BOAT HANDLING

you know boat handling is a pretty big subject so much so the chapters and even whole books have been written about it we can't even begin to give you the whole story here we'll try in this film to show the first steps in handling a powerboat and some of the operating characteristics of the LCVP this LCVP landing path for vehicles and personnel looks as though it's about ready to get underway but there are a few items which must be checked before this boat can be considered ready for service did I say a few looks like a half day's work all boat equipment must be checked and there are several checks to be made before the engine may be started fuel oil water batteries sand traps the fuel filter grease cups steering apparatus fuel oil and water lines fuel valves engine belts and stuffing boxes it looks like a lot yes but a few minutes attention by all hands is all it's necessary to take care of it and every man in the crew must learn to accurately perform every check in the list the point is this to be sure absolutely sure that all required gear is aboard and that the boat itself is in good operating condition before getting underway and you don't just take things for granted see for yourself that's the rule while the boat equipment is being carefully examined the engineer goes ahead with the engine check and how about the bilges excess water in the bottom is lousy seamanship makes the boat hard to handle sluggish in operation and to fuel and oil may collect in dirty bilges making a serious fire hazard here's something to remember a pump driven by the engine keeps the water down in the bilges but not the this strainer is fouled so keep it clean brother keep it clean a moment ago we mentioned fire hazard in any powerboat the possibility of fire is always present so check the fire extinguisher daily testing its weight to be sure it's full and ready for use okay all gear is aboard and in working condition spare oil and water have been provided the bilges are clean and dry the engineer is completing the engine check this is the surge tank the reservoir for the freshwater cooling system it must be kept filled to within one inch of the top and we're ready to start the engine first the throttle is turned from the off position to idling position remember throttle set for idling speed when starting except when a cold-weather start is necessary as soon as the engine starts the sand traps are checked for saltwater circulation the diesel engine in the VP has a fresh water cooling system capacity about nine gallons this freshwater is cooled in turn by cold sea water pumped through one of these filters or traps and then through a heat exchanger when one trap becomes fouled by sand and bits of shell the suction current is shifted to the other and the dirty trap is then removed for cleaning it's absolutely necessary to warm up the engine before the boat is put into operation this is best done under load condition that is with the clutch in gear and the engine turning over between eight hundred and a thousand rpms if it's not possible to warm up under load the engine should be run a bit faster between 1,000 and 1,200 rpms in either case warm up must be continued until the water temperature gauge registers 130 degrees then and not until then will the VP be ready for operation okay let's go shove off Coxon shifting into gear when getting underway or shifting from one direction to another is always done with the throttle set at idling position and we're finally getting underway sure it took a few minutes but at least we know that everything is okay now for the uninitiated a short lesson in boat handling the things to be demonstrated apply to almost any single screw single rudder power board first use of reverse gear to stop forward motion the reverse is the brake proper use will bring the VP to a complete stop in a reasonably short distance so much for that now let's get underway again how about steering a single screw power board well steering the LCVP is certainly simple enough just like the old family car you want to go to the right simply turn the wheel to the right yes it's like a car alright but there's a difference that every boat handler must understand when the wheel is turned the rudder moves off the centerline of the boat the stern is pushed in the opposite direction wheel turned left rudder moves left and the stern is pushed to the right wheel turn right rudder moves right and the stern is pushed to the left pushing the stern to the left changes the course of the boat to the right so when you want to change course remember that the wheel the rudder and the bow of the boat all go in the same direction when you drove that car you steered with the front wheels that is with the bow and now you're steering with the stern in a turn like this the stern describes a larger arc than the bow the stern is actually being pushed to one side bringing the bow to a new heading the turn is stopped by putting the rudder slightly over on the opposite side the discharge current from the propeller strikes the rudder face stopping the swing of the stern steering while in Reverse is much more difficult the high bow of the VP is a very efficient wind catcher even a light breeze will tend to swing the bow so that the stern is headed into the wind following the path of least resistance and of course the discharge screw current no longer strikes the rudder face so one of the best steering controls is lost in order to steer a straight course in Reverse the boat handler must watch the bow and correct the slightest tendency to swing immediately in this way with careful handling the boat can be steered on a straight course in Reverse but if the bow is permitted to swing too far the VP will no longer answer the rudder going astern it will go into a helpless water-borne tailspin and it's next to impossible to bring her out of this swing while backing down the only thing to do when this happens is to shift into forward gear and use power and rudder to stop the turn and bring the boat to the desired course let's go along on a short trip and learn some of the things the crew must watch out for a while underway a constant check must be kept on the engine gauges at all times under way to be sure the pressures and temperatures are maintained within safe operating limits oil pressure between 40 and 50 pounds oil temperature less than 210 degrees water temperature 165 to 175 degrees batteries charging between 15 and 30 amps right there goes nearly nine tons of solid weight a collision might mean loss of the boat serious injuries to personnel perhaps worse responsibility rests with the coxswain he is responsible for the boat for the safe intelligent seamen like handling of it and for carrying out all orders and instructions pertaining to it he must be alert to size up any situation decide quickly what is to be done and to do it smartly the lookout in the bow must keep a sharp watch for floating objects which might tear a hole in the bottom or damage the propeller or rudder when passing other boats keep to the right if it's possible and slow down slow to fair steerage way when passing close aboard keep well clear of boats under sail if it's necessary to pass close aboard use slow speed and bear in mind that sailboats have the right-of-way slow speed is also the rule when passing close to a ship at anchor or moored to a boy when operating near docks or piers and when passing a boat or barge flying Baker and at all times when operating and confined or congested areas an important part of the handling of the LCVP is the correct use of the ramp so we'll take her into the beach and see how it's done in action with the boat crew working as a team the ramp is lowered and raised very rapidly for this demonstration we'll go through the operations very slowly step-by-step the VP is beached at top speed the ramp is not lowered until the boat is fully grounded the Coxon stands by the wheel with the engine running and in forward gear he keeps the boat grounded and by use of power and rudder keeps it head on to the beach on order from the Coxon the engineer takes a strain on the ramp cable a bowel man then releases the safety clamps or dogs which prevent the ramp from luring away accidentally the engineer disengages the safety pole still holding the ramp in place by pressure on the ramp crank he then sets the brake on the cable drum and immediately removes the crank the crank must not be left on the shaft the engineer then uses the brake to lower the ramp smartly and steadily to the beach as soon as it's down the safety Paul is engaged when the ramp is raised the stern man assists the engineer Van Daan to it boys you can't get off the beach until the ramp is all the way up the safety Paul prevents the accidental release of the ramp while it's being raised the bowel man checks to be sure the safety clamps are properly engaged the crank is removed from the shaft and secured in its proper place it took about two minutes to show the operation of the ramp in action the whole job is done in a matter of seconds no waste motion here as soon as troops and equipment have cleared the boat the ramp is raised as quickly as possible this doesn't mean that safety precautions are thrown over the side but speed is plenty important and all hands must learn to work fast as soon as the ramp is all the way up and secured the Coxon may begin retracting from the beach in case of engine breakdown it may be necessary to take the VP in tow either by towing astern or towing alongside in the alongside method the towing boat comes alongside the quarter of the tow the bow line is passed across and then the stern line these lines serve as spring or breast lines the tow line is passed from well forward on the towing boat and secured aft on the tow this line takes the strain of towing while bow and stern lines hold the tow in position alongside the tow line is rigged so as to hold the towing boat well Afton the tow this method is best when towing for short distances in calm weather the difference between good boat handling and sloppy boat handling shows up most quickly when coming alongside whether it's alongside a transport another boat a float or a dock it is true that experience and experience alone develops the sense of timing necessary in smart boat seamanship but to study the correct way of doing things speeds the process of learning and that's why this picture was made so we'll make that landing again this time with the action slowed to about 1/2 normal speed first the speed of the boat and angle of approach should be such that the boat can be sheared away from a long side without damage in case of engine failure at this point and about one boat length away from the point of landing the wheel is put over to bring the boat parallel by the time the boat is parallel the rudder should be amidships the boat is then backed down just hard enough to stop all forward way if all factors have been correctly judged the boat comes into a perfect landing to get away from a long side cast off the stern line and hold fast with the bow line the wheel is put over toward the float the clutch shifted to forward slight throttle and the stern will swing clear the bow man must slack off the bow line as necessary as the stern swings away from the dock so that the line is not parted by two greatest strain this is something every boat handler must remember as long as the bow is made fast whether to float or dock the boat can be controlled and held alongside under almost all conditions by using rudder and power as necessary the same thing holds true and getting away from a long side and many practical applications of this rule are found in everyday boat handling for instance the boat handler will often be required to maneuver his boat in and out of a confined space the approach is made very slowly with just enough speed to maintain steerage way as the bow nears the point of landing the Coxon shifts to reverse and brings the vp to a stop the bowel man jumps to the doctrine takes a turn with his line standing by to take in or slack off as necessary the and then shifts to forward putting the wheel over away from the dock using the power of the discharge screw current against the rudder face the Coxon can swing the stern into place getting clear is done in the same way except at this time the rudder is put over toward the dock in order to swing the stern away from it with clutch in forward gear slight throttle will swing the stern away from the dock the boat can then be backed clear and that's about it except for a few things about securing the VP the first of these is to be sure that lines are made fast properly when tying up when securing to a bollard which may be nothing more than a convenient piling first take one or two round turns then make two half hitches if securing to a cleat past the line around the cleat making a three-quarter round turn then lay a series of figure eights over the cleat do not use half hitches the weight of the boat against the line may freeze a half hitch making it difficult sometimes impossible to free the line before the crew leaves the boat all gear must be properly stowed boat and engine must be clean and shipshape water and oil supply must be checked and containers refilled if necessary the engine must be cooled before it's shut down this is done by running it for a few minutes at 800 rpms now here's a word for all of you every man in the crew must be a competent boat handler you'll get plenty of practice and experience make the most of it and if training seems dull full of detail a lot of little things remember this it's the ability to do all the little things and do them right that makes good boat cruise and without good boat cruise we can't put the stuff ashore to do the job we know we've got to do just keep that in mind will you [Music]