Evening star., 1941-08-16

freckIes on my nose jump like pan
cakes in a griddle.
That's not boat, sir. It's ship.
And that isn't the ocean, it's the
Roads"
I started to make him bet. but
then I remembered my early Damon
Runyon training which teaches that
that only a sucker bets fellow at
his own game.
We circled around little more
and, in an effort to show him that
could be as fast as the next one,
pointed to what I had always
considered boat, and asked: What
kind of ship is that, offlcer?'
My freckles disappeared this time
under the scorn of his answer.
That's not a ship, sir, that's
boat"
The tour stopped right there, I
motioned him to sit down on what
thought was a bench, but un-
doubtedly was a ship or boat, and
had a heart -to-heart talk with him.
The first thing I got cleared Up
was the ip-boat-boat-ship busi-
ness. He made it quite simple. A
boat is any craft which can be car
ried on a ship. A tender is boat.
A launch is boat. A lifeboat is
boat. No matter if a boat is big
enough to be a ship, if it can be
carried on a ship it is boat.
See?
I didn't torture my guide any
longer. I simply asked him to rec
ommend a book which I could read
and digest which would enable me
to speak at least pidgin navy, 50
that I would have some idea Of what
they were talking about.
He recommended The Bluejacket's
Manual" a book which is furnished
to all naval recruits.
At the moment I am examining
like a schoolboy with exams coming
up tomorrow in the vague hope that
I can return to the naval operating
base in the morning An, midnight
oil. All, pots of black coffee.
The Navy just doesn't tolerate
landlubber language. Bankers will
talk to you when you don't know an
equity from first mortgage. Law
yers will have you in their homes
when they know you can't dis
tinguish between tort and party
of the second part. But not the
Navy.
7 feel am making quite a bit OF
progress with The Bluejacket's
Manual
Already, for example, know how
to shake out a reef. You start shak-
ing when you get the command,
Stand by to shake" If you are
coxswain you luff slightly If you
are not, you do things to the hal
yards until they are Stacked down
just enough to cast off earrings and
reef points. There's nothing to it,
provided you know what halyard is.
The only thing that puzzles me is
why great big ship should have
little coxswain to egg it on. The
manual doesn't say so, but I suppose
if the reefs are well shaken they
throw the coxsWain overheard.
I blush to tell you, but until few
minutes ago I wouldn't have known
what tholepin was. 1t is so simple.
1t is a pin fitted in the gunwhale
plank used in place of rowlock,
used with manila ring about inches
in diameter called a tholepin grom-
met.
How many of you know what
Standby to unstep" means?
I do, teacher.
1t means to cast off shrouds, to
start with, but that isn't all Star
board thwartmen must prepare to
receive the mainmast and port
thwartmen prepare to receive fore
mast. Then there is about 10 min
utes of frantic activity, after which
every one is supposed to quickly
take seats on the thWartS."
X x
After an hour or two with -The
Bluejacket's Manual" it makes me
shudder to think how ignorant I
was when I went to the naval base
this morning. If my officer and
guide had asked me if I cared to see
the 'gripes" 1 probably would have
said, NO" figuring that it wouldn't
be interesting to see a group of men
complaining about Navy life. But
"gripeS" aren't that at all. They
are, in Navy language, fascinating
little articles for holding a lifeboat
steady in one position. 1t probably
would interest you to know that life
boat gripes are bellybands made Of
lined canvas bands.
Or if my guide mad suggested that
I take look at the lizards" I un-
doubtedly would have Shamed my
self by saying, "Ah, the Navy has
zoo, huh?" AS a matter of fact,
lizards are not what you landlub-
bers know as lizards at all. A navy
lizard is a section of rope with a
thimble fitted at one end.
My officer guide is going to be SUR
pri5ed tomorrow when I horn pipe
into his office eating some sailors
duff.
Ship ahoy, mates.
Oh. Lawdy, no; I mean boat ahoy.
Distributed by McNaueht Syndicate. Inc)
DR. udwin kost Dies