The value of cutters, &c., about 17. 1s. a foot.

A large repair costs about 17. a foot in a launch. Barges somewhat less. They are fitted with chain slings for hoisting, and the ring in the centre of those of the quarter boats is usually altered on board to a hook.

The plug holes should be fitted as a small leather-hinged hatch, opening downwards, and the rubbing pieces on the bilges made deep enough to be pierced with holes, so as to admit of a man's holding on by them when the boat upsets.

Fig. 178.

The mast steps are best made of two iron lugs, having a bolt rove through them, the heel of the mast being iron plated on each side, and scored out across the bottom, to the size of the bolt. When the heel is brought against the bolt, which is done by unshipping the next thwart, the mast

is easily stept by a very few hands with the halyards led forward. (Fig. 178.)

Many of the large boats are fitted with pipes which step into holes in the bottom, directly under the windlass: these are made use of when it is required to carry such a weight under the boat as she could not bear at the stern. (Figs. 179, 180.)

Fig. 179.

Fig. 180.

Weights and Tonnage of Boats by Builders' Measurements.

Coppering of a 42-foot Pinnace Launch.

Height of coppering 3 ft. 4 in. aft, 3 ft. 1 in. forward.
Bottom, 78 16-oz. sheets; 30 lb. nails.
Keel, 8 28-oz. sheets; 8 lb. nails.
Weight of boat thus, 4 tons 16'1 cwt.

Fig. 181.

The iron bowsprits which are fitted to boom boats, are only intended for use when the gun is mounted; and should invariably be unshipped before going alongside. The least collision will materially injure the stem.

Unless fitted so as to pivot in lugs on the breast hook, they are most difficult to ship in a sea way, and the attempt is frequently attended with loss. Pin the heel first, and turn the point over with the jib halyards.

For general purposes, wooden bowsprits are found to be a great means of

saving repairs. With these provisions for the stem, and the shoeing on the heel of the mast, the equipment of boom boats is perfection.

In fitting gun slides for boats, if the hole through which the bolt that connects the slide with the thwart reeves be made oblong instead of circular, the gun may be lowered without being dismounted. Run the gun forward (say bow gun): a few hands can support the after end of the slide; whilst the thwarts are unshipped, lower that end of the slide, and let the gun run down. To raise the gun; run it up, raise the after end of the slide, and ship the thwarts.

HOISTING IN AND STOWING BOOM BOATS.

The large screw ships have two launches, which must be stowed abreast, and well aft, clear of the funnel. In this case the booms, i. e. the spare topmasts, hand masts, fish pieces, &c., are stowed on each side, as close as may be safe to the funnel casing, and the crutches secured to the deck outside of them. The top-sail yards lie under the boat outside these crutches.

The main-stay "looking" so much up and down requires no span; its pendant is run up through the fore part of lubbers' hole, and hooked round the heel of the top-mast to its own part, or to the main-yard slings.

The fore-stay pendant hooks to a strop underneath the after part of the fore-top, and is guyed aft to the main-top by a span, so as to plomb the place where the bow of the boat is to be stowed. The longer this pendant is, or, in other words, the longer the span, the better; and every inch is of value.

In the course of a series of experiments made under the direction of Mr. Tinmouth, with the view of ascertaining the properties of spans, the ropes were arranged with different lengths of bight, as

in the fig. 182. It was found that whilst rope of a certain size broke with a strain of 7 tons when at an angle of 3110, the same sized rope carried away with a strain of 6 tons when at an angle of 2910. From these and similar results he concludes that where a span is so placed as to have a less angle than 30°, the strength of the two parts of rope

Fig. 182.

D

Span.

or chain of which it is composed, is less than the strength which one such part would have, if placed in a direct line with the strain.

This reasoning applies not only to spans such as are used in hoisting in boom boats, but also to slings of all kinds, and especially to the important subject of mooring. As applied to the latter, the properties of the span have already been scientifically discussed," and may be practically shown by stretching a small line between two points, and suspending a weight in the middle; ascertaining what weight it will bear, and afterwards trying what the same line will bear vertically. The latter will be the ship at anchor; the former the one moored." *

The runners and tackles are used for hoisting in heavy boats; but as the runner is inconveniently long, it is usual to reeve some spare rope as a launch's purchase. This is arranged in much the same way. A double block is spliced into a pendant,

* Heaving down the "Melville." Captain Harris, R.N.

and the fall is rove through another double block; or else it is rove through a double and single, according to choice. The pendant is rove through either a smooth round thimble or a clump block, which serves the purpose of a lizard in guying the purchase out to the lower yard-arm. These are fitted with strop and toggle, or with double tails. The end of the pendant is spliced into a hook and thimble, and when triced up is passed over the cap and hooked to its own part. Lower reef tackles when tailed are very useful for tricing up runner tackles, and we have already said that top-sail buntlines answer well for pendants. Heavy launches have four ring bolts at each end; and it is sometimes thought advisable to use not only the runners and stays, but also the yard and long tackles, distributing these tackles among the several ring bolts. It may be allowable to remark that there is a practical difficulty in keeping an equal strain on all, and that if the large tackles carried away, the small ones would not support the weight. However, it is certainly well, when there is much scending motion, to carry the main-yard tackle forward, and the fore one aft in the boat; and in rolling to have stout slip ropes through the ports. Merely tossing a boat out or in, during fine or previous to bad weather, is such a trifling operation, that it seems unaccountable why boats should be left in the water for any considerable period, especially at night; but it becomes a grave affair when a heavy launch is scending in a sea way from under the main-yard to the fore; and too many precautions can scarcely be taken.

In securing the tails of lizards, they should be passed twice round the yard-arm, but not round the pendant. If a whip is used for tricing up, see that the end of the bend is so short that it will not get into the block. Place the yards. In large ships spread is a greater consideration than topping: in small ships it is necessary to top them. Put on preventer lifts or top burtons, and when the trusses and lee rolling or yard tackles are taut, pull all the lifts and top-sail sheets taut. Back the foreyard up with a tackle or two parts of a hawser from the bowsprit cap to the yard-arm; and when it is fast, check the opposite fore brace. Boom jiggers, especially the fore ones, are frequently forgotten in bracing yards in; and before the yards are secured, they should be so free from restraints as to look to their work in a straight line.