The kedge-anchor

335.—TO TURN REEFS OUT OF THE TOPSAILS AND COURSES.

Haul taut the reef-pendants, and set taut the lower lifts; ease off the bowlines; ease a little of the tacks and sheets of the courses, and settle a few feet of the topsail halliards; haul taut the reef tackles and buntlines, round in a little of the weather braces, to clear the points of the lee-rigging; commence casting off the points of the bunt, taking care to leave none tied, and turning one reef out at a time; ease away both earings together; overhaul the rigging, get the tacks on board; sheet home, hoist the topsails up to a taut leech, out bowlines and make sail.

336.—THE RUDDER IS CARRIED AWAY—TO FIT ANOTHER.

Man the braces immediately; take in after sails, and let the ship run a little free; rouse up a cable, clove-hitch a hawser over the cable, and then pay it overboard; veer away about twenty fathoms, and lash it amidships on the taffrail; lead the ends of the hawsers through large blocks, lashed to the quarters, and clap tackles on them; steer the ship by this contrivance, until a rudder can be constructed. (See Plate.)

Take a spare topmast, cut it the length of the rudder, enlarge the fid-hole to receive the tiller, if not already large enough; take a spare cap and cut away the after part, so as to fit the stern post at the waters’ edge, or a little below; pass the topmast through the round hole in the cap; take a spare jib-boom and cut it in two; the pieces are to be bolted on abaft the topmast, after squaring the edges which will come in contact with each other, and cutting a score in the forward part of the jib-boom, next to the topmast, to allow the cap to have room to play in; plank the whole over with stout oak plank, and bolt in a fish abaft all; drive an eye-bolt into the heel of the topmast (now the head of the rudder), and have kentledge attached to the other end to sink it; take an anchor-stock and square two of the edges; cut away a circular score in each, for them to join together around the top mast, below the squares, and thus serve as an upper gudgeon; drive the anchor-stock hoops on the rudder-head, to prevent splitting.

Place the rudder on a stage, near the taffrail; pass a couple of hawsers aft through the hawse-holes, and secure them to the heel of the rudder; have tackles on their inner ends; have two more hawsers or parts of hawsers passed from forward aft, under everything, one each side, and clinch them to the quarter eye-bolts in the cap; have a pendant round as described in another place; launch overboard and rouse up on the head rope; heave in upon the hawsers, and bring the rudder to the stern post, perpendicularly; secure the cap to the stern post and the anchor-stock, around the rudder head; ship the tiller, reeve the wheel-ropes, and rouse in the cable. The kentledge may remain to keep the rudder perpendicular, or may be taken off, as the case may require.

337.—A SHIP ON FIRE AT SEA.

Hard up the helm, haul up the courses, up spanker, get the ship before the wind, and reduce sail to topsails; beat to quarters, close all the ports, muster the men at their stations, call away the firemen, under charge of their proper officers; let a part fill the engine and wet the sails, while the other part finds out where the fire is, and endeavor to extinguish it if possible—for which purpose use bedding; putting over the gratings and tarpaulins. The gunner and his mates should be in the magazine, ready to drown the powder at a moment’s notice; let the carpenters rig and fetch the pumps, and the spar-deck division clear away the boats, equip them, and get them ready for hoisting out; in the above case, the fire is supposed to be below, and the helm is put up, because wind is less felt; the ports are shut in, and the tarpaulins put on, as they would afford air to the fire; and the courses hauled up, because they strike a current of air down the hatchways, and are also liable to catch. If the fire is on deck, and forward, keep before the wind; if aft, haul close on a wind.

338.—A SHIP ON HER BEAM ENDS.

When the severity of the squall is felt, hard up the helm and let fly everything; but if she goes on her beam ends before she can be got off sufficiently to diminish the effects of the wind, the best way will be to cut away the mizen-mast before the headway ceases, which falling over the lee quarter, will act as a drag, to pay her off; should she not right when before the wind, if there be an anchorage, and the cable is bent, get the drag to the lee-bow, by means of a spring, and rouse in; the wind acting on the flat deck, and under side of the sails, will probably right her. As a last resort, cut away the masts—great decision and rapidity of execution is necessary, as the ship must go down a short time after she goes over.

339.—WIND FREE, ALL SAIL SET, STRUCK BY A SQUALL.

Up helm, let fly the main-sheets, spanker-outhaul, staysail-sheets and halliards, royal and topgallant studding-sail-halliards, royal and topgallant-sheets, and halliards; haul up the mainsail, brail up the spanker, down staysails, and order the topmen to haul in the studding-sails and stow them. When before the wind, right the helm, clew down the topsails, haul up the buntlines, and out reef-tackles, and reef if necessary; clear up the decks as fast as possible.

340.—STRUCK BY A SQUALL ON A LEE SHORE.

If sail cannot be reduced, luff-too and shake her; fill away again, gather headway, and luff again.

341.—STRUCK BY A SQUALL UNDER WHOLE TOPSAILS AND COURSERS.

Up helm, let fly the topsail halliards, main-sheet, spanker outhaul, and lee-topsail sheets; haul up the mainsail, brail up the spanker, clew up the topsails to leeward, then to windward; right the helm, and reef if necessary.

342.—ON A WIND, UNDER WHOLE TOPSAILS—PART THE WEATHER MAIN-TOPSAIL BRACE.

Haul up the mainsail, let go the lee main-brace, haul forward on the lee-maintop-bowline, and aft on the weather main-brace; luff-too, and when the main-topsail shivers, clew it down, haul up the buntlines, out reef tackles, and steady the yard by the bowline, until a new brace can be rove; a burton might be hooked to steady the yard.

343.—THE JIB-DOWNHAUL PARTS.

Untoggle the fore-topgallant-bowlines, and knot them together, above the first hank, between the stay and jib-halliards, which use for a downhaul, until you reeve a new one.

344.—TO CHASE.

A vessel that chases another should have the advantage in point of sailing, because if the ship chased is as good a sailer as the chaser, the latter can never come up to her, if she manœuvred equally as well.

In order to determine whether your ship sails faster than your adversary, get upon the same tack, under the same sail, and keep upon the same course with her; set her exactly with a compass, and if your ship sails best, the sail will soon draw a point more aft; if she has the advantage she will in a short time draw more forward, and if both sail equally well, she will remain at the same point.

345.—TO CHASE TO WINDWARD.

To chase to windward, run upon the same course with the enemy, until he is brought perpendicularly to the same course; when tack and continue the second board, until he is again brought perpendicularly to the same course; always continue this manœuvre by tacking every time the chase is a-beam, on either board, and she will come in the shortest method by your superiority of sailing. Should the chase pass the point, when the chase bears a-beam, he must go about with all dispatch.

346.—OBSERVATIONS FOR A SHIP TO WINDWARD, WHICH IS CHASED.

The weather ship will always be joined, since it is granted that she does not sail as well as the pursuer, it will be then to her advantage to keep constantly on the same tack, without losing time to heave about, for tacking cannot be so favorable to her as to her adversary, whose sailing is superior.

If the chaser mistakingly stands on and tacks in the wake of the chase, the best course for the latter to pursue is to heave about and pass to windward of him on the other tack, unless you suppose your vessel would have a superiority in going large; for if the chaser persists in tacking in the wake of the other ship, the chase will be much prolonged.

347.—TO CHASE TO LEEWARD.

If the chaser keeps away to cut the chase off, and keeps continually on that course, they will eventually come together where the two courses intersect. This will be exactly executed by the ship in chase, if in the course she has taken, she keeps the chase continually upon the same degree of the compass as at the beginning of the pursuit. This principle applies equally to all the courses which the retreating ship pursues, for if overtaken, it can only be accomplished by keeping in a straight line, if the chase takes another course than that which keeps the two ships upon the same point. These are the only considerations to be made, and they may be corrected, by observing the bearings by an azimuth compass.

348.—TO WINDWARD OF AN ENEMY, WITHIN PISTOL SHOT.—The weather main rigging is shot away—both ships with main-topsails to the mast.

Up helm, fill away, and run the enemy on board, before she gets headway to prevent it.

349.—WIND ON THE QUARTER, ALL SAIL SET—BRING BY UNDER DOUBLE-REEFED TOPSAILS.

Reduce sail regularly, and clew down the topsails; luff enough to reef, hoist the topsails, and haul close on a wind.

350.—WIND ON THE QUARTER, ALL SAIL SET—BRING-TO ON THE OTHER TACK, UNDER DOUBLE REEFED TOPSAILS.

Reduce sail to topsails, station the crew forward, with one watch of topmen aloft to reef; brail up the spanker, up helm, brace in, and when before the wind, clew down the topsails, haul out reef-tackles, and up buntlines; let the men lay out and reef; wind on the quarter, brace up cross-jack yard, and haul out the spanker; as she comes-too, brace up the fore yard, and meet her with the helm and jib-sheet; when coming-too, a good opportunity will be offered for reefing; when reefed, hoist away the topsails, letting the main go a-back, the others fill.

351.—HOW TO GET THE ANCHORS OFF THE BOWS.

Hook the fore pendant-tackle; single the shank-painters, and set them taut with the pendant-tackles; come up the shank-lashings, put the shoes between the bills and bows, by capstan-bars, and then by the shank-painters as far as necessary.

Single and set taut cat-head stoppers, and then unlash the rings.

352.—TO ANCHOR HEAD TO WIND—WIND FREE.

See that the officers and men are at their stations, and the strictest silence preserved, as the ship nears her berth; take in all the studding sails, get the burtons off the yards, and the jiggers off the topgallant yards; send the booms and sails down from aloft; man the fore clew-garnets, buntlines and leechlines; the mainsail is hauled up as the ship is going free; topgallant and royal clewlines; lay aloft and stand by to furl the sails snug, and square the yards by the lifts and braces; have hands by the fore tack and sheet, topgallant and royal sheets, halliards, weather braces, and bowlines; up foresail, in topgallant-sails and royals; furl the sails snug, and square the yards by the lifts and braces, hauling taut the halliards. Man the topsail-clewlines and buntlines, weather braces, jib-downhaul, and spanker-outhaul; attend the sheets, halliards, and spanker-brails, ease down the helm, haul down the jib, haul out the spanker, and when the topsail lifts, clear away the sheets, and clew them up; then let go the halliards, clew down, and square away the yards immediately; haul aft the spanker-sheet, and when the headway ceases, stream the buoy, stand clear of the cable; when she begins to go astern, let go the anchor, brail up the spanker, crotch the boom, haul taut the guys, light-to the cable, as fast as she will take it, until a sufficient scope is out, when stopper. Furl sails, haul taut and stop in the rigging, send the boats’ crews aft, to lower the boats down. Let the boatswain go ahead to square the yards—clear up the decks.

353.—TO ANCHOR ON A LEE SHORE.

The ship being on a lee shore, and no room to veer, recourse must be had to letting go all the anchors. For this purpose all the cables are bent and ranged, and all the anchors got ready for letting go; the weather sheet is bitted to the forward bitts, and the weather bower to the after bitts, to windward; the lee bower to the forward bitts, and the lee sheet to the after ones to leeward; no buoy rope is bent except to the weather sheet; the weather sheet is backed by the stream, and the other anchors with kedges; see all the tiers clear, get the ship under storm-staysails, and furl all the square sails; hook the yard tackles; get the lower yards forward, and house topmast; when all is ready, keep her a little off, to get headway. Let go the weather sheet and stream anchors and veer away, then the weather bower and kedge; down helm; haul down fore and main storm stay-sails, and the drift to leeward will carry her to the berth of the last anchor, which let go; haul down the mizen storm stay-sail, and veer away an equal scope on all four cables; observe that they will bear an equal strain, and veer to a long scope, reserving sufficient to freshen the nip with;⁠[30] see that the cables are well rounded, and watch them carefully. If she should drag, sling the guns with the stoutest spare rigging on board, having a round turn around all these cables, and heave them over; if she should still drag, cut away the masts, and if there be no possibility of preventing her from going on shore, take a stout spring to one of the quarters, slip the cables, let her veer round and go on shore end on.⁠[31]

354.—SCUDDING UNDER A FORESAIL—TO COME TO AN ANCHOR.

Get both bowers ready for letting go; haul up the foresail, making a due allowance for headway, and run in under bare poles; when near the berth, down helm, out with the spanker, and haul aft mizen storm stay-sail sheet; when by the wind, let go the weather anchor and veer away briskly; when head to wind, let go the lee anchor, and haul down the staysail; veer-to, and bring equal strain on both cables. If necessary, let go more anchors.

355.—TO MAKE A FLYING MOOR.

Make all necessary preparations for coming-to; overhaul and bitt a double range of the weather cable, and bitt the lee one at the range to which she is to be moored. When approaching the anchorage, reduce sail to topsails, jib and spanker, if moderate, but if fresh, to jib and spanker only; when near the berth of the first anchor, luff-to, stream the buoy, and when the headway has nearly ceased, let go the weather anchor, up helm, stand on and veer away roundly, to prevent the range from checking her; when the full range is nearly out, hard down the helm, down jib, clew up the topsails, out spanker, and let her lay the range out taut; when taut, let go the lee anchor, furl sails, bring-to on the weather-cable, reeving away on the lee one, and heave into the moorings. Moor taut, to allow for veering; clap on service, and veer it; if hemp cable, square the yards, stop in the rigging, and clear up the decks.

356.—TO MOOR WITH A LONG SCOPE OF CHAIN.

Shackle the ends of both chains together, and veer away nearly the whole of the two cables; then let go the other anchor, bring-to on the first cable, heave in, veering away on the other; when into the mooring mark or shackle, stopper and bitt, unshackle the chains, and secure all; clear up the decks, and pay the chain below. (See Unmooring and Mooring.)

357.—BLOWING FRESH—IN PORT.

Range the cables, see the anchor clear, and an anchor watch set; have leads-men in the chains—send down the upper yards, if not already down; house top-gallant masts, and point the yards to the wind.

358.—SEND DOWN LOWER YARDS.

Send aloft the jeer-blocks, lash them, and reeve the jeers; see the gear of the courses clear, trusses unrove, and lifts clear for unreeving; hook the yard-tackles and take them forward, heave taut the jeers, unreeve the lanyard of the slings, attend the braces and yard-tackles, lower away by the jeers and lifts. When down make all fast.

359.—TO HOUSE TOPMASTS.

Hook top-blocks, reeve pendants and falls, see the rigging clear that leads to the topmast heads, man the top tackle-falls, slack the lanyards of the rigging, stays and backstays; sway up, out fid, lower away, and haul down on the rigging; when low enough, pass heel-lashings around the lower masts, having canvass in the wake; set taut the rigging and stays. Sheep-shank the backstays, haul taut the running-rigging, and make all snug.

360.—TO BACK A BOWER BY A STREAM.

Bend a stream-cable to the flukes of the bower-anchor, observing to let go the stream first; and when the cable is taut, let go the bower. If the bower is already down and dragging, form a clinch with the stream, around the cable, and let her drag until she brings the stream ahead.

361.—TO SWEEP FOR AN ANCHOR.

Make use of long stout running-rigging; middle it, and attach some sinker to the middle, also along the bight, to confine it to the bottom. Coil it away in two boats, and pull to windward of where the anchor is supposed to lie; then pull in an opposite direction, veering away on the bight from both boats; now pull in the direction of the anchor, and when the bight catches, cross the boats, and get a round turn with the rope; make a running bowline on the end of a hawser around the rope, and slip it down; when fast, weigh with the launch.

362.—PREPARATIONS FOR LEAVING HARBOR.

Inspect the tiller-ropes, shift hard over the helm, once or twice each way, in order to see that the tiller is not obstructed in its sweep in the gun-room. Place lead-lines in both channels. Point the ends of the hawsers up the hatchways, ready for paying out in any direction. Range both bower cables; see stoppers placed in readiness (bitt and ring). Examine cat-head stoppers, and shank-painters of both bower-anchors.

Should the shank-painters be fitted slip-shackle fashion, care should be taken to place men by them who are acquainted with the method of disengaging the anchors, &c.

363.—WEIGHING ANCHOR IN A HEAD-SEA.

In weighing anchor with a head-sea, precaution should be taken to have previously prepared a good deck-tackle or other purchase, which affix to the messenger (if required), to assist the action of the capstan. There should also be had in readiness an ample quantity of nippers. (See Passing Nippers.)

364.—CASTING, OR CUTTING THE CABLE.

When at single anchor in a roadstead, and if it be apprehended that from the direction of the wind, and the local position of the ship with the shore, it may be necessary to have recourse to cutting the cable, and that casting the wrong way would endanger the safety of the vessel, timely precaution should be taken to ensure the ships casting in the right direction.

To effect this purpose, the stream cable should be bent to that of the riding bower, brought through the after part, and taken round the capstan, in readiness to act as a spring, to cant the ship previously to cutting. Axes should be placed abaft in the vicinity of the stream cable, for the purpose of cutting it, after the bower has been severed, and the ship’s head cast the desired way.

365.—CLINCHING CABLES.

Whatever be the number of hemp cables which are bent to the anchors, the officer in charge is particularly cautioned to clap on a clinch rounding, towards the inner extremity of each cable, keeping three sheaves in the tier; upon receiving the cables on board, and clinching their respective ends, the officer may proceed as given in the note below.

Chain-cables should never be clinched in a manner which will not admit of their ends being immediately disengaged, in the event of it becoming necessary to slip, or extricate the ship from her anchors; it may be said, that the cable may be unshackled on deck, but it may so happen, that the last shackle is without the hawse—a circumstance which will preclude the possibility of having recourse to this expedient.

366.—FITTING BUOY-ROPES.

Buoy-ropes are always proportioned to the depth of water. One end is unlaid, and a buoy rope-knot made; it is then laid up again, and whipped. A clove hitch is made, one half of the hitch being on each side of the crown. The end with the knot is seized on the shank, one seizing put on close to the crown, and one close to the end. The other is bent to the buoy. Some prefer the running eye. Put over one arm, and a half-hitch over the other arm, and seized in the cross.

367.—JIB-HALLIARDS WITH A WHIP.

A piece of rope, nearly equal to the double halliards, is rove through the block at the mast-head, and hooked to the head of the jib, a hook being spliced in the end; in the other a single block is spliced high enough from the deck to allow the jib being hauled close down. Through this block reeve a fall, and send both ends down through lubber’s-hole; splice a hook in one end, and hook into a bolt; reeve the other through a leading-block. Objections have been made to whips, but if the standing part is put a good distance from the hauling, it is impossible that it can take turns in—they can lead abaft the top if necessary. I should recommend their being brought down immediately forward of topsail halliards.

368.—JIB SHEETS, DOUBLE.

Two single blocks are seized into one strap, as span blocks, and the strap secured to the clew⁠[32] of the sail, with a lashing passed through it, and an eye formed in the strap by crossing both parts together, and passing a throat seizing. One end of the sheet is clinched or spliced into an eye-bolt in the bulwarks, the other end rove through the block in the sail, from out, in and through a fair-leader or sheave in the bulwarks.

With pendants, a piece of rope of sufficient size and length is middled, crossed, and a throat seizing passed round both parts, having an eye in the bight large enough to take a lashing. In each of these pendants, splice a single block; reeve a whip the same as in the double sheets. The pendants should be long enough to allow the weather one to hang slack on the fore-topmast stay, when the sheet is aft. (See Sail Table for iron clews.)

369.—WRECKED IN A GALE.

When this sad fate appears inevitable, it would be well to make choice (if choice can be made), of what appears the best part of the coast, and the clearest from rocks, for beaching her.

The manner in which the boatmen beach their boats, is by laying them, with the assistance of the helm, half-broadside on, or rather bow and quarter on, having previously given the vessel a heel, or list in shore. This may be done either by trimming, or by the sallying of the crew, before the time that the vessel takes the ground. Such a position will offer the best means of saving the crew, who may also be materially assisted by cutting away the masts, so as to fall towards the shore, which may be the means of assisting those on board to reach the shore.

In establishing a communication with the shore, if it be by a boat, the end of the deep sea-lead line should be taken in her, or if it be by some good swimmer, with a cork jacket on, the end of the log line will serve the same purpose; by either of these, hawsers, or other large ropes may afterwards be got on shore.

The means of getting on shore from a wreck are by life boats, rafts, parts of the wreck, or life preservers.

A canvass cot, with large holes at the bottom, to admit the water to pass through freely, and having cross bars of thick rope, should also be kept in readiness for such an occasion.

Raw-hide rope will be the best for traveling grommets. Some other expedients might be mentioned, which are for the consideration of officers in charge of vessels.

370.—SETTING UP RIGGING AT SEA.

Whenever it is required to set up the lower shrouds, at sea, the topmast shrouds should be all let go; this practice is recommended upon the presumption that the lower rigging will not be cast loose, or set up on the occasion of a swell, or that the ship be rolling or pitching. It has been well observed, that by letting go two topmast shrouds at a time, an uneven strain has been brought upon the futtock;⁠[33] which prevents the shrouds of the lower rigging being equally drawn down.

Upon all occasions of setting up the lower rigging at sea, it is always advisable to have ready prepared as many luffs as possible, so that the shrouds may be set up at a time, and that there may be no delay in shifting the tackles from shroud to shroud. When the lower rigging is up, the futtock plates should be beaten down to the top, and the shrouds set tautly up by means of tackles, ready hooked to their respective lanyards. The method of employing the Spanish windlass, for the purpose of setting up these shrouds, is not to be recommended. It occupies too much time, and often creates unnecessary delay before the topmast rigging can be set up. In staying the topmasts, the boatswain is not recommended to bouse too far forward the heads of the mast, and he should recollect that the angle formed by the main topmast stay, with the fore top, is considerably greater than that of the fore topmast with the bowsprit; and consequently that the lever of the former is more powerful than that of the latter.

371.—SLACKING THE JIB-STAY, IN BAD WEATHER.

The jib-stay is always set up as taut as a bar of iron; consequently, when it comes to a blow, both the spray of the sea and the rain tend to tauten it more; in pitching, too, it must assist to spring the boom, work the bowsprit, and cause unnecessary strain upon the rope itself. Whenever it blows so fresh that the jib is not likely to be set, the jib-stay should be slacked. If it be required subsequently to setting the sail, nothing can be easier than to set the stay up, while the jib is loosing. (Bear this in mind.)

372.—STOPPING OUT TOPGALLANT YARD ROPES.

The practice of permitting the topmen to stop the topgallant yard ropes out at their own convenience, and consequently at unstated periods, is at variance with that order and regularity which should ever characterize the duties and discipline of a vessel of war.

In well regulated ships, the officer of the watch, following the movements of the senior officers, directs the boatswain or his mates to pipe “out yard ropes;” if tripping-lines are tolerated, the yard rope and tripping-line men should lay out together: by pursuing this system the yards will be kept square, and will not (as is of constant occurrence), be seen for an hour and a half before sunset, topping in different directions. The same rule should be observed when placing on whips for hammock-girtlines, or clothes-lines.

373.—PREVENTER BRACES.

It is desirable to establish a general rule, that when the topsails are treble-reefed, the preventer braces are to be placed on the yards, and that the relieving tackles in the gun room be placed at hand ready for use.

374.—KEEPING A CLEAR ANCHOR.

That part of seamanship which relates to the method of tending a ship to the tide, or in other words of keeping the cable clear of the anchor, may not be inaptly termed the blind branch of the mariner’s art—the buoy floating on the surface being the only possible guide that the seaman possesses to point to the position of the anchor hidden under water.

From being little understood, and by young officers it is seldom put in practice, the art of keeping a clear anchor is by many considered a difficult task; but, were officers to give more attention to the matter, and to place less dependence on the master or pilot, they would soon attain every necessary knowledge to meet the most difficult tide case.

375.—ANCHOR TURNING IN THE GROUND.

In order to ensure the certainty of an anchor turning in the ground, with the tending or swinging of the ship, it is recommended (whenever it is possible), to resort to this practice: To shoot the ship on the same side of her anchor, at each change of tide; for if the anchor should not turn in the ground, the cable will get foul, either about the stock or upper fluke, and trip it out of ground. (Remember this).

376.—TO TEND TO A WEATHER-TIDE.

Let it be supposed that a ship is riding at single anchor, upon a lee-tide, with the wind in the same direction as the tide, and that it be required, upon the tide setting to windward, to tend the ship clear of the anchor. To effect this, as soon as the ship begins to feel the turn of the weather-tide, and that the vessel brings the wind broad on the weather-bow, the head sails should be hoisted, and the lee-sheets hauled aft, in order to shoot the ship from her anchor, on a taut cable. The helm must be put “a-lee,” and kept in that position until the tide sets the ship over to windward of her cable, and the buoy appears on the same side with the helm. If from light winds the buoy bears nearly a-beam, her head sails may be hauled down; but if the breeze be strong, and it causes the ship to shoot in a direction nearly end-on with that of the cable, bringing the buoy on her quarter, it will be necessary to keep the fore-topmast-staysail set, in order to check the vessel, should she be disposed to break her shear against the action of her helm, or be inclined to drop to windward and “go over” her anchor, in a broadside or lateral direction.

377.—A MAN OVERBOARD, AT SEA.

If the ship be going free, and particularly if fast through the water, it is recommended to bring-to with the head-yards a-back, for it is obvious if the main-yard be left square, the ship will be longer coming-to, will shoot farther, increase the distance from the man, and add materially to the delay of succor.

It will however require judgment, especially if blowing fresh, to be careful and right the helm in time, or the ship will fly-to too much, gain sternway, and risk the boat in lowering down.

The best authority recommends, that if possible, the ship should not only be hove a-back when a man falls overboard, but she ought to be brought around on the other tack; of course sail ought to be shortened in stays, and the main-yard kept square. This implies the ship being on a wind, or from the position of having the wind not above two points abaft the beam.

The great merit of such a method of proceeding, is, that if the evolution succeeds, the ship when round will drift towards the man, and although there may be some small risk in lowering the boat in stays from the ship, having at one period sternway, there will in fact be little time lost, if the boat be not lowered until the ship be well round, and the sternway at an end. There is more mischief done generally, by lowering the boat too soon, than by waiting until the fittest moment arrives for doing it coolly. It cannot be too often repeated, that almost the whole depends upon the self-possession of the officer of the deck.

378.—JIB AND STAYSAIL-HALLIARD. (Blocks at mast-head.)

For various reasons it is advisable to dispense with the cheek-blocks, which are usually fitted to the fore topmast-head, for the purpose of reeving the above two ropes, together with the fore topmast staysail-halliards. In the first place, if the fore-topmast be sprung, or carried away in chase, and it be required to shift the mast with all possible speed, considerable time is taken up in removing and replacing cheek-blocks at the mast-head. (See allowance-table, Blocks.)