Page 385 equipment and instruments 4622 



Fathoms Mark* 



9, 19 Yellow bunting. 



10 Leather with one hole. 



20 Leather with two holes. 



Between the fathom marks intermediate marks shall be placed, by which fractions of a fatlaom can 

 be read in tenths. Each half-fathom (0.5) shall be marked by a seizing of black thread and each even 

 tenth-fathom (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8) by a seizing of white thread, the odd tenths being estimated. 



All fathom marks extend 2 inches from the leadline. All the leather marks should be made in 

 one piece, the strips, about ji inch in width, being slit in the free end of the mark. The bunting marks 

 are made by folding a piece of bunting to a size about % inch wide by 5 inches long; the length of folded 

 bunting is then folded once in the middle and secured to the leadline so the folded end is free. 



Waxed linen thread should be used to secure the marks to the leadline. The prepared twine with 

 which golf club handles are wound has proved to be excellent. Marks should be secured to the line so 

 that there is no possibihty of their slipping, but the thread should never be inserted through the braided 

 covering of the line. This is unnecessary if the marks are properly secured and it is almost impossible 

 without mutilating either the covering or the stranded wire core. All marks should be secured so that 

 their free ends are up when sounding. Marks so secured will tend to stand out more from the line 

 when it is vertical. 



The toggle which the leadsman grasps when heaving the lead may be lashed on the leadline or 

 secured in a clove hitch of the line. In the latter case the toggle must be secured before the leadline 

 is graduated. 



The lead to be used with the line, likewise, must be attached while the line is being graduated 

 (see 4661). 



Leadlines in feet shall be marked as follows: 



Feet Marks 



2, 12, 22, etc Red bunting. 



4, 14, 24, etc White bunting. 



6, 16, 26, etc Blue bunting. 



8, 18, 28, etc Yellow bunting. 



10,60, 110 One strip of leather. 



20, 70, 120 Two strips of leather. 



30, 80, 130 Leather with two holes. 



40, 90, 140 Leather with one hole. 



50 Star-shaped leather. 



100 Star-shaped leather with one hole. 



The intermediate odd feet (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc.) shall be marked by white seizings. The leathers 

 marking the 10-foot multiples should be identical in size with the fathom marks used on a line marked 

 in fathoms. The bunting marks identifying the intermediate even feet should be slightly smaller in 

 size. 



4622. Verification of Leadlines 



Leadlines used for sounding shall be verified by the leadsman, supervised by the 

 recorder, before and after each day's work. The leadline should be compared with a 

 standard while under a tension equal to the weight of the lead in water. The standard 

 may be accurately spaced copper tacks in the deck, or in a wharf for a party based 

 ashore, or a steel tape may be used temporarily. At least one extra leadline should be 

 tested and ready for use in an emergency. A leadline should always be wet when tested. 

 When in daily use leadlines should be stowed at night in a tub of water. 



Rubber Stamp No. 35, Leadline Comparison, (see fig. 178) must be used in record- 

 ing the results of the comparison in the Sounding Record, This stamp must be im- 

 pressed in the Record at the beginning and end of each day's work, and elsewhere when- 

 ever a comparison is made. Where the leadline is found to be correct, a simple state- 



