AT first thought, the manner of stowing a Life-boat's gear might not appear to be a matter of much, importance: that it is so, however, we shall have little difficulty in showing.

Even on the ample deck of a man-of- war, or of the largest merchant-ship, if every rope had not its recognised place, and were not carefully and clearly coiled, confusion, if not disaster, would be liable to occur in every storm at sea. How much more necessary, then, must it be that the same care and attention should be bestowed in the stowage of ropes and other gear of a Life-boat, which is of so comparatively small a size; whose work is always in a storm, and often in the darkest night.

In the first place, the stowage space in a Life-boat is much reduced from so large a part of its interior being necessarily occupied by the air cases and compart- ments which form its extra buoyancy, and constitute it a ii/e-boat; yet it has to be prepared to meet all emergencies, and must be made, as far as possible, inde- pendent of all co-operation on the part of the shipwrecked persons to whose aid it is despatched, seeing that they may not even be prepared with a rope to attach to the boat on its arrival alongside, and are sometimes numbed and helpless from cold, and even lashed to the rigging of their vessel that they may not be swept off by the sea; hence, to meet such emergencies, it has to carry more ropes and other articles than would else be required.

The following articles are considered to be generally necessary, and are carried by all the self-righting Life-boats of the NA- TIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, although some of them—as, for instance, an anchor and cable—at many stations are rarely used:— Masts and sails, and their gear; an an- chor—and, in the largest sized boats, two ; a cable, from 50 to 100 fathoms in length, for each anchor; a bow grapnel rope, or heaving-line, being a strong and limp line, 20 fathoms long, with a grappling iron at one end, so as to be self-attaching on being thrown aboard a vessel, or into her rigging; a stern heaving-line, of the same character and length, but stouter; a " drogue," or drag, sometimes termed a "floating an- chor," being a conical-shaped bag, made of stout canvas, attached to a wooden hoop, which is towed by a strong rope from the boat's stern when running before a broken sea, thus holding the stern back, and pre- venting a boat's " broaching to " and turn- | ing broadside to the sea, which constitutes the chief danger of running before heavy broken waves; a strong rope for towing the drogue, 15 fathoms long; two small and light lines, from 25 to 30 fathoms in length, to serve as tripping lines for the drogue and for general use; a life- buoy ; a compass; a small line, 50 yards long, with a loaded cane attached, throwing on board a wrecked vessel to effect a communication when, from the vicinity of rocks or other cause, the boat could not approach near enough for the heavier bow heaving-line and grapnel to be thrown on board—by which small line, of course, a stouter and stronger one could be hauled to the ship; a sounding lead and line; a tailed block, for use in lower- ing frozen or otherwise disabled persons into the boat; an axe and two hatchets, for cutting ropes, &c.; a small cask or barrel of water, when proceeding long dis- tances from the shore; four spare oars and two boat-hooks; and, lastly, in the night, a lantern and signal-lights.

It is evident that, in stowing away so many articles in so small a space, they must be carefully arranged, so as to be as little as possible in the way of the men who work the boat. It is also desirable that the gear in all the Life-boats of this class should be arranged in the same man- ner, that the Inspectors of the Institution, on the occasions of their visits, should at a glance be able to see that every article is in its place, in readiness for service.

In making these arrangements, two general principles have been adopted:— 1. To make every rope securely fast round a thwart by one end, but to leave the other end quite clear for immediate use.

2. To stow every rope as far as possible under one of the thwarts, whence its end can be quickly handed out by the man sitting on the thwart above it, whenever required for use, whilst, at the same time, it is not in his way or in that of any of the other men, and is not liable to be trampled on and disarranged, as it would be if coiled in the open space between the thwarts.

The accompanying diagram shows the deck of a self-righting Life-boat, with the ropes coiled in their proper places on the foregoing principle. The thwarts are shown by dotted lines only, merely to in- dicate their position; the ropes, &c., shown in the plan being, of course, coiled on the deck beneath them.

The masts and sails, boat-hooks, and spare oars have, of course, all to be stowed above the thwarts. They are not shown in the annexed diagram, as they would make it too complicated and less easy to be understood. We need only remark respecting them, that the masts, boat- hooks, and spare steering oar are stowed amidships, and are securely lashed to the central batten, numbered 22 on the dia- gram, so that if the boat were thrown on her beam-ends, or even upset, they would not break adrift; and that the sails are stowed, one on each side, at the fore end of the boat, together with two spare oars on each side, which are also securely lashed.

The diagram and explanations have been specially prepared for the guidance of the coxswains of the Life-boats, who, although receiving personal instructions from the Inspectors of the Institution on their periodical visits, are not always men of forethought, and are sometimes apt to forget or neglect those instructions. We have, however, thought that the subject might be of sufficient interest even to many unprofessional persons, to be de- serving of a few remarks in oar Journal, both as illustrating the frequent import- ance of little things, and the fact that the minutest details of its work, when of importance, have not been neglected by the Life-boat Institution.

Two or three such instances will suffice as illustrations. We have stated above that a bow grapnel rope, or heaving-line, is em- ployed to attach the Life-boat to a wrecked vessel without the co-operation of the crew of the latter. It is, therefore, of much importance that, whilst strong enough to bear the severe strain on it caused by a heavy sea striking the boat whilst alongside, it should yet be light enough to be thrown by a strong man a considerable distance. The following in- cident will show its importance. Many years ago, a Life-boat belonging to the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION was launched to aid the crew of a vessel stranded on the bar of a river in the West of England. The tide, wind, and DECK PLAN OF A SELF RIGHTING LIFE-BOAT OF THE NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, SHEWING THE MANNER IN WHICH THEIR GEAR IS STOWED.

BOAT AND GEAR LIST OF ARTICLES SHEWN.

1. Anchor.

2. Cable.

3. Bowheavins* line or grapnelrope and grapnel.

41. Drogue rope.

5. Stem, heaving line.

sring line s.

8. Jab outhaul or tack.

9. .Mizen sheets.

ID. I rogue.

11. liife buoy.

12. Loaded cane, heaving line, and tub.

13. Tailed bLoclt.

14. Pump-well hatch.

15. f Deok:-ventilating hatches.

17. Foot-boards for rowers.

18. Side air cases.

19. Relieving tubes and valves.

20. Samsorjjs post.

21. Thwarts.

22. Central batten, to which the masts and boat ho* are lashed.

GENERAL RULES OBSERVED IN STOWING THE ABOVE GEAR 1. Every rope made securely fast to a thwart by one end, the other end being .kept clear," for immediate use.

2. Each rope coiled as irmch as possible under a t 3. Each rope coiled in a loose coil ao as to allow the air to have access to all parts of it.

AUGUST 1,1877.] THE LIFE-BOAT.

163 sea all being in the same direction, the Life-boat, in order to reach her, had to be drawn on her carriage to a position well to windward of the stranded vessel before being launched. By dint of great exertion on the part of the crew, they succeeded in getting close to the ship, and found all her crew lashed to the rigging.

The bowman threw his line, with grap- pling-iron attached, but unfortunately did not throw it quite high enough for the latter to hook over the ship's bulwark, or in the rigging, but, striking her side, it fell into the water; and, before he had time to gather in the line and make a more successful throw, a sea struck the boat and carried her farther from the ship. The Life-boat's crew strove their utmost to again get alongside, but their efforts were unavailing; the sea, wind, and tide carried them farther and farther astern, and they had then to return to the shore, and replace their boat on the transporting carriage, when she was again drawn by horses a mile farther to wind- ward, was again launched, and a second time reached the wrecked vessel. The grappling-rope was this time successfully thrown, and the wrecked men, then in the rigging, were safely taken into the boat; but, unhappily, two of their fellows had become exhausted, and been washed from the rigging and drowned in the interval between the first attempt to save them and the second arrival of the Life-boat.

It is, therefore, evident that at any time a whole wrecked crew might perish from so slight a cause as the bow heaving- line, or its grappling-iron, being too heavy to be thrown a sufficient distance, or too slight or otherwise deficient in strength, so as to break on a sea striking the boat, or from the man throwing it being un- skilful. Hence, not only has much atten- tion been given to this rope to insure its efficiency, but the boat's crew are always practised in throwing it when afloat for their quarterly exercise, in order that they may become skilled in its use, and that the coxswain may be able to ascer- tain which of them excels the others in throwing it; and on occasions of rescuing wrecked persons be thus able to select as bowman a man whom he knows to be skilful in doing so.

Another item of importance is the stow- age of the ropes clear of the foot-boards (17). This also might seem a trifling matter to any one who has not felt the discomfort and disadvantage of rowing with the legs in a cramped and incon- venient position. With the legs nearly straight, and the soles of the feet supported by a stretcher or foot-board as a fulcrum, the muscles of the legs, back, chest, and arms are all used at the greatest advan- tage, and with the least fatigue. On re- ference to the diagram, it will be observed that the ropes are so coiled that the fore surface of every foot-board is clear for the feet of the rower on the thwart next before it. Hence the peculiar manner in which the cable is coiled, all the transverse parts of the two large coils being beneath the thwarts and clear of the foot-boards.

Now it is evident, since the long struggle between the Life-boat and the waves for the mastery is often barely won by the former, that if even but one or two of her crew had to row at a disadvantage, the waves would be the conquerors, and that human lives would be lost, even from so trifling a circumstance as the injudicious coiling of a rope. Yet it not infrequently happens that the Inspectors of the Insti- tution have to find fault with the cox- swains at some stations for inattention to this rule.

Another trifle, in illustration of the fre- quent importance of " little things," is the securely lashing the masts when they are not up, and the boat is under oars. The masts being stowed over the thwarts, amidships between the two lines of rowers, they would, unless securely lashed, fall over to leeward whenever the boat was thrown much on one side; and in the event of her being thrown on her beam- ends by a broadside sea, the boat's crew on the lee side would find themselves struggling in the water with the masts over them, from beneath which they might 164 THE LIFE-BOAT.

[AUGUST 1, 1877.

have great difficulty in extricating them- selves, whilst at the same time the weights of the men, masts, and water all on the lee side would retain her in that dangerous position, and another broadside sea, or the continued force of the same one, would be likely to upset her altogether. Neverthe- less, the ordinary precaution of lashing the masts is very apt to be neglected by the coxswains of Life-boats.

So, likewise, if the spare oars are not securely lashed, in the event of an upset of the boat, they may be lost altogether, and the boat—as has more than once occurred—be then left without a sufficient number of oars for her management in a heavy sea.

One more trifle we will allude to, viz., the keeping every article of the ordinary gear of the Life-boat always in her, in immediate readiness for service, otherwise the old proverb, "Out of sight, out of mind," is very likely to be realised, since in the moment of excitement, when the alarm is raised, " A ship ashore!" or that one is in danger—more especially if it be in the night—the minds of the coxswains and crew are too intent on the immediate object in view—the rescue of those on board her—to allow them time to think of re- placing any articles left out of the boat, or to lash the masts, or to attend, at that supreme moment, to any such apparent trifles as those we have above referred to.

Yet the ordinary reply to an Inspector, of any coxswain, on being reminded of remiss- ness in this respect, is," I shall be sure not to forget to put it into the boat before going afloat." We are afraid, however, that the same proverbial carelessness of seamen which occasions their own boats to be without thowel pins, or a sufficient num- ber of oars, or to have no plug to the plug-hole, when they have suddenly to desert their ships, is to some extent appli- cable to our fishermen and other coast boatmen. We will again give a case in illustration, one fact being worth many theories.

A Life-boat, a few years since, was launched to go to a passing ship with a flag of distress flying. At the moment of launching, the coxswain remembered that he had left the " drogue " on shore, and he sent a man to the boat-house to fetch it. Unfortunately a condemned drogue was also in the house, and the man brought it to the boat instead of the newer one which had replaced it. The Life-boat, after following the ship several miles along the coast, had to cross the bar of a river, on which a very heavy sea was breaking.

The drogue, as usual, was thrown out, and when on the worst part of the bar, a heavy following sea broke over her stern, and at the critical moment the drogue burst; whereupon she broached to, her lee bow was driven under water, and she upset. The greater number of her crew regained her; but the oars had been mostly swept away or broken, and they were unable to manage her; the result being that she was dashed ashore on the rocks, where she sustained so much injury as not to be worth repair, and four of her crew were carried out to sea by the tide and perished—solely owing to an important article of the boat's equip- ment being left out of the boat.

Should there be any of the coxswains of the Institution's Life-boats who may feel hurt at having their attention called to this ABC part of their work, we will only further observe, that it is not for the care- ful, but only for the careless members of their body that our remarks are intended; and that even as regards the latter, we do not for a moment lose sight of the fact that many, if not all of them, may be noble fellows, ready at all times to risk their lives to save those of others; and that they may be first-rate boatmen, and thoroughly competent to manage a Life-boat under the most difficult and dangerous circum- stances ; but that, like so many able and experienced seamen afloat, they are some- what deficient of the gifts of carefulness, tidiness, and forethought..