The Royalist with a crew of trainees aboard. Photo by Lt. Peter Henery, RNR . Drawings by the author.
overboard raft until the Captain deems all ready for a reversal of course. He then wears ship (as above) and returns on a reciprocal course. The brig approaches the raft with the wind abeam aiming to bring the raft close to on her lee side. At a suitable moment according to the Captain's judgment, the brig is hove-to as previously described, backing first the foremast and then the mainmast (fig. 12a and 12b).
If all has been done correctly, the ship will be stopped with the raft close-to on her lee side and possibly a strong swimmer (with a line attached) may be sent away to secure the raft should it be beyond boat-hook range . The maneuver for practice is carried out without engines, but in reality the auxiliary engines would be started and used both to speed up recovery and to assist in stopping the ship ifthe heavingto was not perfectly executed. On the SEA HISTORY 52, WINTER 1989-90
other hand, it must be understood that, except in calm conditions, the brig cannot be maneuvered as a motor vessel without regard to the sails, and the maneuver is thus always to be conducted under sail. Box Hauling This fascinating alternative to tacking or wearing ship was much used by the collier brigs, which used to bring coal from Newcastle and other northeast coast ports to London until the advent of steam power. Their seamanship was a matter of renown and it is of interest that the crews were not paid by the day but by the round trip. This obviously encouraged them to make fast passages! Sailing up the Thames to London was generally against the prevailing wind, which meant tacking up a narrow river with a fair tide and generally anchoring during the foul tide. Box hauling brought the brigs from one tack to another using the minimum river space and enabled the vessel to make way to windward with the aid of the tide throughout the maneuver. Scenario: vessel on port tack. The following orders are given: #1-"Hands to bracing stations. " All hands go to stations. #2-"Stand by to box haul ship." Braces, tacks and sheets made ready. #3-"Both masts bracing port, let go and haul." Both masts are braced aback. #4-"B rail up spanker." After parts brai I up spanker. The Captain then watches the speed of the ship closely, and just before the vessel stops, he will order: #5-"Hard a-starboard." The helmsman replies: "Hard¡a-starboard," and reports: "Wheel's hard a-starboard," when it is. #6-"Let fly the jib." The jib sheet is Jet go to release the wind from it. The Captain watches the water alongside, and as soon as the ship begins to gather stemway, he orders: #7-"Reverse the helm. Hard a-port." The helmsman repeats the order, complies and reports. The brig will then drive her stem up into ¡the wind with remarkable speed, and eventually stop again all stern movement. At this point the Captain again orders: #8-"Reverse the helm. Hard a-starboard." The helmsman repeats the order, complies and reports. The yards may now be braced square to speed the maneuver or adjusted to the Captain's orders. As soon as the vessel
has turned sufficiently to put the wind on the starboard quarter, the order is given: #9-"Set the spanker." The after parts of port and starboard watch let go the brails and haul on the clew outhaul, setting the spanker with the spanker sheet kept hard in to push the stem around quickly. #10-"Let draw the jib and main staysail." Jib and main staysail are sheeted to port. As the brig turns to come close hauled on the starboard tack, the yards are braced accordingly and the helmsman given a course to steer or ordered to sail "full and bye." It sounds like a complicated and difficult maneuver, but it really is quite simple and certainly very stingy of sea room, and one can well understand how effective it must have been when used by the collier brigs for all those years. Nowadays the thought of sailing a square rigger up a narrow tidal river with today's traffic would not only be terrifying, but would also doubtless be against some modem bye-law, but it was common until the advent of steam tugs and not unknown for many years after that.
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As recently as 1973, Kapitan zur see Baron von Stackleburg of the Federal German Navy brought the 1800 ton bark Gorch Fock up the Thames as far as Gravesend under full sail doing some sixteen knots, although admittedly the wind was from the northeast, so no box hauling was needed. When the pilot protested, the Baron said to him: "Pilot, I do not think you know what you are doing," to which the terrified pilot replied, "No, I don't. But I hope you do." "That is right," said the Baron. "Steward, bring the pilot a cup of coffee, a glass of cognac and a newspaper." '1> Commander Scott is head of Square Rigged Services, ltd. of Bognor Regis, England, and served many years as captain of the Royalist.Now retired, he goes as guest or relief captain aboard Royalist and other square-riggers. The Square Rigger Club , a registered charity, exists to assist the operation of the Royalist. For further information contact: Membership Secretary, Square Rigger Club, Commercial House , Station Road, Bognor Regis, W. Sussex, Great Britain. Tel: 0243-825831 . 33