When First Leaving Port, Studding-Sail
Gear Is To Be Rove, All The Running Rigging To Be Examined, That
Which Is Unfit For Use To Be Got Down, And New Rigging Rove In Its
Place:
Then the standing rigging is to be overhauled, replaced,
and repaired, in a thousand different ways; and wherever any of
the numberless ropes or the yards are chafing or wearing upon it,
there "chafing gear," as it is called, must be put on.
This chafing
gear consists of worming, parcelling, roundings, battens, and service
of all kinds - both rope-yarns, spun-yarn, marline and seizing-stuffs.
Taking off, putting on, and mending the chafing gear alone, upon a
vessel, would find constant employment for two or three men, during
working hours, for a whole voyage.
The next point to be considered is, that all the "small stuffs" which
are used on board a ship - such as spun-yarn, marline, seizing-stuff,
etc. - are made on board. The owners of a vessel buy up incredible
quantities of "old junk," which the sailors unlay, after drawing out
the yarns, knot them together, and roll them up in balls. These
"rope-yarns" are constantly used for various purposes, but the
greater part is manufactured into spun-yarn. For this purpose
every vessel is furnished with a "spun-yarn winch;" which is very
simple, consisting of a wheel and spindle. This may be heard
constantly going on deck in pleasant weather; and we had employment,
during a great part of the time, for three hands in drawing and
knotting yarns, and making them spun-yarn.
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