larly important to get an anchor laid out immediately. A light kedge carried out at once on the quarter opposite that toward which she is inclined to swing around, may be of vital importance.

If all other methods fail, resort must be had to regular salvage operations, the description of which is beyond the scope of this book.

The following plan is recommended by an officer of long experience, as especially valuable in cases where a vessel is stranded on a muddy or sandy bottom (not rocky) and where another vessel goes to her assistance:

Referring to Plate 184. A is aground, and B goes to her assistance. A being on the left side, facing the current, B drops her starboard bower anchor at a distance from A not ecxeeding her available scope of cable, and goes ahead with left rudder,1 keeping the current on the starboard bow and allowing herself to be set over toward A until she is as close as is practicable, which will of course depend primarily upon her draft. A's starboard bower anchor is now transferred to B's port bow, if this can conveniently be done, by boats or otherwise; or, more simply, A's starboard bower cable is unbent and the end is hauled across and shackled up to B's port bower chain, disconnected at a convenient shackle.

At the same time a good hawser is run between the ships. If this hawser is run immediately, it will help to hold B in position while getting the chain across and may save some troublesome manoeuvering in quarters perhaps uncomfortably close. Fig. 2.

Everything being ready, B starts her steam-windlass and heaves in her starboard cable, using her screw as before, but this time with the current on the port bow and more nearly ahead than before. A, in the meantime, veers away her starboard cable, which is thus laid out by B. Fig. 3.

When A's cable is all out, or when no more of it can be laid out, B lets go the anchor and A heaves in on her cable, and makes fast the hawser connecting with B. At the same time, B heaves in on her steam windlass, and goes ahead with her screw. Thus we have the windlasses of both ships pulling on A, with the power of B's screw added, and, still further, the "sucking" effect of the current acting on B's port bow, and, provided A's bow yields enough to cant her, acting on A as well.

I. Helm a-starboard.

CHAPTER XXIX.

ASSISTANCE BY PUBLIC VESSELS TO VESSELS
IN DISTRESS.

The following chapter has been kindly prepared by two officers of the U. S. Coast Guard' and gives the "Doctrine" of that Service as developed through many years of practical experience with the problems involved in rendering assistance to vessels in distress.

One of the chief duties of the United States Coast Guard, in time of peace, is to render assistance to vessels in distress. The United States is the only nation that maintains a fleet of vessels whose primary function, during peace, is to afford aid to distressed vessels. A number of other nations maintain, or aid in the maintenance of, life-saving or lifeboat stations on shore to rescue the crews of stranded ships, but in none of these is the number of such stations so large as in the United States, nor are the stations part of a complete military organization as in this country. All seamen should be familiar with the character of assistance rendered by the United States Coast Guard, a work in which it has been engaged for many years with pronounced success.

The commanding officer of a vessel of the Navy will occasionally find himself in a position to render assistance similar to that extended by Coast Guard vessels. The purpose of this chapter is to set forth briefly what may be termed the "doctrine" of the Coast Guard with respect to certain cases that may arise, and the methods that have been found successful by Coast Guard officers.

Calls for Assistance.

Assistance to a vessel in trouble at sea is rendered by one or more cruising Cutters2; if the vessel is

1 Commander H. G. Hamlett and Lieutenant Commander F. C. Billard. 2 The cruising vessels of the Coast Guard, although of a size which places them in the Gunboat or Small Cruiser class when they act as a part of the Navy (in time of war), are technically designated as "Cutters."

stranded, help will be given by one or more Cutters and by the crew of the nearest Coast Guard station on shore; reenforced, when necessary, by the crews of adjacent stations.

A vessel in need of assistance should, if possible, send word of her predicament by radio to the nearest shore radio station, taking care to give the exact location of the vessel, her condition, and sufficient data concerning the weather so that the probable drift of the disabled craft may be estimated. The conventional S.O.S. signal should be used only in emergent cases, because all the available resources of the Coast Guard are immediately directed in response to an S.O.S. call, and misuse of this urgent distress signal may serve to divert the assisting Cutters from other assistance work which may be, in fact, more urgent. All radio calls for assistance reach the operating officers of the Coast Guard through the Coast Guard communication system and prompt action to afford assistance is taken, when the circumstances of the case warrant, to the utmost resources of the Service. Any change in conditions should be reported and, if it later develops that assistance is not needed, information to this effect should be immediately sent out. Cases have occurred where failure to cancel calls for assistance has resulted in a needless expenditure of fuel and time on the part of a Coast Guard Cutter. As it is the aim of the Coast Guard to answer all calls for assistance, it should be the part of mariners to cooperate by asking for assistance only when really necessary, by furnishing all possible information, by advising of changes in conditions as they occur, and by annulling the distress call when assistance is no longer needed.

Doctrine. The doctrine herein set forth is that which governs officers in command of Coast Guard Cutters, and is recommended for the guidance of the Commanding Officers of naval vessels in similar circumstances. In what follows, the term "Commanding Officer" refers to the officer in command of a United States naval vessel or Coast Guard Cutter; the word "master" means the captain in charge of a merchant vessel.

The case of a vessel in distress will usually involve either:

(a) Rescuing the crew from a ship in danger of foundering, (b) Taking a disabled vessel in tow,

(c) Floating a stranded vessel.

In connection with the prevention of disasters to vessels,

there is the work of (d) removing or destroying floating menaces to navigation.

The Master of a vessel in distress at sea is responsible for the safety of the lives and property in his charge. Whether all or any of the people are to be taken off the vessel is a matter for him to decide. It is highly desirable, when a vessel is taken in tow in such condition that she is apt to founder, that all the personnel be taken off except only those absolutely necessary to handle the vessel; so that, should the vessel suddenly sink, the number of lives jeopardized may be reduced to a minimum. Whether or not the people are to be taken off is to be decided by the Master of the disabled vessel; the manner of taking them. off is decided by the Commanding Officer of the public vessel assisting. The matter of rescuing property and personal effects is entirely in the hands of the Commanding Officer of the assisting vessel. In general, it is the function of the Commanding Officer to advise the Master of the distressed ship in the premises. If the master accept the advice tendered, the conduct of the operation lies solely with the Commanding Officer.

When a vessel is taken in tow, the question of destination often arises in connection with facilities for repairs, character of cargo, and other matters. The governing factor should be to get the vessel to the most practicable place of safety, taking into consideration the resources of the assisting vessel, the conditions of wind and sea, and any other circumstances; acceding, however, to the wishes of the Master in so far as is practicable, in the judgment of the Commanding Officer. It is the right of the Master to let go the tow line whenever he sees fit. Often, when a tow is nearing a place of safety, a commercial tow boat may come alongside and apply for the job of taking the disabled craft into port. In such cases it is the doctrine of the Coast Guard that it is not its function to interfere in any way with private enterprise. The Commanding Officer should see that the bargain proposed is fair and reasonable. If such be the case, in his opinion, he should let go the tow. Naturally, the Commanding Officer who possibly has picked up the tow under trying circumstances and has towed her successfully under great difficulties, feels a strong desire to complete the job by delivering his charge into a safe harbor. It must be borne in mind, however, that the rights of private enterprise which maintains facilities for doing work of this character at large expense must

stranded, help will be given by one or more Cutters and by the crew of the nearest Coast Guard station on shore; reenforced, when necessary, by the crews of adjacent stations.

A vessel in need of assistance should, if possible, send word of her predicament by radio to the nearest shore radio station, taking care to give the exact location of the vessel, her condition, and sufficient data concerning the weather so that the probable drift of the disabled craft may be estimated. The conventional S.O.S. signal should be used only in emergent cases, because all the available resources of the Coast Guard are immediately directed in response to an S.O.S. call, and misuse of this urgent distress signal may serve to divert the assisting Cutters from other assistance work which may be, in fact, more urgent. All radio calls for assistance reach the operating officers of the Coast Guard through the Coast Guard communication system and prompt action to afford assistance is taken, when the circumstances of the case warrant, to the utmost resources of the Service. Any change in conditions should be reported and, if it later develops that assistance is not needed, information to this effect should be immediately sent out. Cases have occurred where failure to cancel calls for assistance has resulted in a needless expenditure of fuel and time on the part of a Coast Guard Cutter. As it is the aim of the Coast Guard to answer all calls for assistance, it should be the part of mariners to cooperate by asking for assistance only when really necessary, by furnishing all possible information, by advising of changes in conditions as they occur, and by annulling the distress call when assistance is no longer needed.

Doctrine. The doctrine herein set forth is that which governs officers in command of Coast Guard Cutters, and is recommended for the guidance of the Commanding Officers of naval vessels in similar circumstances. In what follows, the term "Commanding Officer" refers to the officer in command of a United States naval vessel or Coast Guard Cutter; the word "master" means the captain in charge of a merchant vessel.

The case of a vessel in distress will usually involve either:

(a) Rescuing the crew from a ship in danger of foundering, (b) Taking a disabled vessel in tow,

(c) Floating a stranded vessel.

In connection with the prevention of disasters to vessels,