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THE CADETS MANUAL

SYLLABUSES

PRACTICAL SEAMANSHIP

[First Year]  [Second Year]  [Third Year]  [Fourth Year]
 

It is quite impossible to prescribe the precise order in which the Cadet will learn his practical seamanship. The order must vary from vessel to vessel according to circumstances.

Safety of life on board ship should be a primary consideration of all seamen. To keep this in view, this syllabus commences with a list of equipment and practices which come within the general heading 'Safety of Life'. A detailed knowledge of this particular section of the syllabus will not be required during the Cadet's first year, but he will be expected to acquire a general understanding of it then and to have a thorough grasp before he completes his apprenticeship.

FIRST YEAR

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During the first year of training, when the weather is fine and the ship is away from land, some portion of the day watches should be spent at the wheel. A station should also be taken up occasionally in the engine-room when the engines are being manoeuvred in order that the Cadet may observe the sequence of operations on receipt of an order from the bridge.
 

SAFETY OF LIFE: Description and use of life-jackets and life-buoys. Boat and fire stations. The Emergency signal, its use and significance. Man overboard; initial procedure. Use of line throwing appliances. The rigging of life-lines in bad weather.

LIFEBOATS: Names of the principal parts. Names of the parts of oars and sails. General idea on the stowage of equipment. Inflatable life rafts.

COMPASS: Learn the compass in points, half-points and quarter points, and in degrees. Helm Orders.

ROPES: The different kinds of lines and ropes in general use; the materials of which they are made; the uses to which they are put and the means to be adopted to ensure their long life. Various ways of whipping a rope. Knots, bends and hitches. Seizings and rackings. Eye splice and short splice. How to worm, parcel and serve. The use of the following: Strops, slings and snotters; Cargo nets, trays and hooks; Rope and chain stoppers.

BLOCKS AND TACKLES: Parts of a block. The various blocks and tackles in general use. How to reeve off the various tackles.

HOLDS AND HATCHES: The preparation of holds for general cargo. Cleaning holds after discharge of cargo. Cleaning bilges and rose-boxes. The necessity for dunnage and its proper use. Use of limber boards and spar ceiling. Closing and battening down hatches.

LEAD AND LOG: Handling and upkeep of mechanical logs and sounding appliances. Marks on the hand lead line.

GENERAL: Loadline marks and draught marks; their purpose and dimensions.
A knowledge of the duties of the carpenter, boatswain and lamptrimmer.
Sounding of tanks and bilges. Cleaning paintwork and brightwork.
The names of the principal parts of the mechanism of a reciprocating steam engine.

SIGNALLING: Learn and practise the morse code and semaphore, including the procedure signals and signs.
The flags of the International Code of Signals.

COLLISION REGULATIONS: Learn to repeat correctly the Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, up to and including Rule 16.

SECOND YEAR

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During the second year of training opportunity should be taken to perform the following duties : -
(a) Spend a period with an officer on all occasions when entering or leaving harbour or anchorage.
(b) Undertake responsibility under an officer for the equipment of a ship's lifeboat and for the care and use of mechanical logs and sounding appliances, and hand leads and lines.
(c) Keep a proportion of day and night watches on the bridge at sea and at anchor.
 
SAFETY OF LIFE: Rocket apparatus; use of breeches buoy; signals used.
 
LIFEBOATS: Marking and numbering. Buoyancy tanks; position, capacity, construction and preservation. Setting, reefing and taking in sails. Handling and management under oars and sails. Sea anchors; types and uses. Use of oil in bad weather. Man overboard.
 
CARGO GEAR: Care and maintenance. Safe working loads of rope, wire and chain; approximate formulae for calculations.
 
CARGO WORK: Preparation of holds for different types of cargo. Stowage of general cargoes. Means of separating parcels of cargo. Reasons for keeping certain cargoes apart. Reasons for tallying cargo. The need for and preparation of cargo plans.
 
ANCHORS AND CABLES: Anchors and cable carried by merchant vessels. Names of the parts of an anchor. Why cable is studded and how it is marked. Means of joining lengths of cable. Securing anchors and cables. Preparations for anchoring and heaving up. Use of anchor buoy.
 
PAINTS AND OILS: Different types of paint, compositions and varnishes; reasons for their selection for certain parts of the ship. Bituminous compounds and their uses. Preservation of wood and steel decks and wires. Care of paint brushes.
 
GENERAL: Care and maintenance of mooring wires. Splicing rope and wire. Different grades of canvas and their uses. How to sew canvas. Ventilation of holds and double bottom tanks. Precautions against rust. Care of fresh water tanks. Use of cement, cement-wash and lime-wash. Care and lubrication of deck machinery.
Precautions against frost on deck pipe lines and winch cylinders.
Use and upkeep of the engine-room and other telegraphs.
Rigging of boatswain's chair and stages for painting masts, funnels and overside.
Berthing alongside and casting off.
Duties of the helmsman and look-out.
A general idea of the working of a reciprocating, steam engine with simple line sketches of the main parts.
 
SIGNALLING: Further practice in morse code and semaphore. International Code of Signals; coding and decoding.
 
COLLISION REGULATIONS: Learn to repeat correctly all the Rules of the Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. How to ascertain if risk of collision exists.
 
THIRD YEAR

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During the third year of training opportunity should be taken to spend a portion of some of the day and night watches on the bridge in narrow waters.
 
SAFETY OF LIFE: Line-throwing apparatus. Firefighting appliances, including the smoke helmet; their care and maintenance. Fire drill.
 
LIFEBOATS: Types and construction; equipment; capacity. The starting, stopping and simple maintenance of a ship's lifeboat engine. Boat drill, including lowering and hoisting boats.
 
CARGO GEAR: Rigging derricks and gear. Strength of gear.
 
CARGO WORK: A more detailed knowledge of cargoes and their stowage than is required for the second year. Grain cargoes; shifting boards and feeders. Deck cargoes; stowage and precautions. Cargoes liable to shift. Spontaneous combustion; cargoes liable to excessive heating; precautions to be taken. Measures to prevent sweat damage. Precautions against pilfering, breakages and shortages.
 
GENERAL: Use and care of deck appliances, winches, capstans, windlass and fittings used between the anchor and the cable locker. Fitting of rigging; setting up rigging; rigging screws. Sending up and down topmasts. Precautions to be taken on the approach of bad weather. Embarking and disembarking a pilot. Detection and clearing of foul air in holds; danger of entering enclosed spaces.
 
NOTICES TO MARINERS: British uniform system of buoyage. Wreck marking system. Distress and pilot signals. Characteristics of lights exhibited by light-houses and light-vessels. Distinguishing marks and lights of light-vessels and examination vessels. Light vessels out of position. Aircraft. Minesweepers.
 
SIGNALLING: Continued practice in morse code and semaphore. Full use of the International Code of Signals. National colours of the maritime nations.
 
COLLISION REGULATIONS: A full knowledge of the content and application of the regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
 
ENGINEERING: Scotch and water-tube boilers; simple ideas on the construction of each type with reasons for its use; advantages and disadvantages. Functions of principal boiler mountings. Steam and water cycle in ship's power plant. General conception of the workings of simple type turbine and diesel engines and their auxiliaries; general advantages and disadvantages. Common auxiliaries in the engine-room.
 
FOURTH YEAR

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Opportunity should be taken to revise the syllabus work of the previous years.
 
SAFETY OF LIFE: Launching of lifeboats. Getting a boat away from the ship's side. Beaching a boat in surf.
 
CARGO WORK: Refrigerated cargoes. Timber cargoes. Bulk oil cargoes. Dangerous cargoes. Erection of magazines for carriage of explosive materials.
 
ANCHOR WORK AND SHIP HANDLING: Coming to a single anchor and preparations prior to doing so. Heaving up a single anchor and preparations prior to doing so. Ordinary and running moor. Unmooring. Use of stream anchor. Anchor watch duties. Dragging anchor. Action of rudder when at anchor in a tideway. Turning short round-single screw and twin screws. Transverse thrust of propeller.
 
DUTIES OF OFFICER OF THE WATCH: Preparations on the bridge and on deck prior to proceeding to sea. Duties to be carried out when relieving the watch, keeping the watch and handing over the watch. Scrap log entries.
 
GENERAL: Running up and pumping out tanks. Inspection of double bottom tanks, peak tanks, deep tank and chain locker whenever practicable; cleaning and preservation. Packing and securing double bottom tank manhole covers and deep-tank lids. General idea of ship hygiene and fumigation. Content and use of Notices to Mariners. The purpose and scope of the Ministry of Transport Book of Merchant Shipping Notices, Parts (I) and (II).
 
SIGNALLING: Continued practice in morse code and semaphore. Full use of the International Code of Signals, Parts (1) and (II).
 
 
 
 

Created: 30th December 2000