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use, they should be stopped down to the washboard. It
is not “shipshape” to stop down only one comer of a side
curtain. When running bow into the sea, it is sufficient
to haul down the curtains on the weather side, leaving
them furled on the lee side. Under all circumstances, the
curtains must be stowed neatly in place. For safety, a
ready exit from the boat is essential, and curtain stops
should be broken easily from inside.
Coxswains of powerboats must require the stern
hook to pay particular attention to the appearance of the
boat's stern sheets. Cushion covers must be kept neat
and clean. The boat flag, when not in use, should be
rolled neatly on its flagstaff and triced up overhead.
When a boat is called for the use of commissioned
officers, the stern hook should spread the boat cloth
neatly in the stern sheets of the boat. The stern hook must
see that the foot cloths (or ladder if used) are on the
proper side of the boat; that is, the side on which the
passengers are expected to enter.
Officers of the deck (OOD) are responsible for the
appearance of the ship; and, because they cannot see the
ship as it appears from a distance, most will appreciate
it if the coxswain quietly informs them of any
irregularities noticed about the ship. Some examples are
items hanging over the sides, loose gun and gun director
covers, and Irish pennants. The coxswain should make
it a habit to notice such things when returning to the ship.
After the coxswain returns from a run and reports to the
OOD, the coxswain, when ordered, properly secures the
boat to the boat boom, comes aboard, and waits for the
next run (see fig. 5-7).
The crew must never be allowed to be absent from
the boat without proper authority while it is at a landing.
The coxswain never permits smoking in boats.
When boats are ordered to secure, they are reported as
secured to the OOD by the coxswain. The coxswain
must know the capacity of the boat in good and bad
Figure 5-7.–Securing a boat to a boom.
5-7
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