Chapter 7 Basic Seamanship

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