280 PRACTICAL HINTS, ETC. 



the water, being stationary, or comparatively so, offers a resist- 

 ance, whilst the crest of the sea, having the actual motion 

 which causes it to break, forces onward the stern or rear end of 

 the boat. A boat will in this position sometimes, aided by care- 

 ful oar-steerage, run a considerable distance until the wave has 

 broken and expended itself. But it will often happen that, if 

 the bow below, it will be driven under water, when the buoyancy 

 being lost forward, whilst the sea presses on the stern, the boat 

 will be thrown (as it is termed) end over end; or if the bow be 

 high, or if it be protected, as in some life-boats, by a bow air- 

 chamber, so that it does not become submerged, that the resist- 

 ance forward acting on one bow will slightly turn the boat's 

 head, and the force of the surf being transferred to the opposite 

 quarter, she will in a moment be turned round broadside by the 

 sea, and be thrown by it on her beam-ends, or altogether cap- 

 sized. It is in this manner that most boats are upset in a surf, 

 especially on flat coasts, and in this way many lives are annually 

 lost amongst merchant seamen when attempting to land, after 

 being compelled to desert their vessels. Hence it follows that 

 the management of a boat, when landing through a heavy surf, 

 must, as far as possible, be assimilated to that when proceeding 

 to seaward against one, at least so far as to stop her progress 

 shoreward at the moment of being overtaken by a heavy sea, 

 and thus enabling it to pass her. There are different ways of 

 effecting this object : 



1. By turning the boat's head to the sea before entering the 

 broken water, and then backing in stern foremost, pulling a few 

 strokes ahead to meet each heavy sea, and then again backing 

 astern. If a sea be really heavy and a boat small, this plan 

 will be generally the safest, as a boat can be kept more under 

 command when the full force of the oars can be used against a 

 heavy surf than by backing them only. 



2. If rowing to shore with the stern to seaward, by backing 

 all the oars on the approach of a heavy sea, and rowing ahead 

 again as soon as it is passed to the bow of the boat, thus rowing 

 in on the back of the wave ; or, as is practised in some life- 

 boats, placing the after-oarsmen with their faces forward, and 

 making them row back at each sea on its approach. 



