318 NTCHOLLS'S SEAMANSHIP AND NAUTICAL KNOWLEDGE
17. You are moored in a roadstead, one anchor to hold her on the ebb
tide and the other on the flood. A gale springs up from abeam
so that she swings to it with the cables across the stem. What
action would you take?
Slack away gently on both cables so as to bring the lead of the
cables more ahead. Pay out with due regard to the depth of water
I shall have astern at low water. When the gale dies away heave them
both in again.
18. You are moored in a river riding to the starboard anchor. A gale
springs up from ahead and the ship begins to drag. What would
you do?
Pay out gently on the riding cable, heaving in the slack of the other.
As long as the ship kept on dragging I should continue to pay out on
the starboard cable. After passing tjie port anchor I should get a strain
gradually on the port cable. The two anchors should then hold her.
19. Lying at single anchor, your ship is sheering about heavily. What
would you do to steady her?
If there was any tide I should send a hand to the wheel to steer her.
By tending her carefully the sheering could be prevented.
If no tide, she might be steadied by setting fore-and-aft sails with
their sheets amidships. These would help to keep her on one side of
her anchor.
If sails proved to be useless I should wait until she sheered the right
way bringing the anchor well out on its own bow, then let go the other
anchor and pay out cable on it.
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20. You are lying at single anchor with a gale expected. What
precautions would you take?
Heave in some of the cable to which I was riding, give the ship a
sheer from her anchor, let go the second anchor and pay out on both
cables.
21. You are in a vessel moored in a river. She sheers towards the bank
on her port side. What would you do?
While the tide was strong enough she could be. kept in position by
a hand at the wheel to tend her if necessary. If I had steam I should
make use of the engines.