steerage requires further assistance, which depending upon a quick sight and nice judgment, is the reason we meet so few good helmsmen.

The helmsman must not pore over the compass, but alternately watch the compass, and the motion of the vessel's head passing the clouds, the sea, or any other objects more fixed than the compass, which may happen to present themselves to view. In blowing weather, if one person can manage the helm, the feel of it in his hand is a nice criterion of judging whether the vessel be coming to or falling off; so also is the greater or less noise or whistling of the wind. As the vessel comes to against the helm, it will feel heavier; and the wind coming more forward will appear stronger: on the contrary, as she goes off and gives way to the power of the helm, it eases in the hand; and by the wind's drawing aft, it appears to lessen. These circumstances, to an attentive and nice observer, mark the motion of the vessel sooner than the compass.

Upon Veering under a Mainsail and Fore Topmast Staysail in a Gale of Wind.

To veer under a mainsail and fore topmast staysail in a gale of wind, watch the ship's falling off, then put the helm aweather, ease off handsomely the main sheet, and gather forward the lee main tack. The wind abaft the beam, let go the main bowline, and round in the weather main brace. The wind aft, haul down the fore topmast staysail, square the head yards, brace up the after yards, and haul on board the main tack. The wind upon the quarter, set the mizen staysail, and haul aft the main sheet. Be careful now to moderate the ship's coming to, for should she meet a powerful sea with considerable head way, it may prove extremely destructive. The ship to the wind, haul out the main bowline.

REMARKS.

The reason for not squaring the main yard till the wind is abaft the beam is, that the weather part of the mainsail, when the yard is braced up, being situated before the centre of gravity, acts with considerable force to pay off the ship's head. For making the weather part of the sail of greater service, the following method is sometimes practised: bend the end of a stout rope to the slings of the main yard, then lead it down before the mainsail to the topsail sheet bits, and let it be hauled well taught and belayed; thus when the main sheet is eased off, the weather half of the sail will not lose any of its power to veer the ship. Let a hand stand by the rope to let it go when

necessary.

In a very high sea it will be attended with danger to veer under a mainsail only, as by the ship's falling off and not quickly gathering head-way, she is liable to be overtaken by the sea, which may break on board her with considerable violence. In this case the fore topsail should be set, which may be taken in when the wind is abaft, or as convenient.

Upon Checking a Ship round in a Tide's Way with a Kedge Anchor and Hawser.

The practice of checking a ship round in a tide's way is more necessary in large ships, which are longer in performing their evolutions, than in small. For this purpose a boat with a kedge anchor and crew should be in readiness to run out a hawser upon either bow or quarter, as may be required. Let us suppose that a large ship is standing over to the shore under her topsails, and it is thought there is not room for her to come round in before she will be on shore. In this case, hand the end of the hawser into the boat from the weather quarter, bend it to the anchor, and pay down a good quantity into the boat; then put the ship in stays, and send the boat round the stern to let go the anchor. When the anchor is gone take a turn with the hawser, and the tide will presently hustle the ship to windward; taughten the hawser and bring her about: then trip the anchor, unbend the hawser, and haul it on board. Should it be required to veer the ship, let the hawser be handed into the boat from the weather bow, and let the boat be pulled round the bow, and the anchor be dropped to leeward; thus the tide hustling the ship to windward, will taughten the hawser, and veer the ship round, bringing the wind upon the other quarter; then trip the anchor, and haul in the hawser.-It will be necessary to veer away the hawser as it taughtens, to prevent its being broke by too sudden a check.

Upon Drifting to Windward by the Tide.

Where there is not sufficient room to work in a tide's way, a ship is under the necessity of drifting, the art of which is to keep the ship in the fair way, and at the same time to mancuvre the sails in such a manner as will least prevent the ship from driving.

If the wind is directly against the tide, and the channel is sufficiently broad, the ship should be drifted broadside to the wind, as the tide will then have the greatest power to drift her; and could the ship be backed astern, or shot ahead at pleasure, she might be kept drifting upon the same tack with safety; but it happens, that ships will never back so far astern as they will

shoot ahead. At the first of the stern-board a ship will go briskly astern, but will soon fall off and drift, with the wind abaft the beam, forging ahead; for this reason she must be drifted with the helm alee. It follows, as a ship will shoot more ahead than she can be backed astern, that in time she will arrive at the opposite shore, when she must be stayed or veered, and drifted upon the other tack. If she is to be stayed, (which certainly has the preference, as less drift will be lost by it) let the sails be filled in time, to give the ship sufficient head-way to bring her about; then put the helm alee. Should she come about, the sails and the helm having now their proper position for a stern-board upon the other tack, need not be touched till her stern-way ceases, when the helm must be shifted alee, and the head yards be squared to prevent her falling round off; but should the ship refuse stays, which is often the case,* then brace sharp round the head yards, and box-haul her, by which method she will lose much less drift than by veering. If there is not room to give the vessel way to stay or veer her.

If the ship now drifting broadside is approaching a narrow channel where it would be dangerous drifting in this position, she must be veered and dropped stemming the tide. In this case, that the drift may be as much as possible, it will be necessary to take in sail, and reduce the ship's head-way till she has only steerage-way left; thus a vessel may be dropped through a fleet of ships at anchor without danger.

Should the wind be a little across the tide, a ship may be easily drifted in the fair way, with her head towards the weather shore; for thus it will be found that she can be backed and filled at pleasure, and generally be drifted with the sails shivering, in which position they oppose least power to prevent the drift.

It frequently happens in serpentine rivers that the tide sets across, in this case the ship must be drifted with her head to the side from which the tide sets. These sets are readily discovered by observing the opening and shutting of two objects in the direction of the channel.

* In a straight regular reach the tide runs strongest in the centre, and gradually diminishes till within a small distance of the shore, where the water is either slack or runs counter; of course, a vessel sailing across such a reach, upon a weather tide, after having passed the middle of the reach, will have the tide stronger under her lee quarter than the lee bow, which will very much impede, if not entirely prevent her coming about; and should her head have arrived in the eddy water, while the tide yet continues to act under her lee quarter, it is impossible she can stay. In irregular serpentine rivers, counter tides and eddy waters are met with at different distances from the shore: for want of proper attention to this circumstance, vessels are often run aground.

Upon Kedging, or Drifting in Calm Weather by the Tide.

To drift a vessel by the tide in calm weather, a boat with a kedge anchor and hawser must be in readiness to attend. The vessel is to be kept stemming the tide by the assistance of the boat ahead, and when it shall be required to check, or steer the ship to either side, drop the kedge, and gradually check the ship; thus, by the waters being made to pass her, the helm becomes of use to sheer her as required. It is necessary that smart hands be placed to veer away the hawser on board, lest by a sudden check it should be parted. When the ship has got a sufficient sheer, trip the anchor, and haul on board the hawser, which coil away in readiness to run out again. The London pilots are extremely expert at this manœuvre.

Upon Trimming the Sails.

It is necessary all sails should be trimmed, to stand as taught as possible. The more a sail is made to approach a flat surface, either by or before the wind, the better: the notion that there should be a reef of slack canvass let out when sailing large is ridiculous. It is likewise necessary the sails should be balanced fore and aft, that the helm may be carried a-midships, for nothing can be more absurd than a ship's carrying a large spanker with a turn and a half of weather helm. If the helm cannot be eased by setting head sail, the spanker should be taken in when she will be more under command, and sail faster; for the force of the water against the rudder in the direction of the stern, is greater than the direct effort of the spanker which obliges it to be kept in that position; therefore by taking the spanker in, and thus suffering the ship to carry her helm a-midships, she certainly will sail with greater velocity. The sails that will most tend to counteract the spanker when the wind is abaft the beam, are the lower and topmast studding-sails set forward: these sails standing out considerably from the ship, act with a length of lever to pay off the ship's head.

If the wind is abaft the beam, the after yards should be braced more up than the head yards, that the wind may fill the head sails.

A Vane does not shew the absolute Direction of the Wind when sailing obliquely to it.

On board a vessel sailing obliquely to the wind, a vane does not shew the absolute direction of the wind, but a direction

compounded of the vessel's way and the velocity of the wind. By the vane, a ship will appear to be lying about four and a half, or five points from the wind; but if she is put about it will will probably be found that the two courses differ by thirteen points, which shews that the ship was six and a half points from the wind, when by the vane it appeared to be about five.

A Ship will not always sail the faster for more Sail.

It does not always follow that a ship will sail the faster for setting more sail. For instance, let us suppose that a ship in good trim is gliding along perfectly easy at as great a velocity as she is accustomed to sail with.

Now if after that, another sail should be added, the trim of the ship will be altered for the worse, which will impede her sailing.

Upon taking bad-sailing Vessels in Tow with the

least Detention.

In convoys, where it is found necessary to tow, it ought only to be practised when the wind is steady, and the water tolerably smooth, as the loss arising from taking in tow, breaking of hawsers, and probable mischief to each other, is more than will be otherwise compensated.

If the water be tolerably smooth and the wind moderate, a vessel may be taken in tow without shortening sail or altering the course. For this purpose, let the tower situate herself half á cable or more, ahead of the tow, adapting her sail to preserve that position; the tow at the same time just steering to windward of her wake. Thus situated, the tow is in readiness to receive under her lee either a buoy or boat, with a small rope to haul the hawser or tow-line on board. A boat is certainly preferable, if it can be hoisted in without detention; but should it blow fresh, the ships must haul the wind, and place themselves in the above position; thus they can reduce their head-way, and back and fill at pleasure. If the ship to be towed is disabled in her rigging, it may be found necessary to heave to. If so, the tower must heave to upon the weather bow of the tow, otherwise, the hauling the tow-line on board will cause both ships to fall off from the wind before it be properly fast. The size of the tow-line should be adapted to the weather;-ships had better be asunder than tow with a heavy hawser in light winds. A small rope is sufficient at these times, being careful to haul or heave a larger on board as the breeze freshens, which can be done without detention.