• Examination by Dockyard Officers of Acting Carpenters of the Royal Navy
• Certificates of Acquaintance with the Details of their Ships to be Obtained by Carpenters

Circular No. 2.-C.

Admiralty, 6th January 1875.

Referring to the directions contained in Circular No. 7 C. of 8th February 1872, which orders that all Acting Carpenters shall be required to pass a final examination before a Board of Dockyard Officers before they receive their confirmation, my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty are pleased to direct that the following subjects shall form part of their examination viz.:

• Knowledge of how wood, iron, and steel masts, and yards are constructed,
• how to fish masts and yards of wood, steel, or iron, in a ready and efficient manner ;
• ability to calculate he proper proportions for making masts and yards from rough spars ;
• ability to describe the manner in which the two thicknesses of sheathing in composite or iron sheathed ships are secured to the frames or plating; and
• the manner in which a wood deck is secured to iron beams, stringer plates, or iron deck ;
• knowledge of how the keel, stem, stern post, and rudders of iron ships are formed, and
• how the stem and stern posts are secured to the keel ;
• how the stern tube is formed ;
• how the bulkheads are secured to the ship's side, and how they are stiffened;
• how watertight door, and sluice valves are formed and worked;
• how iron beams are secured to the ship's side ;
• ability to describe the transverse and longitudinal framing of a ship, and the formation of the double bottom ability to show how iron plates are united to one another, and to the iron frames ;
• to describe the method of securing the armour to the ship; and
• to describe the pumping arrangements in ships with or without a double bottom ;
• also knowledge of the ventilating arrangements generally fitted in Her Majesty's Ships.

By Command of their Lordships,

Robert Hall.

To all Commander-in-Chief, &c.

Dockyard Circular 'No. 2t.-C.W.

Admiralty, 1st August 1877.

CERTIFICATES OF ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE DETAILS OF THEIR SHIPS TO BE OBTAINED BY CARPENTERS.

My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty are pleased to issue the following directions, to insure that all Chief Carpenters, Carpenters, and Carpenters' Mates in charge shall have a thoroughly competent knowledge of such details of their ships as are placed in their charge; namely, the construction of the ship, watertight doors, hatches, sluices, the systems of flooding and ventilating, the pumping arrangements, &c.:

1. For the purposes of this circular the term Carpenter is to be understood to include Chief Carpenters, Carpenters, and Carpenters' Mates.
2. The certificate shall be in the form attached.
3. A Carpenter shall be examined by the Chief Constructor and Constructor of the Dockyard at which his Ship is fitting out, and must obtain his certificate before the ship is reported ready for the 1st Division of the Reserve.
4. The granting of a. certificate, whether at home or abroad, is to he notified to the Admiralty through the Commander-in-Chief or Senior Officer, for which purpose the certificate is to be made out in duplicate.
5. When a ship in commission comes into the hands of the officers of any other Dockyard than that at which she fitted out, for the purpose of making good defects of any part of the ship for which a Carpenter is responsible, the certificate is to be produced for the information of the Chief Constructor or Constructor.
6. If any Carpenter holding a certificate be supersede his successor is to obtain a certificate, after having sufficient time allowed him to prepare.
7. If a Carpenter who must obtain the certificate should be appointed to a ship without sufficient time to prepare for the examination before leaving England, or if he should be appointed to a ship on a foreign station, he is to be examined by the Carpenter of the Flag or Senior Officer's Ship, assisted by some other competent Carpenter, in the presence of the Captain, or of an Officer deputed by him.

By command of their Lordships,

Robert Hall.

To the Superintendents, &c.

-------------------------------

For competent knowledge of Construction, Pumping Arrangements, &c.

for a Chief Carpenter, Carpenter, or Carpenter's Mate.

This is to certify that Mr. _________ , Carpenter, now serving in HMS __________, has been examined

by us, and we find him to possess a knowledge of the construction of the ship, watertight doors, hatches,

and sluices, ventilating, flooding, and pumping arrangements, &c.

Dated H.M. Dockyard, ________ this __________ day of ________187 ___

Chief Constructor.___________________

Constructor. _____________________

Superintendent. __________________

^ back to top ^