MANAGEMENT OF THE VESSELS. - 135 



emergencies to rely on some sort of floating anchor improvised from spare material on shipboard, 

 such as spars, casks, &c., the rigging of which is generally attended with much danger and delay, 

 at a time, too, when the utmost dispatch is desirable, if not imperative. And when completed 

 these rudely constructed affairs are rarely, if ever, found to answer well the purpose for which 

 they were designed, shipwreck and loss of life often being the result of their faulty construction. 

 Unfortunately, too, there is created a prejudice in the seaman's mind against using such contriv- 

 ances, and unless provided with apparatus specially designed for this purpose he must take the 

 fearful alternative of chance to insure his safe return to port. 



To obviate these difficulties various improved forms of drags or floating anchors have been 

 designed, some of which are acknowledged to be meritorious; but it is a somewhat remarkable 

 fact, in view of the serious losses which have occurred to the fishing fleet, that almost none of the 

 vessels are provided with even the simplest form of sea anchor, which, used in conjunction with 

 a small amount of oil, might often prevent serious disaster. 



GETTING TTNDEB WAT. 



The usual method of getting under way in a harbor is: (i) to hoist the mainsail; (ii) to hoist 

 the foresail (sometimes the main gaff- topsail is set at the same time); (iii) to heave up the anchor; 

 (iv) (as the anchor breaks ground) to hoist the jib or jibs, and fill away, although the head-sails 

 are not always hoisted until the anchor is up to the bow ; (v) the anchor is catted and taken on the 

 bow ; (vi) the staysail or other light sails that may be required are set. 



There are several other methods of getting under way in a harbor, dependent wholly on circum- 

 stances, such as first heaving up the anchor and filling away under the jib, and afterward hoisting 

 the other sails; getting under way under reefed sails, and also under the mainsail and jib or jibs. 



In getting under way on the Banks the anchor is first heaved up and taken on the bow ; the 

 foresail is then loosened and hoisted, and after that the jib. The vessel is then under " bank-sail," 

 since she also has a riding-sail up, and, unless she is about to go a considerable distance, no other 

 sail is set, except, perhaps, the flying-jib or staysail. If, however, it is necessary to set the main- 

 sail, the riding-sail is first hauled down and the mainsail hoisted in its stead. If the winds are 

 light and the vessel going a long distance, a main gaff-topsail is also usually set. 



BEEAKING OUT ANCHOR trNDER SAIL. 



This evolution is rarely performed, except under some sudden emergency when it is not prac- 

 ticable to weigh the anchor. Fishermen, while out in their dories hauling trawls, are sometimes 

 caught to leeward in a squall, or the wind may be blowing too hard to allow them to reach their 

 vessel. At such a time, to prevent the loss of the cable and anchor, and to rescue the men, the 

 foresail and jib are hoisted, and an endeavor made to break the anchor clear of the bottom. By 

 this means the vessel may be brought far enough to leeward for the men in the dory to get on 

 board. There are a few instances on record where this has been successfully accomplished, and 

 the lives of several men have thus been saved. 



It is a very common occurrence for the halibut vessels, when lying in deep water, to heave 

 short on their cable and then to hoist the sails and break the anchor out in that manner. They 

 then tow it along to another position on the edge of the bank instead of heaving it up to the bow, 

 which would take several hours. At other times they heave in the cable until the anchor is broken 

 out from the bottom, and, setting sail in the same manner, it is towed along, sometimes for a dis- 

 tance of seven or eight miles. 



We give the following as an instance of breaking out an anchor under sail in order to rescue 



