Chapter XVI: Appendix: No. 7

MANUAL FOR SMALL BOATS.

The left-hand side of a boat or ship, looking toward the bow, is the _port_ side, and the other is the _starboard_ side. The men who row on the port side are called the _port oars_ and those rowing on the starboard side are called the _starboard oars._

Boats are called single or double banked, according as they have one or two oarsmen to a thwart.

_Thwarts_ are the seats on which the crew sits; the space abaft the after thwart is called the _stern sheet_.

_Floorings_ and _gratings_ are the bottom boards of a boat. They prevent the weight from bearing directly upon the planking.

The _gunwale_ of a boat is the upper rail.

The _yoke_ is an athwartship piece of wood or metal fitting over the rudderhead.

_Yoke lanyards_ are the small lines made fast to the ends of the yoke, by which the rudder is turned and the boat steered.

The _stem_ is the upturned portion of the keel at the bow of the boat, to which the forward ends of the planks are secured.

Oars are said to be double banked when two men pull one oar.

The blade of an oar is the broad flattened part. The handle is the small part of an oar on the inboard end of the loom, which the oarsman grasps when pulling. The loom is the portion of an oar extending from the blade to the handle. The leather is the portion of an oar which rests in the rowlock. This is sometimes covered with canvas, but is usually covered with leather; hence the name.

_Feathering_ is the term applied to the operation of turning the blades nearly flat to the water after the stroke, with the upper edge turned forward, especially valuable in rowing against a head wind.

_Rowlocks_ are forked pieces of metal in which the leather of the oars rests while pulling. Swivel rowlocks are movable, a pin on the rowlock fitting into a socket in the gunwale.

_Thole pins_ are pins set vertically in the gunwale and are used in place of rowlocks.

The _steering rowlock_ is a peculiar form of swivel rowlock (fitted near the stern of a boat) in which the steering oar is shipped. This is sometimes called a crutch.

The _painter_ is a rope secured in the bow for towing or for securing the boat.

_Boat-falls_ are tackles made with two blocks and a length of rope; used for hoisting boats.

The _plug_ is the wooden stopper fitted into a hole in the bottom of a boat to let water in or out.

A _boat breaker_ is a small keg used for carrying fresh water.

A _boat-recall_ is an understood signal made to order a boat’s return.

BOAT ORDERS.

Oars and rowlocks having been placed in the boat, blades of oars toward the bow, rudder and yoke, if any, stepped and the yoke lanyards clear, the men board and take their proper seats. The man pulling the bow-oar is No. 1, the next man is No. 2, and so on, to the man pulling the stern-oar, who is called the “stroke-oar.” The men being seated, with oars handy, the bow-man, who may be No. 1 or an extra man, as convenient, holds onto the wharf, side, or piling, as the case may be, with his boat hook.

_Shove off._—At this command the bow-man shoves the boat clear, giving her headway if possible. He boats his boat hook and takes his seat.

_Up oars._—The crew simultaneously seize and raise their oars smartly to the vertical (guiding on the stroke-oar) and hold them directly in front of them, the blades fore-and-aft, inboard hands grasping the handles, holding the same well down between the knees, outboard hands grasping the looms at the height of the chin.

_Let fall._—The oars are eased down into the rowlocks together, brought level with the gunwale, blades horizontal and all trimmed on the after oars. Oars must not be allowed to splash.

(1) _Give way together_, (2) _GIVE WAY_.

At the first command the men reach well forward, blades nearly vertical, ready for the stroke. At the second command they dip their oars at the same time as the stroke-oar and commence rowing, keeping stroke exactly and all lifting their blades to the height of the gunwale on the return. (Or higher if waves render this necessary.)

TO MAKE A LANDING.

In running alongside a vessel or up to a float-stage or wharf, when several lengths away from same, give the command (while the oars are in the water), _IN BOWS_. The bow oarsman (if there be no extra man in the bow) finishes his stroke, then “tosses” and “boats” his oar, blade to the bow, and stands ready with the boat hook to fend off and hold the landing. When there is sufficient headway to carry the boat properly to the landing, give the command, _WAY ENOUGH_. This order is given while the oars are in the water; the men finish the stroke, then toss and boat their oars with as little noise as possible. The oars are next the rail, the after oars outboard of the bow oars. If the stroke oarsman is provided with a boat hook, he grasps it and stands ready to help the bow man.

If it be desired to stop rowing temporarily, give the preparatory command, (1) _Stand by to lay on oars_, at which the crew pays strict attention. Then, when ready, give (2) _OARS_. At this command, given while the oars are in the water, the crew finishes the stroke and brings the oars level with the gunwale, blades horizontal, trimmed on the after oars. This position is also used for salutes, as noted hereafter.

If about to pass so close to another boat that a collision of oars seems probable, command (1) _Trail_, (2) _OARS_. At the second command, given while the oars are in the water, the men finish the stroke, and then, while the oars are still in the water, by lifting the handles with their outboard hands the looms are thrown out of the rowlocks. The men carry their hands outboard till the backs of their wrists rest on the rails and the oars trail astern. (This movement is used in shooting bridges, where lack of head room precludes _tossing_.)

To bring the oars inboard, command: _OARS_.

At this command the men raise the handles, =lower= the looms into the rowlocks, and then raise the blades out of the water and swing the oars to the regular position of _Let fall_.

In order to turn the boat short around (being stationary or nearly so) command: (1) _Give way, starboard_; _back port_, (2) _GIVE WAY_; or (1) _Give way, port_; _back_, _starboard_, (2) _GIVE WAY_. The crew keeps stroke just as regularly as in pulling straight away. As soon as the boat points in the desired direction command: (1) _Give way together_, (2) _GIVE WAY_.

If it be desired to check the boat’s headway, command: _HOLD WATER_. At this command the men drop their blades vertically into the water, tops of blades inclined slightly forward, inboard hands grasping the handles, outboard arms over the looms to steady the oars against the chest. To prepare the crew for rowing command _OARS_, at which they resume the position described under the heading _Let fall_.

To move the boat astern command _STERN ALL_.

At this command the men back water, keeping stroke as regularly as in ordinary rowing. To resume the position of attention give the command _OARS_, as before.

To toss oars command: (1) _Stand by to toss_, (2) _TOSS_.

The command of execution is given while the oars are in the water, the stroke is completed and the oars raised smartly to the vertical, with blades in fore-and-aft plane, handles of oars on bottom boards, the wrists of the inboard hands resting on the thighs, outboard hands grasping the looms at the height of the chin, crew sitting upright. To place the oars in the boat give the command _BOAT YOUR OARS_. At this command the oars are lowered toward the bow (not swung outboard) and laid in the boat as before described. This command may be given from the position of _Let fall_, in which case the men toss their oars and proceed as above.

NOTES.

In rowing the blade of the oar should be raised as high as the gunwale after leaving the water and feathered by dropping the wrist. A barely perceptible pause should be made, and the oar next thrown well forward and dropped edgewise into the water, taking care to avoid splashing and chopping. Now swing the oar smartly through the water without giving it any final jerk, and repeat as above. With green crews it may be found necessary for the coxswain to call _stroke, stroke_, in order to get the men to pull exactly together.

There should be a mark on the loom of the oar (about the height of the eyes when the oar is at _toss_) to show when the blade is fore-and-aft, thus avoiding the necessity of the men gazing up for the purpose of finding out when this is the case. Never allow a boat’s crew to splash with the blades when executing _Let fall_. When resting on oars, insist that they be kept level with the gunwale and at right angles to the keel. Talking among the crew and turning the heads to look at any object should never be allowed while the boat is under way. In most cases, boats should be permanently equipped with a small breaker of fresh water, a spare oar and oarlock and a suitable anchor or grapnel. The anchor rope to withstand a storm should be six (6) times as long as the greatest depth liable to be used as an anchorage. For any small boat in our service a 20-pound anchor and 12-thread (about 1 inch) manila hawser should easily weather a hurricane. A boat should never go out at night without a good, well-filled lantern. Many a boat has been run down through its inability to make its presence known. Before leaving the shore in foggy weather, provide the boat with some sort of a foghorn and a compass, and calculate as nearly as possible the bearings of the landing you wish to make. Take the opposite of this upon returning, making due allowance for tide and wind in both cases. To ride out a gale of wind in an open boat, lash the oars and grating together, making them into a bulky bundle and weight them if possible; span them with the painter and pitch them overboard. This will keep the boat’s head to the sea and prevent her from drifting fast. Assist the boat to take the seas head-on by means of a steering oar. In rowing through a chop, where the rudder is apt to be pitched clear of the water, it should be unshipped and a steering oar used instead. Remember, in making a landing, that the heavier the boat is laden the longer she will keep her way. If you are being towed by a steamer, make her give you a line, instead of using your own, and belay it so it can be cast off in a hurry. Carefully avoid weighing down the bow; always use a short towline when the boat is empty and a long towline when the boat is laden. If the boat’s painter is used for a towline, have a knife ready for cutting it if it becomes necessary. Never go close under a steamer’s stern unless it is absolutely unavoidable.

Officers in boarding a ship, use the starboard gangway, although they may use the port gangway. Enlisted men use the port gangway or the booms, unless otherwise ordered.

_Boat salutes._—The following salutes should be exchanged between boats meeting or passing each other. No junior should pass ahead of a senior without permission.

The junior should always salute first, and the senior should return the salute by touching his cap.

Salutes should be exchanged whenever boats pass near enough to each other for the senior officer to be recognized, whether he be in uniform or not.

Officers without a flag or pennant flying should be saluted with the hand only; those with a flag or pennant flying should, in addition, be saluted by laying on oars.

When a noncommissioned officer is in a boat and meets another boat containing an officer he stands and salutes. If the boat flies a flag or pennant, the noncommissioned officer, in addition, lays on oars.

Officers of the Navy and Marine Corps and foreign officers in boats should always be saluted when recognized.

In laden boats, towing boats, or boats under sail the hand salute only is made on all occasions.

Coxswains in charge of boats shall always rise and salute when officers enter or leave their boats.

Boat keepers shall stand up and salute officers passing in boats and remain standing until the boat has come alongside or passed.