Page 161 - NAVAL SCIENCE 3 TEXTBOOK

HASIC SEA;\IANS ilIP 167

The)' also act as pelt)' oniccrs in charge of gun crews and dalll- Line is made from either natural fibers of various plants
age control parties during general quarters. Under way, thc)' stalld (manila, sisal, hemp. cotton. and tlax), or synthetic fibers sllch as
boatswain's mate of the watch 011 the bridge; in port they stand 11)'10 11 <lnd Kevlar. Of the naturcll fibers, /IIallila is the one most
pelly officer of the watch on the quarterdeck. During replenish- often used aboard ship. It is strongest ilild most expensive. It is
ment operations under wa)'. boatswain's mates have most of the made from the fibers of the abaca, or wild bananil plant. raised
key jobs at the transfer stations. chiefly in the Philippines (hence the name milnila). At one time
The boatswain's mates Oil board ship have much influence most all line lIsed on Navy ships was made Ii'OIll manila.
011 their enlisted. They spend most of their da)' supervising sea- 'loday, however, nylon and Kevlar line has replaced manila
men. They have the responsibility of tmining, and working with, for almost all shipboard applications ill the Navy except high-line
almost evelT new person reporting on board ship. ;"lal1), people transfer of personnel between ships at sea. Although nylon line is
receive their first impressions of shipboard life in the deck division. more expensive than manila, it is much stronger and lasts longer.
The work is often hard, and the hours are long. Seamen arc often For these reasons. nylon and Kevlar line is often cheaper in the long
in the open, exposed to the wcather. The life of a deck seaman is run, even though its initial cost is greater than that of manila.
demanding, so the leadership provided by boatswain's mates is Nylon does not rot or age as rapidly as natural fiber, so it keeps
vel')' important. its strength better throughout its life. It is also less bulky, requires
In larger ships. the fi rst lieutenant often has ;l chief warrant less stowage space, ~Ild is Illore flexible, making it easier to han-
boatswain as an assistant, in addition to deck division officers. dle. Nylon is practically waterproof. It does not decay. and resists
In such cases. this officer is called the ship's uoatslI'aill. The senior marine fungus growths. But nylon also stretches more thalll11anila
boatswain's mate will serve as the leading boatswain's m~te. ~nd under load. This is why it is not used for transferring people or
assists the ship's boatswain. First-class boatswain's mates normally cargo from ship to ship b)' highline. N)'lon will stretch abollt 50
serve as division petty officers. percent before brenking, but when it docs, it snaps like a rubber
band. so it can be very dangerous under heavy strain.
Although wire rope has not been in gel1eJ'<l1 use for some
Marlinspike Seamanship years. some ships still lise it for situations where extra strength is

The /liar/iI/spike is a tapered steel tool used lor separating strands required, such as when storms or high winds are expected. Because
of rope. It is the basic tool of the seaman, and hils become the sym- such rope tends to form spurs or burrs on the surtilCe over time,
bolic "tool of the trade." people handling it should always wear heavy leather work gloves.
Marlinspike seamanship concerns the use nnd carc or fiber line They should take care not to rub against it, since the sharp burrs
and wire rope used at sea. It includes every kind of knotting and Gill easily pierce light clothing and inllict severe cuts.
splicing, as well as all fanc)'work done with rope, twine, and cord. Regardless of the material fi'om which it is made, all line is
It takes knowledge and skill to become proficient in mariinspike formed in basically the sallie way. The natuml or synthetic fibers
seamanship. A good seaman h~s a renl appreci~tion for a sOllnd are twisted together in one direction to form )'a1'l/s or thrends.
piece of line or a good square knot or splice. One look at the way a These yarns or threads are twisted together in the opposite direc-
person handles aline tells experienced people whether or not that tion to form stmnds. which are in turn twisted together in the
person is n seaman. 1L is not a difficult art, but to learn it well takes opposite direction to 101'111 the line. General-purpose line made in
time, pntience, and practice. Knowledge of marlinspike seaman- this manner is known as plail/-Iaid.
ship is the real test for deck Sailors. and is most important to their The degree of twist of the strands or the type ofla), of the strands
chances for advancement. will C<luse the strength of different types of linc to vary. For instance,
The rest of this chapter will deal with the types, care, makeup, hard twisting increases the friction that holds the line together and
and use of rope. [vfan), NjROTC cadets will want to try their hand makes it less likely to absorb moisture. fiut too many twists reduce
at tying knots, and some may even wish to do some fancy or orna-
mentnl work. It call be fUll, as weli as practical.

Rope and Line

Rope is a general term that C<1n be applied to both fiber and wire.
In the Nav)', though, fiber rope is called lille. Fiber rope is called
rope as long as it is still in its original coil. Once the rope has been
uncoiled and cut for use. it is not called rope anymore. Rope made
The construction of line. Note how successive twists of the fibers,
from wire is called wire rope, Or just lI'ire.
yarns, and strands are always opposed. Line formed in this way is
called plain-laid.