nearly expended in inner turns, then frap the outer turns together with the end, and half-hitch, if the sail is laced to the yard—the lacing is spliced into one eyelet-hole, rove through the other, and passed round the yard.

They are sometimes bent by half-hitching the lacing, which plan keeps the sail up, and much closer to the yard. A round turn is also used, by being passed round the yard-arm and through the eyelet-hole twice, and from the latter through the next eyelet-hole, round the yard. They are then made up—the topmast studding-sail to the foremost shrouds of fore and main rigging; topgallant, in foremost part of the topmast rigging; and lower, on the booms. The topmast studding-sail is also sometimes kept on the booms, and tarpaulin covers fitted for them.

These sails are sometimes bent with long rope-bands, and unbent when taken in and stowed away, if dry.

In making up a topmast studding-sail, when bent, overhaul the downhaul the length of the luff or outer leech; then take the foot up to the yard, and place the tack block out. Bight the downhaul along the yard, also the sheets; roll the sail snugly up, and stop it with yarns.

Lower studding-sails are bent and made up in the same manner as topmast studding-sails, with the sheet in.

I have seen these sails when placed in the rigging ready for setting, with the sheets and downhaul left out and stopped to the yards; the tack stopped from the lower yard, up and down the foremost shroud and bent to the sail. This was done with the idea that the sail could be set much quicker; but it was found that the sail on the opposite side (which was set in the general way), was set with less trouble, and in less time. There will be plenty of time to bend the tack and halliards (when the order is given to get ready), while getting burtons up, jiggers on topsail-lift, weather-braces taut, and rigging the booms out.

259.—PREPARATIONS FOR LEAVING THE WHARF AND HAULING OUT IN THE STREAM.

To haul off and moor ship.—Before hauling off, all the spare spars should be hoisted in and secured, boat’s chocks placed, all the stores, provisions, and water got on board; it would be also well to see that there is a sufficient quantity of brooms, bath-brick for cleaning bright-work, lime and size for whitewash, and everything that is allowed and requisite for the ship. The complement of men from the receiving ship should be got on board, and the boats provided with crews, oars, and sails. When everything necessary is completed, make preparations for hauling off. Get up kedges and hawsers ready for instant service; have the ends of the hawsers pointed up each hatchway, ready for handing out if wanted. Run out a kedge, and drop it where the first, or weather-anchor is to be planted; have lines from the ship to the shore—single the fasts—hang over fenders and outriggers—man the hawser, cast off the fasts, and warp off; checking her as may be necessary by the lines. When warped out to the kedge, run it up to the bows, and let go the weather anchor; veer as fast as she will take it, assisting her in going astern by the mizen-topsail, if necessary. If to shoot her to either side, use the helm, jib, or spanker, and in case there is no wind, use kedges and hawsers.

When a double scope is out, stopper the cable, and let go the second anchor—furl the mizen-topsail—bring-to on the weather cable, and heave in to the moorings; moor a little taut, to allow for veering. If a hemp-cable, clap on the service, and veer to the hawse-hole.

260.—CARRYING OUT AN ANCHOR WITH A BOAT.

Hang the anchor to the stern of the boat by good stoppers, and have the buoy and buoy-rope attached to it; pass the end of the cable or hawser out through the hawse-hole, and coil away enough of it in the bows of the boat, to reach the bottom. Now capsize the coil in the stern sheets, and then the end will be uppermost; bend on to the anchor. There should also be a sufficient length of the hawser coiled away in the boat to reach the place destined for the anchor. When in the right place, heave over the buoy, and see that the buoy-rope is clear—stand clear of the cable, and slip the stoppers. In case of making a guess-warp, vice versa.

261.—MARKING THE LEAD-LINE.

At two fathoms, two strips of leather; at three fathoms, three strips of leather; at five fathoms, a white rag; at seven fathoms, a red rag; at ten fathoms, a piece of leather with a hole in it; at thirteen, the same as three; at fifteen, the same as five; at seventeen, the same as seven; at twenty fathoms, two knots.

Deep-sea lead-lines are marked the same, as far as twenty fathoms, then add one knot for every ten fathoms, and a strip of leather for every five fathoms.

262.—HEAVING THE LEAD

A hole is made in the upper part of the lead, a piece of rope rove through it, and both ends spliced together;⁠[25] an eye is spliced in the end of the line, put through this strap, the lead shoved through the bight, and hauled taut.

Breast ropes are fitted in the chains, for the men to lean against when heaving the lead. They are made as sword-mats, tapered at each end, and secured to two shrouds, with seizings passed round them, and through the eyes in each.

Heaving the lead is generally performed by a man who stands in the main chains to windward. Having the line all ready to run out, without interruption, he holds it at a distance of nearly a fathom from the lead, and having swung it backwards and forwards three or four times, in order to acquire a greater velocity with the swing, he then swings it over his head, and thence as far forward as is necessary; so that by the lead sinking whilst the ship advances, the line may be almost perpendicular when it reaches the bottom. The person sounding then proclaims the depth of water, in a kind of singing manner. Thus: if the mark of five fathoms is close to the surface of the water, he sings out, “by the mark 5!” and, as there are no marks at 4, 6, 8, &c., he estimates those numbers, and sings, “by the deep 4!” &c. If he considers it to be a quarter, or a half, more than any particular number, he sings out, “and a quarter 5!” “and a half 4!” &c. If he conceives the depth to be three quarters more than a particular number, he calls it a quarter less than the next; thus, at four fathoms and three-quarters, he calls, “a quarter less 5!” and so on, according to the depth of the water.

263.—MARKING A LOG-LINE.

Allow twelve fathoms for stray line, where stick in a white rag; then at every forty-seven feet and six-tenths, mark the line as follows, viz.: at one, one leather; at two, two knots; at three, three knots; and also having a mark at every half-knot. The glasses should be proved with a good watch, having a second-hand.

The principle of the log-line is, that a knot is the same part of a sea-mile, that half-a-minute is of an hour; therefore the length of a knot should be one-hundred-and-twentieth the length of a sea mile, or fifty-one feet; but as it is more convenient to have the knot divided into eight parts, of six feet each, the proportional reduction is necessary in the glass. Therefore as 51 feet : 30 seconds :: 48 feet : 28, 4.17 seconds; but as the fraction can be more easily allowed in the line than the glass, another proportion is necessary, viz., as 28, 4.17 seconds : 48 feet :: 28 seconds to 47.6 feet, or the length of a knot.

The length of the stray-line is regulated by the size of the ship.

264.—GETTING READY FOR SEA.

Observe and note the exact line of flotation. See that all the rigging is properly up, alow and aloft. See that the preventer-gear is on, as well as breast-ropes for leadsmen, and leads and lines in the chains. If requisite, grease the masts, jib and staysail-stays, lifts and trusses, and reef-pendants—sheet-anchor stowed—guns secured—boats hoisted in and secured. Care should be taken that the harness-casks are lashed—chests and tables properly cleated, and binnacles secured. Let the armorer examine the slip-stoppers, and see that they are oiled, and in proper condition—get the swinging-booms fore and aft—awnings below, and awning ridge-ropes down—down jack-staff—see that the tiller-ropes are all clear, and that the tiller moves freely; also that the relieving-tackles and spare tiller-ropes are at hand.

Cross topgallant yards, bend the gear; take the covers off the jibs, staysail, spanker, and trysails, and coil every rope down clear, for running—have the studding-sails stopped, ready for going aloft, and the royal-halliards down on the weather side. Cat and fish overhauled down. Timenoguys in their respective places. Life-buoys in order. Accommodation-ladder unshipped and stowed away. Pendants and ladders taken off the swinging-booms—head-cranes unshipped—chafing-gear on its respective places. It would also be well to see that there is a sufficiency of sand on board.

265.—CLEAR HAWSE.

Call all hands to “clear hawse.” Lash a stout single-block to the bowsprit, through which reeve the clear hawse-pendant; haul the launch under the bows, or if there is too much sea on, or she is not out, send a hand down in a bowline, and hook the pendant to the riding-cable, below the turn; bouse them up clear of the water, after which pass a stout lashing round both cables.

If there should be a heavy sea on, or the wind flawey and variable, it would be well to pass the end of a hawser out of the hawse-hole, and hitch it to the cable,⁠[26] to relieve the lashing. Reeve ropes through blocks on each side of the bowsprit end, for bow-lines, and pass them in at the hawse-hole, so as to take out an elbow; for instance—suppose the starboard was the clearing cable, take the larboard bow-line down under the cable, up into the starboard hawse-hole, and the starboard one over to the larboard side of the cable; then follow the lead of the larboard bow-line, bend on several fathoms inside, and stop along to the hawse-hole; draw the splice, or unshackle, bend on the hawse-rope, off-stoppers, and run out; hang the bights to the bowsprit (if hemp-cable), with slip-ropes, and send in the bow-lines again, the same way as before. When the end is out, “cast off,” dip it fair, and bend on again to the cable; rouse in, slack down the slip-ropes, and splice or shackle the cable; haul it taut with a deck-tackle, and bitt, and stopper as before. Cast off the hawser, unlash the cable, unreeve the clear hawse-pendant, unlash the block from the bowsprit end, and clear up the deck.

266.—WEIGHING AN ANCHOR WITH THE LAUNCH.

This may be done by under-running, when the ship has slipped the cable, or weighing by the buoy-rope, when the anchor is lying in too shoal water for the ship to be hove up to it.

Ship the roller on the stern of the launch, have strong tackles with a jigger also, and some good rope for stoppers. Get the end of the cable over the roller; pass a strap round it, to which hook the double block of the tackle, and the single one to a bolt in the bows; man the fall, and as the cable comes in, French-flake it along the thwarts; when the tackle comes two blocks, “stopper and fleet;” when the cable is “up and down,” clap the jigger on the fall of the tackle, and heave the boat’s stern well down in the water, and stopper securely. Send all the men in the bows of the boat; jump the boat and break the anchor out of the ground; then man the fall again, off stopper, and heave up; when the ring of the anchor is above water, pass a short ring-stopper, haul the buoy on board, and bring the boat to the ship; when alongside, hook the cat, and cat the anchor. Get the end of the cable unclinched, passed into the hawse, and the remainder hauled out of the launch. (If chain-cable, unshackle.)

267.—WEIGHING AN ANCHOR WITH A BUOY-ROPE.

Get the buoy-rope over the roller, clap on a tackle, and weigh the anchor as before. When it is secured, man the capstan, heave the launch in under the bows, and cat the anchor.

Anchors are generally weighed with the buoy-rope when the cable has parted, and the end cannot be grappled; when this is the case, the anchor may be weighed with launch, brought under the bows and catted, and the cable unclinched and hove in; or the ship might be warped over the buoy, and the cat-fall taken to the buoy-rope.

268.—BOATING AN ANCHOR.

Place the flukes perpendicularly over the stern, and the stock a-thwart-ships in the stem sheets, resting horizontally upon a loose thwart, placed there previously for the purpose, and steady all by one or two lashings.

In letting go, nothing more is required than to cant the anchor over the quarter, by means of the thwart, taking care previously that the buoy, buoy-rope, and cable, be perfectly clear.

Light anchors should be boated contrary to this, i. e., flukes inboard, and stock out.

269.—TAKING IN A LAUNCH.

Brace and secure the yards the same as when getting up the anchors, and also rig the same purchases; place the chocks, pass everything out of the launch, and hook the purchases to spans; have a few hands in the boat to keep her clear of the ship’s side. Man the yard tackle falls; have some hands to take in the slack of the stay fall; “walk away;” when the boat leaves the water, take out the plug. When high enough to clear the waist anchor stock, haul over on the main stay, easing away the fore and main yards; when the stem is over the deck, haul over the fore stay, lower, and place her in the chocks.

The other boats may be got on board by the same purchases. The launch is stowed on the larboard side; the first cutter on the starboard side;⁠[27] the second cutter, inside the launch, and the third cutter inside the first. When all are in, unrig the purchases, square the yards, and set up the gripes.

The quarter and stern boats are hoisted up to their davits, and secured to them by stoppers, and the gripes set up.

270.—TAKING IN BOATS BOTH SIDES AT ONCE.

The yards are kept square, and secured on both sides by the lifts, burtons, and quarter lifts. Use the winding and stay tackles for the heaviest boats, and the yard tackles for the lightest ones; the topsail halliards forward, and the main pendant tackle aft, acting as stays to bring them on board. It may be necessary to come up the forward backstays, as they would be likely to interfere with the bows of the boats; after which proceed as before.

Taking in a boat at sea.—Back the main-topsail, get the boat to leeward, secure the lower yards as before directed, and hoist her in. The boat coming in to leeward, tackles will be necessary to get her to windward sufficiently to lower away.

When before the wind, a boat might be got in by securing the yards as before, and taking a hawser from aft to the stern of the boat, to keep her from sending or pitching forward when leaving the water, and thereby endangering the yards.