Page 187 control and signal building 2852 



all of the cable is out and begins to tauten, the second anchor is released and allowed to 

 sink to the bottom. To be most effective the two anchors should be alined with the 

 direction of the prevailing current and the buoy should therefore be anchored when the 

 current is running strongly. If this is not practicable, the vessel may sometimes be 

 maneuvered with difficulty iit the right direction by the engines. 



An anchor trip hook is almost indispensable in lowering buoys and buoy anchors 

 over the side. By its use the buoy or anchor may be lowered to the surface of the water 

 before release. The hook should be attached to the regular fall with a snap hook, so 

 as to be interchangeable with a different type of hook (see 2852), which is needed for 

 weighing buoys. A light lanyard is attached to the trigger of the trip hook, by means 

 of which the buoy structure, or the anchor, is released when it is flush with the surface 

 of the water. Another valuable accessory for use in anchoring buoys is a long light- 

 weight pole with a metal U-shaped fork on the end with which the buoy can be pushed 

 clear from the ship's side after it is afloat. It is frequently necessary to fend off buoys; 

 sono-radio buoys particularly should never be allowed to scrape along the ship's side 

 because of possible damage to the antenna. 



2852. Weighing Buoys 



In weighing a buoy the ship is brought alongside and the hook on the end of the 

 hoisting line is engaged in the rope sling on the buoy structure and the buoy hoisted to 

 the rail. The chain between the buoy and the relieving barrel is stopped with a tie 

 rope at the rail and the chain unshackled from the buoy. The buoy is then hoisted 

 aboard and placed on a two-wheeled truck; the banners, flags, and counterweight are 

 removed and the bare structure is rolled away and stowed. Meanwhile the relieving 

 barrel has been hooked and hoisted to the rail and the anchor cable stopped with a tie 

 rope at the rail. The barrel is unshackled and brought aboard and stowed. A whip 

 line is shackled to the end of the anchor cable and carried to the winch head through 

 appropriate blocks on the cargo boom and fair-leads. The sheaves and fair-leads must 

 be large enough to permit the shackle and eye splice or any other connecting fittings to 

 pass through them without jamming. When all is ready the rope stop is removed and 

 the weighing of the anchor cable is started. This consumes considerable time, depend- 

 ing on the length of cable and the speed of the winch, permitting the deck force to clear 

 the deck before the anchor is awash. As the wire rope comes off the winch head, it is 

 coiled by two members of the crew. If the wire rope is in sections, they are unshackled 

 and the length of each is noted on it for future use. When the anchor is awash, it is 

 hosed off if necessary, brought aboard, and stowed at a convenient place nearby. 



Haste is not required in weighing buoys, unless the sea is rough and the ship i& 

 likely to drift over the anchor cable, but as in anchoring them, each member of the deck 

 force should have his assigned duties, w^hich should be performed smoothly and without 

 confusion in order to expedite the operation and consume as little of the ship's time as 

 necessary. 



When buoys are weighed during rough weather or adverse conditions, it is frequently 

 impossible to maneuver the ship right alongside them to engage the hook in the rope 

 sling. If the buoy is not too far away from the ship it may sometimes be reached 

 with a large hook on the end of a light pole, or a heaving line may be thrown to catch 



