If entering a floating dock the vessel will rest squarely upon her bottom.

Straight stemmed vessels can best be placed on an absolutely level keel by swinging a hand lead over the stem; the Chief Mate should see to this.

All closets, drains, and drip pipes should be shut off.

When the dock is dry the Chief Mate should make a careful inspection of the bottom. If it is intended to drain the tanks; double bottoms, peaks, etc., the carpenter should remove the necessary plugs. As soon as the draining is completed these should be replaced and the Chief Mate should see that they have been replaced properly by personal inspection. He should see that the plugs are not wooden plugs-this has been done.

While the vessel is in dry dock, aside from any extraordinary repairs that may be made, the following matters should be looked after:

Bottom cleaned and examined.

Note fouling and state of previous coatings, and when last applied.

Note corrosion and damage.

Outboard valves should be examined and reground when necessary. Rudder pintles and gudgeons should be carefully examined. Rudder lifted, and repairs made if necessary.

Stuffing boxes and valves of the rudder should be repacked.

Look for corrosion along the butts of shell plating. Look for corroded rivets; such rivets should be removed and new ones driven. Look after all zincs at the stern frames, valve openings, and at the propellers.

Examine struts, propeller shafting, brackets, etc.

Painting. It is essential that the bottom be dry before applying the anti-fouling paints. It should also be clean

and the paint should be well stirred before being taken in the individual buckets of the painters.

All metal but the zincs and the bronze propellers should be covered.

Waterline. The waterline should be properly struck; nothing looks worse-except perhaps a camouflaged tramp— than a vessel with a slovenly line to her boot top.

The correct and neat painting of the draft numerals on stem and stern should be seen to.

Docking Notes. It is well for the Chief Mate to keep "docking notes," these will come in very handy later on.

Seeing a vessel out of water is vastly different from merely inspecting her blue prints.

If Vessel Has Grounded. If the vessel has grounded before going on the dock, the greatest care should be taken in her inspection.

The bottom should be " sighted"; the cement on the tank bottoms and in the bilges should be examined for cracks.

The dock master should be consulted before weights of any kind are shifted while the vessel is on the blocks.

Duties of Chief Mate at Sea. The duties of the Chief Mate, while the vessel is at sea, depend upon the size and organization of the ship. If a large vessel, he does not stand a bridge watch, but devotes his entire time to the management of the deck department of the vessel. He is on duty all the time, but turns in at night, much the same as the Master.

In most vessels the Chief Mate stands a watch, usually the four to eight. This enables him to oversee things from the bridge, which he should never leave, and it gives him some time after breakfast to look over the vessel and outline the work of the boatswain.

The duties of the watch, the navigation, and lookout,

are much the same for all officers, and will be dealt with under the chapter on the Officer of the Watch.

At sea the routine of keeping the vessel clean, of attending to the upkeep of hull and gear, and of looking after the ventilation of the cargo, is largely a matter of the particular trade in which she is engaged.

A vessel jumping from port to port, with her booms up and down twice a week, presents a different problem from the vessel that keeps at sea a week or two at a time. The weather, the kind of cargo, the fact that passengers are carried or not, all tend to modify and direct the progress of work on board.

Before the Panama Canal was built, cargo vessels trading from the Atlantic Coast to the West Coast and the Hawaiian Islands, carried out a routine at sea as comfortable and settled as that of a sailing ship. Weather and time were in their favor and the maximum amount of painting and overhauling of gear could be attended to between ports.

So far as duty, aside from keeping watch is concerned, the Chief Mate should look after the following:

Have temperature of holds taken twice a day-coal cargo every watch.

Arrange for inspection and ventilation as weather permits.

Carry on all work with as little interference as possible, when passengers are on board.

Take into consideration the weather, when about to start painting. Always clean all surfaces before applying paint.

See a daily washdown of all wooden decks.

Keep all canvas dodgers and screens scrupulously white.

Under him the boatswain carries on the work as outlined.

Boat drills, fire drill, etc., are carried out under his direction while at sea and duly entered in the log.

The Chief Mate should see that all necessary assistance is given to the officer of the watch-when he stands days duty-in matters

of taking soundings, turning ventilators, setting and taking in awnings, heaving the deep sea lead, etc. Where the Chief Mate stands his watch, the watch officer on duty during a day watch is technically in full charge, and gives his orders direct.

Cooperation. The Chief Mate should manage his department so that he will obtain the cooperation of the heads of all other departments in the vessel, Chief Engineer, Purser, Doctor, Chief Steward, all should be in harmony. A thorough understanding of the work and needs of these officers helps toward the smooth working of a ship.

Conclusion. From the foregoing, it will be seen that the Chief Mate who attends to his duty in every detail is a very busy officer. It will also be noted that he is not called upon to handle the hose while washing down (I have seen this done), to juggle paint brushes, or sew a seam.

The Chief Mate must first of all be a sailor-he must know how his orders can only be successfully enforced when backed up by the knowledge and experience that tell him when things are going right or wrong.

The dignity and power of command come to the sea officer who is fully competent and alive to the high responsibilities of his calling. Much of his duty can be delegated— its responsibility, however, always rests with him. '

The Chief Mate who respects his billet, who respects the work and the rights of those under him, and who makes them respect the ship and himself, in turn, may well feel satisfied. He has something concrete, something definite, and worth while; he has his vessel to be proud of, and to reflect credit upon himself and his service. Such an officer is a gentlemen in the finest sense of the word-with all of his duties, and they are many-he will find time to cultivate ideals and expand his soul.

The prize of command will soon be his, and then he can look forward to years of satisfying service as Master.

CHAPTER IX

RULES OF THE U. S. SUPERVISING INSPECTORS RELATING TO LIFESAVING

CAPACITY OF LIFE BOATS

The capacity of lifeboats shall hereafter be determined by an allowance of 15 cubic feet for each person carried.

Equipment for lifeboats.

All lifeboats on ocean steam vessels shall be equipped as follows:

A properly secured life line the entire length on each side, festooned in bights not longer than 3 feet, with a seine float in each bight.

One painter of manila rope of not less than 2 inches in circumference and of suitable length.

A full complement of oars and two spare oars.

One set and a half of thole pins or rowlocks attached to the boat with separate chains.

One steering oar with rowlock or becket and one rudder with tiller or yoke and yoke lines.

One boat hook attached to a staff of suitable length.

Two life preservers.

Two hatchets.

One galvanized-iron bucket with lanyard attached.
One bailer.

Where automatic plugs are not provided there shall be two plugs secured with chains for each drain hole.

One efficient liquid compass with not less than a 2-inch card.

One lantern containing sufficient oil to burn at least nine hours and ready for immediate use.

L

One can containing one gallon of illuminating oil.