Page 757 recokds and reports 811 



conserved as much as possible. In recording hydrography, while space should not be 

 wasted, no attempt should be made to save it by crowding the positions and other data. 

 In some cases it may be necessary to leave a number of blank spaces between soundings 

 in order to provide plenty of room for position data, explanatory notes, etc. 



Recorded data shall never be erased; all corrections shall be made by crossing out 

 the incorrect entry and making the correct one directly above or to one side, where it 

 cannot be misinterpreted. Entries which are rejected as erroneous shall be indicated 

 by an R written boldly over the entry. 



Rubber stamps are provided and must be used for recording nearly all the informa- 

 tion required at the beginning and end of the day's work and for many of the changes 

 during the day. (See 813 and 816.) 



To facilitate plotting soundings on the boat sheet a carbon copy of that part 

 of each page of the Sounding Record including position numbers, time, and soundings 

 is sometimes made on a long narrow strip of paper. This is held temporarily in place 

 with paper clips during the recording, and as each record page is completed the carbon 

 copy is given to the boat-sheet plotter. 



811. Recorder's Duties 



The recorder keeps the official written record and notes of the hydrographic sur- 

 vey in the Sounding Record, with a few exceptions. A competent recorder must 

 be thorough, conscientious, accurate, and not easily rattled by confusion; and he must be 

 thoroughly familiar with all phases of sounding and with the requirements of this 

 Manual. His principal duties are described in 3414. 



The importance of the duties of the recorder cannot be overemphasized, for it is 

 his record that contains practically the entire data of the survey, and any error, omis- 

 sion, or ambiguity will almost certainly cause confusion in the subsequent plotting 

 and verification of the work and may be the cause of a large amoimt of unnecessary 

 field work. 



The recorder must be certain that he hears and records all data correctly and that 

 the record is complete and in accordance with the requirements of this Manual. He 

 should repeat all soundings, angles, and other data as he records them and must not 

 hesitate to ask for repetition when necessary; he should be particularly careful to dis- 

 tinguish 7's from 11 's, and other confusing numbers (see 4623). The recorder should 

 instantly note any unusual occurrences or improbable data and should immediately 

 recjuest verification, or report them to the officer-in-charge. An unusual or improbable 

 sounding should be checked immediately, and he should usually detect a gi'oss blunder 

 in a sextant reading, or an impossible fix. Data which are confirmed should be marked 

 with a checkmark (V) or with an "O.K." 



The recorder should strive to make the record neat and must make it, without 

 question, legible. He should never make an erasure, but cross out the incorrect entry. 

 Even after a siu'vey has been verified, the Records may be referred to numerous times 

 and unless they are kept in a clear and intelligible manner their value in later years 

 will be greatly diminished. 



The recorder is responsible for checking the leadline and recording the results in 

 accordance with 4622. Rubber Stamp No. 35, Leadline Comparison, shall always be 

 used for this purpose. (See also 3414 and fig. 178.) 



