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Transcriber's Note:
Apparent typographical errors have been corrected. Small capitals have
been converted to full capitals. Italic font is indicated by
_underscores_ and bold font (other than headings) by +plus signs+.
A line in blackletter font in the dedication has been bolded. The use of
hyphens has been rationalised. Sub-paragraphs and lists have been
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An advertisement for another book by the same author has been shifted
to the back of the book.
Chapter XVIII describes the Rules of the Road as they apply to the
High Seas and to U.S. Inland Waters. In the original work corresponding
passages are set out on opposite pages. In this version the Rules
applying to the High Seas are followed by those applying to Inland
Waters. U.S. Inland Waters are defined in Chapter XIX.
THE
MEN ON DECK
Master, Mates and Crew
Their Duties and Responsibilities
_A MANUAL
for
The American Merchant Service_
BY
FELIX RIESENBERG, C.E.
MASTER MARINER (SAIL AND STEAM)
Superintendent, New York State Nautical School,
Commanding Schoolship "Newport"
Author of "Under Sail"
[Illustration: Publisher's Mark]
NEW YORK
D. VAN NOSTRAND COMPANY
25 PARK PLACE
1918
COPYRIGHT, 1918
BY
D. VAN NOSTRAND COMPANY
DEDICATED TO
+Captain Reginald Fay+
OF THE PORT OF NEW YORK
IN RECOGNITION OF
HIS UNTIRING EFFORTS
FOR
THE BETTERMENT
OF THE
AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE
Preface
In the days of sail, the duties of masters, mates, and crews, were well
defined. Sea practice, in the various rigs, had become standard with the
authority of an ancient calling.
The art of sailing, and of rigging ships, was a precise matter. Gear
remained standard for a century. The main to'bowline of a Black Ball
Liner, tearing to windward in a North Atlantic hummer, was rove and led
in much the same fashion as the main to'bowline of the ships of Nelson
and Van Tromp. And the old time seamen, in their usage and habits,
followed the regularity of the ships upon which they sailed.
The gradual transition from sail to steam carried with it, for a time,
the old system of sailing ship routine. But to-day the sailing ship
sailor is a thing of the past; the works of steam and steel are upon the
waters—we are in the age of engines and the engineer. Great problems of
mechanical propulsion, and of construction, are constantly presenting
themselves, and the successors of the ancient mariner, the modern
master, mates, and crew; the "deck department," if you will, of the
present day steamer, find themselves afloat with different gear and
under different conditions every time they change vessels.
No standard form of sea training has yet come to take the place of the
old-time apprentice system of sail, and in addition to ships that are
far from standard, we find that many ideas prevail as to the duties and
organization of the seamanship branch of the modern steamer.
Able as they may be individually, officers of mixed training are
constantly being thrown together in vessels of the merchant service,
while in most cases crews are picked up haphazard from the beach. It is
not to be wondered at that many ideas prevail as to the proper way of
doing things. Indeed, many otherwise intelligent officers often have a
very hazy notion as to just what they are supposed to do, or to know.
Seamen are often confused, through lack of knowledge, as to what may be
expected of them; one vessel is run one way, and another one may be
quite different. In fact the lack of uniformity at sea breeds
uncertainty and makes for disorder in situations where order and
discipline are essential.
Among many junior officers in the merchant service a notion prevails
that their main object in life is to get along with as little effort as
possible while awaiting early promotion and increased pay—they look
forward hopefully to that glad day when they will wear the Master's
stripes, with all day ashore, while in port, and all night in, while at
sea—this book will not be agreeable reading for them.
In the following pages an attempt is made to point out the things the
various members of the deck department of an ocean steam vessel may
reasonably be expected to know, and the things that they may be required
to do. The book does not pretend to tell HOW, but the object is to show
WHAT a modern American Seaman ought to know, and to do, and to lay
before him the laws by which his calling is regulated.
It is also hoped that the book will help to inform owners and shore
managers of the kind and quality of service that they should expect from
sea officers and men. It is hoped that it will also aid in creating a
greater respect for the quality of the men who go down to the sea in
steamers; sail has gone, but a mighty wake of heavy gear and great
responsibility has come along to take its place.
Great Lakes officers and seamen, who are being called to salt water
during the winter season, as a matter of war emergency, will, it is
hoped, find the following pages of use in their new situations.
In conclusion it may be well to remind the hard-working merchantman that
while many things are expected of him fortunately he is not required to
do them all at once, nor do the United States Local Inspectors examine
him upon all of the things mentioned in the pages of this little book.
The American who goes to sea to-day will not content himself with
minimum requirements. He means to be more than a ten-per cent seaman.
War emergencies have sent many men out on blue water who formerly would
never have reached the deck or bridge. They know their limitations—all
we can do is to point out the way.
The Author will welcome suggestions and criticisms from officers and men
of the Merchant Marine who happen to read the pages of this book.
Standard practice at sea is desirable, and such practice can best be
achieved by some common ground upon which all minds may meet and
reasonably agree.
Letters addressed in care of my publishers, D. Van Nostrand Company, 25
Park Place, New York, will be forwarded to me and be appreciated.
F. R.
SCHOOLSHIP NEWPORT,
May 1, 1918.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE MASTER 1
II. LAWS AFFECTING THE DUTIES OF THE MASTER 9
III. ENTRY AND CLEARANCE 18
IV. ENTRY OF MERCHANDISE 27
V. LIABILITY OF OWNERS, MASTERS, AND SHIPPERS 53
VI. MISCELLANEOUS LAWS 59
VII. THE CHIEF MATE 72
VIII. THE CHIEF MATE (_Continued_) 92
IX. RULES OF THE U. S. SUPERVISING INSPECTORS RELATING
TO LIFESAVING 103
X. PASSENGER ACT OF 1882 116
XI. THE SECOND MATE 128
XII. THE THIRD MATE 131
XIII. THE JUNIOR OFFICERS 133
XIV. CADETS 145
XV. LAWS DEFINING OFFICERS OF THE MERCHANT MARINE 146
XVI. EXAMINATIONS FOR LICENSES; MASTER AND MATES 153
XVII. THE WATCH OFFICER 167
XVIII. THE RULES OF THE ROAD—INTERNATIONAL—INLAND 184
XIX. THE LIMITS OF U. S. INLAND WATERS 222
XX. THE QUARTERMASTERS 229
XXI. THE CARPENTER 231
XXII. THE BOATSWAIN 234
XXIII. ABLE SEAMEN 236
XXIV. U. S. NAVIGATION LAWS RELATING TO MERCHANT SEAMEN 241
XXV. DISCIPLINE AT SEA 286
APPENDIX A. CUSTOMS DISTRICTS, PORTS AND SUB-PORTS
OF THE UNITED STATES 305
APPENDIX B. THE SEA LIBRARY 319
THE MEN ON DECK
CHAPTER I
THE MASTER
The Master Mariner who has the vessel in charge is called the CAPTAIN,
or the MASTER, the latter being his official title. It is correct,
however, to address the master of a vessel as CAPTAIN, a courtesy to
which the Master Mariner is fully entitled through ancient sea usage.
Among seagoing people, the Master Mariner who is in charge of a vessel
+is in complete charge at all times+; divided authority in this matter
is intolerable to the minds of men accustomed to the sea.
+The Master is responsible as follows:—+
+For the safe handling of his vessel in and out of port.+
+For the safe and expeditious navigation of his vessel from port to
port.+
+For the good management, and order, of the various departments that
constitute the internal economy of his vessel—deck—engine—steward's—etc.+
+He is responsible for the safety of the lives of passengers and crew.+
+He is responsible for the safe stowage, carriage, and unlading of the
cargo.+
+The vessel is his direct responsibility. If the Pilot is in charge,
this does not relieve the Master of his full responsibility.+
+The Master is responsible to the owners.+
+He is also responsible to the insurance underwriters.+
+He is also responsible to the Government of the United States, under
which he receives his license as a Master Mariner.+
The Master Mariner who is well qualified to bear the great
responsibilities of his station; to have the keeping of many lives in
his charge; to be the sole judge of what is right and proper in times of
emergency; such a man is not made in a year, nor is he the product of
any short-cut system of training. His sea lore must be learned at sea.
His duty to ship and cargo must be truly come by through close and
thorough contact with the great vessels he is called upon to command.
The Master Mariner must be a student of the laws governing his business
upon the sea, and of the laws defining his duties and responsibilities
to ship, passengers, crew, and cargo.
Briefly, he is charged with the following specific duties and
responsibilities:
+1. The safe navigation of his vessel.+
+2. The general management and care of his vessel.+
+3. The proper coaling—provisioning—supplying of water—etc.+
+4. That she be fully found—anchors—cables—warps—hawsers—boats—rafts—
life-saving equipment—fire-fighting equipment, as required by law—
compasses—chronometers—charts—sailing directions—sextants—and stores of
all kinds needed to safely navigate her.+
+5. The proper signing of the ship's articles.+
+6. The keeping of the Official Log.+
+7. The carrying of a properly equipped medicine chest.+
+8. The carrying of a required slop chest, and compliance with the laws
regulating the sale of slops.+
+9. He is liable for the wrong delivery of specie and cargo, or for loss
or damage to the same due to carelessness or mismanagement on the part
of the crew.+
+10. He is responsible for any neglect through which the validity of the
insurance to ship or cargo is called into question.+
+11. He must enforce the rule that the vessel is never to be left
without an officer in charge, either at sea or in harbor, day or night.+
+12. He shall see that a licensed engineer officer is on duty when steam
is up on a boiler.+
+13. When maneuvering—in and out of port—or at sea, he should see that
the most qualified engineer officers on board are in charge of the
working of the engines.+
+14. He must see that no waste or extravagance is practiced with the
ship's stores and provisions.+
+15. He must see that the lawful scale of provisions is issued to the
crew.+
+16. He must see that no prohibited cargo or stores come aboard, and
that his hatches are battened down before going to sea. He is
responsible for the correct lading of the vessel.+
+17. He must enter and clear his vessel at the custom house. He must see
that the proper papers are produced. Ship's register (with his name
entered as master); Manifest; Bills of Health; Passenger and stores
list; and any other papers that may be required.+
+18. He must be familiar with the laws, rules, and regulations in force
in the various countries and at the various ports he visits.+
+19. He should find out where to obtain the services of the local
medical authorities, and the police authorities, when in a strange
port.+
+20. He should study the charter under which he is operating—if under
charter. Is it a "time charter" or a "trip charter"? He will be largely
responsible for the carrying out of his owner's part of the contract. If
abroad he may sign the charter party, as agent of the owner.+
+21. He is the accredited representative of the owner. He has the
authority to act contrary to the wishes of the ship's agents, when he is
satisfied that such action is to the best interests of his owners; he
must be prepared to bear full responsibility for his actions.+
+22. He is responsible to his owners for the safety of his vessel,
whether he is on board or not.+
+23. He cannot delegate his authority, or name his successor to command,
without the consent of his owners—unless physically unfit for duty, and
then he has the authority to retain command and delegate such duties as
he may be unable to perform himself.+
+24. He is always in command of and responsible for the safety of the
vessel, whether he is using the services of a pilot, or otherwise, and
his station, while in pilot waters under way, is on the bridge.+
+25. He has the authority to take the vessel from the pilot's control at
any time, when in his opinion her safety demands such action. The use of
the pilot indicates that the most careful measures are being taken to
prevent accident, and for the protection of the insurance underwriters.
Under such conditions, the taking over of the vessel from the pilot is
weighted with the fullest responsibility.+
+26. He is responsible for the correct keeping of the wage account of
the crew.+
+27. He is responsible for the safe carriage of mail entrusted to the
vessel.+
+28. He is responsible for the acceptance on board of anyone except his
crew, or regularly accredited passengers. He is accountable to the port
authorities of the first port visited, for the presence of the same.+
+29. He must see that the legal requirements safeguarding the carriage
of live stock are complied with.+
+30. He shall handle his vessel in conformity with the International
Rules of the Road at Sea, or the Inland Rules, depending upon the waters
in which he is navigating; he must know if he is on the high seas, or
within the limits defined as inland waters.+
+31. He is the responsible navigator of his vessel, and cannot delegate
this responsibility.+
+32. He must see that the officers and men respect the laws and
regulations of the ports visited, that no contraband or dutiable
articles are brought on board in violation of the same.+
+33. He must take steps to prevent smuggling.+
+34. He must keep a record of all fines, punishments, and charges
against members of the crew, and must not permit punishment to be
inflicted that is contrary to law, and only such punishment as is
sanctioned by his express order. In the Official Log, where these
entries are to be made, he must specify the nature and extent of the
punishment.+
+35. In the Official Log Book he must enter the following:+
_First._ Every legal conviction of any member of his crew, and the
punishment inflicted.
_Second._ Every offense committed by any member of his crew for which
it is intended to prosecute or to enforce a forfeiture, together with
such statement concerning the reading over such entry, and concerning
the reply, if any, made to the charge, as is required by the provisions
of section forty-five hundred and ninety-seven.
_Third._ Every offense for which punishment is inflicted on board, and
the punishment inflicted.
_Fourth._ A statement of the conduct, character, and qualifications of
each of his crew; or a statement that he declines to give an opinion of
such particulars.
_Fifth._ Every case of illness or injury happening to any member of the
crew, with the nature thereof, and the medical treatment.
_Sixth._ Every case of death happening on board, with the cause thereof.
_Seventh._ Every birth happening on board, with the sex of the infant,
and the names of the parents.
_Eighth._ Every marriage taking place on board, with the names and ages
of the parties.
_Ninth._ The name of every seamen or apprentice who ceases to be a
member of the crew otherwise than by death, with the place, time,
manner, and cause thereof.
_Tenth._ The wages due to any seaman or apprentice who dies during the
voyage, and the gross amount of all deductions to be made therefrom.
_Eleventh._ The sale of the effects of any seaman or apprentice who
dies during the voyage, including a statement of each article sold, and
the sum received for it.
_Twelfth._ In every case of collision in which it is practicable so to
do, the master shall, immediately after the occurrence, cause a
statement thereof, and of the circumstances under which the same
occurred, to be entered in the official log-book. Such entry shall be
made in the manner prescribed in section forty-two hundred and
ninety-one, and failure to make such entry shall subject the offender
to the penalties prescribed by section forty-two hundred and
ninety-two. (R. S., 4290; Feb. 14, 1900.)
Every entry hereby required to be made in the official log-book shall be
signed by the master and by the mate, or some other one of the crew, and
every entry in the official log-book shall be made as soon as possible
after the occurrence to which it relates, and, if not made on the same
day as the occurrence to which it relates, shall be made and dated so as
to show the date of the occurrence, and of the entry respecting it; and
in no case shall any entry therein, in respect of any occurrence
happening previously to the arrival of the vessel at her final port, be
made more than twenty-four hours after such arrival. (R. S., 4291.)
If in any case the official log-book is not kept in the manner hereby
required, or if any entry hereby directed to be made in any such
log-book is not made at the time and in the manner hereby directed, the
master shall, for each such offense, be liable to a penalty of not more
than twenty-five dollars; and every person who makes, or procures to be
made, or assists in making, any entry in any official log-book in
respect of any occurrence happening previously to the arrival of the
vessel at her final port of discharge, more than twenty-four hours after
such arrival, shall, for each offense, be liable to a penalty of not
more than one hundred and fifty dollars. (R. S., 4292.)
+36. He must see that the ship's log-book is properly kept.+
+37. He must see that the property of deceased persons is disposed of
according to law.+
+38. He must not depart from the safest and most usual course in making
a passage between the designated ports of his voyage, unless under
instruction from legal authorities, as in time of war.+
+40. He must not depart from port, unless authorized to do so by the
proper port or other authorities.+
+41. He must see that all drills and inspections required by law are
carried out and record of same made in the official log-book.+
+42. In case of collision he must stand by, and give the name and
hailing port of his vessel, if required.+
+43. He must make the required reports to the U. S. Local Inspectors,
concerning all matters laid down in their rules.+
+44. He must see that his officers stand proper watches and conform to
all the requirements of the law.+
+45. He must see that the licenses of all licensed officers are
exhibited as required by law.+
+46. He must see that the requirements of the vessel's Certificate of
Inspection are rigidly adhered to—passengers—steam pressure—etc.+
+47. He should report promptly to his owners, and to the U. S. Local
Inspectors, all details regarding accidents.+
+48. He must see that orderly conduct is maintained by his passengers as
well as his crew—He must regularly inspect the quarters and
accommodations assigned to them—must see to the ventilation—warmth—and
cleanliness—of sleeping and dining rooms, and the cleanliness of
kitchens, pantries, store rooms, bath rooms and lavatories.+
+49. He should be familiar with the regulations of the customs
authorities of the ports to which he is trading. He should know the
customs districts, ports and sub-ports of entry in the United States.+
+50. He should study the navigation laws of the United States.+
+51. Being MASTER, he should really be a Master Mariner in every sense
of the word. He should know his ship, her cargo, whatever it may be, and
he should never be satisfied until he is skilled in every branch of the
art of navigation and seamanship.+
+52. He has the authority to suspend officers from duty, for cause, and
in the case of mutinous conduct at sea, he is justified in putting in
irons any member of his crew, or any officer, or passenger, when the
safety and discipline of the vessel require such action.+
+53. At sea, or outside any legal jurisdiction, he is justified, as a
matter of protecting the lives and property in his care, to take human
life, when other measures are inadequate to this end.+
+54. He may be called upon to set a leg, or saw it off—to deliver a
woman in childbirth—to perform the marriage ceremony—or to read the
burial service at sea.+
+55. In the event of disaster; he must see to the safety of all hands,
passengers and crew.+
+56. When his vessel founders, he must be the last man to leave the
ship.+