CHAPTER 6
BOAT SEAMANSHIP
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completing this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
1. Describe the boat davits used on MCM ships.
2. Describe the proper procedures for hoisting boats in and out of the water.
3. Explain how inflatable lifeboats operate and are maintained, and stowed.
4. Identify the flags in the flaghoist signaling system and explain how the system
operates.
5. Describe the maritime buoyage systems and explain what each buoy means.
6. Describe the aids to navigation found in intercoastal waterways.
7. Describe the distress signals used by waterborne vessels.
INTRODUCTION
BOAT DAVITS
Every ship has on board some form of small boat
Basically, a davit is nothing more than a special
that can be used for utility or emergency purposes. In
crane designed for handling a boat in a safe and timely
this chapter, we discuss the boats carried on MCM
way.
ships. As part of that discussion, we also cover the
flaghoist signaling system used to communicate
The essential function of the davit arm is to swing
between craft, and then discuss the aids to navigation
the boat from its inboard position to a point outboard of
used by both ships and boats.
the ship's side, from which the boat maybelowered; this
process is reversed when the boat is hoisted. Hoisting
NAVY BOATS
operations are controlled by wire rope falls from which
A Navy boat is an uncommissioned, waterborne
a hoisting hook is suspended.
unit of the fleet, not designated as a service craft, that is
capable of limited independent operation. It may be
assigned to and carried on a ship as a ship's boat or
SLEWING BOAT DAVIT
assigned to a shore station or fleet operating unit. The
A slewing boat davit has a single arm mounted on a
Navy boat on board MCM class ships is the rigid-hull
inflatable boat (RIB).
pedestal, which in turn is mounted to the ship. The arm
rotates about the vertical axis of the pedestal to move the
Every Navy boat in active service must have a
complete outfit of equipment. This equipment enables
boat inboard and outboard. This electrically-powered
the boat, with its crew, to perform normal day-to-day
boat davit design, commonly called a slewing arm davit
functions and to weather minor emergencies. A copy
(SLAD) (fig. 6-1), is used to handle rigid-hull inflatable
the boat's outfit should be available to the boat
boats (RIB) that are stowed on the deck of the ship next
coxswain. A good place to post the list is in the front of
to the pedestal.
the boat log.
6-1
