Two Years Before The Mast - XIII

(Wiki) (movie - 1946) (Audiobook)
Two Years Before The Mast - XI (Pages 99-)

Sea Tales - Leaving Port on an Indiaman

Preparations were made for getting under way (with his new ship, the Alert, an Indiaman . . . so, perhaps 500 tons burthen?). We paid out on the chain by which we swung, hove in on the other, catted the anchor, and hove short on the first. This work was done in shorter time than was usual on board the brig ; for though everything was more than twice as large and heavy, the cat-block being as much as a man could lift, and the chain as large as three of the Pilgrim's, yet there was a plenty of room to move about in, more discipline and system, more men, and more good-will. Each seemed ambitious to do his best. Officers and men knew their duty, and all went well.

As soon as she was hove short, the mate, on the forecastle, gave the order to loose the sails ; and, in an instant all sprang into the rigging, up the shrouds, and out on the yards, scrambling by one another, — the first up, the best fellow, — cast off the yard-arm gaskets and bunt gaskets, and one man remained on each yard, hold ing the bunt jigger with a turn round the tye, all ready to let go, while the rest laid down to man the sheets and halyards.

The mate then hailed the yards, — " All ready forward?" — "

All ready the cross-jack yards?" ; and " Aye, aye, sir ! " being returned from each, the word was given to let go.

In the twinkling of an eye, the ship, which had shown nothing but her bare yards, was covered with her loose canvas, from the royal- mast-heads to the decks. All then came down, except one man in each top, to overhaul the rigging, and the top sails were hoisted and sheeted home, the three yards going to the mast-head at once, the larboard watch hoisting the fore, the starboard watch the main, and five light hands (of whom I was one), picked from the two watches, the mizzen.

The yards were then trimmed, the anchor weighed, the cat-block hooked on, the fall stretched out, manned by "all hands and the cook," and the anchor brought to the head with "cheerly, men !" in full chorus.

The ship being now under way, the light sails were set, one after another, and she was under full sail before she had passed the sandy point. The fore royal, which fell to my lot (as I was in the mate's watch), was more than twice as large as that of the Pilgrim, and, though I could handle the brig's easily, I found my hands full with this, especially as there were no jacks to the ship, everything being for neatness, and nothing left for Jack to hold on by but his " eyelids." As soon as we were beyond the point, and all* sail out, the order was given, " Go below, the watch ! " and the crew said that, ever since they had been on the coast, they had had "watch and watch" while going from port to port ; and, in fact, all things showed that, though strict discipline was kept, and the utmost was required of every man in the way of his duty, yet, on the whole, there was good usage on board. Each one knew that he must be a man, and show himself such when at his duty, yet all were satisfied with the treatment ; and a contented crew, agreeing with one another, and finding no fault, was a contrast indeed with the small, hard- used, dissatisfied, grumbling, desponding crew of the Pilgrim.

Sea Tales - Life Regulated by the Ship's Bell

I had just got well into the story when eight bells were struck, and we were all ordered to dinner. After din ner came our watch on deck for four hours, and at four o'clock I went below again, turned into my hammock, and read until the dog watch. . . . .

[A ship's bell is used to indicate the time aboard a ship and hence to regulate the sailors' duty watches. The bell itself is usually made of brass or bronze, and normally has the ship's name engraved or cast on it. The strikes of a ship's bell do not accord to the number of the hour. Instead, there are eight bells, one for each half-hour of a four-hour watch. In the age of sailing, watches were timed with a 30-minute hourglass. Bells would be struck every time the glass was turned, and in a pattern of pairs for easier counting, with any odd bells at the end of the sequence. The hours between 16:00 and 20:00 are so arranged because that watch (the "dog watch") was divided in two. The odd number of watches aimed to give each man a different watch each day; it also allowed the entire crew of a vessel to eat an evening meal, the normal time being at 17:00 with first dog watchmen eating at 18:00,]

Sea Tales - Tacking an Indiaman

The second day out, the wind drew ahead, and we had to beat up the coast ; so that, in tacking ship, I could see the regulations of the vessel Instead of going wherever was most convenient, and running from place to place, wherever work was to be done, each man had his station. A regular tacking and wearing bill was made out. 

The chief mate commanded on the fore castle, and had charge of the head sails and the forward part of the ship. 

Two of the best men in the ship, the sailmaker from our watch, and John, the Frenchman, from the other, worked the forecastle. 

The third mate commanded in the waist, and, with the carpenter and one man, worked the main tack and bowline ; the cook, ex officio, the fore sheet, and the steward the main. 

The second mate had charge of the after yards, and let go the lee fore and main braces. 

I was stationed at the weather cross-jack braces ; three other light hands at [?] ; one boy at the spanker-sheet and guy ; a man and boy at the main topsail, top-gallant, and royal brae and all the rest of the crew — men and boys — tall: - on to the main brace. 

Every one here knew his statio must be there when all hands were called to put the ship about, and was answerable for the ropes committed to him. Each man's rope must be let go and hauled in at the order, properly made fast, and neatly coiled away when the ship was about. As soon as all hands are at their stations, the captain, who stands on the weather side of the quarter-deck, makes a sign to the man at the wheel to put it down, and calls out " Helm 's a lee' ! " " Helm 's a lee' ! " answers the mate on the forecastle, and the head sheets are let go. " 

Raise tacks and sheets ! " says the captain ; " tacks and sheets ! " is passed forward, and the fore tack and main sheet are let go. 

The next thing is to haul taut for a swing. The weather cross-jack braces and the lee main braces are belayed together upon two pins, and ready to be let go, and the opposite braces hauled taut. " Main topsail haul ! " shouts the captain ; the braces are let go ; and if he has chosen his time well, the yards swing round like a top ; but if he is too late, or too soon, it is like drawing teeth. The after yards are then braced up and belayed, the main sheet hauled aft, the spanker eased over to leeward, and the men from the braces stand by the head yards. " 

Let go and haul ! " says the captain ; the second mate letg go the weather fore braces, and the men haul in to leeward.  The mate, on the forecastle, looks out for the head yards. " Well the fore topsail yard I " " Top gallant yard 's well ! " " Royal yard too much ! Haul in to windward ! So ! well that I " " Well all ! " 

Then the starboard watch board the main track, and the larboard watch lay forward and board the fore tack and haul down the jib sheet, clapping a tackle upon it if it ows very fresh. The after yards are then trimmed. ie captain generally looking out for them himself. 

Well the cross-jack * yard ! " " Small pull the main ' cop-gallant yard ! " " Well that ! " " Well the mizzen topsail yard ! " " Cross-jack yards all well ! " " Well all aft ! " " Haul taut to windward ! " 

Everything being now trimmed and in order, each man coils up the rigging at his own station, and the order is given, " Go below the watch ! " 

During the last twenty-four hours of the passage, we beat off and on the land, making a tack about once in four hours,' so that I had sufficient opportunity to observe the working of the ship ; and certainly it took no more men to brace about this ship's lower yards, which were more than fifty feet square, than it did those of the Pilgrim, which were not much more than half the size ; so much depends upon the manner in which the braces run, and the state of the blocks ; and Captain Wilson, of the Ayacucho, who was afterwards a passenger with us, upon a trip to windward, said he had no doubt that our ship worked two men lighter than his brig. This light working of the ship was owing to the attention and seamanship of Captain Faucon. He had reeved anew nearly all the running rigging of the ship, getting rid of useless blocks, putting single blocks for double wherever he could, using pendent blocks, and adjusting the purchases scientifically. . . . .

Sea Tales - Coming to Anchor

In coming to anchor, as well as in tacking ship, each one had his station and duty. The light sails were clewed up and furled, the courses hauled up, and the jibs down ; then came the topsails in the buntlines, and the anchor let go. As soon as she was well at anchor, all hands lay aloft to furl the top sails ; and this, I soon found, was a great matter on board this ship ; for every sailor knows that a vessel is judged of, a good deal, by the furl of her sails. 

The third mate, sailmaker, and the larboard watch, went upon the fore topsail yard ; the second mate, carpenter, and the star board watch, upon the main ; and I, and the Eng lish lad, and the two Boston boys, and the young Cape Cod man, furled the mizzen topsail. This sail belonged to us altogether to reef and to furl, and not a man was allowed to come upon our yard. The mate took us under his special care, frequently making us furl the sail over three or four times, until we got the bunt up to a perfect cone, and the whole sail without a wrinkle. As soon as each sail was hauled up and the bunt made, the jigger was bent on to the slack of the buntlines, and the bunt triced up, on deck. The mate then took his place between the knight-heads to " twig " the fore, on th« windlass to twig the main, and at the foot of the mainmast for the mizzen ; and if anything was wrong, — too much bunt on one side, clews too taut or too slack, or any sail abaft the yard, — the whole must be dropped again. When all was right, the bunts were triced well up, the yard-arm gaskets passed, so as not to leave a wrinkle forward of the yard — short gaskets, with turns close together. 

From the moment of letting go the anchor, when the captain ceases his care of things, the chief mate is the great man. With a voice like a young lion, he was hallooing in all directions, making everything fly, and, at the same time, doing everything well. He was quite a contrast to the worthy, quiet, unobtrusive mate of the Pilgrim, not a more estimable man, perhaps, but a far better mate of a vessel ; and the entire change in Captain Thompson's conduct, since he took command of the ship, was owing, no doubt, in a great measure, to this fact. If the chief officer wants force, discipline slackens, everything gets out of joint, and the captain interferes continually ; that makes a difficulty between them, which encourages the crew, and the whole ends in a three-sided quarrel. But Mr. Brown (a Marblehead man) wanted no help from anybody, took everything into his own hands, and was more likely to encroach upon the authority of the master than to need any spurring. Captain Thompson gave his directions to the mate in private, and, except in coming to anchor, get ting under way, tacking, reefing topsails, and other " all- hands-work," seldom appeared in person. This is the proper state of things ; and while this lasts, and there is a good understanding aft, everything will go on well.

Having furled all the sails, the royal yards were next to be sent down. The English lad and myself sent down the main, which was larger than the Pilgrim's main top-gallant yard ; two more light hands the fore, and one boy the mizzen. This order we kept while on the coast, sending them up and down every time we came in and went out of port. They were all tripped and lowered together, the main on the starboard side, and the fore and mizzen to port. No sooner was she all snug, than tackles were got up on the yards and stays, and the long-boat and pinnace hove out. The swinging booms were then guyed out, and the boats made fast by geswarps, and everything in harbor style.