The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1899-01-12
COULDN'T HEAvE TO.
The Peculiar Experience Of "a Deep
sea skipper who Didn't Under
stand n Forc-and-Aftcr.


"The philosophy of seamauship is
supposed to be the same in all sailing
vessels" said the old skipper, but
there is a vast difference between hand
ling square-rigger and fore-and-
after. A deep-water sailor is at sea
in a double sense when he gets aboard
one of our clipper schooners. | served
my apprenticeship on schooner, and
never sailed on square-rigged vessel
until was man.
ain 1873 bought a swift schooner for
some friends and fitted her cut for d
cruise In southern waters. Capt. Bill
Curtis, who had never sailed in fore
and. after, commanded her. lie hunted
around for mate who had seized IN
schooners, and finally got man who
had made two or three voyages to the
West Indies. | told the owners there
was likely to be trouble aboard. Al
though | had given up the sea, they
persuaded me TO make the voyage to
uavana in their private interests.
IL was put on the articles as sailing
master We sailed from off the Battery
with a stiff northwester. We had
crew of foreigners, all squarerigged
sailors. | had nothing to say except in
an advisory capacity. We had good
run to IIatteras and across the Gulf
stream. When well to the southward of
it, in the squally latitudes, | looked out
of the companionway and saw squall
coming. The captain saw 1t, too, and
| saw that it worried him. All sail was
4 hal |
the schooner heel. Down, down, down
She went, Then l heard the whistling
of the blast and the voice of the captain
yelling: Hard up! Hard up!
81 ran up on deck. The captain had
| lust reached the wheel and was help
ing sailor to put the helm up. The
vessels lee rail was under water and the
topsails were adrift, tapping in the
wind. The captain had attempted TO
clew them up, but he had held on too
lcng. He had seen the mate take a
squall 'over the shoulder and had at
tempted the same trick. But the vessel
had been hit forward of the beam and
should have been luffed. The men at
the wheel couldn't bulge it. Neither
knew enough to ease off the main sheet.
| Immediately did this, and the hard
pressed schooner paid off and righted
in iiffy.
1--WE got down somewhere about lati-
tude 30 degrees south, and were making
for the Hole in the Wall under close
reefs. with the bonnet off the lib. Capt.
Bill was good marline spike sailor,
but was not strong on navigation. For
getting latitude he was all right, but in
working chronometer time for his lon
gitude he was weak. At nightfall he
was in doubt about his position. He
feared that he might pile the vessel up
on a reef IL he stood in his course, SO he
decided TO heave her to. IL was the
mates watch. The captain went on
deck and said: We'll heave her to for
the night Mr. Brown The mate re-
sponded: Aye, aye, sir. How shall we
!ay?'
"The schooner was travelling eight
knots on her course. and the breeze was
steady and strengthening all the time.
The captain got in passion, and ours
ing the mate, said: 'Heave her to, tell
you
"'Under what SAIL sir?' said the mate,
"Then the captain shouted down at
me: How in thunder do you heave this
schooner to?'
"'Call all hands, 1 answered, and
tack ship. Give me the wheel. Stand
by the mainmast halyards and let the
mainsail run down as she pays off in
stays This being done, kept her of
while the men slowed the jib. Then
under close-reefed foresail, | let her
come to the wind, trimmed the boom
in. and gave herr a spoke or two of lee
wheel till she lay to the wind and to the
heave of the sea like a petrol and as dry
as q bone.
"Becketing the wheel, l said TO the
captain and the mate: There, you can
all go to sleep now When ] went OF
deck later ] found the captain leaning
against the main boom looking off tc
leeward, smoking his pipe. Well, I'm
blowed,' he said, but this is comfort
She lays like baby in cradle. IN
Y. Sun.