457.—INSPECTION OF STOWED ANCHORS—(AT SEA)
In boisterous weather, and particularly if the ship be laboring or lurching heavily, the boatswain should inspect the several anchors, and see that they are securely stowed. In small vessels, where anchors, in a heavy sea, are constantly buried under water, it is necessary to take the precaution of passing preventer stocks and shank lashings. The quarter boats should also be inspected, and the boatswain should report to the officer of the watch the result of such inspection.
458.—INSPECTION OF BOATS—(AT SEA).
Every evening after sunset, the boatswain will be required to inspect the boats on the booms, to see that they be perfectly clear, and that their sling-spans be severally hooked for hoisting out. In tropical climates it is strongly recommended to uncover the boats after the sun has set, in order that they may benefit by the dew and air. Each cover should be made up and placed in the bow of the boat.
459.—GAMMONING THE BOWSPRIT.
The better way to gammon the bowsprit in a large ship, is to get a caulker’s stage under the bows, fore and aft, under the bowsprit; secure one end snug to the stern, then get a stout tackle from the extreme end of the bowsprit; overhaul down and sling the outer end of the stage; hook on your tackle to the slings, lead your fall down on the stage; send the men down, and bouse well taut, so as to get the weight of the stage as much as possible on the bowsprit. Now your stage being secured, you can proceed to gammon your bowsprit.
Get two stout luff-tackles on the stage and voil block; then get a span around the inner end of the stage to hook your voil block to; having your voil hooked, clinch your gammoning round your bowsprit with a running clinch or a running eye; jam your turn well round the bowsprit, then reeve down through the gammoning hole up over the bowsprit, then pass your end down through the scuttle on to the stage; reeve it through the voil blocks on the stage; clap on your luffs, and bouse away, leading your fall fore and aft the stage.
Note.—Leading your fall in this way has a tendency to lift up the inner end of the stage, and of course your pulling down, and the weight of the stage on the gammoning, must certainly bring the bowsprit snug down in its bed, and set your gammoning up very taut. Having got your first turn taut, rack it well; pass another, and so on until you fill up your gammoning hole, jamming your last turn under all parts of the gammoning on the opposite side of the bowsprit from the way you have passed your gammoning.
When you are setting up your gammoning, two men ought to attend with commanders, to beat it solid round the bowsprit.
When they are setting up, some people use a great deal of tar and slush on gammoning, but the less the better. A piece of good leather under your gammoning is much better than tarred parceling; and when your gammoning is passed, turn your leather over aft and nail it down to the bowsprit. Your gammoning ought to be strapped with large strands in the room of rope, it being much softer and better to the gammoning, and all well covered to protect it from the weather. If you use parceling, let it be dry and new, with a coat of tar over all when completed.
460.—PRECAUTION IN REEVING RUNNING-RIGGING.
In reeving running-rigging, the boatswain is recommended not to cut and reeve, but on the contrary, to reeve and cut.
However correct the rigging list may appear, there will be always found a difference of a few fathoms in rope; and it so happens that the difference is invariably on the wrong side, the allowance being said to be shorter than the measurement per rope.
Note.—It were much to be desired that the running-rigging, previous to reeving, should be stretched to the capstan. The old practice of taking the end through the coil will in some measure relieve the rope of many of its kinks, but taking the mere turns out of a rope is not sufficient to facilitate its run through the blocks. Such ropes as topsail-sheets, topgallant-sheets and braces, and jib and staysail-halliards, should be all stretched before they are rove in their respective blocks. Moreover, if there be any time more than another that a vessel will require her ropes to run freely, it is upon the occasion of her first leaving port, with a green and undisciplined crew.
461.—TOPSAIL TYES.
Topsail tyes are now rove in some ships sufficiently long to send the yards down with, and when not wanted for that purpose, the surplus ends pertaining to the standing parts secured to the mast-head.
In some ships a strop and thimble are fitted under the rigging, or a score cut in the heel of the topgallant-mast for the purpose of reeving through the standing part of the tye, which is secured breeching-fashion with two strong seizings, and then stopped down the topmast rigging.
In shifting yards, this method will be found to save much time and trouble; the surplus end will also answer to sling the topsail-yard with, when going into action.
462.—PRECAUTION IN BLACKING THE RIGGING.
In blacking the rigging, the first precaution that should be taken by the boatswain, is to cover with old canvass, or hammocks, the lower mast-heads, and particularly the caps. The blacking should be put on hot. Thin tar, with a certain portion of lamp-black, hot salt-water, whisky, and a little litharge mixed together, make an admirable mixture for blacking the rigging.
It is not recommended to blacken the royal and topgallant rigging aloft; this rigging may be previously blackened and triced up to dry.
463.—FORE AND MAIN BUNTLINES.
The buntlines of the courses are frequently found to jam aloft, and when rove on the bight, and led forward, constantly to become cable-laid. Buntlines will be found to lead fairer, and to haul the sails higher up, by fitting them after the following method.
In the fore part of the top between the trestle-trees, cut two holes; into these holes insert leaden pipes, backstay-fall fashion; hook to the foremost bolt, on each side of the lower cap, a block, through which each buntline-leg is to be rove; take each through the holes cut in the top, and pass them down before all, and toggle them to the foot of the sail, the hauling part to lead aft through the lubber’s hole, and a block turned in at a proper distance, to allow the after leg to act the part of a pendant.
Through this block a whip purchase is rove; by this method the buntlines will be always kept clear, and they will be found, on letting go the whips, to overhaul themselves. In port, when the ship is moored, the buntline-blocks, with the ropes rove, may be unhooked from the bolts in the cap, and placed in the top, immediately over the holes through which the foremost legs are rove in, and can be hooked in a moment, when wanted.
464.—TOPGALLANT MAST ROPES.
For expedition the mast-rope rove upon the bight, with lizards taken through the royal sheave, must be preferred to the old method of fidding masts, by the double operation of two mast ropes, namely the long and the short. If delay is desired, or in other words, people prefer going the longest way to work, the short mast-rope must be put in requisition. The mast rope, however, rove upon the bight with lizards, is better calculated for harbor practice than for sea service. The mast rope which is here recommended is applicable to every purpose, may be fitted as follows: The rope is rove as usual, stopped to the topgallant mast-head, and royal sheave-hole, leaving a long end over the upper stop to hitch to the bolt in the cap before cutting the stops.
To prevent the ropes from slipping, rack both parts together above the sheave-hole in the heel of the mast.
465.—FUTTOCK SHROUDS.
In all vessels of war, futtock shrouds are too long. Ships whose lower yards are slung high, and braced sharply up, have their futtock shrouds considerably shorter than the established length.
466.—TOPS AND HALF TOPS.
Many seamen affect to disapprove of half tops, asserting that two halves can never be so well secured as the whole. This is mere prejudice; for practical purposes a half top must be always preferred, especially in large ships.
467.—STRIKING OR HOUSING TOPMASTS.
The absence of forethought, or a little practical precaution on the part of the boatswain and petty officers, is sometimes the cause of this operation being one of no little labor. When the hands are turned up, strike topmasts. The lanyards of the after rigging, back-stays and topmast-rigging should be severally slacked, whilst the jib-stay, fore-topmast-staysail-halliards, topsail-halliards, topsail lifts, reef-tackles and topgallant-sheets ought to be well overhauled. Steady hands should be placed to attend the spring and standing-stays.
When blowing hard, head-to-wind, topmasts constantly bend in the cap, from the circumstance of letting go and overhauling too much of the stays.
Should there be any unusual strain on the top-tackle-pendants, it is well to “stand-fast” the falls for a few seconds, in order that the people aloft may examine the vicinity of the trestle-trees; and the mast may produce sufficient strain to carry away the top-tackle-falls, if not the pendants. This precaution is most particularly directed during periods of striking topmasts in the dark.
When the masts are struck, they should be kept on the right slue, and their heels securely lashed, in the event of the ship parting, or it becomes necessary to set close-reefed-topsails, with the mast down. The practice of sheep-shanking back-stays is not recommended; the back-stays may be set up through the medium of good luff-tackles, and by such means the mast may be rendered sufficiently secure to support the strain of a close-reefed-topsail.
468.—SWAYING UP TOPMASTS.
In performing this heavy operation, every care should be taken to overhaul well, and to see that such of the standing and running-rigging are perfectly clear, which are calculated to impede the ascent of the masts.
The topsail-lifts, topsail-tyes, reef-tackles, jib and staysail-halliards should be well overhauled below and aloft, and the lanyards of the topmast-rigging and back-stays be got ready for setting up, the moment the mast is fidded and stayed. The forecastle men should have luffs led along the bowsprit, and tackles up and down the foremast ready for staying the fore and main-topmasts. No topmast should be fidded by a single top-tackle-pendant. It is true that small vessels are not allowed a second pendant, but such ships should reeve a hawser through the dead sheave for the purpose of acting the part of a preventer, in the event of the top-tackle-fall parting. The same precaution should be taken with respect to the position of the cross-trees overhead as has been already mentioned under the head of rigging topmasts.
Note.—Such ships should be prepared with stoppers, with two tails and a toggle, so as to clap on the top-tackle-pendants about a foot abaft, and under the top-block hooked to the cap.
Topmasts ascend comparatively easy until the fid-hole comes within six inches of the trestle-trees; then a heavy strain is brought upon the pendants, particularly upon the falls.
469.—UNMOORING.
It frequently occurs in unmooring vessels of war that the veering-cable is not sufficiently veered. In weighing the first anchor, a considerable strain has been felt at the capstan, in consequence of the ship not being permitted to bring the cable up and down. It is recommended to veer three or four fathoms after the cable is said to be up and down. This can do no harm; it will put the whole strain of the ship on the anchor; that is, in weighing, and thereby facilitate tripping it.
470.—REEF LINES TO THE TOPSAILS.
Few ships in the service are fitted with these lines. In some ships they are attached. In reefing topsails, when blowing fresh and particularly when steering a course, or going large, reef-lines assist materially to spill the sail and enable the men on the yards to get hold of the points, which are difficult to reach when the canvass is bellying to the breeze.
Reef-lines are thus fitted:—Take a piece of small rope, splice one end into an eyelet-hole in the head of the sail, seize it around the neck of one of the first reef-points, on the foreside of the sail, in a straight line with the eyelet-hole, leaving enough slack to prevent the sail girting; then seize it under to the second, then the third reef; splice an eye in the end and seize it to the neck of a close-reef point. In large ships there should be three reef-lines on each yard-arm; in small vessels two will be sufficient.
471.—REEFING COURSES.
To execute this service with security as well as with celerity, the reef-earings should be formed of rope sufficiently strong to bear being boused out by the boom-jiggers; by this method the inner turns of small rope may be passed with facility.
The outer earing should be led through a block or cheek, fitted for the purpose; this earing, it must be remembered, is not to be considered as a substitute for the reef-pendant; it should also be hooked and hauled out by a separate tackle. It is the general custom now, to fit all reef-earings on the bight, and pass on both ends.
472.— TOPGALLANT-MASTS STRUCK.
When topgallant-masts are struck, care should be taken that a small mat be placed between the topmast and the heel of the topgallant-mast; proper heel lashings should also be fitted for the purpose of securing the latter.
473.—HAILING ALOFT.
Hailing aloft, in well regulated ships, is much repressed by the boatswain; for bluster is a general indication of but little work, or the truth of the adage, “All noise and no work.”
474.—PROPORTIONS FOR CABLES—(Hemp).
The sheet and bower-cable, one inch in circumference for every two feet of beam. The stream-cable and messenger, two-thirds of the sheet or bower chain-cables, which are used for bowers; an allowance is made of one eighth of an inch for the diameter of the wire of the links, for every inch of circumference of the hemp-cables. The same rule applies in all cases where iron rigging is substituted for hemp.
Note.—Cable-yarns are spun two-fifths longer than the cable for which they are intended. The yarns for one hundred and twenty fathoms of cable, must be two hundred fathoms long; for a shroud-laid rope the yarns are one-third longer—i. e., ninety for sixty fathoms. (See table of cables.)
475.—PROPORTIONS FOR ANCHORS.
For the sheet and bower-anchors, take two-thirds the number of feet which the ship draws with all her stores, &c., on board, and add it to the breadth of beam, allowing one hundred-weight for every foot. The stream-anchor one third of the sheet or bower.
For ships smaller than frigates, an allowance of five hundred weight for every hundred tons burthen, should be made for sheet and bower-anchors.
In stocking an anchor, add together the length of the shank, and half the round of the ring, for the length of the stock. The stock is as many inches in thickness in the middle, as the shank is long in feet, and is tapered to half the size at the end. In puddening an anchor ring, cut the lengths three times the round of the ring.
Note.—This anchor is for hemp-cables; if for chain-cables, the length of shank may be reduced one fourth, but not in weight. (See allowance table.)
476.—WHAT LENGTH IS NECESSARY TO FORM A CLINCH.
In bending cables, the length of rope necessary to form a clinch, is equal to the length of the shank of the anchor.
477.—REFERENCES TO SKETCH OF TEMPORARY RUDDER.
Representation of a Temporary Rudder.
A. A piece of oak fitted with iron pintles, before launching or while in dock, and supplied to the ship when going to sea;
B. A piece for the back, and provided for the same;
C. A spare topmast, cut off clear of the sheave-hole; a jib-boom might do, of the new regulation.
D. Iron bolts;
E. Chocks;
F. Iron-pig ballast (if necessary);
G. Eye-bolt in quarter-deck beam, to be put in when required;
H. Rope-guys (through the heel-chock E), to assist in hanging the rudder. (See sketch of temporary rudder.)
478.—TO SPLICE AN OLD CABLE TO A NEW ONE.
Take the old one to a rope-walk, unlay the strands, and splice them to the strands of the new one with long splices, after which lay up the latter. It can be done in another way, but it requires a good and neat marlingspike-sailor to do it.
479.—STRIP SHIP
Begin aloft, and go down regularly, sending down by a reverse operation. Commence with the topgallant and royal-rigging, and rig in the flying-jib-boom: next send down topsail and lower yards, topmast-caps; unrig the topmasts, get in the jib-boom and spritsail-yards; get off lower caps, tops and rigging; unrig the bowsprit, and unrig all gaffs, booms and davits.
Note.—Tally and strop-up rigging as fast as unrove and sent down.
480.—PROPORTIONS OF SPARS FOR MERCHANT SHIPS, LENGTH OF SPARS, &c., &c.
Main-mast equal to two-and-a-half times the ship’s beam.
Fore-mast equal to eight-ninths the main-mast.
Mizen-mast equal to five-sixths of the main-mast.
Bowsprit two-thirds of the main-mast, one-third of which ought to be in-board.
Main-topmast three-fifths of the main-mast.
Main-topgallant-mast one-half of the main-topmast, exclusive of the pole, which is generally one-half the length of the top-gallant-mast or a little longer.
Fore-topmast three-fifths of the foremast.
Fore-topgallant-mast one-half the length of the fore-topmast, exclusive of the pole, which is half the length of the topgallant mast.
Mizen-topmast three-fifths of the mizen-mast.
Mizen-topgallant-mast one-half the length of the mizen-topmast, and the pole one half the length of the topgallant-mast.
Jib-boom the length of the bowsprit, two-thirds of which length is rigged without the bowsprit-cap.
Main-yard twice the ship’s extreme breadth.
Main-topsail-yard two-thirds of main-yard.
Main-topgallant-yard two-thirds of main-topsail-yard.
Fore-yard seven-eighths of main-yard.
Fore-topsail-yard two-thirds of fore-yard.
Fore-topgallant-yard two-thirds of the fore-topsail-yard.
Royal-yards two-thirds the length of the respective topgallant yards.
Cross-jack-yard same length of main-topsail-yard.
Mizen-topsail-yards the same length of the main-topgallant-yard.
Mizen-topgallant-yard two-thirds of mizen-topsail-yard.
Spritsail-yards five-sixths of the fore-topsail-yard.
Remark.—Some have the spritsail-yard the length of the fore-topsail-yard, or nearly so; if it should be much shorter, the jib-sheets will chafe against the spritsail-braces.
Spanker boom the length of the main-topsail-yard; it is however made sometimes longer, and sometimes shorter, according to fancy. Mizen-gaff two-thirds of the spanker-boom—liable to the same variation. Topsail yard-arms to be long enough to haul out close-reef-earing.
481.—THICKNESS OF SPARS—MASTS.
It has been customary to allow for every three feet of the main-mast’s length, one inch of the diameter in the partners; nine-tenths of an inch in diameter in the middle, between the partners and the extremity of the head, and two-thirds under the hounds, and all other masts in the same proportion; and with these proportions masts have been usually made: I am however of opinion that one-quarter of an inch to the foot is much better.
482.—YARDS.
For every four feet of their length, allow one inch of diameter in the slings, and half that diameter within the squares at the yard-arm.
483.—DISTANCE FOR PLACING LOWER MASTS, in vessels of two masts.
Foremasts one-seventh the length of spar-deck from forward. Main two and five-sevenths as far from the foremast.
Note.—The above rule is not to be considered proper for all vessels; their places must be governed by the form of the vessel.
484.—RULE FOR PLACING MASTS IN A SHIP.
Take the ship’s length from the after part of the stem to the fore part of the stern-post, and divide it into sevenths. Place the foremast one-seventh of this length from the stem, the main-mast three-sevenths from the fore-mast, the mizen and stern-post. This rule is for a full-built ship; it must therefore be varied when applied to vessels that are sharp, and the stem and stern posts of which rake; the foremast must accordingly be placed farther aft, the mizen-mast farther forward, and the distance between the masts proportionably regulated.
485.—RAISING SHEARS ON A WHARF.
The following sketch will show the plan of raising a pair of shears on a dock, or wharf, the shears being 91 feet in length, and 29 inches in diameter, and connected together at the top by heavy trestle-trees. They are used for masting ships, and raising heavy boilers of steam-vessels, &c.
486.—TO FIND THE TONNAGE OF A VESSEL, BY THE UNITED STATES’ MEASUREMENT.
The length is taken from the fore part of the main stern, to the after part of the stern-post. The beam is measured at the extreme breadth to the outside of the bends; three-fifths this beam is taken off the length, before the calculation is made. For a double-decked vessel, half the breadth of beam, is called the depth of hold, and for a single-deck it is the same, except that the hold is measured at the fore part of the hatchway, from the deck down to the ceiling alongside the keelson.
To proceed on in this calculation, after all the allowances have been made, the length must be multiplied by the breadth, and the product by the depth of the hold; then divide the last product by 95, and the quotient will give the tonnage required.
Formerly the British divided by 94, both for merchant vessels, and ships of war; but I have been informed they now divide by 100, which is the reason that they make our ships’ tonnage less than we do.
Notes on the tonnage of a vessel.—The ship-carpenters’ tonnage in Philadelphia differs from the United States’ measurement.
A rule staff is laid under the keel, projecting; a line is plumbed from the upper part of the stern to the rule staff; the keel is measured from its after part to the plumb line, and including the rule staff, this is called the length of keel straight rabbit. The beam is measured from skin to skin, on the inside; three-fifths of the beam is taken off the keel straight rabbit, for the length, and the calculation, in other respects, is the same as in the United States’ measurement; so that the carpenters’ tonnage in Philadelphia will be less, according to the rake of the stern-post, &c.
The dead rise of a vessel is found by having a staff half the beam from skin to skin, at the extreme breadth, which staff is laid even across on the ceiling of the fore part of the main hatchway. One of the timber boards being taken up, a line is let fall from the staff to the skin alongside the keelson, and what it measures is the vessels dead rise; so that in order to know how sharp a vessel is, it is customary to ask how much dead-rise she has.
487.—STEPPING AND RAKING LOWER MASTS.
Foremasts of all ships should be stepped plumb, or perpendicular, to a water-line. All mainmasts should rake one inch to every four feet above deck, and all mizen-masts should rake one inch to every three feet above deck. All bowsprits should be stepped in a direct line, drawn from the step of the mainmast to the lower part of the bowsprit bed; this line answers for the lower part of the bowsprit.
It has been the opinion of many sea-officers, that a mast, by raking, will aid a ship in sailing; but it has been satisfactorily proved, that it has the contrary effect: for instance, a ship that has her masts perpendicular only, has to bear them in two positions; the one on the step, and the other on the side of support; her yards hang free, brace easy, and bear no strain against them; whereas a ship with her masts raking, has to bear them in three positions—the one on the step, one on the side of support, and the other, which is very great, on the fore and aft stays; her yards also hang very heavy against the mast, which adds also to the fore support. This must cause a great check in the progressive movements in the ship. A sharp vessel or ship, with a lean harping, by raking her masts, frequently eases her in pitching, but never adds to her sailing, the wind having less power on her sails, and the principal reason why a ship’s main and mizen masts, should rake a little from her foremast is, that by separating the masts in this way, the wind has a better chance of effecting its full power on all the sails, and of striking that part of them, which otherwise would be of little or no advantage to the ship.
488.—MOORING.
It has been argued and proved, that if ships have room to lay at single anchor with chain-cables, they are more safe than when moored. The following example is given as an illustration.
Let A be moored with 75 fathoms S. E. and N. W. and B be at single anchor, with the same scope of chain; a gale commences from the S. W.; the strain on each of A’s cables is double the strain on B’s.
It blows harder, and B lets go her other bower, and veers 150 fathoms on the first, and 75 on the second cable. A also veers 150 fathoms on both cables, but B still keeps her advantage, the strain being only as 88 to 100; it is clear, therefore, that if either ship parts her cable, it must be A that will part first.
If A had her mooring swivel on, she could not veer with any advantage, as the strain on that part of the cable between the swivel and anchor must remain constant; for this reason, it is obvious that moorings should not be laid down across the prevailing winds.
The above may be shown practically by stretching a small line between two points, and suspending a weight in the middle; see what weight it will bear, and afterwards try what the same line will bear vertically; the latter will be the ship at single anchor, the former the one moored.
Representation of a Frigate, hove down to a dock or Wharf.