Steamers, when lying at anchor in heavy weather, can greatly relieve the strain on their cables by turning the engines over just fast enough for the purpose. To heave a steam-yacht to, in a gale, proceed as follows: Double reef the mainsail, and haul it well taut, and get the sheet flat amidships. Slow down the engines so that the ship has just sufficient headway to mind her helm. Now keep the sea about three points on the bow, so as to keep the mainsail full, and the seas will run under the foreshoulder of the vessel and keep her head up. Should she lay to, badly, on one tack, let her head come around, and lay her on the other tack. In case she falls off too much, increase her after-canvas and turn up the engines a little faster. It will be found, however, that some steam-yachts will lay-to best head on to the sea without the use of canvas. You cannot cant a vessel's head to port with a right-handed propeller, when going astern, as no matter which way you put the helm, she will go to starboard; and the reverse holds good for a left-handed propeller. In turning short round, a steamer with a right-handed propeller turns quickest with a port helm; for example-you are going full speed ahead ; put the helm hard aport, and when she is on a full swing, stop the engines, and when her way is stopped go full speed astern, and reverse the helm. These observations mean when the vessel is not influenced by tide or wind, as either of these may cause a contrary effect. Wind and tide may cant steamers (especially light ones) against their propellers. If possible, acquaint the engineer some half-hour before you intend to anchor. Tell him when you will be through with the engines, so that the fires can be allowed to burn down, the pressure of steam relieved, and the necessity of" blowing-off" avoided. In a narrow channel do not forget the value of the jib and after sail for making a short turn. To anchor a steamer head on to the tide, slow down in good time, and when near the berth determined on, stop and reverse the engines, and when the ship commences to go astern, drop the anchor and pay out the cable. To anchor a steamer when running with the tide, give her a sheer after the engines have been stopped and her own way lost, then drop the anchor, and she will not overrun her cable. In case there is but little tide and wind, run up to your anchorage, stop then reverse engines, so as to give her a little stern way, and drop anchor. After the yacht has dropped her anchor, and nothing further is required of the engines, this information may be signalled to the engine room by several pulls on the jingle bell. With masts carried away and machinery broken down, a steam yacht must heave to under a sea anchor. It has been determined by experiment that some propellers, with rudder disabled or carried away while close on a lee shore, and without time to rig a jury rudder; may be saved from going on the beach by a very simple performance. Of course heaving-to is out of the question as it would only be a matter of short time for the vessel's leeway to drift her on shore. Under the conditions described act as follows: Pay no attention whatever to steering the vessel, but turn up the engines full speed, and the bow will swing around until it is close to the wind, and in this position the yacht will walk up to windward as straight almost as if she was being steered. The theory is that the action of the screw naturally turns the vessel's head around as explained a few paragraphs back, and that after the bow is brought up to the wind, the vessel is prevented from describing a circle by the wind exerting a contrary force upon the bow. In other words the sea and wind forces the bow to leeward, and the propeller forces her bow against the wind; thus the two forces counteract each other, and the consequence is that the vessel is held in this position while she is being driven ahead. The judicious setting of a little canvas, as circumstances suggest, may greatly assist to bring about the desired effect. Alongside of a dock do not forget the virtue of bow and quarter lines for swinging the vessel's head and stern around short, while the engines are working ahead or astern. When in a heavy sea never run the engines at full speed, for when the propeller comes out of water, by the elevation of the stern, the engines will race, and the shaft will be in danger of breaking. In anchoring, pay out about three times as much chain as there is depth of water where there is but little wind and tide, but increase the above according to circumstances. |