[Sidenote: Method of mooring the Praam-boats.]
These praams had but one hawse-hole, and that they might ride more easily at their moorings in the open sea, it was placed amid-ships, and as low or near the water-line as possible. The chain-hawsers with which they were connected to their respective floating-buoys and mushroom-anchors, were made of rod-iron, one-half inch in diameter, turned into as short links as possible. This piece of chain was about five fathoms in length, and was attached to the praam by a strong hook, connected with her _bits_, the farther end being made permanently fast to the mooring-chain of the mushroom-anchor. From the lowness of the hawse-hole, and its central position in the praam, and from having only a short piece of chain to carry, which connected the boat to the mooring-buoy, may be attributed the astonishing ease and safety with which these boats rode at anchor. So remarkable was this, that while the tender, and the other vessels in the service, were tossed about, and shipping a great deal of sea, and even at times obliged to slip their moorings, the praams floated with an easy undulating motion, and were generally as dry upon deck during a gale, though loaded with ten tons of stone, as if, to use a sailor’s phrase, they had been riding in a mill-pond. The facility, also, with which the praams were attached and disengaged from their moorings, was another very great conveniency to the work. In unmooring them, all that became necessary was to unhook the hawser-chain from the bits, and throw it overboard, with a small floating-buoy attached to it, for the purpose of suspending the hawser-chain for the time. In the same manner, in making the praams fast to their moorings, this chain was simply to be laid hold of, by taking the small floating-buoy on board. The chain was then slipped into the hawse-hole, by a corresponding slit in the stem of the praam, and then attached to the bits, when the process was complete. By inspecting the diagrams in Plate XI., this process will be better understood.
The two cutters or boats employed last year for transporting the artificers from the Floating-light to the Bell Rock, were found to be rather too small in rough weather. They measured 16 feet in length of keel, 5 feet 3 inches in breadth, on the mid-ship thwart or seat, and 2 feet 6 inches in depth. These boats were of as large dimensions as the floating-light could stow, after making the necessary allowance for _ranging_ her cables on deck. They had square sterns, were rowed with four oars, and accommodated twelve sitters, including sailors. But the Sir Joseph Banks being entirely fitted as a tender for the works, the stowing of large landing-boats became a principal object. Her boats were therefore made as large as possible, due regard being had to their convenient management and fitness for the small creeks or landing-places at the rock. After a careful consideration of these circumstances, it was resolved that the two new attending-boats should measure 20 feet in length of keel, 5 feet 8 inches in breadth, and 2 feet 10 inches in depth. They were rowed with eight oars, double banked, or two upon each thwart, and could accommodate eighteen sitters each. They were round in the stern, fitted with a backboard and a convenient seat for the cockswain, who steered with a _yoke_ and lines, instead of a _tiller_.