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soon you may want to put out all the strength of my crew especially if the ship is on a lee shore but what is my astonishment to find the Wreck Commissioner in his Court is of a contrary opinion where he decided that a crew of seventeen hands all told is sufficient crew for the full-rigged Enterprise making a voyage down channel in the month of equinoctial gales and blowing a gale in the night W.S.W. and S.W. by S. and her tonnage being just 1500 with 595 tons of ballast and I should like to be told how the Captains who set with the Commissioner would like to be put in command of a ship in the winter to make that same passage with only them runners the sails blowing to ribbands and not enough men to think to cut away a hauser from the bows so keep her head to wind but shipowners in these hard times ought not to be told by a Court one man to the 100 tons is a compliment for such a ship as a tow line in a gale at sea is unsafe to be trusted to in winter and many steamships on the east coast is immediately bringing down their crews according to decision so I am told by my son Yours A. DROGGER Ipswich 20th December 1878.

[We have read the report of the case referred to by our correspondent, and find that the tow line parted, and the tug was unable to help. The following is an extract from the judgment of the Wreck Commissioner:-" As regards the first point on which our opinion is asked, namely, whether the Enterprise when she left London for Cardiff was sufficiently manned for the voyage, I am advised by my assessors that in their opinion she was. This vessel we are told when fully manned had a crew of 24 hands all told. She was to be towed from London to Cardiff, during which time the same number of hands will not be required. All the 17 hands too were runners, that is to say, all able seamen, whereas her complement of 24 men would include boys as well as seamen. We think, therefore, that the vessel with 17 hands was sufficiently manned for the voyage on which she was engaged, even considering the time of the year." We are not a court of appeal, and leave our readers to form their own conclusions. Our correspondent is an old practical seaman, who often gives us good sense in bad English.—ED.]

RULE OF THE ROAD AT SEA.

To the Editor of the "Nautical Magazine."

DEAR SIR,-I beg to forward the accompanying remarks on Rule of the Road questions referred to in your numbers for January and July of this year, and to express a hope that they may be deemed worthy of publication in your useful Magazine at an early date. Yours faithfully,

Auckland, New Zealand, October, 1878.

T. C. T.

REMARKS ON SUPPOSED CASE IN Nautical Magazine, January, 1878. (See Diagram 1.)

The wind is W.N.W. fresh. A is close hauled on port tack, heading North, speed 7 knots (.. little or no leeway), and sights the red light of B, 1 points on her lee bow or bearing N. by E. E. To show possible positions at intervals of 2 minutes, A's place is marked for every two minutes. From B are drawn lines indicating the various courses she might be steering from close-hauled S.W. to S. by W. W., when A would only be point on her lee bow. Dotted lines are also drawn connecting A 2 and B 2, to show changes in bearing on different courses of B, A holding on.

From these it will be seen that the danger point (+) will be (theoretically) with B going about 14 points free, when a collision would probably occur in about 6 minutes from time of first sighting the lights at a distance of 1 miles. With B going more than a point and a half free, she would pass to leeward of A, and if, say, only one points free or less, she would pass a-head; the different rates of speed given being such as may be considered equal to effect of keeping away when going 7 points close-hauled. + or the danger point having thus been ascertained to be about the place marked A 6, shows that B on sighting A's light had her 1 points on her lee bow, therefore showing (i.e., B) side enough to let both her red lights be seen, if on the plan suggested by me; the after one being seen higher and a little separate from the bow light, indicating to A both that B was going free and would have to keep out of her way, and also that from the relative position of these two red lights B is coming so nearly end on to her, that it behoves A to be very watchful of her movements. And again if B's

lights are still more nearly in line, it will cause A to expect to see B's green lights very shortly, or, even supposing B to be so nearly end on (when by yawing she would probably show both bow lights) as to make A doubt if she sees one or two red lights; two minutes watching will decide, as if B is close-hauled she would then bear N. by E., if running N. by E. E. easterly (ships of the class described would of course have a standard compass by which they could get the bearings with sufficient accuracy for practical purposes). And here, as in the other case I have mentioned (Mr. Martin's, in July number, 1878), I think the requirements of your correspondent would be met, viz., to show the length (in this case the converse or absence of it denoting nearly end on), and also what the ship was about, giving no occasion for the candidate to "send his ship to the bottom," or for the examiner to "floor him with No. 44."

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REMARKS ON MR. MARTIN'S CASE IN Nautical Magazine
FOR JULY, 1878. (See Diagram 2.)

The wind is north. A is steering east, and sees a green light 3 points on her port bow, or bearing N.E. by E.-B. B is, of course, running anywhere between, say, S.W. W., and S.E. by E.; probably there would not be very much difference between the speed of the two ships, assume it at 8 knots=1 knot in 7 minutes. A is supposed instantly to haul sharp up, say E.N.E., and with a speed of, say, 6 knots. A reference to the figure and tables will now show that (theoretically) if B is steering from S.W. by W. to S.W. † W., A will cross her bows before B could arrive at the point marked 1 (but if B's speed were greater than A's, it could hardly be done at all); and that with B steering S.W. W., collision must ensue at the danger point marked +. After this, or with B steering more to the southward, B would pass a-head of A; but I do not think she would see both red and green lights of A in time to be of any use, unless steering, say, from S.W. S. to the southward. The danger point then (+) will be when B has A from to 1 point on her bow, and this is not allowing any leeway to A; if, say, point leeway were allowed, then A, 1 point on starboard bow of B, would be the collision bearing from B, or steering S.W.

Now to apply my proposal of double side-lights for all sailing vessels going free, as noticed in my letter published in your June number. Your correspondent in your January number (to which I referred in that letter), says, "What is felt to be wanted is that the lights should show the length, not the breadth of the ship," and this is exactly what I propose to do. A further consideration suggests that the after lights might be carried, perhaps best at the quarter davits, as this would not only raise it above the bow lights, but throw it out from the side, by which it would better show clear of the clew of mainsail. In the position of danger as marked above, viz., A from to 14 points on B's starboard bow, A, when heading east, would show both her red lights separate to B, and B's green lights would both be seen by A, but the after one a little over, and barely clear of the line of the lower one; still, both would show, and, if not, then B must be so nearly end on that her red light must quickly show. From this I obtain that if

F

A sees the two green lights of B nearly one over another, she will best clear by keeping her course, or by keeping off a point; but that if the green lights show distinctly separate, then keep a close luff, and put out her after lights, which would at once be an indication to B that she (A) is on a wind, and that on B it rests to keep clear. It may be suggested that the main braces would interfere with the after lights, but I think this might be obviated, even by taking the lights abaft the goose-neck.

A, steering east, sights green light of B, 3 points on port bow, distant 1 miles.

The wind is north.

B is steering, say, between S.W. W. and S.E. by E. Speed, say, 8 knots for each.

A is supposed to haul sharp up at once, or E.N.E. Speed, say, 6 knots. Then A makes 1 knot in 10 minutes. B 1 knot in 7 minutes.

The points 1, 2, &c., C, D, &c., possible points of the contact (for illustration)

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TABLES OF DISTANCES TO BE RUN BY EACH TO POINTS OF CONTACT.

A keeps her course East, 8 knots.

A, close hauled, E.N.E., 6 knots =

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