"MAN THE BOATS!"

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 154, 24 March 1908, Page 9

"MAN THE BOATS!"

ARE MARINE OFFICERS ; I,'

BOATMEN'?

: CAPTAIN - HOI;M''SAYS':THEY!'ARE" NOT,THE! RISK.TO PUBLIC' "Man;'tho. boats!""' Those who liavo -had' /V.L'tlip> ! ;misfpH;urieVt6 1 /lii3&i ;P - tho - order''given/in', . grim .earnest frPrn .tho-captain's --bridco will doomed ship. ,: Tlio . ordor- is .- seldom' given ■ until all •.'hope , of Saving •, tho vessel ;is gone. l .v Thenr isMt .that thopa-ssbngers :-and crew,. /' . 'stout .vessel's'. deckji'nnist give ,over their' lives',to 'the mercy;' of/frailer" '.craftevrthe:,littlp/boats that have . been.' shroudf.d' in'iwhito 'canvas-: abovo the ' awning deck, unmoved perhaps once or twice 7 . .;-/a;year, -if that,lfoi;. aii inspection. Tlio, boats nro .lowered away;" and; it not smashed, to . M .spliiitprs i a'gaiiist : 'thojsh;ip's' -sido Jn; the . act, V/i'''ore'!givcri'',a;,l6ad'.;p]f'.precious' lives,'and;away; . they "go, bouncing over the waves, while -be-, //hind;! thbm- ; sinkl.;tbp,.,yessPL.that-, has/of'iat-e v . -rode SO'bravely over, tlio waters closing o\criher - , AVho .art in' charge, of tho boats?... . iTho, .captain," first; 1 - second/and third .-officers; and. . chief,' sebond/and tliird/ongineers, if there are'' thatf|ma^y;';Jboats'^-'' ; i-These rofficers .-/and eilginecrs "do • very well- aboard : tho , steady-: ;going ;'stbamer; „b'ut ' aro they.'" efficient- : ,in' tiio :: thrust upbri/them P-' .The/qiiestion, ■ '>• is.: ian*/ithi^rjMA^- ,^n''eV: i'forV--"j£lio<;^oigr i ysiinplo / ' reasdn:' f that' ,'evervpne. ,who' iriakcs -a/trip.lis. • really' Vitally iritorested,. though-that .interest": .;»• may not:bo;.a conscious' oiie,' aiid itho,'remote chance is' always 5 in." tho 'reckoning;' however, remote it may be : ■: Among .those who liavo; a lively knowledgo / :of:; , .thp;rtate x .df'; l th"e/.cas i e;-and':;wlib:'de'plp '■^/that/the;-' kiipwlodgo':. of..' how,/to 'i'hindlo/V'a; ;r.'bdat/ist not mpde: a;' 'ipass^r-subject! in' pxani-. inations ;fur'.ofl|cors, engineers, and others on '/at be'-'ca.nedv'.o'n.-.tp.'^ of a ship's boats, is Captain Holm, of Wolling- ■/ ton,-'^fp^many' 'years/'^^al)tcr l '-.pf; ; ,the,' r :;W ./'Eteartbr,,® ; :. co'a'stal/servicp/:':-'; .;states ( ,tli.it ;. : the : most . .shocking l ignoi;ancdV. preyajls : v a /rule' among and/puKiiioprs;//of• / steamers; ;and,- : indeed,:..'mdst'-'sailing -'ye'ssels, . handling; of tlio Captain , 'downwards . there is spldom -a good' boatman in itlio, wholo- - shp's company, 'and, 'worse 'than all, no, ono> cares a rap thnt this is so -"It's shame,":--said Captain :llolm, , './"that-jthe' .iafety; of/'a ■whole: : ;Sliip's.'passen;' gers . and crew should - 1 be imperilled by tlio :' :: boats - being cpmmandcd. •by ! men. who .' aro, riot . boatmen; :when,-.with a ; short 'courso ■f. of /training,;.; the.:,position /coultL : .:.bp:: niade'so; . /different/;'- Hpw,! ; mahy, skippers';in,.the ; inter/ colonial fflcet could handle a- lifeboat 111. the surf,? ,i I*-, The seagoing; qualities i of; the.;.boat ■ miglit/Ijeej) ; them ; gojng: .until land' was •: in. -sight,!and>even-,thoiv all;.might. easi.l,7 be -lost in. attomptmg. to beach , the boat tlirougli-tht! : ' -surf:' v;//'^ . "Tho skippers of .to-day wear. kid gloves, • / and ,it;-w.ould-giye.;' them-'blisters :if they:',hadto handle a steer-oar in- a sea-way. There

-. was 1 .a .>.timo. lyhen r .they.. used. -to go.. in. .-for, ;.boat^drill,:a 'good 'deal', and' ships'.,.:or . rather.' steamers', companies usod. to -tako, a..prido. :.'/in; .breaking;,'tlieir,Awn. '('records,:, bu% , tnat-. is yifalling-'into...abeyance': intherush of .businpss ;; life,': which'.,is- as ''sVerixibus/iafloatf.as'VasKqro,;-- • aiid '.tliat's!:-why. ;wo. hear don'tj " , boat's/, fittings, . being rotten,' hcr-ropes gencrallv, prowded %' ( WQijld ,to.this,: fiis : to pass": a i'simplo'iexamination boatmanshipi bpfore.r.being .granted,:-:tlie i ir:. ? 'csrtificatps;.':an'd/ /:' r that, to; do.'spthe -niean3'.3hquld,; be'provided; :Ito^enablajthom'.toitako/iv.'.coursej-qt;;.trfii'niiig , of two 'or ; ington^'^hd'/iiiiiclddnd—by ! 'the/ Qwerlimeiit!'' -,/ The '•V:''.whalebaatsis'and:'. ! tlipni convenient. b'caehc3/ / • ' -'• - /could/boßutiUsedi/'top/yin' . /cases ;of''actual / There li good'/deal/oft'alk?someYtimb ago, when a vessel- was nr danger, of cstab- • vlishing a -lifeboat' servico ~at /Wollingtohj but. >' tho/ matter; •/■'passbd; pi'ltyresult ivas:^^^^ ~ ■ of fa.ro'c.ket'apparatus.by/thpvHarbmir/Coar'd,, ,/ which . is'-'stbred .iri'a 'shed' at ; the. foot/of , tho Established; at Lvell Bay, and : on beaches at Dunedin and. Auckland//whore,, likely 'to/bo ■ of --'tho -best' : son-ice, officers going up. for their examinations conld- put in'their boat-work ccnirso, cotiverii6nt]y| -andt'at;:the:sanie timo; the/ports' mentioned' would , boast what they liavo not got.']atrpresentTTa',lifeboat;. servicc,; iwithput. ;;.which v 'tlioroughly equipped, • . " Butl.am getting - away -a. little from the : chief ;pomt,...and -that. is -tho.iinoflicioncy ■■ of ; i modern '.'sailors;'/ in.-tho 1 khd.wledgo bfvboaj-work.-wWliyj' onlyi.thrco or four, years ago, I. ; Vh'ad a mate ,jvitli mo' who'cbuld not ..make /';'cont attempt ..tbipull j ail'/oar ertectivcly'-'.-and, V/'could/nptiieyehi ;.. ; yot,.--if ~anytjhiiig .'had;, • happcnctl tO'tlid. ship; that' nian : -woulf Jiayo .-.-.Vbeen;iii; charge'.'of : t a boat-r-a■ thiiigUio/was 'np' ■moro fitte<l for than a bricklayor or a plumber ■who had nc\or seen tjip sea. ,W'hat chanpo .V'-;;Wqiild'.tlipsp- ( iii..hia_".boat h'avo .of/ siirviving.'a . spell .of ocean lifc iu a ship's: boatf -iiNbnol. . Yet. a .good • ship's boat—a ■ usually, a splpndid sea-boat;, and, if-'proporly. handled,/will/live out-this worst, of seas,; [ ' remember being-'out;•' in/tho /stbrni" that- set-; V tied - tho Gitv-.'of ■ Londori/ih-' 1866.. /.The-vessol ./founderetl-^through.;beingijbattered/doWn,.by,; terrific seas, .whoil ' sho was loaded more .'<• hoa.vil.v- than would ;-bo allowcdr'now.- Yet , several of her,passengers; who :had taken to ', her lifeboat,' ~wero; - saved;the'--'small., craft; '/-had;sitrv.ived..the, storm, that/sunk^the larger : ', vessol;,but'.if the-.boat had not 'been haiidled'; by .a rqualifjed boatman, she would probably ,:)jeon, heard of again/ ; . :/;,'/: 'f //: /'.''.l^speak-with'.not, ii.'little knowledge when 1. ; the, inefFißipncyi of-.bfficers in this, regard,..a,id-. I- .that somethiiig will ibo done-hero ,t.o onsurp .that whpn, tlip. ; dread- 1 ~, ful -nectissitv anses'vof a ship's 'company hav1' 'ing to . man tho, boats ..that.;thosp'boats will be ' : 7efficiently'-,^ndlod.V-'' ; ' Yt', •'/'.. ' /A ; capiain of ;'a passenger steamer ' which. ■7.tradcs';regiilarly ;'iif, aiid ,out":'of -Wellington' Harbour, boat/drill on . board; intercolonial coastal ' steamers. ■ Btated that'thc.re'gid.atibnswci'bbenigco'rapjie'i, i with. '/The regiilations,'.according''to tlio cap'. . tain, 'stipulate .that : , vc'ssols trailing |b'etwpen' 'i .'Via'i^ftoV''-Zealand' ports,;. m"ust':''pi;acticp.' boat'-'clrin. at/least' on. ',v one' opcasipii./duriilK-'tlip hot, ,'.ne.Mmrily'%bii;.iho : "iln' ; ' the ca'sd;of/CsSstal' steamers; boat drill must bo hold.once'.a/month, and the captain'siiys that /invariably' th'p' drill ' takps ' place ' while i;; / the vessel:is; iiV'port'., ' !';/''. V- ; / This in no' Wl'so/ covers ' tho-'master Captain •:/^ r Hqlm'''deaJs';,yjth'..'. , .Evcri' i.f boat, or/firo/ drill , . were held every' wpok Jt: wbiild; merely ijiea n !' -<• .that :thb/mon.'\! - bro, bßiiig'-'giyen/prpcticp. iir ./ the lowcriiig of tho, boats* .arid ias'/nothing / whatevPr to ,'dp'"with/tho''; h.!vrtdlirig of '.tliosoi boats in.a.sea-way. . .v; : ,