The Seaman's Friend

ssels. Proportions of the spars. Placing the masts. Size of

nd a half to four and three fourths that of the beam, at its widest part. The Damascus, of 700 tons' measurement, built at Boston in 1839, and considered a fair specimen of our best freighting vessels, had 150 f

ost recent statistics (1841) of vessels of the same tonna

k. Beam.

20 ft. 37 ft

{ Pilot 492

358 95 3

amascus 694

{ Rajah 531

xtremes of ship-building; and between t

nage of measurement goods. A sharp-built vessel of 200 tons or under would probably carry less than her measurement; if over 400 tons, she would increase gradually to fifty per cent. above her measurement. A sharp-built vessel of 600 tons, is genera

le may give a pre

MEASUREM

ll built. S

5) 525

0) 725

0) 1000

3) 1400

asts, and others the reverse. The prevailing custom now is, to spar them lightly; the main yard being a little less than double the beam; and the others proportioned by the

will show the average proportions of the spars of mer

nd a half times

ght ninths of

ive sixths of

o thirds of

e fifths of th

one half the lengt

e length of

d, twice

en eighths of

d, two thirds o

d, two thirds o

he length of the

, two thirds of

the length of the

thirds of the t

ive sixths of the

e length of the

, two thirds

ne tenths in the middle and two thirds under the hounds, for every inch at the partners. For the yards, one inch at the slings, and half an inch at the yard-arm

of the spars of the ship Damascu

. Head 11 ft. 6

. Head 11 ft. 6

ft. Head 8 ft.

sts 41 ft. Head 6 f

32 ft. Head 5

3 ft. (15 ft. with 2 f

21 ft. 14 ft. with 2

17 ft. 11 ft. with 18

rds 60 ft. yard-

ail yards 48 ft. y

t yard 37 ft.

t yard 34 ft.

d 27 ft. yard-

d 24 ft. yard-

sail yar

sail yar

ard 44 ft. y

ard 35 ft. yard-

yard 25 ft. yard

oyal yar

kysail y

t-board 27 f

t. Head 3 ft.

om 40 ft. Hea

10 above royal-m

9 above royal-ma

9 ft., 7 abo

r-boom

r-gaff

g-booms

ddingsail-b

sail-booms 27 ft.,

mizzenmast two sevenths from the mainmast. If a vessel is sharp-built, and her stem and stern-post rake, her foremast should be further aft, and her mizzenmast further forward, than the rule of sevenths would give. A

ld be a little more than one third the weight of the best bower. The anchor-stock should be the length of the shank; its diameter should be half that of the ring, and its thickness one inch at the middle and half an inch at each end for every foot in length. Chain cables are usually ninety fathoms in length, for large-sized vessels, and sixty for small vessels, as schooners and sloops. The regulation of the United States Navy for chain cables, is one inch and a half for a sloop of war, a

n or twenty pounds; and the deep-sea-line is from ninety to one hundred and ten fathoms. The proper way to mark a hand-line is, black leather at 2 and 3 fathoms; white rag at 5; re

0 fathoms, with single knots at each intermediate 5 fathoms. It sometimes has a

sses, however, are made for twenty-eight seconds, which, of course, reduces the number of feet for a knot to forty-seven and six tenths. But as the line is liable to stretch and the glass to be affected by the weather, in order to avoid all danger of a vessel's overrunning her reckoning, and to be on the safe side, it is recommended to mark forty-five feet to a knot for a twenty-eight second glass. About ten fathoms is left unmarked next the chip, ca

th less violence, and will act upon a point but little distant from the centre of gravity, and not interfere with her stiff carrying of sail. The cargo should be stowed with the weightier materials as near as possible to the centre of gravity, and high or low, according to the build of the vessel. If the vessel is full and low built, the h