PRACTICAL SEAMANSHIP SAR Crew Manual Chapter 05

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PRACTICAL SEAMANSHIPSAR Crew ManualChapter 05
DEC 2011
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(No Transcript)
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Seamanship

• Seamanship is covered by three fundamental
  principles
• 1. Order - every to be kept in its place so it
  can be easily found when required
• 2. Redundancy - critical systems doubled up -
  actions and procedures double checked
• 3. Habit - ingraining habits e.g. lines are
  coiled, closed loop communication is used, and
  correct helm orders are used

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Ropes
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Types of Rope Lay

• Cable laid (Left hand)
• Hawser laid (Right hand)
• Plaited
• Braided

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Types of Rope Lay

• Cable (Left Hand) Laid
• In this example three right laid ropes (top) are
  turned into the cable laid rope (bottom).

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Types of Rope Lay

• Hawser (right hand) laid

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Types of Rope Lay

• Plaited

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Types of Rope Lay

• Braided

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Components of a Line
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Parts of a Line
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Rope Materials
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Rope Materials

• Ropes may be made out of many materials.
• Natural fibres - sisal, manilla, hemp, and cotton
  - not generally used on rescue vessels
• Artificial fibres - polypropylene, nylon,
  polythene, polyester and certain proprietary
  materials.

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Rope Materials

• There are other sorts of artificial fibre rope
  such as Kevlar, Bahamas, Tendon, Kapron, which
  have their own properties.

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Polypropylene

• The most common rope in use is polypropylene. It
  melts at 160 degrees celcius and therefore has
  the lowest melting point of the artificial fibre
  ropes.
• If you are putting a wet polypropylene rope under
  tension, if you see rising steam from it, stand
  back as it could be about to break.
• It is light and it floats.
• It is susceptible to ultra violet damage.

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Line Handling
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Line Handling

• Line handling is carried out by the crew. This
  involves
• 1. crew safety in their part of the vessel
• 2. ensure that the docking/undocking plan is
  clear
• 3. inspecting lines are in good condition
• 4. stow away loose gear and coil lines
• 5. keep colleagues safe by warning of bights and
  lines under tension

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Line Handling

• 6. keep lines clear of the propeller and warn
  coxswain when they are not
• 7. give feedback on progress of operations
  involving lines

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Coiling a Rope
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Samson Posts

• When making fast a line on a samson post, first
  make one full turn, before starting belaying the
  line around the staghorns.

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Samson Posts

• On turning up on a samson post or tow post,
  locking tucks are not to be used.

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Heaving Lines
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Heaving Line Use

• Ensure lines bitter end is secure to own vessel.
  
• The best way to prepare a heaving line is to make
  a small diameter (18) coil. Once enough line has
  been coiled, split the coil in two, holding half
  the coil and heaving line knot in the right hand,
  and the other half of the coil in the left hand.

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Heaving Line

• Extend both arms to your right, look at where you
  are throwing.
• Swing the heaving line coils anti clockwise and
  upwards at about 30 degrees, releasing both parts
  of the coil when on line with the target.

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Heaving Line
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Line Inspection
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Line Inspection

• All lines should be checked regularly along their
  length for
• 1. Broken fibres, cuts, abrasion, unlaying,
  reduction in diameter, all of which mean a
  reduction in strength.
• 2. Powder within the lay which can be a sign of
  excessive wear.
• 3. Absorption of oils or chemicals that may
  adversely affect the rope.

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Signs of Overload during Use

• Warning signs
• 1. Groaning, creaking or popping sounds
• 2. Rotating and/ or stretching
• 3. Shrinking in diameter
• 4. Loss of shape
• 5. Yarns or fibres (and ultimately strands)
  breaking and peeling
• 6. Steam rising from a wet rope (polypropylene)

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Dangers of Overload

• The biggest danger with overload of a artificial
  fibre lines, where they have a larger capacity
  for stretching or shock absorbency, when they do
  break they will return instantly to their
  unloaded length, causing a severe whip lash.
• This can injure an inattentive crew member.

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Danger Zone
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Knots
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Knots

• All good knots should
• 1. Be easy to tie
• 2. Be easy to undo after being loaded
• 3. Be safe when properly used
• Knots in ropes will reduce the breaking strain of
  that rope in way of the knots, by about 50

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Reef Knot
Used for joining two ropes of the same size
together Not to be used for lines under load
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Clove Hitch
Perhaps the most widely used of the hitches is
the clove, or ratline, hitch. It is especially
practical for making a rope fast to a pole or
similar object.
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Round Turn and Two Half Hitches
This is a very useful knot for tying a rope to a
post. It can be tied in a rope that is under
tension making it useful for boat mooring
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Figure of Eight
This knot is best when acting as a stopper knot,
tied at the end of a line to stop it being pulled
through an eye.
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Bowline
The Bowline is by far one of the best-known and
oft used knots. Used to form a fixed loop at the
end of a line, the Bowline can be tied with one
hand, does not jam and is reasonably secure.
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Sheet Bend

• The sheet bend is very fast to tie and when
  slipped, is one of the easiest bends to work
  with. It is also useful when joining two ropes of
  different diameters. In this example the red line
  would be the smaller diameter.

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Mooring and Securing the Vessel
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Mooring Lines
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Mooring Lines
When one end of the mooring line is made fast on
the vessel, and is to be a slip rope, the line
is to be passed under the object on the dock
before returning on board and making fast.
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Cleats
Mooring rope should be belayed on a cleat,
without use of any locking tuck
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Anchors
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The Anchor
Shank
Fluke
Stock
Crown
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The Anchor

• Shank - aids in setting and weighing the anchor
• Flukes - dig into the bottom to increase holding
  power

Shank
Fluke
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The Anchor

• Crown - the swivel between flukes and shank
• Stock - the part of the anchor to discourage
  toppling or turning of the anchor

Stock
Crown
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The Anchor

• At the top of the anchor shank, there is a swivel
  and then a length of chain, normally the length
  of the boat, to which is attached the anchor
  line.
• The chain adds weight to the anchor and also
  takes the chafing of the sea floor.

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The Anchor

• Once the chain or rode is shackled to the anchor,
  the shackle must be moused with a wire to stop
  the pin coming out.

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The Anchor
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Anchoring

• Anchoring is a process with steps that cannot be
  skipped.
• If you wish to do it right the first time, double
  check your gear.
• The bitter end of the anchor line must be tied to
  the boat, generally with a weak link - a line of
  lesser diameter and strength to the rode.
• Know the type of sea floor where you are
  intending to anchor - rocks, sand, or mud.

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Anchoring

• 1. Check the anchor and chain are made fast to
  the line, and line is made fast to the boat.
• 2. Approach spot slowly, and when over the spot,
  go astern to take off headway.
• 3. Start lowering the anchor and when starting to
  move astern, lower the anchor to the bottom.

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Anchoring

• 4. Take a turn around the post, and take a little
  weight to dig in the anchor and then lower the
  rest of the line to the required scope.
• 5. Go neutral and stop the engines.
• 6. When weight comes off the chain, you are
  anchored.
• 7. Make a note of the position, and periodically
  check that position.

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Weighing Anchor

• 1. Start engines, and go slowly ahead to take
  weight off anchor and line.
• 2. Pull in the slack of the line.
• 3. When over the anchor, lift remaining line,
  chain and anchor into the boat.
• DO NOT allow boat to overshoot, and come ahead of
  the anchor and allow line to get into the
  propellers.