SECTION I. PRESERVATION.

1069. Alterations in Ship's Establishment.- The Captain is not, except in case of absolute necessity, to make, or permit to be made, any alteration whatsoever in the establishment of the ship's masts, yards, or rigging, nor in her machinery, hull, decks, cabins, store-rooms, or other external or internal fittings or arrangements; and the cost of replacing fittings which may have been removed or altered, or of repairing any damage arising therefrom, as well as the cost of any additions made without proper authority or evident necessity, will be charged against him.

2. Extempore Appliances.- In using extempore appliances the greatest care should be taken to see that the various parts are equal to the stress that is liable to be brought upon .them, and the Captain is responsible for taking such steps as may be necessary to ensure this being done.

1070. Condition of Hull and Machinery.- The Captain is at all times to keep himself thoroughly informed of the condition of the hull, machinery, and armament, and of the general state of the ship, in order that timely steps may be taken to repair any defects which may exist, or are likely soon to show themselves.

1071. Iron and Steel Ships.- The Captain of an iron or steel ship will take care, whenever practicable :

1. Composition, Cement, and Paint applied.- To ascertain, when first commissioned, what anti-corrosive composition, cement, and paint have been applied to the different parts of the ship, also the authorised composition of the grey paint used on weatherwork, and to demand such quantities of those articles as may be necessary to keep the iron or steel in proper condition
2. Examination of Bottom.- To ascertain frequently the condition of the bottom ; that the plates are cleaned and coated with preserving composition as often as may be necessary, and as opportunities shall offer ; that no injury is done by corrosion to the rivets or other parts ; that the paint or varnish on any leaden pipes or strainers, necessarily left in the bilges, is in good condition ; that no copper articles or copper filings are allowed to rest on the bottom in immediate contact with the iron or steel; and that every part is kept clean, and coated with preserving composition, or otherwise dealt with as may from time to time be ordered
3. Sighting Outer Bottom.- That the outer bottom of the ship, if not sheathed, is sighted at least once a year, except torpedo boats and destroyers which should be sighted every six months if practicable, and re-coated if necessary ; that the plating is well dried before the paint or composition is put on, and that it has time to dry before the ship is undocked

366

---

4. Dampness, &e.-That in the event of any dampness, want of anticorrosive composition, or other defect being discovered, immediate remedial measures are taken, such as drying the ironwork, and applying fresh composition, cement, or paint, or any other. such measures as may be necessary.
5. Propellers.- That bronze or gunmetal screw propellers of all steel ships are kept bright and not coated with composition
6. As this may result in a tendency to galvanic action between the propeller and the hull, special attention is to be paid to the coating of the hull and to the cleaning of the zinc protectors in this vicinity, in order to prevent oxidation or pitting of the hull, an extra coat of protective composition being applied to the portions considered liable to corrosion. These vessels are to be carefully watched, and any serious deterioration in the above respect is to be immediately reported to the Admiralty.
7. Rust.- That the iron or steel frames, boiler-bearers, and structural work, are frequently examined, and, when necessary, cleaned and painted ; that the rust is removed from the iron or steel by hammering and scraping before paint or other coating is applied, and that the inner bottom plating under engines and boilers is frequently examined, and, where rust is found to be forming, or where the paint is abraded, that the surface of the plating is thoroughly scaled, cleaned, and dried to ensure the paint being adhesive, and then coated with three coats of red lead
8. Whitewash.- That on no account is whitewash to be used on any portion of iron or steel work
9. Grease.- That no oily or greasy matter is allowed to accumulate at the water line, as it fosters the growth of weeds
10. Drains.- It is of great importance for sanitary reasons to constantly maintain the thorough flushing and cleansing of main drains.

In cases where difficulty is experienced in thoroughly cleansing the main drain of any ship, rendering special appliances desirable to improve the work of flushing, the Captain is to demand chain for fitting slack in the drain pipes between the mud boxes, also special brushes, &c.

1072. Quarterly Examination.- The Captain is to take care that every accessible part of the inside of the outer skin or shell of the ship, of the frames, and of the inner skin is carefully inspected as early as possible during each quarter by the Engineer Officer and the Carpenter, who are to make a joint report (form S. 180) as to the condition of the several compartments, and of the cement and pint work; but, in case of disagreement, they are to make separate reports, or to specify on their joint report any particular points of difference.

2. The Captain is to state on the report the steps taken to remedy any defects that may have been discovered.

1073. Composite Ships-Half-yearly Examination.- The Captain of a composite ship will take care, whenever practicable :

1. That every accessible part of the frames, keelsons, engine, boiler, or shaft bearers, and other iron or steel work of the hull is carefully inspected as early as possible every six months by the Engineer Officer and Carpenter, who are to make a report, on form S. 180, as to the condition of the several compartments, or spaces, of the cement, if any, and of the paint work. Each of the inspecting officers is to be responsible for the whole of the report, but they are to make separate

367

---

reports when they disagree, or to specify in their joint report any point of difference.

2. That the directions contained in Articles 1072 and 1074 are also observed, except that the report required by Article 1072 is to be made half-yearly.

1074. Survey of Plates and Frames.- The nature and extent of the surveys of the surfaces of the plates and frames of His Majesty's ships to be carried out by the dockyard officers, are as stated in Articles 1075, 1076, and 1077.

2. If from any circumstances, when it becomes due, the exigencies of the Service make it impracticable for the survey to be held by dockyard officers, the Captain is to inform the Senior Officer on the station in order that he may take the necessary steps to have the survey carried out by the Engineer Officer and Carpenter of another ship, and reported by them in the prescribed manner.

The bunkers of the torpedo boat destroyers and torpedo boats, and iron or steel vessels, where the bottom generally does not exceed I inch in thickness, are to be kept full of coal, and the coal is to be moved for the annual inspection.

When the periodical survey of coal bunkers is due or approaching in ships which are commissioned to take part in the annual manoeuvres, they are to return to the port at which they are to pay off, with as little coal in their lower bunkers as can conveniently be arranged, so that the lower bunkers can be quickly cleared and the necessary examination and painting carried out. The coal in the upper bunkers would then be passed down to the lower bunkers, to enable the upper ones to be similarly treated.

3. Assistance by Ship's Company.- In carrying out these surveys in ships in commission, when paying off, the ship's company is to clear the store-rooms, bunkers, double bottoms, and other compartments, &c., as necessary, scrape and clean all parts to be surveyed, perform any lifting, lowering, or transporting which may be required, and open out the machinery, boilers, and equipment as requisite.

Ships in Commission.- When ships under survey are in commission the officers of the ship are to concur in the report of survey, dockyard officers always originating the report.

When the time of ships in commission falls due, the question as to the survey should be raised by the Captain.

Battleships and all Cruisers, Armoured and Protected.
First and Second Class.

1075. Quadrennial Survey.- A survey, styled a "Quadrennial survey," is to be held by dockyard officers after every alternate commission. The nature and extent of the examination of the plates and frames is to be such as will admit of a report on form S. 180 being rendered on its completion, and it should include :

1. In steel ships, the removal here and there of a small portion of the linings, &c., in order that a general opinion may be formed of the state and condition of the hull as well as the double bottom generally, especially under the boilers. Portions of the coal bunkers are to be cleared as-necessary.
2. In sheathed ships, the removal of portions of the metal sheathing to enable the condition of the caulking to be ascertained. Holes should be bored in a few places along the garboards as a means of detecting the presence of any water between the skins.
3. In all ships, the survey of drain and suction pipes, sluice, drain, and non-return valves, watertight doors, &c., in addition to the survey of plates and frames.

368

Third Class Cruisers, Scouts and other Small Vessels with Plating
over - �-inch (10 lb.) Thickness.

2. Biennial Survey.- A biennial survey is to be made of the hull generally similar in nature and extent to the quadrennial survey for battleships, &c.

Torpedo Boat Destroyers, Torpedo Boats, and other small Vessels with
Plating of �-inch Thickness and under.

3. Annual Survey.- An annual survey is to be made of the hull generally similar in nature and extent to the biennial survey for third class cruisers, &c.

4. Special Examinations are to be made as may from time to time be approved, and the ballast tanks are to be surveyed once every year by dockyard officers, and every six months by ship's staff.

1076. Hydraulic Gun Mountings.- The quadrennial survey is to be extended to the hydraulic fittings, and all the gear is to be thoroughly worked and the principal parts of the gun mountings opened out and examined. The turret or barbette guns are to be removed, in order that the bearing surfaces of the slides and cradles may be examined.

General.

1077. General Survey.- As regards machinery and boilers and general equipment no regulated survey of definite parts is laid down to be made concurrently with dockyard surveys of hull. When, however, a vessel is paid off into Dockyard control for a large refit, or when between eight and nine years old, reckoned from the date when commissioned as a new ship, a general survey is to be made, such survey, in effect, becoming the "Opening up and examination" stage of the thorough refit to follow.

2. Periodical Surveys by dockyard officers except in the case of vessels paid off for refit, will be generally confined to the hulls of vessels only. Any specific survey of particular parts or fittings in connection with the machinery or equipment, which it is not possible for the ship's staffs to carry out, and which they may represent to be necessary or expedient, may be undertaken by the dockyard if included in the pink defect list (form S. 340b).

3. Survey of Specific Fittings, &c.- The general orders that have been issued from time to time in regard to the test, examination, or survey of specific parts or fittings, e.g., catheads, davits, and derricks, when vessels come in hand for refit by dockyard, are to remain in force.

4. Reports.- On completion of each survey, form S. 180 is to be forwarded by dockyard officers to the Admiralty enclosed in form D. 51, on which is to be indicated in a concise manner the state and condition of the vessel as ascertained.

5. These instructions are issued with a view to preventing unnecessary dockyard work and expenditure, without in any way sacrificing the sea-going and fighting efficiency of His Majesty's ships, and as greater dependence will be placed on the ship's records, every care is to be taken to ensure that the notations of the various routine and special examinations carried out are made in an accurate, clear, and connected manner.

6. The foregoing instructions do not apply to stationary or harbour service vessels, or those on the list for subsidiary service, or to tugs and other yard craft.

369

1078. Nature and Date of next Survey.- The nature of the next survey, and the date when due, is to be noted on the report of survey, and entered in the ship's book.

1079. Compartments containing Cork, &c.- In ships having compartments in which cork or patent fuel is permanently carried, the .frames and plating in such compartments are to be periodically sighted to ascertain their condition.

2. The cork stowed beneath the manholes is to be removed to such an extent as will allow a few of the frames and the deck plating to be seen, and the space thus cleared is to be blocked off and the cork re-stowed within it in such a manner as to be easily removed.

3. At intervals of six months the manholes are to be taken off, and should water be found to have collected on the deck an early opportunity is to be taken to remove such portions of the cork as may be necessary, to allow the frames, &c., to be scraped and painted.

1080. Galvanic Action.- To guard against the effects of galvanic action upon the bottom plating of iron and steel vessels, they are not to be moored alongside or near to coppered ships, except for a few hours when unavoidable, nor are they to be attached to the same moorings as such ships, nor to adjacent pairs of moorings connected to the same ground chains, nor should any chains pass from one such ship to the other.

1081. Damage to Sheathed Ships.- If an iron or steel ship, sheathed with wood and coppered, should receive injury from which it is apprehended that any portion of the outside planking has been removed so as to lay bare part of the bottom plating, the Captain, as soon as possible, is to take whatever measures the exigencies of the Service will permit, to make good the defect at once, and to have the ship docked at the earliest possible period, so that she may be carefully overhauled, and the planking restored where necessary ; and further, he will report the circumstances to the Admiralty, and to the Senior Officer on the station, stating what steps have been taken in the matter.

1082. Heeling Ship.- Should it be found necessary to heel the ship, the Captain is to be present and see that every possible precaution is taken to prevent its being attended with accident.

1083. Slaked Lime in Bilges, &c.- When it is impossible completely to dry out any of the compartments, bilges, or wings, to enable them to be coated with composition, paint, or cement, well-slaked lime is to be placed in the water contained in such places. Care is to be taken that unslaked lime is not used for this purpose, as it would injure the coatings of composition, paint, or cement.

1084. Opening up Confined Spaces.- The following precautions are to be observed while men are engaged in cleaning and coating the double bottoms of a steel ship, and in every other confined space in which men have to enter

1. When opening up a confined space no naked light is to be used inside the space or within 20 feet of the opening until it has been ascertained by means of a safety lamp that it does not contain explosive gases;
2. The air fan with hose is to be freely used for pumping in fresh air before the men are sent down, and while they are at work;

1. A Chief Stoker or Stoker Petty Officer is to be responsible, under the Engineer Officer in charge of the party, that no man enters a compartment until a lighted candle has been placed inside it, and has been found to burn clearly and steadily for at least five minutes;

370

---

2. Still greater caution is required when the compartment has only one exit ;
3. Communication is always to be kept up between the men in the inner compartment and those who have access to the outer air;
4. The men are to be warned that they should leave a compartment immediately the lights begin to burn dimly; candles only are to be used by the party, as a surer test than lamps, since it might be thought that lamps burnt dimly for want of trimming;
5. Every man working in confined spaces should be especially cautioned as to the danger of taking bogies or burning fuel into such places.

2. Entering Boilers or Bunkers. The same precautions are to be strictly attended to in the case of boilers and bunkers.

Special care is to be taken that every man in the ship is made acquainted with these precautions.

1085. Fittings, Turrets, and Barbettes.- In turret or barbette ships the surface between the leathern flaps and the glacis plates round the turrets or barbette shields is to be frequently lubricated to prevent the rapid wearing away of the leather.

2. The rollers under the turrets or barbettes are to be periodically examined and lubricated, and the turrets or barbettes should be made frequently to revolve.

1086. Capstans, &e.-The Captain will take care that the capstans are turned round and that both capstan and spindle are properly oiled once a week; also that the spindles and deck bushes of the capstans are examined in ships in commission once every six months and in harbour ships once in every 12 months ; and also that when capstan bars are shipped they are invariably well secured and swiftered to prevent accidents.

2. Great care is to be taken in the use of patent capstan compressors and controllers which are fitted to ships, and the directions for their use are to be strictly attended to.

1087. Flukes of Anchors.- The arms of all anchors with movable flukes on board His Majesty's ships are to be moved and lubricated once a month to prevent their setting fast.

1088. Lightning Conductors.- The Captain is responsible for ascertaining that the continuity of the lightning conductors on board the ship is complete; and also for maintaining such lightning conductors in a state of efficiency by periodical test and examination.

In ships which have not galvanometers on board the Captain is to apply for the conductors to be tested at a dockyard when an opportunity offers.

1089. Soil Pipes.- When the soil pipes of water-closets are led down inside a ship, and access to the pipes is closed by the casing, the casing is to be removed for examination of the pipe every two years.

1090. Scrapers and Holystones.- Decks are not to be scraped, except to remove pitch after caulking, and holystones are to be used as little as possible ; but the decks are to be cleaned with hot water and soap and dried by bogies.

2. Decks fitted with Corticene.- In cleaning decks covered with corticene care is to be taken that they are not flooded with water. The corticene should be cleaned, when necessary, with soap and water and flannel, and scrubbed if required with a hand brush, and should not be treated as if it were wood. Cleansing powder should on no account be used, as it is injurious to such a material as corticene.

371

SECTION II - REPAIRS, ALTERATIONS, AND ADDITIONS

1091. Dockyard Repairs to Ships in Commission.- When ships in commission come into dockyard hands to have defects made good, only such defects as have been represented by the officers of the ship, or have been apparent to the examining officers, or become apparent during the opening up necessary to make good known defects, and which may be approved to be taken in hand, are to be made good. No special examination will be made in search of further defects.

2. Examinations of Ships in Commission.- The examination of the hulls of ships in commission by the dockyard officers will take place as laid down in Article 1074, clause 2, the annual and quarterly examination by the officers of the ship being considered sufficient in the intervals.

3. Certificate after Repairs.- When defects of ships in commission have been made good, the certificate required is to be made out on form S. 339a.

1092. Lists of Defects of ships (actual defects arising from wear and tear or accident) are to be forwarded direct to the Superintendent or Senior Officer of the dockyard to which each ship is assigned for the purposes of repair, so as to arrive there one month before the date fixed for the arrival of the ship. Defects, the repair of which is considered absolutely necessary for the seagoing and fighting efficiency of the ship, are to be included in form S. 340/1). 2 7 5 (pink paper), and those which it is specially desirable for other reasons to have repaired are to be shown on form S. 340b/D. 275b. Only those defects which are beyond the capabilities or resources of the ship's staff or repair ship, if one is attached to the squadron, are to be included in these forms. The object of this is to enable the dockyard officers to form a good idea of the extent of the work required, and of the approximate cost involved ; also to enable any preliminary work that is possible in the absence of the ship to be put in hand.

2. If the dockyard officers consider that a visit to the ship would facilitate the carrying out of the refit and shorten the time required for the ship to be in dockyard hands, the Superintendent will communicate direct by telegraph with the Admiral of the squadron to which the ship is attached, to ascertain the most convenient day for the officers to visit the ship when at Portland, Dover, or other ports on the south coast, in order to examine with the ship's officers the items of work to be undertaken during the refit.

3. Should the dockyard officers consider that a visit to any ship, other than a battleship or first-class cruiser, would facilitate the making good or carrying out of defects or alterations, the same procedure will be followed.

4. The Captain is to be responsible for keeping the Commander-in-Chief of the port informed of any work taken in hand or proposed to be taken in hand by the dockyard, which would affect the date on which his ship would be ready for service.

5. The attention of the Captain is especially called to the certificate on the front page of forms S. 340 and S. 340b, which places the responsibility upon him for the proposals made in the defect list.

6. The reports of the yard officers on such defects, with the estimates, will be forwarded to the Admiralty by the Superintendent with his observations thereon, unless the amounts are within the limit authorised for local approval.

7. Supplementary Defect Lists.- Should any defects develop which cannot be undertaken by the ship's staff, subsequent to the transmission of the main list, a supplementary list is to be sent in immediately after the arrival of the ship at her port ; such a list is, however to be confined to items of work which could not be foreseen at the time of the first report, and is not to be forwarded as a matter of course.

372

8. Whenever it may be necessary to forward a supplementary list, a special report from the Captain as to the cause is to accompany it. This report is be forwarded by the Superintendent to the Admiralty in cases where the estimated cost of the additional work is beyond the limit for local approval.

9. Defects which can be made good by Ship.- Defects which can be made good by the ships' artificers either with the stores provided in her establishment or with the materials drawn from the dockyard for the purpose (or if away from a dockyard port, from any of the other vessels of the fleet), ere not to be included in either of the lists. In demanding stores from a dockyard to make good defects, a brief statement as to the nature of the defects to be made good is to be given in the space at the foot of the form S. 134d. The greatest care is to be exercised in bringing to account the arisings from work executed.

10. Stores to make good Defects.- Demands for stores to make good defects may include, besides materials (e.g., wood, steel plates, screws, bolts and nuts,' &c.), complete manufactured articles such as are generally allowed by the sea store establishments, also certain complete articles riot allowed by establishment, if required solely for the replacement of similar defective articles on board. A list of the articles which may not be demanded for making good defects, but which are invariably to be dealt with on defect lists, is given in the memorandum of instructions to naval store accounts (form S. 117 E.). If the ship is at a dockyard when demands for making good defects are forwarded, the concurrence of the professional officers of the yard will be obtained before supply is made, otherwise the Commanding Officer will be wholly responsible for vouching as to the necessity for the supply. Commanding Officers are enjoined to exercise care not to demand, and dockyard officers are required not to approve supply of complete manufactured articles to replace similar articles fitted in the ship, if the latter are repairable and the work of repair can be undertaken in the fleet, having regard to the facilities now existing in warships and in repair and depot ships for the repair of stores and fittings.

1093. Defects on Foreign Stations.- Repairs of ships upon foreign stations may be undertaken without waiting for authority from the Admiralty within the limits prescribed in clause 8, and when there are sufficient reasons for doing so in the opinion of the Commander-in-Chief or Senior Officer, who in such case will give directions for a report and estimate to be prepared (form S. 340) after survey by the officers of one of His Majesty's yards, where practicable, and where not practicable by officers of the ships.

2. Competitive Tenders.- On receiving the report and estimate, if the Commander-in-Chief or Senior Officer should consider it advisable, he will call for competitive tenders, form S. 341, for the work from the private trade, furnishing the parties who are invited to tender with copies of the list of defects to be made good. He will thus, before submitting the case to the Admiralty, or giving his own directions upon it, have the advantage of comparing two independent estimates for the work, one from the ship or from His Majesty's yard and one from the private trade.

3. Whenever it is proposed that the repair of ships on foreign stations shall be undertaken by the private trade, provision is to be made in the specification for all new copper and mixed metal being obtained from a dockyard, if practicable, where they can be provided more cheaply of the best quality, and of Admiralty pattern marked with the t. The same course is to be followed with such of the undermentioned articles as it may be necessary to renew, i.e., when those on board cannot be repaired economically, viz. :-

373

The supplies are to be made without charge to the contractors, the quantities required being previously estimated by the surveying officers.

4. The supply of stores for making good defects in the case of ships under repair in private shipbuilding yards in the United Kingdom is governed by the Home Dockyard Regulations.

5. Stores to Contractors.- A list of the articles required to be supplied by the Admiralty to the contractors for carrying out the work is to be prepared on form D. 501 with a view to arrangements being made for the supply of the stores. The list is to give full particulars of the stores required as shown in tie Rate Book for Naval Stores.

6. This list is to be prepared in triplicate, and upon it the Captain is to state which, if any, of the stores can be spared from the ship, and he is to send two copies of the list to the Commander-in-Chief or Senior Officer. If abroad, the Commander-in-Chief, or Senior Officer, on giving orders for the repairs, is to send the list to the Naval Store Depot for the necessary supplies to be made of the stores which cannot be spared from the ship, and he is to forward a copy of the list to the Admiralty with his report. If the ship is in home waters the Captain is to forward the list to the Commander-in-Chief for transmission to the Admiralty in order that it may be sent to the dockyard which is to supply the stores.

7. Arisings.- It should be stipulated also in the specification that all old copper, metal, lead, and other valuable arisings from repairs shall remain the property of the Admiralty. All these arisings are to be carefully collected and taken account of by the ship's officers.

When the repairs are executed under the superintendence of a resident or visiting dockyard overseer, he is to see that the arisings are carefully collected and that a list of them is prepared.

The arisings should be sold locally if a fair and reasonable price is quoted and Admiralty approval obtained.

8. Estimate under �1,000.- When the estimated cost of the repairs, or the agreement for performing them, shall not exceed �1,000, the Commander-in-Chief or Senior Officer, if he should think it desirable, will order the work to be taken in hand under such an estimate or contract, forwarding particulars and 2a copy of the agreement, should any have been made, to the Admiralty. A list of tenders that may have been declined, showing their respective amounts and the reasons for declining each, is to be forwarded at the same time, together with any further remarks that may be necessary.

Estimate over �1,000.- If the estimated cost, or the tender price, should exceed �1,000., and there are no special reasons or urgent necessity for at once making good the defects, he will submit the whole case to the Admiralty, and will forward any tenders that may have been received for performing the work by contract, in order to assist the Admiralty in forming their decision on the matter.

Defects urgent.- When the defects, however, are of an urgent character, immediate reference by telegram is to be made to the Admiralty, so that

374

approval of the expenditure, or otherwise, may be communicated before the work is commenced.

9. Estimate less than �100.- Whenever repairs have been taken in hand, the estimate or contract for which is less than �100., it will be sufficient to report the case to the Admiralty, stating the amount.

10. The lowest tender is not necessarily to be accepted, but the Senior Officer is to send all the tenders received to the Admiralty, giving his reasons for accepting any but the lowest.

11. Cost of preparing Contract.- Whenever it may be necessary to draw up a formal contract for the repair of a ship on a foreign station, one-half of the cost of preparing the contract and bond is to be paid by the contractor before he is allowed to commence the work contracted for.

12. Repairs at Yards Abroad.- When defects of ships are made good in His Majesty's yards abroad, they are to be dealt with as directed in the Instructions for Naval Yards abroad.

1094. Alterations and Additions.- Any alterations and additions in ships which experience suggests as being desirable are, in the case of a new ship, to be reported by letter, through the respective Commanders-in-Chief, to the Admiralty six months after the date of first commissioning. In all other ships, any proposed alterations and additions are to be submitted annually three months previous to the dates fixed for the arrival of the ships at their refitting ports.

To avoid waste of time, both at the Admiralty and the dockyards, in considering proposals which are not necessary, having regard to the age and fighting value of the ship, care is to be taken in ships that have completed one or more commissions that the lists of such proposed alterations and additions are confined to items necessary for seagoing and fighting efficiency.

2. Lists of proposed alterations and additions are not to be made upon the forms S. 340 and S. 340b, but are to be prepared in triplicate in letter form, and are to be grouped in three separate self-contained lists as follows:

1. Hull and fittings.
2. Machinery and boilers.
3. Armament and torpedo fittings.

The lists are to be enclosed in one cover, the items throughout being numbered consecutively, cross references being given for items that occur in more than one of the lists. In submitting subsequent proposals the consecutive numbering is to be continued, commencing with the next number to the last one on the immediately preceding list.

Any proposals which have been previously submitted are to be shown separately from new proposals, the date of the former proposals and the number of the item in the original submission being also quoted.

3. The Commander-in-Chief, on receiving any proposals for alterations, is to scrutinise them to ascertain if they are necessary for the class of ship and to eliminate all those he considers need not be made. The proposals are then to be forwarded in duplicate to the Admiralty for consideration, after which the Superintendent of the dockyard will be called upon to submit a detailed estimate for such items as may be considered necessary or desirable, and after these estimates have been considered, the final Admiralty decision will in each case be forwarded to the Commander-in-Chief of the fleet or port, as well as to the Superintendent of the dockyard.

4. If possible, the Captain is to accompany the proper dockyard officer when he comes on board to examine and report upon proposed alterations or additions.

375

5. The form D. 275a for dealing with proposals for additions and alterations is to be used by the dockyard officers only.

6. In forwarding proposals for alterations and additions, it should be stated whether it is proposed that the work involved shall be carried out by the ships' artificers, and in such cases a demand on form S. 134d for such materials as are required should be prepared and forwarded to the dockyard, a note being placed on such demands that the materials are for effecting an alteration or addition submitted to the Admiralty, and' will be required immediately Admiralty approval has been given for carrying out the work. Arisings from alterations and additions carried out by ships' artificers are to be dealt with as directed in clause 9 of Article 1092.

It is to be distinctly understood that no alteration or addition is to be taken in hand without Admiralty approval.

7. Lists of any outstanding alterations and additions which have been approved but not yet carried out are to be forwarded-to the dockyards so as to arrive there not less than two and a half months before the date fixed for the arrival of the ship.

8. A report is to be made through the Commander-in-Chief of any alterations that have been made in the ship which the Captain considers have proved advantageous to her.

9. Amendment of Fixture Lists.- A return on form S. 197 (D. 526, 4-sheet) is to be furnished in duplicate half-yearly on 1st January and 1st July, by the Commanding- Officers of His Majesty's ships to the Superintendents of the dockyards to which the ships are attached, showing the amendments required to the various fixture lists, due to alterations carried out by the ships' artificers. If no alterations have been made, a " nil " return is to be rendered.

1095. Defects in Ships fitted in another Port.-Whenever a ship newly commissioned, or just refitted at one port, arrives at another port, and a list of defects to be made good, or of alterations required, is submitted to the Commander-in-Chief at such port, unless the defects are evidently occasioned by stress of weather, by accident, or by collision, the Commander-in-Chief, or senior officer present, before otherwise dealing therewith, shall take the necessary steps to cause a survey to be held upon them for the purpose of inquiry, as provided for in the Home Dockyard Regulations, Article 689.

2. The report is to be in duplicate, one copy for the Commander-in-Chief, the other for the Superintendent.

On receiving the report from the Commander-in-Chief, the Admiralty will proceed to act as the case and the relative responsibility of the several officers may require.

1096. Negligence, &c., of Dockyard People.- The Captain is to report to the Superintendent any negligent workmanship, idleness, or any other irregularity on the part of the dockyard people employed on board which he observes, or which is brought to his notice by the ship's officers.

Every facility is to be afforded to the workmen for the rapid and efficient performance of their work and the ship's officers are to co-operate with the dockyard officers in the furtherance thereof.

1097. Inspection on Completion.- As soon as the dockyard have made good defects, or completed any additions or alterations duly sanctioned, the Captain will report to the Superintendent in writing that the ship is ready to be inspected by such officers of the yard as he may appoint. He is to cause them to be accompanied on their inspection by the Executive, the Gunnery, the Torpedo, the Navigating, and the Engineer Officer, and by the Carpenter,

376

and is to assist them to ascertain whether she is in all, respects complete as regards her seagoing and fighting efficiency.

Formal Report.- The report, on form S. 339 or 339a, is to be made to the Commander-in-Chief, and a duplicate sent to the Superintendent.

If the Captain does not fully concur in the report, he is to represent to the Commander-in-Chief in writing the points on which he dissents, and his reasons for doing so, bearing in mind that the object of the inspection is to ensure that the ship is ready, and properly fitted for the service on which she is to be employed.

This procedure is only to be followed in the case of a ship which has been placed out of commission during refit.

2. Ships not Inspected.- Ships refitted in commission, whether with a full nucleus or reduced nucleus crew on board, will not be inspected by the Superintendent of the dockyard.

1098. Accounts of Repairs.- On the completion of repairs at any other than one of His Majesty's yards, all stores purchased or supplied to make good defects are to be delivered into the charge of the proper officers, who are to account for them in the usual manner.

2. When men belonging to other ships are thus employed, they are to be paid extra pay as directed in Chapter XXXIX. Copies of the pay lists are to be transmitted forthwith by the Captain to the Admiralty, with a letter explaining the circumstances in which it was necessary to repair the ship, and duplicate copies are to be forwarded to the Commander-in-Chief with a similar explanation.

3. Separate pay lists are to be made out for the hired men, on form S. 9 for the time they were actually employed and worked satisfactorily, and, when payments shall have been made thereon, the lists are to be disposed of in the manner above prescribed ; but in addition to the other required particulars a certificate is to be obtained from two respectable merchants residing at the place where the men are engaged, certifying that the rates of wages are those usually paid for the services performed by them respectively, and also the rate of exchange for bills on the British Government at three days' sight. It is further to be stated on the lists whether the hired men were or were not victualled at the expense of the Crown.

1099. Repairs on Board.- Artisans of various trades being borne by ships, and tools and materials being supplied, it is expected that repairs to stores, so far as practicable, will be executed on board; and serious notice will be taken if stores which could have been made serviceable on board be returned to a dockyard for repair, or if stores be returned in bad condition, not due to fair wear and tear.

2. Petty Repairs.- Petty repairs to guns, carriages, slides, and gear, whenever practicable, are to be made good by the artisans of the ship, and the mechanics in the engine-room ; no application therefore should ever be made for small repairs to be undertaken by the Naval Ordnance Department until it has been ascertained that the Artificers in the ship, including those in the engine-room, are unequal to the task, when it should be so stated on the application.

3. Replacement of spare parts of Gun Mountings.- As a rule, the quantity of spare parts allowed for each gun mounting on board is sufficient for making good defects as they arise. Should it be necessary at any time to replace any spare parts so expended, such replacements are to be dealt with by defect list in the same manner as the supply of spare gear for other machinery.

377

1100. Use of a Hulk.- If it should be necessary at any time during the commission while the ship is under repairs or refitting to remove the crew into a hulk, the Captain, with the approval of the Commander-in-Chief, will make the necessary application to the Superintendent, and will be guided by the instructions relating to hulks in Home Dockyard Regulations, ch. 24, sec. 1.

1101. Ship's Book.- Captain's ship's books are supplied to inform Captains of the previous history of ships, and thus to enable them to watch and influence as far as possible the expenditure on repairs. See 1850 (Captain's Ship's Book).

SECTION III. DOCKING.

1102. Periodical Docking.- Ships on foreign stations may be docked at the discretion of the Commander-in-Chief, and although no fixed rule is laid down as to the frequency of their docking, ships which have steel bottoms should be docked sufficiently often to prevent any corrosion from taking place.

Vessels which are frequently under way, and for which economy of coal consumption and maintenance of speed are most important, should as a rule be docked every six months.

2. Ships with copper or metal sheathing are to be examined once in six months by divers or by docking; when abnormal fouling of the copper sheathing has been observed on docking, provision should be made for coating the bottom with one coat of anti-fouling composition on the next occasion of docking.

3. At home ports a defect list, with the usual estimate and report by the dockyard officers, is to be forwarded to the Admiralty for their decision before a ship is ordered to be docked, except in cases of emergency.

1103. Changes in Weights in Dock.- The greatest care is to be taken that no water is run into or out of the boilers, or weights put on board or removed from ships while in dock, without the approval of the Superintendent of the dockyard being first obtained in writing.

Two days before undocking, the Commanding Officer is to report direct to the Superintendent any difference in the amount or distribution of weights on board at the time of undocking, as compared with those on board at the time of docking.

The observance of this instruction is of great importance, as any disregard of it may lead to very serious consequences in undocking ships.

If during the two days between furnishing the report and the undocking of the vessel, any departure from the reported distribution of weights be unavoidably made, the dockyard officers are to be immediately informed.

1104. Collision with sides of Docks, &c.- Every precaution is to be taken to prevent an armoured ship, or any large iron or steel ship, when being taken into or out of a dock or basin from striking or bearing hard against the sides of the entrance ; should such a case occur, the Captain will report the particulars to his superior authority in order that it may be noted in the same way as if the ship had grounded. If it should occur at a dockyard, the dockyard officers are required to report whether in their opinion the ship has sustained any damage. See 568, clause 3 (Ship striking sunken objects).

1105. Report of Docking.- The Captain will report to the Senior Officer whenever the ship is docked or undocked, or goes into or comes out of a basin. See 896 (Removal of explosives).

378

2. Whenever His Majesty's, ships are being transported by the dockyard authorities, the ship's company is to assist as far as possible, so as to reduce the cost of yard labour.

3. The Captain will take care, when the ship is in dock, that proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents.

1106. Crew when in Dock.- When a ship is docked to clean her bottom or for slight repairs the crew will remain on board, and the Dockyard Regulation are to be observed by the officers and men.

1107. Docking at a Foreign Port.- If it is necessary to dock or repair a ship in the port of a foreign Power, where there is an arsenal, the Captain is to apply to the Governor, or Chief Officer of the place, for permission to do so at the arsenal, and he is to request such assistance as circumstances may require. He is to give the fullest and most circumstantial certificate of the assistance he receives, and receipts for the stores with which the ship may be supplied shall be given by the officer to whom they are issued, certified by the Captain and the Executive Officer.

1108. Hired Men.- If it is necessary to hire men to assist in docking or repairing the ship, well qualified workmen are to be engaged on the best terms for the Crown, and for such time as they may be required. If it is absolutely necessary to victual them, they are to be entered in the ledger on a separate supernumerary list, and duly checked for all absent time.

1109. Foreign Ships of War.- Whenever a foreign ship of war is taken into one of His Majesty's dockyards for repairs, the powder and Q.F. ammunition is to be removed after the ship has come into harbour and before she goes into a basin or dock. The machine gun ammunition is to be retained on board. If the Naval Ordnance Officer considers the ammunition to be dangerous he is to represent the matter to the Commander-in-Chief.

379

^ back to top ^