Francis Liardet: Professional Recollections on Points of Seamanship, Discipline, &c., 1849.

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To take out a waist or bower-anchor between two boats.

The sterns of the two boats should be as nearly square with each other as possible, a good strong spar (with its flat side down, and rounded on the upper part), should be laid across both boats, before their centre; having previously removed the rowlocks, and that part of the upper streak which may be in the way of the spar resting on the strongest part of the boat's gunwales; the spar should then be well lashed to the nearest standing thwart, and fore and aft rings, leaving sufficient room between the boats to admit of the flukes of the anchor going well between them, and the spar so lashed, that neither boat could close, or separate. The anchor should be lowered between the boats with the flukes perpendicular, and the stock horizontal, thus dipping the flukes between the boats, and securing the upper arm under the spar, each boat at the same time keeping her side of the anchor-stock square at her stern. The standing parts of the parbuckles or slip-ropes being made fast to the bottom rings, and the running parts rove through separate ones, if possible, and secured with several round turns round the after standing thwarts. The anchor should be slung, so as to manage it with ease, and some of the best seamen are of opinion, that a waist-anchor would be best to use for that purpose, should there be much wash of the sea under the bows: the same seamen are also in favor of lowering the waist-anchor with a davit from the fore channels, and steadying it from the ship with the fore-yard purchase, cross, and fore and aft guys, &c. In this way, an anchor may be carried out with the greatest ease, a kedge having been previously laid out, to haul the anchor and cable out by; haul out, until the weight of the bight of the cable is as much as the kedge will hold; then hang the cable with a ship-rope from the midship rowlocks of another boat, and haul out again; then another boat, with a ship-rope on the cable, so as to support the cable in the bights, till you have scope enough, being careful to let go together, upon a given signal from the boats that convey the anchor. The ship-ropes in the midship rowlocks on each side of the boat, will allow the cable to hang under the keel, and both ends and better be let go, to prevent accidents.

In laying out an anchor generally, the greatest difficulty is to overcome the weight of the bight of the cable, more particularly if chain. Some seamen, when laying out a chain-cable, prefer taking out the anchor with as much chain as is required for the depth of water, letting it go, and hauling out the cable to the boat, and shackling afterwards. This method is liable to damage the boat, and dangerous to the crew, if great care is not taken in preparing the cable well with good slip-ropes, and stops, before easing the anchor down; but even with the greatest care, the cable will sometimes run out with such violence, as to endanger the sinking of the boat, and the lives of the crew. In laying out anchors and cables, upon all occasions where the nature of the ground will admit, seamen are of opinion, that hemp cables should invariably be preferred to chain.

Francis Liardet: Professional Recollections on Points of Seamanship, Discipline, &c.
William Woodward, Portsea, 1849. 8vo, frontisp., (6), x, 319 pp, 1 col. plate of signals.

Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius

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