The Seaman's Friend Part 30

WATCH HO! WATCH! The cry of the man that heaves the deep-sea-lead.

WATCH-TACKLE. (See page 54.) A small luff purchase with a short fall, the double block having a tail to it, and the single one a hook. Used for various purposes about decks.

WATER SAIL. A _save-all_, set under the swinging-boom.

WATER-WAYS. Long pieces of timber, running fore and aft on both sides, connecting the deck with the vessel's sides. The _scuppers_ are made through them to let the water off. (See PLATE 3.)

WEAR. (See WARE.)

WEATHER. In the direction from which the wind blows. (See WINDWARD, LEE.)

A s.h.i.+p carries a _weather helm_ when she tends to come up into the wind, requiring you to put the helm up.

_Weather gage._ A vessel has the _weather gage_ of another when she is to windward of her.

A _weatherly s.h.i.+p_, is one that works well to windward, making but little leeway.

WEATHER-BITT. To take an additional turn with a cable round the windla.s.s-end.

WEATHER ROLL. The roll which a s.h.i.+p makes to windward.

WEIGH. To lift up; as, to weigh an anchor or a mast.

WHEEL. The instrument by which a s.h.i.+p is steered; being a barrel, (round which the tiller-ropes go,) and a wheel with spokes.

WHIP. (See page 54.) A purchase formed by a rope rove through a single block.

_To whip_, is to hoist by a whip. Also, to secure the end of a rope from f.a.gging by a seizing of twine.

_Whip-upon-whip._ One whip applied to the fall of another.

WINCH. A purchase formed by a horizontal spindle or shaft with a wheel or crank at the end. A small one with a wheel is used for making ropes or spunyarn.

WINDLa.s.s. The machine used in merchant vessels to weigh the anchor by.

WIND-RODE. The situation of a vessel at anchor when she swings and rides by the force of the wind, instead of the tide or current. (See TIDE-RODE.)

WING. That part of the hold or between-decks which is next the side.

WINGERS. Casks stowed in the wings of a vessel.

WING-AND-WING. The situation of a fore-and-aft vessel when she is going dead before the wind, with her foresail hauled over on one side and her mainsail on the other.

WITHE, or WYTHE. An iron instrument fitted on the end of a boom or mast, with a ring to it, through which another boom or mast is rigged out and secured.

WOOLD. To wind a piece of rope round a spar, or other thing.

WORK UP. To draw the yarns from old rigging and make them into spunyarn, foxes, sennit, &c. Also, a phrase for keeping a crew constantly at work upon needless matters, and in all weathers, and beyond their usual hours, for punishment.

WORM. (See page 44.) To fill up between the lays of a rope with small stuff wound round spirally. Stuff so wound round is called _worming_.

WRING. To bend or strain a mast by setting the rigging up too taut.

WRING-BOLTS. Bolts that secure the planks to the timbers.

WRING-STAVES. Strong pieces of plank used with the wring-bolts.

YACHT. (p.r.o.nounced _yot_.) A vessel of pleasure or state.

YARD. (See PLATE 1.) A long piece of timber, tapering slightly toward the ends, and hung by the centre to a mast, to spread the square sails upon.

YARD-ARM. The extremities of a yard.

YARD-ARM AND YARD-ARM. The situation of two vessels, lying alongside one another, so near that their yard-arms cross or touch.

YARN. (See ROPE-YARN.)

YAW. The motion of a vessel when she goes off from her course.

YEOMAN. A man employed in a vessel of war to take charge of a storeroom; as, boatswain's yeoman, the man that has charge of the stores, of rigging, &c.

YOKE. A piece of wood placed across the head of a boat's rudder, with a rope attached to each end, by which the boat is steered.

PART II.

CHAPTER I.

THE MASTER.

Beginning of the voyage. s.h.i.+pping the crew. Outfit. Provisions.

Watches. Navigation. Log-book. Observations. Working s.h.i.+p. Day's work.

Discipline.

In the third part of this work, it will be seen that the s.h.i.+pmaster is a person to whom, both by the general marine law of all commercial nations and by the special statutes of the United States, great powers are confided, and upon whom heavy responsibilities rest. The s.h.i.+pmaster will find there what are his legal rights, duties and remedies as to owner, s.h.i.+p and crew, and the various requirements as to the papers with which he is to furnish his s.h.i.+p, and the observances of revenue and other regulations.

It is proposed to give here, rather more, perhaps, for the information of others than of the master himself, the ordinary and every-day duties of his office, and the customs which long usage has made almost as binding as laws.

There is a great difference in different ports, and among the various owners, as to the part the master is to take in supplying and manning the vessel. In many cases, the owner puts on board all the stores for the s.h.i.+p's use and for the crew, and gives the master particular directions, sometimes in writing, as to the manner in which he is to dispense them. These directions are more or less liberal, according to the character of the owner; and, in some cases, the dispensing of the stores is left to the master's discretion. In other instances, the master makes out an inventory of all the stores he thinks it expedient to have put on board, and they are accordingly supplied by the owner's order.

In the manner of s.h.i.+pping the crew, there is as great a difference as in that of providing the stores. Usually, the whole thing is left to s.h.i.+pping-masters, who are paid so much a head for each of the crew, and are responsible for their appearance on board at the time of sailing.

When this plan is adopted, neither the master nor owner, except by accident, knows anything of the crew before the vessel goes to sea. The s.h.i.+pping-master opens the articles at his office, procures the men, sees that they sign in due form, pays them their advance, takes care that they, or others in their place, are on board at the time of sailing, and sends in a bill for the whole to the owner. In other cases, the master selects his crew, and occasionally the owner does it, if he has been at sea himself and understands seamen; though a s.h.i.+pping-master is still employed, to see them on board, and for other purposes. In the ordinary course of short voyages, where crews are s.h.i.+pped frequently, and there is not much motive for making a selection, the procuring a crew may be left entirely to the agency of a faithful s.h.i.+pping-master; but upon long voyages, the comfort and success of which may depend much upon the character of a crew, the master or owner should interest himself to select able-bodied and respectable men, to explain to them the nature and length of the voyage they are going upon, what clothing they will want, and the work that will be required of them, and should see that they have proper and sufficient accommodations and provisions for their comfort. The master or owner should also, though this duty is often neglected, go to the forecastle and see that it is cleaned out, whitewashed, or painted, put in a proper habitable condition, and furnished with every reasonable convenience. It would seem best that the master should have something to do with the selection of the provisions for his men, as he will usually be more interested in securing their good-will and comfort than the owner would be.