1. Teaching Seamanship at the US Naval Academy
First shore duty, spent 3 years teaching at USNA
Teaching Seamanship at the US Naval Academy

2. Presentation Topics USNA Training Vessels Seaman’s Eye
Forces Acting on the Vessel
Handling Alongside
Anchoring
Man Overboard
Will touch on these topics, staying at a high level and keeping a focus on the principles that are just as applicable to pleasure boats as to Naval ships
This is the area where the midshipmen practiced mooring, getting underway, and restricted maneuvering
Seamanship: The art of navigating, working and managing a vessel in all matters affected by being afloat and at sea

3. USNA Training Vessels Length over all – 85 feet Beam – 18 feet
Displacement – 65 tons
Draft – 6 feet
Propulsion – 4 Detroit diesels, 165 SHP each
Twin screws, twin rudders
Top speed 12 knots; 1800 nm range
Wooden hull, aluminum superstructure
With twin screws and rudders they handled like scaled down destroyers

4. Sailing Program Recreational and Competitive Sailing
ft ocean racing sloops
foot Luders yawls
5 – 30 foot Shields class sloops
30 – 24 foot knockabouts
30 – 420 class racing dinghies
Formal sailing instruction the first year, after that recreation and competitive.

5. Presentation Topics USNA Training Vessels Seaman’s Eye
Forces Acting on the Vessel
Handling Alongside
Anchoring
Man Overboard
Will touch on these topics, staying at a high level and keeping a focus on the principles that are just as applicable to pleasure boats as to Naval ships
This is the area where the midshipmen practiced mooring, getting underway, and restricted maneuvering
Seamanship: The art of navigating, working and managing a vessel in all matters affected by being afloat and at sea

6. Developing Seaman’s Eye Mastering the essentials of situations demanding seamanship
Measure the Environment
Break out the charts, burgee, cruising guide, current charts, tide tables etc.
Measure important ranges and bearings where action is required, depths, shoals, wind and current direction and velocity, tide
Plan & Calculate the Evolution
Evaluate the circumstances & constraints
Think thru & plan important pieces, e.g.
Where to turn, bearings at which to change speed/heading, time to maintain a course, ways to preserve flexibility
Check & correct
Anticipate things that could go wrong
Adjust as the situation develops
Davy Jones
We all know someone who is a perfect ship handler, whose timing is impeccable, whose understanding of ship motion, wind, tide, and current is flawless….
He was not born with the knowledge, these skills can be learned
Plan ahead what you will do and when, and what you will do if it doesn’t come out right the first try

7. Developing Seaman's Eye Calibrate Your Vessel
What to expect of a given engine & rudder combination
Turning rate to port, to starboard
Distance to come to a stop when going ahead at various speeds, with different backing power
Surge - how far does she go when speed is reduced before you are actually at the lower speed
Turning diameter?
Advance and transfer for a 90 degree turn?
Relative effect of wind vs. current
Thumb rules for speed, time & distance
1 knot = 100 yards in 3 minutes
1 knot = 33 yards in 1 minute
15 knots = 500 yards per minute
Know what to expect – how the vessel behaves under predictable circumstances

8. Presentation Topics USNA Training Vessels Seaman’s Eye
Forces Acting on the Vessel
Handling Alongside
Anchoring
Man Overboard
Will touch on these topics, staying at a high level and keeping a focus on the principles that are just as applicable to pleasure boats as to Naval ships
This is the area where the midshipmen practiced mooring, getting underway, and restricted maneuvering
Seamanship: The art of navigating, working and managing a vessel in all matters affected by being afloat and at sea

9. Forces Acting on the Ship Environmental
Wind
High freeboard, shallow draft vessels most affected by wind
Force is proportional to wind velocity2; doubling the velocity quadruples the force
Superstructure provides sail area; bow tends to fall off downwind
Tendency to back into the wind
Current
Force from current for a given velocity is much stronger then wind
Deeper draft vessels more affected by current than others
Current from abeam has much more impact than from ahead
The vessel is carried along by the current – set and drift
Sea
Sea from ahead of the beam slows forward motion; abaft the beam accelerates motion
Seas on bow or quarter require continuous rudder to maintain course
Seas from quarter or astern cause ship to yaw; requires significant rudder, reduces speed of advance
Seas from abeam cause heavy rolling
At slow speed ship tends to fall off into the trough
Head seas cause pitching, may cause pounding

10. Forces Acting on the Ship Under Our Control - Engine & Rudder
Engines and rudder act on the stern of the ship; control the ship by controlling the force at the stern
We steer the ship by forcing the stern right or left, and the bow moves in the opposite direction
The ship turns around the pivot point, the bow riding inside and the stern outside, with the pivot point making a smooth turn
Ship turns or twists about the pivot point
Cannot move the pivot point sideways using engine and rudder alone
Path of the Pivot Point when turning
Engines, rudder act on the stern
Engines opposed, no way on:
Ship twists about her pivot point

11. As if the blades were bearing on the bottom
Force From Propeller
Screws provides thrust ahead or astern
Also generates a side force, as if the blades were bearing on the bottom
Effect of engine torque and flow against the underwater body
Screw turning ahead generates a small side force pushing the stern to the right
Screw turning astern generates a stronger side force and pushes stern to the left
Forces cancel each other out on a twin screw ship with counter rotating screws
Single screw vessel
Twin screw vessel
Side force
Side forces cancel
As if the blades were bearing on the bottom

12. Resultant Forces, Making Way Single Screw Vessel
Left
Rudder
Right
Rudder
Left
Rudder
Right
Rudder
Amidships
Amidships
Screw
Thrust
Side Force
Rudder
Force
Resultant
Screw Turning Ahead, Making Headway
Turning Astern, Making Sternway
Vessel turns faster and tighter to port than starboard when engine is turning ahead
Side force is greater when the engine is turning astern
Screw helical discharge is thrown against the ship structure, hence greater effect
Ship backs strongly to port
When making sternway, tendency to back to port can be overcome with rudder but much greater forces can be applied to port

13. Resultant Forces, Dead in the Water Single Screw Vessel
Left
Rudder
Right
Rudder
Left
Rudder
Right
Rudder
Amidships
Amidships
Resultant
Resultant
Resultant
Resultant
Resultant
Resultant
Engine Turning Ahead, DIW
Engine Turning Astern, DIW
If engine is turning ahead, rudder force is as great whether ship is DIW or making way
If DIW and engine turning astern, vessel backs to port regardless of rudder position

14. Resultant Forces Twin Screw Ship
Side forces are cancelled out if the screws are driving together, whether ahead or astern
If engines are opposed, side forces augment each other, creating a strong lateral force
If going ahead on one screw only, ships will veer toward the opposite side
If backing on one screw, veering effect is even stronger
With twin screws & rudders, can create a force at the stern in any desired direction
Some engine/ rudder combinations
Port
Stbd
Rudders
Resultant

15. Presentation Topics USNA Training Vessels Seaman’s Eye
Forces Acting on the Vessel
Handling Alongside
Anchoring
Man Overboard
Will touch on these topics, staying at a high level and keeping a focus on the principles that are just as applicable to pleasure boats as to Naval ships
This is the area where the midshipmen practiced mooring, getting underway, and restricted maneuvering
Seamanship: The art of navigating, working and managing a vessel in all matters affected by being afloat and at sea

16. Handling Alongside – Landing Twin Screw, Twin Rudder
Uncomplicated Situation
Uncomplicated and no Sonar Dome
Approach on a 10 – 20 degree angle. With left rudder, back the outboard shaft to kill headway and get more parallel
Approach at a shallow angle so stern is free for swinging and backing out is possible
10 to 20 degrees
Put over the after bow spring line
Swing parallel to pier, put over all lines.
20 yards
If necessary to bring the stern closer in, come ahead on the starboard engine with left rudder
10 yards
Walk the ship in broadside to the pier. Take 1 to the capstan. Twist the stern in.
This avoids endangering the bulbous sonar dome or scraping the side of the ship

17. Handling Alongside – Getting Underway Twin Engine, Rudder
Take in all after lines, take slack out of forward lines. Twist out with engines then slack forward lines
Take in all forward lines. Back port engine with brief right rudder to get bow out
Uncomplicated Situation
fender
Back clear, using outboard engine and right rudder if needed
Alternative, Uncomplicated Situation
Take in all lines. Back starboard engine.
When bow is clear, twist with port engine back, starboard ahead, left rudder.
Come ahead with starboard engine and left rudder

18. Some Line Handling Terminology
Put over line one
Pass line 1 to the pier
Take a strain on one
Put line 1 under tension
Take in the slack on one
Remove the slack but do not put under tension
Slack one
Take all tension off 1, let it hang slack, but not in the water
Ease one
Let 1 out until it is under less tension but not slack
Hold five
Do not allow any more line to go out on number 5, even at risk of parting the line
Check five
Put a heavy tension on 5 but not to the breaking point
Surge five
Hold moderate tension; allow it to slip
Cast off all lines
A command to those on the pier to throw off the lines from the bollards/cleats 1 2 3 4 5 6
Lines are numbered on the ship
Bow line
After bow spring
Forward bow spring
After quarter spring
Forward quarter spring
Stern line
Some of the standard line handling commands
Though you are less formal it is still useful to use standard terms – “take a strain” “ease” “take in the slack”

19. Presentation Topics
USNA Training Vessels
Seaman’s Eye
Forces Acting on the Vessel
Line Handling
Handling Alongside
Anchoring
Man Overboard
Will touch on these topics, staying at a high level and keeping a focus on the principles that are just as applicable to pleasure boats as to Naval ships
This is the area where the midshipmen practiced mooring, getting underway, and restricted maneuvering
Seamanship: The art of navigating, working and managing a vessel in all matters affected by being afloat and at sea

20. Selecting an Anchorage
Considerations
Protection from wind & current
Space: An unobstructed area equal to a circle whose radius is the length of the vessel plus the scope of anchor chain
Depth: Consider tidal range and shoals at low tide
Tide: it will go out; will there be water under the keel? Will the scope be adequate?
Type bottom: Symbol Holding Power:
Firm sand S 1
Medium density sticky clay Cy 0.66
Soft mud M 0.33
Gravel G 0.33
Hard bottom (rock, shale) R 0

21. Scope of Anchor Chain/Line
Recommended* for USN & merchants
Pleasure boats with nylon anchor rode**
5:1 under favorable conditions; 10:1 in heavy weather
Consider high tide and height of hawse above water
Longer scope = less likely to drag anchor
Veer more line if the wind picks up; consider a second anchor
Water Depth (D)
Scope
Up to 10 fathoms 7D
10 to 15 fathoms 6D
15 to 20 fathoms 5D
20 to 30 fathoms 4D
Over 30 fathoms 3D
**Chapman
*Knight, Crenshaw
Direction of Force
Direction of Force
At short scope the angle of pull tends to lift the anchor out of the bottom

22. Chain Markings Navy Chain Markings Pleasure Craft Usage Shot Number
Color of Detachable Link
# of Adjacent White Links 1
Red 2
White 3
Blue 4 5 6
Chapman suggests 5 or 6 marks at intervals of 20 feet
Example - Marking for shot 3 (45 fathoms)
Next to last shot is all yellow; last shot is all red

23. Anchoring Techniques
Approach straight in, into the wind/current, slowly
Release anchor while making sternway
Set the anchor and veer to desired scope
Chain/line should be stretched out ahead of the vessel and under some tension to set the anchor.
Put a swing circle on the chart or GPS and monitor your position
Indication of dragging: Heavy tension, line vibrates, bearings shift
USS Bache, 1968,
Rhodes, Greece

24. Presentation Topics
USNA Training Vessels
Seaman’s Eye
Forces Acting on the Vessel
Line Handling
Handling Alongside
Anchoring
Man Overboard
Will touch on these topics, staying at a high level and keeping a focus on the principles that are just as applicable to pleasure boats as to Naval ships
This is the area where the midshipmen practiced mooring, getting underway, and restricted maneuvering
Seamanship: The art of navigating, working and managing a vessel in all matters affected by being afloat and at sea

25. Man Overboard Flotation over the side Mark the chart or GPS
MOB button
Radio call to CG
Keep the man in sight continuously; point to him
If man is in sight, make a continuous full rudder turn
If man not in sight, make Williamson turn to come back on reciprocal of your track
Put the vessel upwind of the man and stop your headway to make recovery
Stay 10 feet away
Get a line on the person
Start Turn
Turn Completed
One Turning Diameter
Initial Course
Williamson Turn
60 degrees from initial course shift rudder from full right to full left
Need mechanical advantage to get him aboard; e.g., block & tackle

26. Questions?