Francis Liardet: Professional Recollections on Points of Seamanship, Discipline, &c., 1849.

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On hoisting boats in or out with lower yards and top-masts struck.

This sometimes will happen when lower yards and topmasts are struck in blowing weather; and generally takes place to assist some vessel in distress, &c. Besides the usual purchases, the lower yards should be cross-lashed to the masts, and well topped up, the fore yards should have a good strong tackle as a preventer-brace to the bowsprit. I particularly mention a tackle, because it comes up so little in proportion to a long pendant with a tackle hooked to it. In hoisting out a launch with your lower yards so low, you cannot with safety to the fore yard, lose any of the preventer fore brace, therefore it will be well to bear in mind, that with a three-fold purchase, that is, one block being hooked to the fore yard-arm, and the other to the bowsprit, if you lose six inches of the faul, you will only lose one inch of the preventer brace; and if you have two double blocks, you will lose one inch in four, and so on in proportion.

It is of the greatest consequence that the main-yard should also have a considerable additional fore and aft support, for when the launch is high enough by the up and down tackles, and you are walking her out by the yard purchases, from that moment until the boat is in the water, you must have a greater fore and aft strain on the lower yards when struck, than if in their proper places. I saw a frigate at Simon's Bay, Cape of Good Hope, carry away her fore yard in hoisting out her barge with lower yards and topmasts struck; the accident occurred from having no preventer-brace from the fore yard to the bowsprit, for the want of which, the fore yard was sprung when the weight from the boat came between the yards. Most seamen are of opinion, when the lower yards are up, that both boom-boats should never be hoisted in or out together, without preventer-braces to the bowsprit, and that the launch should always be hoisted in or out with preventer-braces on each of the lower yards, more particularly in large ships.

Francis Liardet: Professional Recollections on Points of Seamanship, Discipline, &c.
William Woodward, Portsea, 1849. 8vo, frontisp., (6), x, 319 pp, 1 col. plate of signals.

Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius

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