we cannot pick it up. A, has overlaid our north anchor, and we cannot pick it up. Or it comes on to blow hard from the northward, and we want to veer; but B is in our way, and we must hold on until it pleases him to veer, and he, either from neglect or ignorance in thus mooring his ship, sees no distress. A has swung close to our port bow, as in the dotted line ship, fig. 217., his starboard cable is sawing at our weather one; both A and B moreover, are riding on spans, and our ship and a see much distress. At length we will suppose that в veers cable, and then that we and a veer cable; our new positions would be as in fig. 218., and if a sudden lull or shift of wind occurred, the distress would be general. For we, as well as B, would have to wait for A, and B for us, before enough cable could be shortened in to keep the ships clear of each other. Thus then it is that, when the admiral desires to have his ships as close together as possible, he orders them to moor; and to prevent collisions whilst veering or picking up their anchors, he points out the direction of the anchors. To preserve likewise an imposing and well dressed line, he specifies the quantity of cable that is to be veered by each, and also enforces the use of buoys, that each ship may be enabled to ascertain the position of another's anchors. These are some, but not all, of the reasons for mooring. For instance, in a river too narrow for a ship to swing in at single anchor without grounding, or too shoal to do so without striking on the upper pee of her anchor, and perhaps settling on it as the tide fell, it would be necessary to make her a fixture. But this also would require consideration. By laying the anchors out in a line with the stream, the anchors would be in the best position for holding in the event of freshes or gales coming on, in concert with the tide; but, excepting the small distance she could sheer by the action of the helm, her exposure to collision from an enemy's fire ships or rafts dropping down with the tide, or from vessels navigating the river, would be great; whereas, by having the anchors athwart the stream, either cable could be veered, and the ship quickly moved to one side or other. It is in such a case as the latter, that Porter's anchor is so useful; for, admitting of disconnection, it can be carried into shoaler water than the ship could reach, and greater scope of cable in consequence given. Marking the buoys with colours peculiar to the ships to which they belong, is a means of removing much perplexity from the mind of a new comer, when looking for a berth on joining a squadron. The state of the hawse may be known by fixing two pieces of silk thread to the compass card in the direction of the anchors, and fastening their ends to some place above it; for, for every turn in the cables there will be found a corresponding one in the threads. FOUL HAWSE. Knowing what open hawse is, let us see what foul hawse means. The natural consequence of the ship pivoting is, that the cables become twisted together. If she is "taut moored," these turns will occur close to the hawse holes, and the nip will be very severe, but being within reach they are readily cleared. If she is 66 slack moored," they will occur under water, and are very troublesome, but not so injurious to the cable. In either case the hawse is "foul," and until it be cleared you are in danger of parting, should it blow; moreover, you can neither shorten in cable nor veer. As the question "How is the hawse?" is often put, we will endeavour to answer it. Let us suppose a ship to have her small bower (the port one) out north, and her best bower (the starboard one) out south; her head north, and the hawse open. She swings to a breeze or current with her head to west; there will then be a "cross," small bower uppermost. (Fig. 219.) Fig. 219. Fig. 220. Fig. 221. Fig. 222. XXXX Follow her head on to south, there will be the same result. Follow it to east, there will be an "elbow," small bower under, 99 south, the same. east, a "round turn and elbow," Fig. 222. north, the same. west, two round turns; and so on. Had the wind followed the ship regularly round, the consequences of foul hawse would have been inevitable; but if the wind had been variable they might have been prevented. If for instance, when the head was west with a cross, the wind had come from east, and the spanker had been quickly hauled on to the boom on the port quarter, the stern would have been carried round by the southward to west and the cross taken out. On the other hand, if the ship had been left to chance, and her stern had been carried by north round to west, the cross would have become an elbow. In a tide way with the first of the current coming up astern, a move of the rudder would carry the stern round in the required direction, provided there was no adverse wind. An unexpected order to sail would find a foul hawse ship unprepared. The ready compliance of a clear hawse ship would bring her credit, and that might be due to the personal vigilance of the officer in charge of the deck at the time when the wind or tide changed; for without disturbing a single man from his meals or bed, the sentries and quarter-master could haul the sail out. As to veering, as in fig. 215. The ship would sheer about more or less, as the wind struck either bow; therefore it would be necessary to heave in the slack of the lee cable to steady her. Moreover, were the slack chain not hove in, its bight would be dragged foul of the lee anchor. CLEARING HAWSE. How to clear hawse is the next question. This may be done in calm weather, when there is no current, with the screw and steam. With the helm hard-a-starboard a few dashes at full speed will send the stern to starboard, and vice versâ; or it may be towed round by boats, or hauled round by hawsers. |