NO. 15.] ORIGINAL ACCOUNTS. 19 



No. 9. A letter from Mr. A. Aanonsen, shipmaster of Bergen, contains 

 the following statements, as well as the sketches Figs. 2 — 5, PI. IV. 



"Although, during twenty years practical experience as a sailing-master, 1 have often 

 had occasion to observe dead-water, I am sorry to say I can offer but scattered and in- 

 complete information. 



"I have never experienced dead-water in the open sea, but have done so several times 

 in the Baltic, the Sound, the Kattegat, and the Skagerrack. I have experienced it only in 

 spring and summer, and then only in smooth sea and calm weather, or immediately after 

 a calm. The dead-water seems to be limited to scattered areas of rather small extent and 

 with greater intermediate spaces of "living water" 1 . I have observed this especially in the 

 Kattegat, when after some days of calm weather, several sailers were steering in company 

 before a gentle westerly breeze. In such cases, one or more vessels might suddenly lose 

 their steering and remain on the spot, while the others passed freely through the midst of 

 them at a distance as short as two or three ship's length. After a while it was the turn 

 of other vessels to get into dead-water. 



"A good sailer is as much exposed to it as the worst tub. 



"On the surface, a line of distinction can often be observed between the dead-water 

 round the ship and the "living water" ' outside. It forms a line, more or less curved, one 

 or two metres from the ship's side. (Fig. 5, PI. IV). There is however no difference in 

 the colour of the water. The direction of the wake is quite incalculable; sometimes it 

 points to windward, and sometimes to leeward, and sometimes it seems to lead off simul- 

 taneously in both directions. The sketches, Figs. 2-5, PI. IV, are intended to illustrate 

 the appearance of the phenomenon; the wind is supposed to be the same — alight breeze 

 — in the case of all the sketches. 



"Fig. 2: The appearance of the wake under ordinary circumstances; speed of the vessel 

 about 5 knots. 



"Figs. 3-4: The vessel is influenced by dead-water, she answers her helm, but with 

 difficulty ; speed about 1 knot. 



"Fig. 5: The vessel lies in dead-water. Agitated spots on the sea, separated by inter- 

 mediate smooth areas; broken lines of distinction appear and disappear; the direction of 

 the wake undeterminable; speed about 1 knot. 



"The worst case of dead-water which I have experienced happened when sailing in to 

 Bergen, in the last days of June 1882. My ship was about 40 m. in length and drew 

 3 3 / 4 m. After previous calm weather and calm sea off the coast, we went in on the fair- 

 way. The sea-breeze was fairly up, and we made good speed. At Kvarven (see the map 

 of Bergen at left hand upper corner of Fig. 1, PI. Ill) we were caught by dead-water, 

 and it held us, all the way to Nordnces. We scarcely glided along and were forced to 

 have all sails set, until we were quite near our anchorage. Then the dead-water suddenly 

 let go its hold. Believe me, they were both in a hurry, the ship and the pilot. Braces 

 and falls ran a race together, and we only just got the anchor dropped without any mis- 

 fortune." 



No. 10. Kommandorkaptein Joh. Kroepelien, late of the Norwegian Navy, 



gives the following account of a case of uncommonly strong dead-water: 



"1 have several times sailed in ships exposed to dead-water both in Norwegian and 

 foreign seas, but only on one occasion did the dead-water so powerfully affect the handling 

 of the ship, that she became almost unmanageable. I remember that at the time both my- 

 self and my fellow-officers were quite taken aback at this phenomenon, and the chief, an 



The sign of quotation is due to the present writer. 



