Evening journal., 1898-01-08
THE GREEN AND THE RED.


tion Of the principal rules governing
the movements Of steamers and sailing
vessels to prevent collision. A deep
water sailor remarked this fact to the
Wayfarer a day or two ago and said
that the rules were exceedingly sim
pie. and he wondered that all lovers
Of aquatic sports did not familiarize
themselves with them. Regarding the
rules regulating the movements OF
steam craft ne said the best way ne
had found to remember them was to
commit TO memory the following
verses:
When all the lights see ahead,
/ port my helm and show my red.
Green to green and red to red,
Perfectly safe, go ahead.
When on my starboard red appear,
IL is my duty to keep clear
To act as judgment says Is proper,
Port or starboard, back or stop her.
But II upon my port Is seen
A steamers starboard light OF green,
There's nought for me TO do but see
That green to port keeps clear of me.
Both when in safety and in doubt,
! always keep a good lookout:
In danger with no room to turn,
l ease her, stop her, go astern.
That the landsman may understand
the significance of the terms starbOard
and port and that OF the lights, it may
be we'll to state the right hand side Of
the steamer as you stand facing the
bow is the starbOard side, and the left
hand side the port side When sail
ing at night steamers carry a green
light on the starboard side and a red
light on the port side. They are only
visible from in front and 80 many
points from the bow In addition TO
these colored lights a steam craft car
ries white lights at the masthead
and another white light at the bow
which can be seen from any direction
II IL be a tug with a tow two white
lights are displayed at the masthead
TO warn other craft to be careful and
not collide with the barge or other
thing she may be towing. A sailing
craft only carries the green light tC
starboard and the red light to port
To prevent other craft running hei
down from behind she has white
played when the craft overtaking her
is getting within dangerous distance
Unless you are directly in the way q
a steamer or sailing vessel you canno
see both the green and the red light
nj the same time But when you d,
see them 1t Is to your interest to pu
your helm to starboard or port ant
sail on to one side or the other unit
but one light is visible The tack yol
take depends very largely upon TIN
point you are making for, the direc
ton from which the wind is blowinf
and the closeness OF the steame
which threatens to run you down
When meeting a steamer one whist
means that she will pass to the right
two whistles, that she will pass to tn
left In other words, when a steame
blows once IL means that she will tur
out TO her right and pass you on th
port side, which is at your left han,
Two blows, she will steer off to he
left and pass you on the starboard {
right-hand side. When you are sal
ing in the same direction that she
going, one blow signifies that it is h,
Intention to turn to her right and pa,
you on the right hand side. but If 81
gives two blows she will turn to II
left and pass you on your left-har
side. A steam craft must always gi,
way to a sailing craft, but owners
small boats should not presume t
much upon this rule which circun
stances often render it impossible I,
The pilots OF large steamers to Observ
The best general rule for a small bo
Is to keep out of the way Of big era.
which are harder to handle, and +
quire much more water and worlxil
room.
Speaking of the rules which cove
two sailing craft the deep-water sail
laid them down in this concise form
When two sailing craft are a
preaching one another so as to invol
risk OF collision one shall keep out
the way Of the other as follows:
"A vessel clOse-hauled on the DC
tack keeps clear of a vessel clos
hauled on the starboard tack.
When both are running free. wi
the wind on different Sides the YES.
with the wind on the starboard 81
shall keep out Of the way Of the 9th
When both are running free, WI
the wind on the same side, the YES
which is to windward shall keep Gle
Of the vessel to leeward.
"A vessel running free shall keep {
OF the way Of one close-hauled.
A vessel with the wind aft sh
keep out of the way Of all other shi
whether they are close hauled or n
ming free
Many landsmen do not know the
ference between a boat on the ST
board tack and one on the port tack
simple rule for distinguishing them
this; If the boom is out on the rig
hand, or starboard side of the be
She is on the port tack, because
wind is blowing over the port rail
NIL the sail. On the other hand, if
boom is out on the left, or port, s
OF the boat, the wind is blowing o
the right, or starboard, rail to fll
sail, and the craft is on the starbo
tack. The term ''close-hauled' is
piled TO a craft which is sailing
most dead into the eye OF the wind,
in other words, sailing in practics
an opposite way TO that from VIII
the wind is blowing. Some boats
point much closer into the wind Il
others. and the closer they point
I.rst4 a.