CHAPTER 5 BOAT SEAMANSHIP The Navy uses thousands of boats, ranging in size maintenance of their craft, they must receive training in from dinghies to landing craft. These boats are powered a number of other areas. by diesels and by outboard motors. Most of them are Some of the techniques to be mastered require built of steel, aluminum, or fiber glass. The term boat considerable practice and experience before a boat crew refers to small craft that are limited in use by their size. member can become accomplished in this work. Usually, they are not capable of making regular, Included in these skills are the following: independent voyages of any length on the high seas. This chapter is important because you, very early in Hoisting, lowering, and securing methods your career, may be assigned as a member of a boat crew Operating boats properly under all conditions, and later on as a coxswain. including a knowledge of the Rules of the Road To assume the duties of a coxswain, you must know Knowledge of buoy systems the following: Boat etiquette Who is responsible for each task What the duties of other crew members are, and NOMENCLATURE OF BOATS be able to carry them out in an emergency The purpose of each piece of boat equipment LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Define boat nomenclature. List the parts of a boat and How to read signal flags, so you can return to explain boat construction. your ship if recalled Small boats carried aboard a ship, which are As used in this text, nomenclature refers to the lowered to perform various tasks, are known as the names given to the various parts or fittings of a boat. ship's boats. Most boats in service in today's Navy are of molded The distinction between a ship and a boat is largely fiber glass or of metal skeletons to which metal plates one of size; boats are carried by ships. have been attached to form a hull. Boat seamanship encompasses more than a Figure 5-1 gives you an idea of how a boat is knowledge of the kinds of boats in operation in the Navy. constructed. The backbone of the skeleton is called a Since boat crews are responsible for the upkeep and keel, and its ribs are the frames. Bilges are the inner parts Figure 5-1.–Names of boat parts. 5-1 of the hull on either side of the keel up to where the sides rudder is turned by a steering wheel attached to a system begin. of ropes, push-pull cables, or a mechanically or hydraulically operated arm attached to the rudder stock. The most forward part of the boat is the stem. The outboard part of the stem that is below the surface is Most boats 50 feet long or under are made of plastic called the cutwater. Starting just abaft the stem and or fiber glass. running fore and aft on both sides, there is usually a half-rounded fender, called the beading. Abaft the stem TYPES OF BOATS is a ring (hoisting eye) and cleats, used for securing the boat's painter (which is the line used to make the boat LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Identify the fast by the bow. A similar line in the stern is called a stern different types of boats used in the U.S. Navy. fast.) At the after end is the sternpost. Somewhere in the bilges forward and aft, adjacent There are a number of types of boats used in the to the keelson (inside upper edge of the keel), every boat Navy today. We briefly describe a few of the boats most has a couple of screw plugs, which permit water to be commonly seen, although you will surely see many drained out when the boat is out of the water. Each Navy others during your naval career. boat has a set of strong hoisting eyes for attaching slings or boat falls when hoisting. (Large craft have several LANDING CRAFT sets of hoisting padeyes and multiple slings or a rigid for single point pickups.) Landing craft (called boats) are carried by various amphibious ships and are referred to by designation. All boats are equipped with a rudder for steering They are designed to transport personnel and/or cargo when underway. A rudder blade is attached to the rudder from ship to shore. Figure 5-2, view A is a line drawing stock, which enters the hull through a stuffing box. The of an LCP(L); view B is a line drawing of an LCM. Figure 5-2.–Landing craft; (A) 36-foot LCP(L), (B) 74-foot LCM. 5-2 The following amphibious ships carries landing ship to shore, act as the ship mail carrier, and to ferry craft for the movement of personnel and cargo from the cargo as needed. The larger personnel boats are divided ship to shore. into four spaces: the cockpit, the engine compartment, and the fore-and-aft passenger compartments. The General-purpose assault ships (LHAs) smaller personnel boat has no fwd passenger Multipurpose assault ships (LHDs) compartment. A canopy may be installed over the cockpit during adverse weather conditions. Cargo ships (LKAs) Landing ships (LSDs) MOTOR WHALEBOATS (MWBs) Tank landing ships (LSTs) Motor whaleboats (MWBs) are round-bottomed, PERSONNEL BOATS diesel-powered boats used as lifeboats and shipboard utility boats. Personnel boats (fig. 5-3) are heavy-duty, Some ships use MWBs as gigs and officers' boats, square-sterned boats in various lengths from 26 to 40 in which case they have canvas or herculite canopies. feet. They are used to transport officer personnel from MWBs should never be overcrowded. The Mk 10 MWB Figure 5-3.–33-foot personnel boat. 5-3 (fig. 5-4) is divided into the forward, engine, and after UTILITY BOATS compartments. Utility boats (UBs), 22 to 50 feet long, are PUNTS generally used as cargo and personnel carriers (fig. 5-6) or as heavy-duty workboats. Many Ubs Punts are open square-ended boats 10 or 14 feet are modified for other operations. long. They are rowed (sculled) and are generally used by side cleaners and paint crews. See figure 5-5. 3.234 Figure 5-4.–Mk 10 motor whaleboat. 118.47 Figure 5-5.–14-foot punt. 5-4 Figure 5-6.–33-foot utility boat. STANDARD BOAT EQUIPMENT Grapnel, No. 4 with 6 feet of 1/4-inch close-link chain LEARNING OBJECTIVES: List the standard Boat hook, 8-foot boat equipment. Explain the upkeep, maintenance and care of small boat equipment. Line, anchor, 25 fathoms of 2 1/4-inch line Line, grapnel, 15 fathoms of 21-thread line Every Navy boat in active service is required to have Bow, painter, 5 fathoms of 3-inch line a complete outfit of equipment as designated by the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEASYSCOM), Stern fast, 5 fathoms of 3-inch line Naval Ships' Technical Manual, Chapter 583, “Boats Fire extinguisher, 15-pound CO2 portable type and Small Craft”, OPNAVINST 3120.32 B and applicable publications. The Coordinated Shipboard Allowance List UPKEEP AND MAINTENANCE (COSAL) lists all the items required with the boat on the ship (items furnished with the boat) and the items that During active service, every effort should be made must be requisitioned. The equipment furnished with to provide thorough ventilation and drainage and to each boat, called portable parts, generally consists of the prevent water leakage. Standing water and oil in the following items: bilges, even in small amounts, is hazardous; therefore, Anchor, 30-pound LWT (lightweight) seams must be carefully caulked and maintained watertight. In fair weather, hatches and deck plates of Bucket boats afloat should be opened to increase air circulation. Life rings, 24-inch Wet dunnage, line, and life jackets in lockers should be removed and aired out. Boat crews should be alert for Fenders leaks beneath the covering board and deckhouse area. 5-5 CARE OF EQUIPMENT operation of the boat or the safety of personnel aboard) All boat passengers and crew must wear life jackets When boats are removed from the water, propellers when weather conditions are hazardous. and sea suction should be checked and all deficiencies Before operating the boat, the coxswain must corrected. Engine oil should be changed after every 100 inventory the personnel safety equipment and other hours of running time, or as required by the Planned equipage in the boat equipment to make sure it is all on Maintenance System (PMS). Gear housings, steering mechanisms, and all moving parts must be kept well board. lubricated. Avoid spillage of fuel or oil; fumes from The coxswain must record courses and en route these are especially dangerous. The loads supported by times, in the appropriate log, to all landings visited under gripe pads should be distributed as evenly as possible, various conditions of tide. The compass course and to prevent hull deformation/damage. navigation aids, upon entry to a port, are verified in company with the navigator and/or quartermaster BOAT CREW DUTIES during the first boat run. The coxswain is responsible to the OOD and the LEARNING OBJECTIVE: List and explain the division officer for the boat's cleanliness and readiness duties of the boat crew. for service. Coxswains and boat crews are representa- tives of the ship and should take pride in their All members of a boat crew must know their duties appearance and in the image presented by their boat. The and be qualified second-class swimmers to ensure safe ship's regulations frequently require, for example, that handling of the boat. This section covers the duties of crew members wear clean white sneakers.