CHAPTER 7
BASIC SEAMANSHIP
At this stage in your Navy career, you’re learning
thousands of things entirely new to you. You’re
probably finding it hard to assign relative importance to
them. The importance of these skills and knowledge
will become more obvious the longer you’re in the
Navy. This is true because the most important things
will be emphasized in your day-to-day living. If you’re
not assigned to the deck force, you may think that
seamanship is not important. Well, you’re wrong!
Seamanship ties every member of the Navy
together. The uniform worn by Navy members, from
seaman to admiral, implies that the wearer has a certain
degree of proficiency in the art of seamanship. The fact
that you may later become an Electronics Technician
doesn’t change the fact that you’re first a seaman and
then a technician. Be as proud of your ability as a
seaman as you are of your ability to perform your other
duties.
Even though you don’t work on deck everyday,
there will be times, particularly on small ships, when
you will be required to assist the deck force. You may
have to carry stores, assist in replenishment-at-sea
operations, assist in mooring to or untying a ship from
the pier, and so forth. When working as part of the deck
force, you’ll be expected to have a general idea of what’s
going on, how and why a task is being accomplished,
and be able to carry out orders intelligently. Therefore,
take every opportunity to observe and learn as much as
you can about seamanship. This chapter provides only
basic seamanship information.
In this chapter, seamanship is divided into the
following basic sections—deck, boat, and marlinespike
seamanship.
Deck seamanship concerns the general work that
goes on about the ship’s deck and the equipment
used. Anchoring, mooring, rigging and handling
heavy weights and cargo, underway
replenishment, towing, and a host of other skills
are considered deck seamanship.
Boat seamanship, as the name implies, concerns
the handling of boats.
Marlinespike seamanship concerns the use and
care of line and consists of forming knots,
making splices, and fashioning useful and
decorative articles from small stuff and twine.
DECK SEAMANSHIP
Learning Objective: When you finish this chapter, you
will be able to—
Identify deck equipment and recognize their
purpose.
Deck equipment consists of all equipment used in
the application of deck seamanship, which is work
normally performed by the deck force. You need to
know shipboard equipment and terminology because
you may be called on to assist the deck force in various
seamanship evolutions. To help you, some of the more
familiar items of deck equipment are discussed in this
section.
GROUND TACKLE
Ground tackle is the equipment used in anchoring
and mooring with anchors. It includes anchors, anchor
cables and chains, and associated equipment, such as
chain stoppers, bending shackles, outboard swivel
shots, and detachable links. Figure 7-1 shows a typical
ground tackle arrangement on a forecastle.
7-1
To ensure safety at sea, the best that science can devise and that naval organization can
provide must be regarded only as an aid, and never as a substitute for good seamanship,
self-reliance, and sense of ultimate responsibility which are the first requisites in a seaman…
—C.W. Nimitz
Letter to U.S. Pacific Fleet
13 February 1945
