December 2007
Crew journal of the barque James Craig
Full & By December 2007 Full & By The crew journal of the barque James Craig
http://www.australianheritagefleet.com.au/JCraig/JCraig.html
Compiled by Peter Davey [email protected] Production and photos by John Spiers
All crew and others associated with the James Craig are very welcome to submit material. The opinions expressed in this journal may not necessarily be the viewpoint of the Sydney Maritime Museum, the Sydney Heritage Fleet or the crew of the James Craig or its officers.
December 2007 Full & By APEC parade of sail - Windeward Bound, New Endeavour, James Craig, Endeavour replica, One and All
Full & By December 2007 December 2007 Full & By Full & By December 2007 December 2007 Full & By Full & By December 2007 Radio procedures on James Craig
adio procedures being used onboard discomfort. Effective communication Rare from professional to appalling relies on message being concise and clear. - mostly on the appalling side. The radio Consider carefully what is to be said before intercoms are not mobile phones. beginning to transmit. Other operators may The ship, and the ship’s company are be waiting to use the network. judged by our appearance and our radio procedures. Remember you may have Some standard words and phases. to justify your transmission to a marine Affirm - Yes, or correct, or that is cor- court of inquiry. All radio transmissions rect. or I agree on VHF Port working frequencies are Negative - No, or this is incorrect or monitored and tape recorded by the Port Permission not granted. Control tower. Correct radio procedures Over - End of my transmission – a reply are important because your transmission is expected. Only used when the end of a could be presented at subsequent inquiries, message is not obvious and during poor also we are judged by our crew’s profes- communications. sionalism and performance. Say Again - Say again all or portion indicated Calling procedures - Read back - Repeat back to me all or The station called always precedes the part of the message I just passed to you. station calling.e.g. “Sydney Radio (pause) Ahead or Over - I am ready to receive this is “James Craig. your communications. Sydney Radio would reply: “James Out - This is the end of my transmis- Craig this is Sydney Radio – go ahead.” sion for which no reply is required or Similarly within our own communica- expected. Only used during periods of tion system if the quarter deck runner poor communications. was to calling the forward lookout the Roger or Romeo - Copied your trans- example would be:- “Forward lookout this mission. is Quarterdeck” Wilco - Copied your transmission and The Forward Lookout would reply will comply with instruction. :- “Quarterdeck this is forward lookout Do not use “over and out”. We are not go ahead” on American movies tional style. It is not a mobile phone. Once communications has been estab- When you are checking the equipment Speed - Talk steadily at a medium lished time may be saved by abbreviating request a “Radio Check” speed; if you speak too fast, your speech the call and leave out the phase “This is”. The correct reply is to advise the Vol- will be received as an unintelligible jumble Do not call backwards e.g.“Forward ume and Clarity. E.g. Loud and Clear; of words. If you speak too slowly, you lookout calling the quarterdeck”. Loud and Distorted, Muffled but clear. will waste time and frustrate the recipient. The microphone is a sensitive piece of Quarter deck this is Fire Party “Re- Maintain a constant speed. Don’t hurry equipment and it is important to observe quest Radio Check” over less important words. Make sure a few rules. Speak across the microphone Fire party this is Quarter Deck “Read- you know what you are going to say be- and not directly into it. Shield yourself ing you loud and clear.” fore you begin. You talk slightly louder from the wind and external noise. Maintain If you intend making a long-term than normal conversation. Don’t shout. a constant distance between your mouth commitment to the James Craig you In normal conversation, we tend to stress and the microphone. should consider obtaining a “Restricted important words and give less important There have been times when we have Radiotelephone Operator’s Certificate of words less emphasis. Avoid this practice. had an “open mike” that is the operator has Proficiency” from TAFE, Coastal Patrol Pitch. High-pitch voices are often trans- inadvertently kept the switch on. Speak or Coast Guard. mitted more successfully than those of a naturally and with normal rhythm with lower pitch. The voice may be pitched complete phases that make sense and not Peter Davey Seaman (sail) higher than usual, but there should be no word by word. Do not adopt conversa- James Craig
December 2007 Full & By Full & By December 2007 Harbour flags
here are a number of our crew studying for their Coxswain Tqualification. Church Pennant. When I sat for my oral I was asked a number of questions on flags on Sydney Harbour. . Flags flown on Sydney Harbour.
Flag Alfa .
. Flown by naval ships when the ships company is at prayer. It has an interesting history in that it a pennant formed by combin- ing the English Cross of Saint George and the Dutch flag. It was I have a diver down; keep well clear at slow speed... originally flown during the three Duty wars of the 17th century, hostilities were suspended when flown. Flag Bravo. Flag hoist Romeo Yankee
I am taking in, or discharging, or carrying dangerous goods.
Flag Hotel.
Pilot onboard. Craig flew this when we were entering New- castle.
The Royal Australian Navy flies a number of flag in Sydney.
Port Flag
You should proceed at slow speed when passing me. (I was asked the above)
AI was also asked the purpose of the safe water mark buoy off Bradley’s heads. It is to provide traffic separation for ships passing. . When flown from Naval ships in harbour. Out of routine. E.g. during a refit etc and means that the normal standards of dress and ships appearance may not be up to the required standard. Was flown by a number of Naval ships when the James Craig was open for inspection at Garden Island.
10 December 2007 Full & By From - Two years before the mast found this written in the preface of a I book called “Two Years before the Mast” by R.H. Dana, being a book about life on board as a foermast hand on a sailing vessel in the 19th century. The writer of the pref- ace has listed a few things he learnt from the book, as follows. I think no. 8 and 10. however might need a warning “Not to be tried at home or on the James Craig”! 1. Eat the pigs last - they are better sailors (referring to the livestock kept on board for fresh food) 2. Icebergs are a deep blue. 3. “A ship is like a lady’s watch, always out of repair” 4. “Johnny” is sailor talk for shark 5. “Jack” means any sailor, so , as in airports, the greeting “Hi, Jack” will turn many heads 6. a little heads-up for the entrepreneur. According to Dana, “the Californians are an idle, thriftless people, and can make nothing for themselves. The country abounds in grapes, yet they buy bad wines made in Boston” (referring to pre-gold rush days early 19th century) 7. dark bruises and deep cuts must be ignored, others’ or your own,for any show of pity would look “sisterly” 8. in addition to no. 7. If you fall from the main royal staysail through rigging, spars and yards, hit the deck and some- how survive, jump up quickly and say no more than something like “whoa, that was interesting” 9. all letters must be read aloud to the entire crew under the forecastle 10. to get rid of pests like cockroaches, rats, and fleas, batten all the hatches and start a fire in the hold. 11. learn to sew; if you are headed round the Horn, find a nice pattern for flan- nel underwear; make several pair 12. when you are coming back around the Horn to the East Coast of the United States, and you hit fair weather on the other side - say about the Falklands - and you’ve sprouted full sail in a steady southwester blowing up your taffrail, yell “hurrah, old bucket, the Boston girls have got hold of the tow-rope”
Cheers, Fiona Park ( Seaman James Craig)
Full & By December 2007 11 By Thomas Gray
I.- Two steamships meeting. When both Lights you see ahead, Starboard your wheel and show your Red
II,- Two steamships passing. Green to Green- or Red to Red- Perfect Safety_go ahead.
III – Two Seamships Crossing. If to your Starboard Red appear, It is you duty to keep clear; To act as judgment says is proper To Starboard-or Port-Back-or stop her.
But when upon your Port is seen A Steamer’s Starboard Light of Green, There’s not so much for you to do, For Green to Port keeps keeps clear or you.
IIIV - All ships must keep a lookout and Steamships must Stop and go Astern as necessary.
Both in safety and in doubt Always keep a good look-out; In danger with no room to turn, Ease Her-Stop her-go Astern.
12 December 2007 Full & By Rules of the Road for Sailing ships. II- With wind the same side, running free, (By a Naval Officer) One’s to Windward, one’s to Lee, Source, Admiralty of Seamanship, Volume 1 1937. The Leeward ships goes straight ahead, The other alters course instead.
ow those rules four Rules we must note, III- Both “close-hauled” or both quite “free” Are no use in a Sailing Boat. On Different Tacks, we all agree, As we’re dependent on the Wind The ships that has the wind to Port Another set of Rules we find Must keep well clear is what we’re taught.
I.- A “close-hauled” ship you’ll Never see IV- At other times the altering craft Give way to one that’s “running free.” Is that which has the wind right aft. Its easier running free to steer And that’s the reason to keep clear. Supplied by Bob Crowe
Full & By December 2007 13 Placing of the steering compass
From the writings of Allan Villiers, once an able seaman harmony with her, the stars, the clouds, the scend of the sea, the on James Craig ship’s behaviour– all these helped. Even in the later days of sail many a deep-water square-rigger ne often wonders how so important a piece of equipment as sailed for hours with no compass for the helmsman to steer by. Othe steering compass was fitted in ships such as James Cook’s Economy dictated (or allowed) such handicaps as poor quality Endeavour Bark, as H.M. ship or merchantman. wicks, lamp-oil, even lamps: binnacle lights blew out and defied It is not usually shown on models. A few pecked lines drawn efforts to relight them. perhaps by Cook himself on an elevation of the ship indicate that The old barque Clan MacLeod, when I was in her in 1920, still a binnacle-box (if that is the right name for it) could have been had her Scots compass-card dimly lit by the cabin lamp down placed above the wheel-drum, where the cumbersome tiller-ropes below, for it was slung inside the cabin skylight and lit (partly) led. from below. At least the cabin light did not blow out so readily Here the helmsman could have seen the compass-card quite but it was dim at best, and even the sharpest youthful eyes had well, even when lit by candle. Another possibility was that it difficulty in watching it. The wheel was open,of course. could have had a stowage contrived somewhere lower on the ‘Turn your sou’wester flap up: feel the wind on the back of same construction, below the drum.. your neck, and listen to the ship’, the Tasmanian mate growled The steering compass was important but by no means the only when I said I could not see the compass. I soon found out what means of course keeping for experienced sailing-ship helmsmen. A he meant. glance at the card now and then assured them they were on course The James Craig was built in 1874. There was no convenient (except when running heavily: then it was different) and a man’s cabin skylight to provide stavage and light for the steering com- own sense, his sea-skilled eye upon the swing of the ship and his pass of the Endeavour.
14 December 2007 Full & By Moving to New Zealand in 1840
ugust 1840: Jessie Campbell sailed Afrom England bound for New Zea- land. The wooden, square-rigged barque Blenheim arrived eighteen weeks minus two days later, in Wellington Harbour. Mrs. Campbell accompanied her husband Captain Campbell. With them were their five children. Her journal provides a de- tailed and fairly objective account of life aboard. One of her youngest children was to die of infectious enteritis, despite there being two doctors aboard. The ship carried mostly emigrant Scottish families. The captain of the Blenheim, one Captain Gray, was spoken well of in Mrs. Campbell’s journal. Highlighted were the uncertainties of navigating into waters comparatively unfamiliar to Europeans. The Campbell’s settled in New Zealand. Jessie adjusted with stoicism to the daily rigors of caring for her five children, in a cramped cabin. The children slept in swinging hammocks or in the only bunk, while she and her husband made do on the floor. Captain Campbell rose first each morning simply to make floor space for his wife and children to rise and dress in. dances on deck and dinners with the offic- of the Equatorial regions, these emigrants The family set sail with half a loaf of bread ers. He must have enjoyed this respite from must have questioned their decision to between them. Captain and Mrs. Campbell such onerous tasks as disciplining mem- leave the cool, green climate of Europe slept in bilge and vomit for much of the bers of his crew and even some interfering, behind, in search of a better life. Jessie first few weeks. Later, when the Blenheim if well-meaning passengers. Captain Gray Campbell committed her darling Isabella crossed much rougher region near The Bay was extremely well-respected throughout to the deep approximately six weeks into of Biscay, the ship’s captain was amazed the voyage, by all who wrote of him. His the voyage. She was not alone in her loss that his gallant, if unseasoned passengers management of the crew, passengers and and grief. Other children died during the were, in the main, no longer seasick. ship were commended. eighteen-week passage to the far side of In the adjoining cabin, during a particu- The tropics, the doldrums, the scare the world. larly rough section of the passage, a woman of smallpox brought aboard from port #1(references - Greenhill, Basil and Gif- delivered a son, who was of course named and the loss of a child must have turned ford, Ann: “Women under Sail”). Blenheim. Her fellow traveling compan- Mrs. Campbell and the other women #2 internet ions, joked that the movement of the ship aboard, into strong souls. On many a night sped up her labour and that one day, the boy drenched with spray that reached below Lorraine Hudson, seaman Barque would surely become a sailor himself. decks, as the vessel pitched and rolled, or James Craig. May 2007. Sprinkled among the more serious as- sweating from the humidity and stillness pects of the trip, Captain Gray arranged for
Full & By December 2007 15 Svanen log 1988 Continued from last Full and By - to 30 feet swells; making 7 knots under into the wind. If you over steer you can reefed mizzen, main, main top, course, go the other way and broach the ship. If 31/12/1987 - Now in thermal under- lower and upper top gallant, main stay this happens in one of the bigger swells we wear. I also slept in them, It is very cold. sail and inner and outer flying jibs. Only would lose the lot. Last night, whilst on I have just returned from the quarterdeck changed one sail for a change. I am now the wheel with Michaela, a female from where a giant wave swamped afternoon more circumspect in my offers to go aloft Canberra, we had the following swells tea. All yesterday, and to a lesser extent as I now permanently wear my ‘sea boots’. lifting the stern up 30 feet at a time She today, the ship has had waves breaking She is a bugger to steer with the wind and was more the worried. over her. All meals, in sittings of 6, are sea on our starboard quarter. Two on the Whilst on look out in the bow, the moon now taken in the saloon. We have 20 wheel to hold her. She wants to round up suddenly broke through the overcast sky
16 December 2007 Full & By on the starboard bow. What appeared to be work my way through them again. The to 0130 lat night. A few beers, champagne a ship under full sail appeared out of the “Anna Katrina broke her rudder last night and Mainstay cane (a white rum). I cannot black. It was just the moon light reflect- after a day’s run of 217 nautical miles. We afford to drink too much. The various ships ing on the flume, spray, and white water, made 188. The ‘Sabbrina’ broke a mast of the fleet (which are all over the bight) an ethereal Flying Dutchman. You cannot and the “Bounty” blew out her sails. We played music, sang and played the bagpipes relax on the upper deck due to the con- did an involuntary jibe last night and she to one another over the VHF radio tinual waves breaking. Constant aerobatic would not come back through the wind. At 0100 News Years day. Looking exercises caused by the 30 degree rolls and They had to start the motor to bring her aft and aloft there are paper streamers dodging the incoming sea water. I am not around. The low is down to 993; very low from the gaff vang; Clinton, a coloured taking any photos in case they swamp the for this far south (40.30 south). There is from Jamaica, dancing a voodoo number camera. The cook is now baking bread. a high forming behind us and it should be while hanging onto the vang.* Jay on the high enough over the Australian continent wheel with a bottle of champagne in one 1/1/1988- I had a cold salt water shower. to give us good westerlies. Still making 7 hand and singing into the wind with Neil Water temperature 13 degrees. All my knots under sail with a moderating sea. I Diamond; towering waves with their tops socks and underwear are now wet and am on galley duty today - a pain. being turned into flume by 40 knot winds; damp, I have declared them clean and l We had a New Years party from 2300 immense waves are overtaking the stern
Full & By December 2007 17 and what always appears to be the last mo- a small crew to set and douse). Now it is ment lifting us 30 feet up. The crew have always broken into two sails. With a light given up trying to dance on a wet deck with following wind Jay decided that it would the ship gyrating 30 degrees each way and be a good exercise be set the single top now just hang on. A New Years party with because it holds more wind. I am stuffed a difference. - will write more tomorrow. *The gaff vang is a pulley system from the guard rail to the gaff boom on the upper 4/1/1988 - To set a single top. The upper part of the mizzen sail. It is to prevent a and lower tops have to be furled and the involuntary jibe. clews for the corners of the upper top trans- ferred to the clew of the single top. This is 2/1/1988 450 nautical south of King then unfurled and set. When furling a sail Island.- Not much to report on. On Galley it is impossible not to let go the yard, you duty last night. I washed up for a crew of use both hand to pull in flapping canvas 36 after a meal of roast and vegs. Used especially when it full of wind. When the cold salt water - great. This morning much sail is properly furled there is nowhere to colder and overcast. The sea has moder- hold, so you must hold the jack stay which ated and we are sailing for the bottom of runs along the top of the yard with one Tasmania. My stitches were taken out by hand and tying a slippery clove hitch with Tanyea, a young nurse onboard. I thought the other. During the 0300-0700 watch the black stitches on my leg gave me a we set all the jibs, three stay sails and the piratical appearance. top sails. we were all given a different sail pins are housed] the other foot on the rail to set. I had the top gallant stay sail and I 3\1\1988 - Steering 060; slight sea with of the deck above; another crew on the will enumerate the procedure later. Took a heavy following swell; westerly winds deck house. We hauled away through a some photos this morning. Sky overcast of 20 knots. Last night we experienced a six block purchase. It is hard work to haul but all 15 sails set. There is a tradition that major wind change and we are no longer in the halyard. The main method used to you must touch all three trucks (top of the heading for Tasmania. The change of haul and tighten the halyards is called ‘to masts) in one day. I did it today. course involved a jibe or what is called on sweat and tail’ where you have two on TO SET A TOP GALLANT STAY a sailing ship “to wear ship”. To add to the the halyard. On lays the halyard around SAIL. exercise the wind speed had increased to the bottom of a belaying pin, jamming 1..Lay aloft, up weather ratlines to 40 knots. We waited till 2300 when both the halyard against the pin rail. The other loosen the topgallant staysail gaskets, coil watches were on deck. About 14 crew. The one or two, pumps the halyard, the slack is and secure the gaskets using a sea coil. main and mizzen sails (large for and aft taken in at the middle of the stroke. I spent 2..Man the T/gallant staysail halyards; sails with 12 different ropes to adjust (lan- two hours of the last 24 on the wheel. The downhaul the port and starboard sheets. yards, downhauls, sheets, standing Gaff, steering chain has slackened and there is Hoist the sail with the Halyards. Tighten boom Gaff, boom preventers, gaff vangs, too much movement. With the following the luff. Secure halyard. gaff preventers, throat halyards etc) They sea she constantly comes into the wind If 4.Sheet in on the lee side. Secure sheets all have to be hauled, loosened, changed, you use too much wheel the sails flap. Jay and downhaul. held, tightened, repositioned sweated and is not impressed. 5...The weather sheet must be taken tailed, tailed etc. The fore and aft sails The permanent crew. Jay is 23, he aloft and tied with a breakable line to the are done later; these must all go together turned 23 as the ship sailed into Fremantle, ‘weather’ shrouds to avoid chaffing the as we go through the wind. It all took one The boson, cook, and two others are all topmast stay. hour with the explanation, setting up then from Canada. The mate is an Austral- 6..Coil all lines and secure coiling with executing and cleaning up. We are now ian and a young girl (who is excellent) the lay of the rope. making for the Bass strait at 6 knots. What is from Spain. The rest are from all over Finally out of thermal underwear, I would give for a hot fresh water shower. with about 30% female. About 30 % will though still in foul weather gear. I now have salt water itches. I should work aloft. have brought powder. I have managed to 6/1/1988 39.31south 135.37w - Steer- borrow a limited amount. I spent an hour 3\1\1988 - Had a busy 2300 till 0300 ing 050 for the Bass Strait. Clear fine aloft on the mizzen this morning whipping watch last night. The wind died away and weather but cold. Very cold at night. a grommet on the back of the mizzen top. the fore and aft sails were flogging. Our Because I have no mattress I wear the The sun was breaking through so it was watch doused and stowed all fore and aft thermal underwear (still dirty) as pajamas. not too bad. I always change my boots sails and we then motor-sailed for the next Under motor sail at 7 knots. Had a cold salt for sailing shoes before going aloft. We 12 hours. Did a large salt water wash this shower water temp 16c. Furled the course have been in full wet weather gear for the morning. Everything is still damp and I and lower tops sail yesterday and spent last few days. have been in my thermals for days. We 30 minutes at the extremity of the course On the Savanen there are no mechani- are in the middle of a high over the Bight yardarm, reeving, whipping and knotting cal winches for hauling the various ‘ropes’ given us fine days and light westerly winds. the course tack and sheet. They are knotted onboard ship. It is all done by hand in the During the 1300-1900 watch we set all sails with a bunting hitch A new knot for me. traditional manner. Last night we had to and replaced the lower top and upper top It is a sliding clove hitch and used on the haul up the gaff. One crew remains on the sails with a single top sail. (When crews corners of square sails I have adopted a main deck; I was standing above with one were large and cheap all ships carried a technique when working on the yards with foot on the pin rail [where the belaying single top sail. They are too difficult for feet in the foot ropes and not hanging on to
18 December 2007 Full & By any fittings. You can get a reasonable grip on the canvas You need both hands and the wind tends to hold you on. Yesterday morning we sailed through a school of pilot Wales with calves. They completely ignored our presence. Very black and about 3 yards long with a real whale shape. At about 3pm two seals joined with us and proceeded to play with the ship. They seemed to get great delight in getting the crew to run from side to side. We eventually stopped Svanen and they put on a show for us. Both would stand on their heads and wave to us with their tails, then return to the surface to kiss. They were met with much clapping and honking. This made them try even harder with much jumping, rolling and waving flippers and fins. Finally 7 of the crew joined them in the water. The seals were very happy but would not approach with more than 10 yards. After an hour, or so, we reluctantly left them to the Great Australian Bight. They followed for a while. We will be glad to sight land tomorrow night. It has been a long haul across the Bight. No sighting of ship or land for a week or so. I have no idea of what day it is or how long we have been at sea. Nor have we heard, or missed a news bulletin..
More to follow next Full and by. Peter Davey Seaman (sail)
SALTY SAYINGS - Plain sailing
Today, if we say something is plain sail- ing, we mean it is easy, or straightforward to do. At sea, plain sailing is sailing using navigation techniques that assume the earth is a flat plane. This makes computa- tions fairly simple. Obviously, this is only possible over fairly short distances, longer distances require spherical trigonometry. “Plane sailing” originated with the plane charts of the sixteenth century, drawn on the assumption that the earth was flat. Over time the expression changed to “plain sailing”. If a ship is said to be carrying all plain sail, or under all plain sail, she is rigged with the ordinary working sails - not stud- dingsails, upper staysails etc. - Peter Cole
Tall Ships Calendar
New webpage: www.tallshipsinternational.net
Full & By December 2007 19 Bye bye Bounty - our replica berth-mate has been sold and departed for Hong Kong where she will reportedly decorate a real estate development.
Text-Book of Sea- http://hnsa.org/doc/steel/ manship, 1891, is an Two online books on seamanship and rigging Seamanship 1891 updated age of sail text- and rigging 1794. Well worth studying. book at the beginning of the true transition of Safety boots - There is a OH and S requirement for all deck warships from sail to crew working on vessels on Port Jackson to wear Safety boots/ steam power shoes. http://hnsa.org/doc/ I recommend Dunlop Vo- luce/index.htm lies (as worn by tillers/roof- ers). They are available from In this online version Paddies Market, half way of the manual we have down close to the tram track attempted to keep the for $41.00. They are excel- flavor of the original lent for climbing to ratlines layout while taking ad- approaching the t’gallant. vantage of the Web’s T.gallant. universal accessibility. While you are there you Different browsers and pick up red torches (recom- fonts will cause the text mended for crewing for the to move, but the text will voyage to Melbourne for $5.00 from a number of outlets. They remain roughly where it come with a holder to attach to you knife belt is in the original manual. We have not attempted to correct any errors found in the original document. However, this text was captured by optical character recognition and then encoded for The Catalpa Rescue. the Web which has added new errors we wish to correct Crew of the Lady Hopetoun and Svanen were invited to the screening of the above. My dreams of international exposure The Elements and Practice of Rigging And Seamanship, 1794, were shattered. The only time I appear (and then it only my arms) by David Steel, is a comprehensive English textbook of rigging, is when I break out the 1874 USA flag to remind the Police that seamanship and naval tactics. A key reference for those interested the Catalpa is an American vessel in international waters and to in the age of Nelson. Although at times difficult because of its fine keep clear. detail, it will reward those that search through it to understand The Catalpa rescue was shown on ABC TV in October. It is the technology of the era. well worth viewing. - Peter Davey
20 December 2007 Full & By