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. 2 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 7 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. 0 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. 2 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.