GOVERNMENT OF THE YACHT

Ship’s Bells.

The manner of telling the time on board ship is by striking the bell. Eight bells indicate midnight, 4 A. M., 8 A. M., noon, 4 P. M., and 8 P. M. Thus it will be seen that every even four hours after midnight brings 8 bells around. After midnight the first bell struck is 1, which stands for half-past twelve; one o’clock is represented by 2 bells, half-past one, by 3 bells; two o’clock by 4 bells; half-past two, by 5 bells; three o’clock, by 6 bells; half-past three, by 7 bells; and four o’clock, by 8 bells.

At half-past four 1 bell is struck, and so on, in the above order, until eight o’clock is made known by 8 bells again.

The time should always be taken from the flagship, or the senior officer’s yacht present.

TABLE:

Midnight 8 bells.

12.30 A. M. 1 bell.

1.00 ” 2 bells.

1.30 ” 3 ”

2.00 ” 4 ”

2.30 ” 5 ”

3.00 ” 6 ”

3.30 ” 7 ”

4.00 ” 8 ”

4.30 ” 1 bell.

5.00 ” 2 bells.

5.30 ” 3 ”

6.00 ” 4 ”

6.30 ” 5 ”

7.00 ” 6 ”

7.30 ” 7 ”

8.00 ” 8 ”

8.30 ” 1 bell.

9.00 ” 2 bells.

9.30 ” 3 ”

10.00 ” 4 ”

10.30 ” 5 ”

11.00 ” 6 ”

11.30 ” 7 ”

12.00 noon 8 ”

The Boatswain’s Call.

On vessels where a good-sized crew is carried, the “Boatswain’s Call” should be largely employed.

The following should always be “piped”:

The call to meals; the order to heave round; to order away boats; the order to haul; the order to belay; the order to man the side; the order to make colors; the order to make sunset; to call all hands; the call to muster; to pipe down.

It is impossible to explain on paper the regular man-o’-wars-man’s “pipe” for the different orders, nor is it necessary that their style should be followed out strictly on yachts—any understood combination between the boatswain (or mate) and the crew will answer all the purposes for which the “call” is intended.

The following is offered:

The Call of Attention: A long straight pipe. This is used as a preface to the verbal call of all hands on deck or to muster.

To Call Away a Boat: A long straight pipe, followed by the verbal order: “Away Gig!” (or dingey or cutter, as the case may be).

The Call to Meals: Three long, rolling pipes.

To Heave Round, or to Pull: Several moderately short, straight pipes.

To Belay: Two short, quick chirps, followed by a moderately short, rolling pipe.

To Pipe the Side: A prolonged straight pipe. (The Boatswain stands facing the gangway, his “call” held to his mouth with his left hand, while his right hand is raised to his cap in salute.) This pipe should be made to the Captain, when coming on board or when leaving the yacht. It should also be made to all other yacht commanders, dignitaries, and officers of the army and navy.

To Make “Colors” or “Sunset”: Two short, quick chirps, followed by a long, rolling pipe.

To Pipe Down: One long, straight, followed by a long, rolling pipe.

Yacht Routine.

As soon as a yacht is put in commission, the organization of the officers and crew should be considered, so that everything may work smoothly and harmoniously, to the satisfaction and peace of the Captain and the manifest benefit of all concerned. The Sailing-Master should be held responsible for this, and, in perfecting the details, of course, he must be guided by the number of his crew.

If, in washing down, cleaning bright work, etc., each man is given a certain station and allotted a particular piece of work, it will be found that matters will be greatly expedited, and the individual tasks will be performed better, for the reason that the man is held accountable for the appearance of his own part of the ship.

Silence is one of the best evidences of discipline, and the officers should set the example to the crew. When it is necessary to issue an order let it be done in a quiet tone and avoid calling along the deck as much as possible. The latter suggests the “coaster” and establishes a bad precedent.

When in port the quartermaster or the last anchor watch should turn out the cook one hour before “all hands,” so that morning coffee may be ready when the general call is made.

Allow but twenty minutes between “turn out” and “turn to.”

After pumping the bilges, wash down decks, wipe the sides around and the bright wood of the rail skylights and companion way and then turn all hands on to the brass work, using a chamois skin.

Half an hour should be given the crew for breakfast (7 to 7.30 A. M.), after which they should again be turned to, the brass work finished, the decks tidied up, the crew dressed in their ordered uniform for the day and everything ready for inspection by the Sailing-Master and Captain (if the latter so desires).

The Sailing-Master (or mate) should always have one of the men row him around the vessel the last thing in the morning, to make sure that all the running rigging is taut, no scratches or chafing on the sides; that there are no evidences of grass or scum along the water-line, and that everything is proper and ship-shape.

One hour should be allowed for men for dinner—from 12 to 1.

A good Sailing-Master will always find something for the crew to work at during working hours.

Smoking hours on deck should be regulated.

Never allow smoking while the crew are at work about the decks.

After supper (in port) allow the crew to smoke on the forward deck as long as they please.

Under no consideration ever permit a boat’s crew to smoke while in the boat.

In sending any boat ashore, the Sailing-Master (or, in his absence, the mate), should always direct the boat where to land, and when to return to the ship, except when the Captain is in the gig, who will direct his own crew.

The crew should be habituated to move smartly about the decks, and to answer quickly and respectfully to their officers.

In passing the Captain the crew should always salute by touching the right hand to the cap, and the Captain should at all times acknowledge same.

In the case of a gig’s crew, the coxswain only should salute the Captain, both on entering and leaving the gig.

Mattresses and blankets should be thoroughly aired once every week, and oftener should there have been damp weather.

The Sailing-Master and mates should never be ashore at the same time while the yacht is in commission.

When coming to anchor, have the men stationed, and the instant the anchor leaves the cat-head, fire a gun and swing out the boat booms, except on Sundays, when no gun will be fired. If a salute is due, however, it should be fired immediately after colors on Monday morning.

When leaving anchorage, if a steam yacht, fire a gun the instant the anchor is aweigh, and the bell is rung to go ahead, but if a sailing yacht, fire a gun when the anchor is tripped, and the vessel fills away.

On large yachts a quartermaster should always be on watch to give notice to the officer of the deck on the approach of boats to the vessel, signals made from other yachts, or from the shore.

Underway at Night: Always have a lookout stationed forward, and in case of unusual darkness or thick weather, it is better to have two lookouts—one on either bow. As soon as a light or a sail is sighted, it should be reported in clear sharp tones to the officer of the deck, who will at once convince himself as to its character and whether his vessel or the one reported has the “right of way” and act accordingly.

At Anchor at Night: As soon as it is dark the “anchor watch” should be set. According to the number of the crew available, the length of time for each man to guard the deck should be regulated, so that from the time the first anchor watch is set until all hands are called in the morning, the watches shall be uniform, and no one man called on deck twice during the night. It is the duty of the watch to keep continually on the alert, examining the moorings occasionally, visiting the quarter-deck, keeping an eye to the bright burning of the anchor light, observing the drift lead, the swinging of his own vessel with the tide, also of the vessels around him, and being careful that no boat gets alongside his vessel unawares. In case a boat is seen making for the yacht, it should be hailed—“Boat-Ahoy!” and if the hail is answered satisfactorily, the boat can be allowed to board but, if not, it must be warned off. In case of danger pound on the top of the forecastle slide with anything available, at the same time calling “All Hands!” in a voice calculated to rouse the sleepers, and then, until the deck is officered, act yourself under the circumstances, as your common sense dictates. The anchor watch should strike the bells regularly during the night.

Boat Hails: All boats closely approaching a yacht at night should be hailed by the officer of the deck or the watch. Replies should be as follows:

For Commodore intending to board, “Commodore.”

For Vice and Rear Commodores, “Flag.”

For Fleet Captain, “Fleet.”

For Captain, the name of his yacht.

For a Club Member, “Aye, Aye.”

For a visitor, “Visitor.”

For Sailing-Master and other yacht officers, “No, no.”

For one of the crew, “Hello.”

For passing boats, “Passing.”

Concerning Watches: As soon as a yacht leaves port, bound on a voyage, the crew should be divided into watches and the first regular watch set at 8 P. M. on the day of sailing. The Captain always takes the first watch out, and the Sailing-Master the first watch home. The stewards, cooks, and waiters are known as “idlers” and they stand no watch.

The captain’s watch is called the “starboard” and the Sailing-Master’s the “port” watch.

If there is an uneven number of men in the forecastle, the odd man goes into the captain’s watch by courtesy.

Provided the yacht carries a mate, the captain’s watch is kept by him, so that the captain has no regular deck duty, but goes and comes as he pleases.

The officer on watch is known as the “officer of the deck,” and, while left in possession, his orders must be obeyed to the letter. He has full powers to alter the course of the ship to avoid danger, to make or alter, or take in sail, etc.

The seven regular watches are named as follows:

From midnight to 4 A. M. the Mid Watch.

” 4 A. M. to 8 A. M. the Morning Watch.

” 8 A. M. to noon the Forenoon Watch.

” noon to 4 P. M. the Afternoon Watch.

” 4 P. M. to 6 P. M. the First Dog Watch.

” 6 P. M. to 8 P. M. the Second Dog Watch.

” 8 P. M. to 12 midnight the First Watch.