=489.=--PREPARATIONS FOR HEAVING DOWN.
CLEARING THE SHIP.
The ship should be stripped to lower-masts and lower-rigging,
cleared of everything excepting the spars and running-gear, which
will be required for lashings; top and gear-tackles, runners, luffs,
pendant-tackles, and in fact all the tackles of every size. The
hammock-nettings should be taken off, the loose bulk-heads removed, and
everything that is not applicable to the operation to be performed, as
it is desirable to have the ship as light as possible. The lower yards
should be kept aloft till the outriggers are placed.
CHOICE AND POSITION OF THE OUTRIGGERS AND SHORES.
If left to your own resources, and large, rough spars are not to be
obtained, the following may be used for outriggers, three of which will
be required for each mast; _i. e._, fore and main.
_Main-mast._ _Fore-mast._
1 Main-topmast. | 1 Fore-topmast.
1 Main-topsail-yard. | 1 Fore-topsail-yard.
1 Half-yard (rough). | 1 Cross-jack-yard.
_Note._--If you can get other spars, the yards should not be used.
The spars should be placed in the main-deck-ports before and abaft
the masts. When they are placed, the lower-yards, caps, tops and
cross-trees may be sent down and landed.
The shores should then be placed with their heels resting in shoes or
the spare fishes, close out to the water-ways, and their heads between
the trestle-trees before and abaft the mast-heads.
MAST-HEAD SHORES.
_Main-mast._ _Fore-mast._
1 Main-topmast. | 1 Fore-topmast.
1 Spanker-boom | 1 Jib-boom.
In preference to using belly-shores, I would recommend to fish the
main-mast with the two mizen-topmasts, and the foremast with fore
and main-topgallant-masts; if no other spars are to be had, the
topgallant-studdingsail-booms must be cut up for shores for the decks
and outriggers.
CARPENTERS’ WORK.
In the mean time the carpenters should be employed in shoring the
outriggers and decks under the beams, on which the mast-head-shores
rest: good stages should also be prepared, the spare-shackle or
gammoning-bolts got ready; the copper should be stripped where they are
to be driven, viz.: before, abaft, and between the outriggers, as low
as convenient for driving, and forelocking them on the inside, or as
the water-line will allow.
_Note._--The holes should be bored slanting upwards, so that the
martingales will rather tend to set them in than draw them out; the
shackles or rings of the gammoning-bolts should then be well parceled.
SECURING THE OUTRIGGERS.
In the meantime a party of riggers or seamen should be employed to fit
the martingales and outrigger-shrouds, and to strap the purchase-blocks.
MARTINGALES.
The size of the martingales must depend upon the angle which you are
able to give them, as their size must increase as their angle becomes
less. If the bolts are near the water-line, three parts of eight-inch
for each outrigger will be found sufficient. The main outriggers
should be cleated about eighteen feet from the side, for the rigging.
The heels should be well shored down and securely lashed; they should
also be securely lashed down or gammoned to the breeching-bolts or
scupper-holes, and shored by diagonal shores in the angles of the
port-sills, that the spars in rising may bring an equal pressure on all
parts; otherwise it would probably strain the top sides: the outriggers
should also have a stout lashing to the train-bolts amidships. If the
topsail-yards are used (which is not advisable when other spars can be
obtained), the inner yard-arms must not be allowed to butt the ship’s
side, or water-ways; they should have chain-snotters, and must be
shored in all directions. The fore-outriggers should be cleated about
fifteen feet from the ship’s side, and secured inboard as the main.
In addition to the martingale, the three outriggers for each mast may
be connected by luffs boused well taut, and the stay-tackles may be
used for fore and after-guys, which will bring all to a fair strain.
Any farther security that may suggest itself at the time, according to
circumstances, should not be omitted, as you will never err by being on
the safe side.
STRAPS FOR PURCHASE-BLOCKS.
I would also recommend the straps for the purchase-blocks should be
warped of new, three-inch rope, selvagee-fashion, instead of the large
rope-strap. The upper one will take about two coils, which will give
about twenty-eight parts in the strap. The strap being middled, and the
block seized in, the eyes or legs should pass round the mast-head, and
lash on the same side as the block, and above it, which will give four
times twenty-eight parts of three-inch rope in the neck of the strap.
PIT-BLOCKS.
The length of the lower strap must vary according to the pit you heave
down to. It should contain at least thirty parts of three-inch, and
also have four parts of the strap in the neck. If the pit is deep,
it will be better to warp two separate straps of half the length
for the lower blocks. The same way for the foremast, which may be
securely lashed as most convenient, but neither of the blocks should be
lashed at the mast-head until the outrigger-shrouds are over, set up
hand-taut, and matted over all.
_Note._--A second or preventer-purchase is required to each mast.
PREVENTIVE SHROUDS.[37]
For the main-mast, two lengths of the stream-cable (well parceled) may
next be put over the main-mast-head; these may be set up through the
lower-deck-ports, and kept clear of the channels by short outriggers of
hard wood, with grooves in the outer end to receive the cable resting
in the channels, butting against the ship’s side, and cleated round
the heel, to form a step; the outrigger-shrouds for each mast may then
go over. They should be about eleven-inch-rope; they must be well
parceled: dead-eyes or blocks may be used to set them up, as convenient.
_For further security, the following purchases may be used._
[37] Small sized chain-cable may be used to a good advantage if it
can be obtained.
FOR THE MAIN-MAST,
Two main-top-tackles lashed at the mast-head; one set up at the
main-tack-bolts, the other to the after-quarter-deck-port; two
mast-head-runners to assist the main-stay; two belly-stays of
eleven-inch,[38] lashed one-third down the mast, and set up on the
_weather-side_; two main-yard tackles lashed one-third down; one set up
in the main-tack-bolts, the other, after-quarter-deck-port.
[38] _i. e._, Supposing the vessel to be one of the largest class of
frigates.
FOR THE FORE-MAST.
To assist the lower rigging, two threefold purchases lashed to the
spare chain-plate-bolts; two launches’ purchases lashed to the
mast-head, and set up, one to the cat-head, and the other to the after
part of the fore-chains; two runners lashed at the mast-head; one set
up to the cat-head, one to the chess-tree-bolts; two belly-stays of
eleven inch, one-third way down the mast, and set up half-way in on
the bowsprit; two fore-top-tackles one-third down the mast; one to the
cat-head, one to the chess-tree-water-ways, or scupper-holes, as most
convenient.
THE BOWSPRIT
May be secured by the two fore-yard-tackles, hooked on the weather-side.
THE MIZEN-MAST
May be shored with one shore at the mast-head, and the
mizen-pendant-tackles and burtons may be used to assist the rigging, if
considered necessary.
SETTING UP THE RIGGING.
The wedges being taken out, and the masts drawn over to the opposite
partners, the shores may be cleated and lashed above the rigging,
and below the trestle-trees with good worn rope of three or
three-and-a-half-inch; the lashing should be passed on both, with
racking turns, hove taut by a Spanish windlass, the ends frapped round
all parts, and secured; the heels should also be lashed to the side,
so that they can have no play forward or aft. The outriggers and
martingales being well set up to the span-shackle bolts, and secured
otherwise as before mentioned, the lower rigging and outrigger-shrouds
may be set up to a fair and equal strain, respectively; the
outrigger-shrouds may be a little tauter than the rigging, because
they have a longer drift, and are less strained when offering the same
support; in proportion, the additional purchases may then be set up.
There is one point in the foregoing arrangements that merits peculiar
attention; having once measured the distance between the mast-heads,
and the same between your lower blocks, you must be careful to preserve
the same distance between the mast-heads whenever you may have occasion
to set up afresh; if you neglect this, your mast spreads apart as the
ship comes down, and the stays and rigging are unfairly strained.
The slack of the opposite rigging should then be taken in, and a
swifter should be rove to keep it from hanging in a bight as the ship
goes down.
When the masts are thus secured, the purchase-blocks may be lashed, and
the shores wedged under the heels until they have taken part of the
strain off the rigging. Care should be taken that the shore-heads are
clear of the trestle-trees; the strain should not be wholly upon the
shores and deck, but each shroud and purchase must bear its proportion.
PURCHASE FALLS.
Eleven-inch fall tailed with eight inch, is sufficient for the heaviest
ship in the service. If you have only your own resources, use the large
hawsers tailed with the smaller, or whatever rope is convenient in the
store-room, which may suit the purpose.
_Note._--In reeving, use a small line for that purpose; you will
also save time and trouble by using the capstan[39] in reeving and
overhauling the falls, which is a work of considerable time.
Two-and-a-half-inch stuff is a good size for a reeving line.
[39] If at the wharf or navy-yard, cattle might be clapped on to
reeve the fall with greater facility.
MAST-HEAD STOPPERS.
Two good stoppers of eleven-inch rope should be fitted to each mast;
they may go with a clove-hitch round the mast-head, the ends being long
enough to reeve through the strap of the lower purchase-blocks, to
hitch and seize back; a small jigger, and two balls of spun-yarn should
be ready for each purchase; the leading block should also be lashed
alongside of its respective pit-block with a long lashing, to allow the
leader to rise high enough to clear the fall of the edge of the pit;
and stoppers must also be fitted for each leader-crab or capstan.
The greatest attention is required to the leading of the falls, as the
slightest chafe or rub, with so great a strain, might prove of serious
consequence; a sharp axe should be ready at each pit.
THE PIT.
The formation of the pit, or sleeper, in which your lower block is
secured, must vary so much in locality, that no general rule can be
given.
ANCHORS AND CABLES.
The bowers may be landed, or used to moor the ship with, head
and stern; the sheet-anchors may next be laid out a-beam as
tripping-anchors, at such a distance according to the depth of the
water, as may ensure their holding; one should be abreast of the
foremast, the other opposite the main-mast; a stout hawser should be
bent to the ring of each, and brought in at the second lower-deck port,
abaft the main-mast, and first port abaft the foremast, on the same
side as the anchors are laid out.
The chains to these tripping-anchors should be tailed with a
stream-cable, which is to pass under the ship’s bottom and in at the
quarter-deck port, abaft the main channels and second port on the
forecastle; these ports should be well lined, and stoppers fitted
ready for fleeting; a three-fold purchase stretched across the deck,
may be here applied, so that when you have tripped the ship off by
the hawsers you may bouse the cables in taut, stopper and rack to the
breeching-bolts.
In tripping off, you must be careful to keep the ship parallel to the
pits, or you may chance to bring one anchor home.
[Illustration]
CAULKING, &C.
While the foregoing preparations are being made, the pumps should be
shortened, to work on the lower deck. The caulkers and carpenters
should be employed upon the side that is to be hove down, stopping
the air-holes on all the decks, and thoroughly caulking every seam
or hole that will either be immersed, or exposed to the action
of the water that may find admittance, particularly in the wake
of the hammock-nettings that have been removed, and round the
quarter-galleries.
[Illustration: Arrangement of the Pumps, in heaving down.]
The caulking should be considered a very important point; the smallest
hole that can admit water must be carefully stopped.
The main-deck ports must be filled up in the centre with plank,
well caulked, and covered with tarred canvass; the lower deck ports
and scuttles thoroughly caulked in; the holes for the port-pendants
plugged, cross-caulked, and payed over, and the scuppers made tight
in the same manner; and it must be remembered that want of attention
to these particulars may cost you hours at the pumps, or perhaps
oblige you to right the ship at a moment when you might advantageously
continue the repair; the hawse-holes and stern-ports need not be
stopped, for they will not be near the water when the ship is keel out.
LADDERS, &C.
Battens four inches deep, should be nailed fore and aft on each deck;
knotted ropes and Jacob’s-ladders should be placed at convenient
distances, to secure ready access to every part of the ship, which is
more difficult when she is down than would be imagined.
_Note._--The hatchway ladders should all be lashed.
ARRANGEMENT OF THE PUMPS.
If the water must be raised more than thirty feet, two sets of pumps
will be required; the lower ones must throw the water into tubs or
tanks placed on the lower deck--the upper ones must be placed in these
vessels, and raise it from them to the upper deck; for this purpose
nine or ten pumps will be required; they may be built square, of plank
caulked in the seams, well parceled and woolded, or if timber can be
had, may be formed by sawing straight spars in half lengthwise, and
rejoining them after they are hollowed; then parceling, tarring, and
woolding all over.
The number required being completed, the lower and orlop-decks must be
scuttled, to allow the pumps to be placed at the required angle, so
that their ends may rest a little below the orlop-wing gratings; the
main and upper deck pumps may be sufficiently sloped in the hatchways
with their heels in the vessels, which are raised on platforms inclined
at an angle, to preserve their level when the ship is down.
The pumps should have large holes in their nozzles, and troughs should
be made to carry the water over the skids to leeward on the upper deck.
Substantial platforms must be secured at the same angle, at convenient
positions, for the men to work the pumps.
The pumps should be tried before you heave down, to see that they are
tight, and also when in position to see that the brakes work clear of
the beams and comings.
Any fire engines that can be procured, should be worked in the hold on
similar platforms, with their hoses led on deck.
WEIGHT FOR HEELING AND TRIPPING SHIP.
The rigging being set up, the purchase falls rove, the pumps rigged and
all the foregoing preparations made, fifteen or twenty tons of water
in casks may be placed on the side to be hove down, and lashed to the
breeching-bolts, &c., on the quarter-deck and fore-castle.
PREPARATIONS FOR HEAVING.
The ship may then be hove off by the tripping-hawsers to the distance
of seventy or eighty feet from the pits, and the tripping-cables boused
well taut.
The men required to work the pumps and engines, should be on board,
with a proportion of carpenters to stop small leaks, clear the pumps,
attend the masts in the partners, &c.; the hand-pumps should be used as
long as they will act, so as to keep the ship perfectly dry; the ‘men’
should be to leeward on the upper deck, to assist with their weight the
purchases; at _slack water_ you may commence heaving; the ship will
incline 15° before the slack of the falls is through, and will continue
to close the pits until she is down to 35°; she will then begin to go
off. It must be remembered that the main-mast is to heave the ship
down; the fore purchase is only an assistant, and must not be unfairly
hove upon; avoid surging as much as possible; the moment the pumps will
draw they must begin to work. When the ship is down the falls must
be stoppered and racked, the mast-head stoppers passed, boused taut
and secured; you may then walk back and reverse the falls upon the
capstans, taking a turn round the bitts with the running part, which
is to be hove off by the capstans as you ease up, and will cause less
surging.
STAGES.
Substantial floating stages having been previously made by the
carpenters, should now be ready to haul in; a large boat containing
tool-chests and the stores necessary for stopping the leak, should be
in attendance; when the ship is down, not a single second should be
lost; let your men sing out _cheer_ at the pumps, and forego that part
of your discipline for a short time, which might be a hindrance to your
immediate object. Watch narrowly the purchases and be ready to ease-up
at a moment’s warning, if they slacken or any of the gear carries
away. In easing-up, when the main-deck scuppers are out of water, hold
on, take the lead or canvass off that secured them, and let the water
escape from the deck; you may get rid of several tons thus without much
labor.
The carpenters must be careful in clearing the injured part, not to
increase the leak by undertaking more than they are able to perform;
as a general rule, make all as tight as possible before you think of
easing-up for the night.
=490.=--A DERRICK.
[Illustration]
What is termed a derrick, is a single spar rounded off at the heel to
set in a shoe, (similar to a shear-leg;) the upper end is made with
shoulders or cleats, to stop the purchase-block from working down,
also the guys; the derrick may be used for many purposes instead of
shears to great advantage, especially on board of merchant ships when
discharging, it being so easily swung from a perpendicular position
to rake over the ship’s side, the heel resting in its shoe, and the
head canted in any position by the guys; any kind of a purchase may
be used at a derrick-head, but the most general, is the single and
double-burton.
On the subject of providing means--few ships go to sea without a spare
topmast or a spar to make one, which spar is in every way calculated
for a derrick, if it will make a topmast.
_The rigging_, (that is the various guys and ropes necessary to sustain
it in its position,) and the purchase-blocks for lifting the weight,
may be secured to the spar any height above the deck to suit the
particular purpose in hand, without either cutting the spar, or nailing
on cleats--as by a well managed arrangement of lashings, all slipping
or shifting of position may certainly be prevented.
_Note._--The more a derrick approaches a perpendicular position, the
less will be the strain upon the guys.
GENERAL CAUTIONS.
_In any very intricate Navigation_,
Anchor at night or when in doubt.
Take frequent and short departures.
Pay particular attention that the proper course is steered.
Hand in the chains, and lead kept going.
Good look out.
Anchors ready, and cables clear.
Canvass well regulated and be ready for bringing up.
Boats ready, tackles at hand.
Stream cable and hawsers ready.
Top-gallant-mast-ropes rove.
_Taken in a Squall._
A vigilant look out, will usually prevent your being taken by a squall
in an unprepared state.
If taken in a squall with the wind on the beam, before it, or close
hauled, keep your luff, and lower away, and clew up all as fast as you
can. In doing so the ship will be relieved, and the canvass got in
better than if the helm had been put up.
But if taken in a squall with the wind abaft the beam, putting the helm
up, and running away from it, as well as shortening sail, will then be
the readiest mode of easing a ship. (Remember this.)
_On Good Order--(Merchant Service)._
In a man-of-war, discipline is productive of the greatest good--the
energies of all are called for, and employed as most required; but even
without martial law good regulations might, and ought to be established
in every ship, at all times, and in all places.
The greatest assistance to the promotion of good order, would
be SOBRIETY in seamen. The few shades in the sterling qualities
which belong to them, many of their irregularities and acts of
insubordination, may be traced to intemperance. They might abstain,
perhaps, but they cannot refrain. If owners would give $1 a month in
lieu of spirits, and have a mutual agreement respecting its use abroad,
with a stipulated penalty for drunkenness, ships might be managed much
more safely, and with greater ease and economy than at present; half
the work of discipline would then be effected.
Where the men are sober, have entire confidence in their officers,
and are well treated, not harrassed unnecessarily, and see that the
comforts they ought to have are properly attended to--I think it would
be found in most instances, that effective good order would establish
itself. Where it does exist, the vessel’s services are rendered in
every way more effective and beneficial to her employers, as well as
more agreeable to the officers, crew, and passengers, if any, and her
chances of casualties considerably lessened.
The remedy, too, is in a great measure in the hands of shipowners and
captains themselves; for if they required certificates of sobriety
before they would ship men, drunken ones would either remain unemployed
or become sober,--for even a sober landsman, is more useful than a
drunken sailor.
_On Cleanliness, as regards the Preservation of Life in Vessels._
Nothing is too trifling for an officers attention, that tends to the
health and benefit of those dependent on his care and forethought.
Every vessel should be pumped out _morning_ and _evening_.
A clean, sweet, and dry hold is essential to the health of the crew.
Nothing can be more injurious than for men to sleep over bilge-water,
which must be the case if any water is left in the hold at night.
The hold ought to be cleared often, and when it is, it should be
white-washed; and also the between-decks frequently white-washed.
_On Painting._
In tropical climates, avoid painting as much as possible, particularly
in-board.
_On the Health of Men, in the Merchant Service._
In port, in tropical climates, give the men a little coffee before they
go to work in the morning.
The inconsiderate indulgence in new rum, has been one great means of
increasing the numbers attacked with yellow fever.
Do not allow the men to lay about in night dews; and particularly not
to wait about at wharfs.
Allow the men the use of fresh water whenever it can be spared, for
washing clothes, and also for themselves.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: Scale-Draft of the United States Sloop-of-War ALBANY.]