PROPOSAL RECEIVES GENERAL APPROVAL.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 145, 20 June 1931, Page 1

PROPOSAL RECEIVES GENERAL APPROVAL.

LYTTELTON CAPTAINS SUPPORT LORD JELLICOE

Opposition to the proposal to alter the steering commands at sea was raised by only one sea captain to whom the matter was referred. The majority agreed with the proposal. “The proposal,” he said, “ will lead to endless confusion in the mercantile marine for a lengthy period and that will be dangerous.”

The international convention dealing with the question of greater safety at sea proposes that the command “ Starboard ” or “ rigjit ” should be given only when the bow of the ship was to move to the right with a similar command in regard to moving to port or the left. Relic of Sailing Days.

“ The order ‘ port your helm,* meaning go to starboard, has come down from the old days when all vessels were steered tiller. Then, in the case of the order * port your helm * the helmsman would push the rudder hard over to port, bringing the rudder and the bow to starboard,” said the captain. “ I agree entirely with Lord Inchcape, who, though not a sailor himself, has had the best advice. Very often an inefficient man at the wheel will interpret the order wrongly, as Lord Jellicoe says, but there is no excuse for it. It is the sailor’s instinct to do what Lord Inchcape says. It is an established practice, and if it is altered there must be confusion.

“ This would be especially the case with pilots used to handling ships in narrow waters. If the Navy wants the change there is no reason why they should not have it, but let the merchant ships remain as they are. Some freshwater men might agree with the proposal, but many merchantmen will not be of that opinion. “ I have had occasion to correct the man at the wheel, but that case is similar to the soldier being given the right turn and instead turning to the left. It would be most confusing for those who have spent some years at sea. The helmsmen would have to alter their whole outlook.” Lyttelton Opinions. The opinion amongst seafarers inter-

viewed at Lyttelton was that the new orders would be confusing for some time, mainly amongst old mariners, but would be an improvement when they were instituted.

Captain T. M. Hunter, Harbour Master, stated that he had not yet given the matter proper consideration, but he considered that the main objection among British seamen, especially the old school, would be on account of tradition. The present orders starboard and port were really wrong as they indicated the opposite direction to that in which it was desired to go. In the old days the orders were starboard and larboard, but owing to the similarity in the sound and probably to mistakes on that account, larboard was changed to port. He thought there was no objection to the new orders and that perhaps they would tend to minimise a number of mistakes. A careful mariner always watched that the order he had given was executed. Captain J. Crawford, chief pilot, said that a number of foreign ships that had visited Lyttelton had been making use of the new orders for some time. He did not think they would make any difference.