324        nichoils's seamanship and nautical knowledge
must depend on the ship herself and the state of her trim. 6ome ships
lie very well when they are kept before the sea with their engines going
slowly ahead.
5.	You are running before a heavy gale and the ship is labouring badly.
What could you do to relieve her?
Reduce the speed to that at which she makes the best weather
of it, having regard to the fact that the faster I can keep her going the
less likely she is to take heavy seas over the stern Spread oil judiciously.
I might alter the course so that she will take the sea more kindly.
6.	When heaving to in a steamer would you prefer to carry the wind
on the port side or the starboard side? State the reason.
I should prefer to carry the wind on the port side. With engines
going ahead and the ship having a right handed propeller, the tendency
of the side thrust is to cant her head to port. She would therefore lie
up better with the wind on the port bow than she would with it on the
other side.
7.	What makes a vessel roll?
The waves or the swell. The magnitude of the rolling depends
upon the state of the vessel's stability as well as on the amount of sea
which is running. A "stiS" ship will roll more violently than a
" tender " one.
8.	Your ship is rolling heavily.   What can you do to steady her?
An alteration of course would be the alternative. I should keep
her going in the direction (as near to my proper course as possible)
in which she made the best weather of it. Should steam at a reduced
speed if I did not like the track she was making. Should heave to if
necessary.
It would be very dangerous to do anything in the way of emptying
or filling ballast tanks while the ship was rolling heavily. The rush
of water in a partly rilled tank might damage the crown of the tank
which would then let water into the told. If the tank was being "run
up" the result might be very serious before the damage was discovered.
9.	Your funnel gcfes over the side.     What would happen and what
would you do?
The decks would be enveloped in smoke, heat and clinkers would be
troublesome, and the draught through the furnaces would be very
much reduced.