UNMOORING, MOORING, &c.

When not tide rode pick the lee anchor up first.

If the weather anchor were picked up first, directly it was out of the ground the ship would drift to leeward past her lee anchor, most probably fouling it, but certainly bringing a severe jerk on the cable; the ship would also take up more than her own share of the anchorage.

Picking up the weather anchor last enables the ship to start further to windward than if she started from her lee anchor. If the ship is tide rode either anchor may be picked up, helping the ship with a sail as required.

If there is a cross in the hawse with the lee cable on top, it must first be dipped under the weather cable, or the anchor would hook the cable; if the lee cable is under it will come up all clear.

In a close harbour the ship must be got under steerage way as soon as possible; but if there is plenty of room she should not be allowed to gather headway until the anchor is at the cat-head. If anchored in deep water it is sometimes necessary to heave-to.

If possible, when the starboard anchor is down, prepare for casting to port, and vice versa; otherwise the cable grows taut across the fore-foot.

Q.—If moored and wishing to weigh, which anchor would you pick up first?

A..-Pick up the lee anchor first, or you would foul it and any ship in your way by dropping down too quickly after weighing the weather one.

Q.-In weighing under sail, what is the proper moment for tripping the anchor?

A.-The anchor should not be tripped until it is seen that the ship is canting the right way; and if coming-to the wrong way you must hold on till she casts as you require.

Q.-How do you unmoor a ship?

A.-Heave in the lee chain first, while veering away on the weather chain; after picking it up, cat and fish, then heave in the weather chain. If going to get under way set the topsail, laying the after yards one way and the head yards the other, loose the sails, up anchor, stow it, and make sail.

Q.-You are riding head to wind in light winds, proceed to get under way on the port tack.

A.-Set the three topsails, topgallant-sails, and the mizzen, then brace up the main and cross-jack for the port tack, laying the fore-yard abox. Heave away on the cable, and as soon as the anchor is a-weigh and the jibs will take, hoist them. When the after yards are full, let go, and haul the fore yard round and stand on.

Q.-How would you use the helm ?

A.-Put the helm a-starboard until she gather head-way, then bring her gradually to the wind.

Q.-How would you cast your ship when getting under way? A.-Casting to starboard: Haul port fore-braces and starboard main-braces forward, and let the after yards lie square. Hoist the fore-topmast-staysail, and hoist the sheet to wind to help her. Casting to port: Haul in the contrary braces. When cast, fill the head-sail, and brace up.

Q.-Your vessel is lying with one anchor down, how will you proceed to get under weigh upon the starboard tack?

A.-Heave in short. Cast off the topsails, sheet home and mast head them, brace up the after yards with the port braces, and the head yards with the starboard braces. Get the jib and staysail ready for hoisting, and the after canvas set, and the helm to port. Man the windlass and trip the anchor. Immediately the anchor is off the ground and the vessel begins to fall off to port, run the jib up, and, if necessary, stand by to fill the fore yard. Heave the anchor up, cat and fish it. Set the courses and the other requisite sails. If it is not necessary to have head reach on the vessel, it is as well to let the head yards remain until the anchor is catted and fished.

Q.-If your ship is wind rode, how will you act?

A.-As soon as the anchor is right up and down, put the helm the way you wish her to cast, hauling in the same braces aft, and the contrary forward.

Q.-If your ship is tide rode, how will you proceed?

A.-Intending to cast to port, put the helm a-starboard, haul in the starboard fore-braces and port main-braces, and as soon as the anchor breaks out of the ground, and the ship gets stern-way change the helm; if intending to cast to starboard, vice versa.

Q.-You are lying in a roadstead and wish to get under way, your anchor is a-peak, but there is a vessel on each quarter, so that you cannot clear by casting when under sail, what would you do, the wind being right off the land?

A.-Run a kedge out on my starboard bow, and bring the kedge rope aft on my starboard quarter; trip my bower and swing to the kedge before making any sail. When swung to the kedge make sail and run between them before the wind.

Q.-Suppose it was blowing fresh, and you were afraid of the warp parting, what would you do?

A-Break the anchor out of the ground and dredge between them. When clear of the ships run up my head sails and heave up the anchor. Then make sail and trim all for my course. Q-Getting under-weigh in a strong breeze right ahead, yards square, which topsail will you hoist first, and why?

A. The fore-topsail, so as to becalm the main-topsail, making it easier for the men to hoist.

Q.-In getting under way with a vessel on your port quarter and with a head wind, would you cast to her or from her?" A.-Cast to her and go under her stern.

Q. Why would you cast towards her?

A.-Because if I casted from her I should most likely run stern on into her before I could gather headway.

Q.-You are anchored in a tideway, head to wind and tide, and other ships are at anchor near, proceed to get under weigh on the port tack, getting the ship under command as quick as possible.

A.-Heave short, give the ship a slight sheer to starboard, set the topsails and topgallantsails, brace the after yards for the port tack so that they will soon fill. Brace the fore-yard abox, trip the anchor, run up the outer jib, shifting the helm as required. When the after yards are full, fill the fore-yard and set the mizzen. Cat and fish the anchor.

Q.-You are anchored close to a long line of ships on your port beam, with a shoal astern of the leeward-most ship, running at right-angles to the line, wiegh under canvas.

A.-Make sail, weigh and cast to port with the head yards a-box, and the after yards square, towards the object it is wished to clear, with the helm a-port; for, as the ship necessarily gets sternway in casting, you recede from danger by turning her head towards it. Starboard the helm as she gathers way, brace up the after yards, and come to the wind on the port tack.

Q.-Weigh, under sail in a fresh breeze, making as little stern-way as possible as there is a ship in your wake, but without laying a kedge out.

A.-Heave in as short as safety permits; loose the courses, jib, and spanker, brace the yards for casting, set the foresail and set and hoist the jib with the sheet to windward. Trip the anchor,

R

attend the helm, board the main-tack, and brace round the head yards when she pays off, haul out the spanker, let draw the jibsheet, cat the anchor, and loose the topsails.

Q.-Weigh in a weather tide, with the ship taut ahead of her anchor.

A.-The ship will not lie broadside to the tide, because the effect of the tide on her broadside may be greater in proportion than that of the wind; and she may still, under the same circumstances, remain ahead of her anchor, because the wind acts with greater force on the ship's stern and on the squared yards than the tide does upon the bow. Riding then by the starboard anchor, port the helm and sheer her over, when she will remain at taut scope, stemming the tide, then heave in.

Q.-You are riding with two anchors and no mooring shackle, how would you clear hawse if foul?

A.-Get a good lashing round both chains, unshackle, let the end come down into the boat, pass the end round the other chain the opposite way. Send the end up, shackle, heave taut, and cast off the lashing.

Q.-Proceed to bring your vessel up at single anchor.

A.-Get the anchors off the rail, the working anchor a-cockbill, and the shank painter and stopper of the second anchor ready to let go at a moment's notice; have the squares of the windlass down, norman riding chocks shipped, and the range overhauled on both sides; see that the halliards, braces, and all running gear are down ready for use. Having a light breeze, reduce canvas by taking in royals and topgallantsails, and haul up the courses. When close to your proposed anchorage lower away the foretopsail, haul down the jib, and round her to. As the ship comes head to wind let the fore and main-yards run square, and as soon as the vessel gets sternway let go the anchor. Pay out the chain, then clew up and furl all snug. Should the wind be at all fresh it would be advisable to clew up the fore-topsail, instead of merely lowering it down.

Q.-Coming to an anchorage, with a light leading wind, and you wish to moor with sixty fathoms under the quarters of two other ships at anchor, how would you do it?

A.-Haul the mainsail up, then the foresail, lower and clew up topgallant-sails. When far enough put the helm down. Haul jib down, spanker boom to windward, and when head to wind put helm amidships. Square all yards. When the vessel gets sternway let go.

Q.-You bring up near a shoal, how would you sheer the ship? and why?

4

A.-Generally towards the shoal; because the ground rises towards the shoal, and the anchor would hold better; and if the ship broke her sheer, she would go from the shoal; and, if in a narrow channel, to give more room to passing ships.

Q.-In moderate weather, running with square yards, wishing to make sure in bringing up that the vessel has sternway before letting go your anchor, what would you do?

A.-Brace up all the yards, down helm, and when the sails begin to shake let all the yards run square.

Q.-Proceed to bring your ship up in a roadstead with the wind against the tide or athwart of it.

A.-Stem the tide, pick out a good berth, take a cast of the lead, stow all the square sails that can be dispensed with, let the ship have a little either head or sternway over the ground, so as to carry the chain as it falls clear of the anchor, stream the buoy, and let go the anchor, being careful to sheer clear of it.

NOTE.-If the wind is blowing against the tide reduce the canvas until the tide takes, but it is advisable to retain such canvas as will keep her under control should the anchor not take hold.

Q.-If the wind is blowing with the tide?

A.-Round the ship to with nearly all the after available canvas set, say, the main and mizzen-topsails, spanker, and after staysails. In this case it is not necessary to wait until the vessel has lost the whole of her headway, because the tide will make the anchor take hold.

Q.-How much range would you overhaul?

A.-Just sufficient to let the crown of the anchor touch the ground.

Q.-How many turns of the chain are there round the windlass? A.-Two.

Q. How do you weather-bit a chain?

A.-Pass the chain under the windlass end from aft forward, and over the top of the windlass end aft to the lockers.

Q.-How do you know when the windlass is on the square? A.-When the palls take together.

Q.-What are the pieces of iron bolted to the squares of the windlass called? and what are they for?

A. The whelps. They are to keep the chain from cutting the wood work.

Q.-You have your windlass on the square, and the normans on, what is the next thing you would do before letting go the

anchor ?

A.-Put the chocks in, and stand clear of the chain.

Q.-Proceed to moor a ship with 30 fathoms each way.

A.-Get about 70 fathoms of chain on deck for the riding