CHAP. XXL] MANAGEMENT OF BEACONS 501 



be reported to the bridge as a warning to all ; the beacon is then 

 lowered to the water when all is ready and clear, the last opera- 

 tion being the cutting of the strand or seizing attached to the 

 mooring chain, as this procedure is more hkely to ensure the 

 beacon getting clear of the ship on becoming finally released. 



The flags should be rolled up as a sail, ready to be let fall, 

 otherwise they will inevitably become torn round the derrick 

 head, or catch in the fittings on the ship's side, especially 

 if the wind be blowing directly on to the engaged side. 



A good plan is to secure the rolled-up flags with a few cotton 

 stops, which are set free by a fight " ripping line " secured to 

 the head of the bamboo, round which the stops are passed. 

 On this fine being pulled the flags can be freed at the proper 

 moment. 



The angles, however, taken when dropping the beacon, if 

 any accuracy is being aimed for throughout any triangulation, 

 cannot be considered very satisfactory, owing to the possible 

 uncertainty as to the actual position that the moorings then 

 occupy. It is better, therefore, to subsequently revisit the 

 beacon for this purpose, as described in Section VI., after the 

 moorings have taken up their final positions. 



When picking up a Beacon. — The procedure is generally 

 in the reverse order to that previously described. It should be 

 the duty of a selected man to hook on (spring hook) the single 

 4-inch hemp pendant used as the fifting purchase to the wire 

 strop, which is in place on the beacon. This requires some 

 activity and skiU, dejDendent upon the weather conditions. 

 Jacob's ladders, grapnels, and heaving lines should be in 

 readiness where required, and also light bearing-out spars, 

 terminating with wooden jaws, together with a long bamboo, 

 on the outer end of which is placed a detachable wooden plug 

 carrying a large iron hook with hemp line attached inboard 

 in the form of a lance. This latter will frequently enable the 

 staff of the beacon to be first grappled in rough weather, when 

 the beacon can then be drawn to the ship's side and the man 

 safely lowered. 



The moorings are freed from the beacon as soon as the sfip 

 can be reached, being weighed independently by the most suit- 

 able mechanical means, whilst the beacon, being treated inde- 

 pendently and dealt with as required, will ensure as fittle delay 



