Markings and use of the hand lead. Handling of a boat under sail. Running a steam winch. Slinging a scaffold plank. Use of the life line and breeches buoy—that is what to do on the ship end of the line. Use of rockets. Use of line-throwing gun. Use of the heaving line. Slinging a cask. Sewing canvas. International Code Flags. Hand semaphore signals.
An able seaman might know a lot more, but the above coupled with the things mentioned by Mr. Redfield, should turn him out as a competent American sailorman.
The following common sense advice taken from the pages of the Coast Seamen's Journal, on "Teaching Seamanship", is given—it clearly sets forth the things a modern merchant sailorman should know.
Were we asked to prescribe a course of instruction in seamanship for beginners, we should arrange it somewhat as follows:
First—Teach the pupil the names, locations and uses of the different parts of the ship, and of her spars, sails, standing and running riggings; together with the meaning of such terms as port, starboard, lee, weather, astern, ahead, abaft, aloft and alow.
Second—Show him how to box the compass and, if possible, how to steer. Explain to him the meaning of the commands, "Hard up" and "Hard down the helm," and why he must turn the wheel to port when ordered to starboard the helm, and vice versa. Also show him the marks on the hand leadline.
Third—Teach him how to whip a rope; how to make a clinch; how to tie a reef knot; how to make the bends and hitches commonly used on a ship, such as a bowline, clove hitch, sheet bend, anchor bend, rolling hitch, timber hitch, bow line on a bight, cat's paw, blackwall hitch, midshipman's hitch, single carrick bend, sheepshank, etc. Also how to put on a strop and how to shorten a cargo sling.
Fourth—Take up splicing and knotting—eye splice, short splice, long splice, crown and wall knot, lanyard knot and manrope knot. Instruct the learner how to worm, parcel and serve a rope; how to put on a seizing; how to pass the head earing on a sail; how to put on a ratline; how to make plain sennit and paunch mats, and explain their uses.
Fifth—Give the pupils a thorough drilling in the loosing, setting, taking in, reefing and furling of the sails; in bracing the yards; in catting and fishing the anchors; in pulling boats and handling of oars; in sending the lighter spars down on deck and up again, and such other maneuvers as are generally recognized as necessary to the safe navigation of ships. In fact, these drills might, with great benefit to the learners, alternate daily with the instruction in the other details of seamanship.