Q2. As a boat passenger, you should obey the ordersof what person(s)?Q3. If a boat capsizes while you’re a passenger, youshouldn’t panic for what reason?Q4.What does the term athwartships mean?MARLINESPIKE SEAMANSHIPLearning Objectives: When you finish this chapter,you will be able to—Identify the purpose of various types of line andrope.Recognize the procedures used to tie knots,bends and hitches, and to make splices.Identify the procedures for securing at sea.Marlinespike seamanship is the art of handling andworking all kinds of fiber and wire rope. Rope is ageneral term and can include both fiber and wire rope. Inthe Navy, Sailors generally refer to fiber rope as line,and wire rope is referred to as rope, wire rope, or wire. Abetter definition of a line is as follows: A line is a lengthof rope, either fiber or wire, that is in use or has been cutfor a specific purpose, such as a lifeline, heaving line, orlead line. A few such lines have the word rope in theirnames, such as wheel rope, foot rope, and bell rope.In sailing ships, the fiber ropes that gaveathwartship support for the masts were so numerous thatthey actually shrouded the tops of the masts from theview of an observer on deck, hence, the name shroud.Stays, the fore and aft supports, were not so numerous,but there were several on each ship. Running rigging,tackles used to hoist and trim (adjust) the sails andhandle cargo and other heavy weights, spanned theareas between sails, yards and decks, and yards andbulwarks. Lines secured the guns to the ship’s sides andprevented them from rolling or recoiling across the gundecks. Gun tackles were used to haul the guns back intobattery (firing position) after the guns were fired. Eventhe anchor cable was made of line. Obviously, lineplayed a vital role in those ships.In today’s Navy, line isn’t used as much as onsailing ships; however, it’s still an important andexpensive item. Therefore, every Sailor needs to learnthe proper use and care of all kinds of line and wire rope.Today’s Navy uses line made of fiber (natural andartificial); wire rope made of steel, phosphor bronze,and other metal; and a combination of wire and fiber(spring-lay).Lines made from a variety of natural fibers haveseen service in the Navy, but most have been replaced bylines made of synthetic fibers. The two most commonlyused lines made of natural fibers are marline (tarredhemp fibers) and manila (abaca plant fibers). Manilaline was formerly authorized for use only where greatstrength was required, such as mooring lines, towinglines, personnel transfers at sea and boatfalls. Fiberropes made of tarred hemp are used in seizing,worming, serving ropes, and lashing. For mostapplications, nylon line (synthetic fiber) has replacedmanila. Nylon line is about 2 1/2 times as strong asmanila of the same size, has a greater strength andelasticity, and has a higher resistance to weather.Wire rope usually is substituted for line where theline is subjected to a great deal of wear, weathering, orheat, and where greater strength is required. Spring layis used for mooring lines, particularly at the bow andstern.FIBER LINEAny rope that is not wire is fiber rope. Except in afew instances where it has special uses, fiber rope isnever called anything but line aboard ship.Lines are classified by both their construction andtheir material. Nearly all line used in the Navy isthree-strand line.Line is made by twisting fibers into threads (oryarns), threads into strands, and strands into rope.Taking the process further, ropes twisted together forma cable—an item seldom seen nowadays. Most of ourlines are three-strand and right-laid; that is, as you look7-12Student Notes:
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