The Seaman's Friend: Containing a treatise on practical seamanship, with plates, a dictionary of sea terms, customs and usages of the merchant serviceDana, Richard Henry
Science
The Seaman's Friend: Containing a treatise on practical seamanship, with plates, a dictionary of sea terms, customs and usages of the merchant service
Dana, Richard Henry
Maritime law; Merchant marine; Naval art and science; Naval art and science -- Dictionaries; Seamanship
In the ordinary day's work, however, which is carried on in a vessel,
the state of things is somewhat different. This the master does not
superintend personally; but gives general instructions to the chief
mate, whose duty it is to see to their execution. To understand this
distinction, the reader will bear in mind that there are two great
divisions of duty and labor on shipboard. One, the _working and
navigating of the vessel_: that is, the keeping and ascertaining the
ship's position, and directing her course, the making and taking in
sail, trimming the sails to the wind, and the various nautical
manoeuvres and evolutions of a vessel. The other branch is, the work
done upon the hull and rigging, to keep it in order, such as the making
and fitting of new rigging, repairing of old, &c.; all which, together
with making of small stuffs to be used on board, constitute the _day's
work and jobs_ of the crew. As to the latter, the master usually
converses with the chief mate upon the state of the vessel and rigging,
and tells him, more or less particularly, what he wishes to have done.
It then becomes the duty of this officer to see the thing accomplished.
If, for instance, the master tells the chief mate to stay the topmasts
more forward, the chief mate goes upon the forecastle, sets the men to
work, one upon one thing and another upon another, sees that the stays
and backstays are come up with, has tackles got upon the rigging,
sights the mast, &c. If the master sees anything which he disapproves
of, and has any preferences in the modes of doing the work, he should
call the officer aft and speak to him; and if, instead of this, he were
to go forward and give orders to the men, it would be considered an
interference, and indeed an insult to the officer. So with any other
work doing upon the ship or rigging, as rattling down, turning in and
setting up rigging, bending and unbending sails, and all the knotting,
splicing, serving, &c., and the making of small stuffs, which
constitute the _day's work and jobs_ of a vessel. If the chief officer
is a competent man, the master is not expected to trouble himself with
the details of any of these things; and, indeed, if he were to do so to
a great extent, it would probably lead to difficulty.
Where there are passengers, as in regular line of packet ships (or, as
they are familiarly called, _liners_,) between New York and Liverpool
or Havre, for instance, the master has even less to do with the day's
work; since the navigation and working of the ship, with proper
attention to his passengers, is as much as can reasonably be required
of him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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