Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-05-22
WITlI THE PILOTS. q
Tut WARD BOUND IN THE DIRECTION
OF lNCoMlNG VESSELS.
Danger of Collision Boarding n Ship
"SignaiiIinE"-Six Hundred Miles
East-A Hard Life-Bot-
tom of the Sea.

the ocean, IL occurs TO me that sketch
of voyage out of New York with the
Sandy Hook pilots might not be unnter.
esting i his is an cd association of
pilots 90 .crucd by laws and charter,
owning in partnership large number
of schooner built boats. They sail east
and sou h IN ,he direction Of incoming
vessels, in active compcton with each
other under Il general law that every
vessel must lake the first pilot
who boards her. Tie contest
for Vessels, due to active com
petition, leads them out 900 and 600
miles from port | have gone with them
on voyages of II week and more. On one
OF these we went aboard where the boat
lay at anchor in the upper bay-four
pilots "A crew of six, ana myself. The
| pilots were arraycd in the latest style from
hat 10 shoes But when the order was
given make sail these daHdies went be
low, reappearing shortly after in the
toughest clothes, OF heavy course goods,
| and perfect muse m of hats After |
had made "A like change Of apparel, we all
sat on deck smoking and chatting as we
sailed past the forts ut the Narrows and
down the lower bay, over the bar and
past Sandy Hook and The highlands of
Ncvcrsink, until dusk closed down over
the sea
The next morning we turn out at dawn,
while decks are being swabbrd. dress and
shave. Shaving yourself with the boat
going up and down hill, and with an oc-
casonal three,quarters lurch, is ticklsh
business, rs you may imagine. The
schooner is built after model peculiar TO
its kind 1t is very strong and comYa t,
though with good lines for sailing quality,
low at the waste, with deck free rs posi-
bic from obstructionS-so that the sea can
make clean sweep and do little damage
heavy spars and canvas, and very
deep keel. When reefed down, the
boats will endure storm which
would cripple the best Of Shil s.
There is no capsiZe or sink to
them. The danger to pilots is collision,
and in going aboard of ves>ls in bad
weather " hen vessel signals for
pilot by setting her flag in the main
shrouGs, the one whose turn it is goes be-
low, and appears Oh deck again dressed in
good clothes and with his grip in his
hand. The yawl, which has been dashed
on deck, bottom up, is balanced at the
middle Of her keel on the rail-, and then,
with Il vigorous shove, is sent overheard.
Boats, crew and pilot tumble in, a feat re
quring SIKH and stcadIuess when the sea
is running high, ana start for the vessel,
when the next iitcuty arises-to get The
pilot aboard without Icing caps.lcI or
stove ongside. W en- once OF deck he is
in absolute command
Signaling, or, as they say, Signalling, +"
al night is a striking Slc taClc directly
in the darkness two W. lie lights are seen,
one above the other. y pot of Aaphtha,
with I'D through which runs a stick,
the immersed end wrapped with wooden
cloths, Is brought on GcCk. Taking the
stick in hand il lift, oil the i'd and the
naphtia end is lighted, maNiuca aiming
torch This is swung large circles,
three times, Illuminating tie vessel from
stem to sierra aud from lie surrounding