A Vessel Heaving To.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1888, 16 April 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

A Vessel Heaving To.

A. Nautical Operation Fraught With Great Danger. ri;c Perils of a Storm on faae Ocean- laying Aloft in a Howling Breeze— How a Shiv> Wear hers a Gale - Cutting Away tho r/iasts.

The operations of "heaving to," performed by nearly every Bailing vePßel caught on tne ooast during a Ptorm, is never resorted to by merchant vessels until it hecomes absolutely neceseary. The moment a vesrel ia " hove to," she becomes practically stationary, the objeofc being merely to keep her ll head to the seas." Among tho many vc-Baels caught outside during the ree<nt gale waa every typeoi craft known (o "deep-water voyoges." There were East India clippers, West India brigs, barques, barquentines and schooners, and a lew eteamers.

Many of the E»st India packets had been out over one hutdred atJ twenty days. For many days prior to Ihe storm the eky had been overoast. Only occasionally would the sun appear, and then for co short a time as to render even a catch " tight" well nigh out of the question. In consequence many ships had been running by "dead reckoning," making the supposed position of the vessel a moat uncertain one,. Under suoh conditions weve,versels overtaken by the terrible northeaster. Wind and sea aided eaoh other in making navigation perilous, the seas threatening at every moment to roll over on the deoks of the fleeing vessels. Some craft, perhaps better able to stand the sees, held on, steering on a supposed true courpe for post. Jn laying ifi this course the behe has been taken from a Bupposed true position of the ship. InUead of sighting the entrance tho lookout io heard csllicg: "Breakerß ahead!" To one unacquainted wiih a eenfaring life tba horror which accompanies euch a sound beggars description. Let it be night time, and the horror i 3 increased. There is but one thing to do, and that quickly — to call : " All hands save Bbip 1" The vessel is on a lee shore, the galo ia blowing her right on, and unices ebe con bo made to beat up in the wind, head eff r.nd clear tbe coast, she will bes en. Up oomee everybody with a rush, half dressed, halfdazed, but fully alive to tbe danger. Tbe moment the seamen reach the deck the cutting wicd makes wide awake all bands.

" Hand down the btlm 1 Let fly the head-shcetp, lee bead and main, and weathei cross jack braces ! Spanker theet !"

Aa fast as the orders fly from the br : dg€ the men jump to their etations. Bound comes the great chip and cp into the wind, The head eails flap with tremendous force, threatening to fly out of the leach ropee with every roll. Now the spanker is being hauled a-weather. She feels it, and, as the Btern flies off, her head comes right up into the raaes of seething waters.

"Round in the lee head and main and weather cross-jack braces I"

Already the men are at their places, and up come the weather yard arms into the wind. The vessel is now broadside to tbe s;aa. It is a question of life and death whether she will stop. If she but continues to oome up all well. A drag has been got over from forward. To it is bent a hawser leading through a quarter chock. The drag is well away from the ship. On to the hawser jump the crew. Away they go with a crash. The drag haweer is run right to the bows, and at the same time the bow comes up rapidly.

Not a moment too soon. A great sea the next instant lifts tbe ship high into the air. Had it caught her " broadside to " it would have plunged tons of green Beaa upon the decks. But the great craft's bow has met it. Bhe rose as the wave advanced and plunged heavily forward as it rushed under her.

Now is tbe time to catch her. Sharp np to the yards from the head and main. The bead eheetß are hauled well aft, the helm carefully tended, the spanker eased up slightly ; the ahip feels the canvas, Fms'.l as the amount on her is ; she reaches forward, Btoggers for a moment, then slowly workn her way off through sea after Eta. As soon as she is far enough cut to sea the vessel is brought tip into the wind, eff comes the foretoptnost staysail, foreßail, foretopßeil, and Bpanker. A close-reefed maintopsail and main spencer alone hold her up, and ell attempt to fall cfi is counteracted by the position of the rudder. Should the wind Etill continue to increase in violence the topsail will be goose-winged. The lp.tter sail is kept on as long as possible because of its being above the waves. Under a n?ain spencer alone the ship has but little opportunity to feel the wind, the waves serving as a bulwark. Should, however, a goose-winged topsail and main spencer prove too much, taipaulins placed in the tee mizzen rigging may hold her up.

If she etill continues to heel over the crew will cut away the foremast by cutting ths weather laniards. It this will not right her, away will go the mizzen and main, and then fcrust to riding out to a see anchor, Tbi« alone can save the vcssr-1. L?t her onoo fall til, get into the (rough of Iho sra, and tka Roneequences will be pxj.rrssrd in the one •vrord of the Bcaciar, '• Fjundfred."