Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-01-07
HOW A VESSEL TACKS.

A Western youth who had come to the
| metropolis to see the sights carried his
| investigations to Fort Hamilton, where
| view Of the ocean can be obtained,
says the New York Times. He gazed
with absorbed interest at the mighty
expanse of waters and, after becoming
stated with the spectacle, turned his at
| tention to other objects.
To the right big steamship was
| breasting the Hudson's mile-wide tide,
and b flutter of handkerchiefs from her
decks indicated that the vessel was a
passenger ship bringing home voyagers
from foreign lands. Out in the bay a
| full-rigged sailing ship was beating her
| way up the channel, making short
reaches against the adverse wind.
On the hotel pavilion near the West
| erner stood man with a telescope I'M
| der his arm conversing with an aged
boatman. The couple had been watch
ing the movements Of the big ship and
| making guesses as to her nationality.
| The youth listened to the conversation,
and looking at the object of it, saw what
was to him very strange thing. First
one set of yards on the vessel were
swung around, then another pyramid of
| canvas braced new way, and finally,
when the course of the ship was altered
| to an almost opposite direction to the
course she had been sailing, the young
mans curiosity got the better of him
and he asked what it meant.
The boatman gave the inquirer pity
ing glance, and calculated the single
word, 'Tacking"
''But l don't know what that means, +"
| protested the seeker after information.
| The man with the glass laughed and
| said the majority Of people didn't. He
| then drew up chair and explained
| why the evolution is performed and the
| method by which it is done. For the
| benefit of the many who have never
| given the subject thought, as we'll as
! for those who in 9, dim way realize
| that winds are not always fair without
understanding what seamen do on such
occasions, his explanation is here
given.
When asquare-rigged vessel is headed
Oft from her course-that is, when the
wind blows from the point in which her
| destination ies-the nearest she can
| steer to her true course is from five and
half to six compass points. Thus, if q
| ships port lies due north and the wind
| is from that direction the vessel braces
| her yards sharp up and sails as close to
| the wind as her rig will permit. Under
| these conditions her course will be
| alternately east-northeast and west
northwest, and the ship will obliquely
| approach her destination, nearing it
| continually in the proportion of about
| third of the distance traversed. If
| slanting toward her destination on the
| easterly course, the vessel will be what
| is technically known as on the port tack
| There are several methods by which it
hn oil to hn TO h,,f
| the operation known as lacking" is
usually resOrted to.
To tack successfully requires consid-
cradle judgment and skill, as we'll as a
thorough knowledge of the qualities Of
the vessel, as some work quicker and
some slower than others. Some will
gain several times their length directly
to WindWard while in stays, while 9TH
ers will gather sternboard and lose
ground before standing away on either
tack.
When the vessel is headed off her
course by an adverse wind the compass
is ignored by the helmsman, who
watches the leech of the mansail in
and the first to shiver when the ship
comes too near the wind.
The boatswain's call, "Ready, about I!
on deck when it is thought necessary to
go about on the opposite tack At the
call everyone repairs to bis allotted
station, some aloft to overhaul the lifts
and some to the gear for Chewing up the
mainsail. The majority of the force is
distributed upon the weather main and
lee crossjack braces.
The best helmsman is sent to the
wheel, and when he takes it the pre-
vious order, Full and by ~ is changed
to "keep full tor staysp' In obedience
to it the helm is put up, and, as the
ship lays her b1oadside to the wind
and springs forward with increased
speed, the officer in charge gives the
command, "Helm's a-lee"
Answering her helm, the ship sweeps
up into the wind, and, as the sails begin
to shiver, the order "Rise tacks and
sheets ~ is given, followed by the tramp
of feet ON deck as the men walk away
with the clew garnets. AS soon as the
heavy mainsail is clewed up to the yard
the men spring to the weather braces
The ship continues to SWING until she
brings the wind directly ahead and ey-
cry sail is fat Aback.
This is the critical moment, and very
frequently vessel misses stays owing
to the after yards being swung too soon
Oh TOO rave. w dtCuluS thiG NodtncF
vane, the officer gives the command
''Mainsail haul - and the pyramids of
canvas are swung around till the yards
are pointed at an opposite angle to that
to which they previously pointed. The
ships head pays off rapidly under the
pressure upon the foremost sails
which, with the head sails, are still
a5ack. AS the after sails fill, the last
command, "Haul we'll taut! Let go and
haul !" is given. The head yards are
braced smartly about, and if the opera
ton has been successful the vessel
stands away on the other tack.
Wearing the ship is another method
of going from one tack to another, and
is usually resorted to when the wind is
| too heavy to make the operation of tack
ing practicable. 1t is the exact reverse
| of tacking, inasmuch as the ship is al
lowed to run off from her course and
| make a sweep OF the horizon before
coming back to the wind again on the
opposite tack.
1t sometimes becomes necessary for
| ship to go on another tack when the