If a mate under my command gave the helmsman such a series of orders he would be taken quietly to one side and have pointed out the error of his ways.
What would you say about the command “Meet her” when the ship is swinging followed by an course to steer once the rate of swing had slowed?
Fine. In our parlance we generally have a “mud pilot” who is usually a day working experienced AB who takes the wheel under pilotage. When he/ she is on the wheel I would find the order “meet her” OK.
To less experienced helmsmen or ones I don’t know I would expect the vessel to be conned and steadied to within say 5 degrees of the required course before giving a smaller helm order followed by steady on course …
I don’t like placing helmsmen in the position of using large helm orders without direction.
Regardless of one’s opinion of “Meet her” it’s useful to know that in many ports the command “Steady” is used as having a very similar meaning.
I was escorting a pilot down to the gangway when I first asked a foreign pilot about this. I recommend that you ask at the gangway rather then on the way to the elevator to avoid the awkward ride down after a lecture from a pilot on the difference between “steady” and “steady as she goes”.
I had a mate from hillbilly country tell me “I don’t need any fancy directions, just say over yonder and point.”
We were never on speaking terms good enough for me to ask him what academy he graduated from or why he was on a ship. He showed no interest, did as little as possible and weighed as much as a piano, so unlikely to be an asset in an emergency.
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Here is another scanned excerpt from the American Merchant Seaman’s Manual, 5th Edition - 1957. It explains (to a degree) why American ships use the terms “Left Rudder” and “Right Rudder” instead of Port and Starboard.
When I was an O.S. on the Delta Paraguay in 1976, my watch partner A.B. Freddie Hazard (real name, he had been going to sea since 1929) explained to me that the use of Left and Right for rudder commands grew out of confusion in the use of Starboard and the very archaic, Larboard.
Something that no one has brought up is that U.S. Flag ships have placards in view of the steering stand marked Left and Right, as shown in this rather poor quality photograph. I did not find a citation requiring this in the CFRs. Perhaps Mr. Cavo could weigh in on this.
46 CFR § 58.25-35 - Helm arrangements.
My understanding, and I could be wrong, is that at one time in addition to the left and right signs there was also a requirement to use left and right commands but I believe that part of the requirement was removed.
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I am happy the command ‘Right (left) handsomely’ is no longer in fashion. That would just irritate me.
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Never heard “Handsomely”. That would irritate me too. Unless the pilot was referring to my good looks. It would still irritate though. Right whatever degrees, Left whatever degrees , midships. Works fine for me. Have heard them say “Head for a certain mark on land or light” . Even had one tell me in Belize “Look for the third palm tree” KISS (Keep it simple stupid). Can’t believe their are 70 posts on this simple subject. The good pilots pick out landmarks and give clear rudder commands.
Yet almost 10% of the posts are from you.
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Truth hurts, make a mountain out of a mole hill. I didn’t take you as one of the grumpy ones. Perhaps I was wrong.
Agreed, sounds like something they would say on the Titanic.
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The issue is not the length so much as the fact that we (or I did anyway) looped through the “steady v steady as she goes” three or four times.
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On Dutch ships it was always Bakboord (port) and Stuurboord (starboard) so many degrees. If required: Hard bakboord (hard to port) or Hard stuurboord (hard to starboard). For Steady we used the expression: Recht zoals die gaat (literally Straight as she goes or keep this course). As soon as the ship is on course, the helmsman announces: Koers (Course). Midships rudder was just Midscheeps. Rudder was left out, probably because what else could be meant.
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I got the command to “come left handsomely” one time when I was quartermaster in the CG in Alaska. I’d never heard of it before but I thought 20 degrees is standard rudder and 30 is full, so handsome must be 25 degrees. I mean what’s more handsome then a ship laid over in a hard turn?
That young ensign jumped quick when I said “rudder is left 25” and ordered midship before we really got to turning much. I don’t think he was sure what it meant after that.
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They taught us what it meant in Navy boot camp in '70. Not specifically in reference to steering commands, which were apparently above our then pay grade.
I remember reading the term ‘handsomely’ in novels taking place in the era of sailing ships but never heard it used in my time. A couple of documents that will hopefully put a stop to all this fussin’ an’ fightin’:
http://www.boatswainsmate.net/BM/helmcmds.pdf
COMMAND “Right (left) handsomely.”
EXECUTION Turn the rudder a small amount to the right (left). Use the rudder
angle indicator when executing this command. This command is
given when a very slight change of course is desired.
At this point the thread loops back to post #35…endlessly.
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Years ago my brother was a Boy Scout for a while (He hated it) Very early on he was involved with an evolution involving lowering something with a block and tackle. He started lowering and the Scout Master shouted “Handsomely” an order that my brother took to mean faster so he speeded up. The repeated yelling of handsomely and the ensuing increases in speed ended in disaster. A classic case of not ensuring that your orders will be understood before starting an evolution.
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