HMAS Castlemaine FAQs dog watch ships bell helm seafarer

1. Why do ships have bells?

Answer:

Before the general use of clocks or watches, a system of bell striking was devised to indicate the time to seafarers.

For normal handling of ships the crew was divided into three parts so that each part worked for four hours and then stood down for eight hours or carried out other duties as allocated. This gave a system whereby there was a watch on deck to work the ship through twenty-four hours or more.

To obviate one group of people constantly working in the middle of the night, the late afternoon was split into two watches of two hours each. These watches were known as the First and Last Dog watches.

Bells are struck on the hour and half hour. One extra bell is struck for each accumulated half hour up to four hours. When more than one bell is struck the bells are struck in groups of two as follows:

Middle Watch. Midnight 8 bells

0030 1 bell

0100 2 bells

0130 3 bells

0200 4 bells

0230 5 bells

0300 6 bells

0330 7 bells

0400 8 bells

Morning Watch. 0400 8 bells

0430 1 bell

0500 2 bells

0530 3 bells

0600 4 bells

0630 5 bells

0700 6 bells

0730 7 bells

0800 8 bells

Forenoon Watch. 0800 8 bells

0830 1 bell

0900 2 bells

0930 3 bells

1000 4 bells

1030 5 bells

1100 6 bells

7 bells

8 bells

Afternoon Watch. 1200 8 bells

1 bell

2 bells

3 bells

4 bells

5 bells

6 bells

7 bells

8 bells

First Dog Watch. 1600 8 bells

1 bell.

2 bells

3 bells

4 bells

Last Dog Watch. 1800 4 bells

1 bells

2 bells

3 bells

8 bells

First Watch. 2000 8 bells

1 bell.

2 bells

3 bells

4 bells

5 bells

6 bells

2330 7 bells

Midnight 8 bells

2. Does the ship have disabled access?

No. The fact is that the very nature of ships is that they have doors not very large and all have a storm step or sill to reduce the amount of occasional water that may try to get inside.

However having said that with assistance of two people to assist you with your chair two doorways and the gangway can be overcome. Access to upper and lower decks is only by steep ladders.

3. How does a sailor steer the ship?

On the bridge there is a helm or spoked steering wheel which the sailor turns to alter the direction in which the ship is moving. This wheel has a mid-ships spoke marked with a knotted rope or similar protuberance so that it may be found in the dark. Starting with this at 12 o'clock and the ship steering dead ahead the sailor can determine how much turn he has put on the wheel. There is also a large double wheel, located in the tiller flat or steering compartment, near the rudder.

The wheel on the bridge is a long way from the rudder which is at the stern of the ship. It is connected mechanically by means of rods and gears which connect to a small steam engine. This steam engine moves the rudder to the required positions. If either the mechanical connection or the steam engine breaks down, the double spoked wheel in the tiller flat is then connected to the rudder and is turned with four men (one in each corner). They obey either orders from the bridge through the voice pipe or steering by the compass set in front of the wheels.

4. What flags are flown on HMAS Castlemaine?

Two individual flags and one group of four are regularly flown when the ship is open for inspection.

From the jack staff (at the bow) the Australian National Flag—The Blue Ensign is flown.
It was flown when the ship was alongside or at anchor and is raised or lowered in the same manner as the White Ensign. Protocols for flying flags at half-mast are observed.
From the port side yard of the foremast a group signal pennants signalling the ship's number: J 244 At present (January 2001) they are flown from the main mast as the fore mast, which was in an unsafe state, has been removed.
From the ensign staff (at the stern) the White Ensign is flown.

An explanation here is appropriate. from the formation of the Royal Australian Navy in 1911 until 1987 the RAN flew the White Ensign of the Royal Navy. This flag was the one used by the RAN both when HMAS Castlemaine was commissioned (1942) and still in use when decommissioned (1945) it is deemed appropriate to fly it now, as the ship is a museum ship and not in commission.

Since 1987 the RAN has flown its own White Ensign. This is styled on the Australian National Flag having a white ground and blue stars instead of a blue ground and white stars.

When the ship was in port it was hoisted at the ensign staff (stern) at 0800 (8.00 am) and lowered at sunset. This is probably because it was said that the sun never set on the British Empire.

When putting to sea it is pulled down from here and simultaneously hoisted on the gaff of the main mast When going into battle it pulled down from the main mast and simultaneously hoisted on the fore mast yard.

From time to time, during times of great celebration, the 'ship was dressed'. In these circumstances signal flags are draped from stem to stern and hoisted aloft to be supported from the truck (top) of the foremast.

5. What makes up the bridge staff whilst at sea?

The bridge staff consists of:

The officer of the watch— a lieutenant or sub lieutenant
Helmsman—a seaman or leading seaman
Lookouts—two seamen and possibly a man aloft (in the crows nest)
Submarine detection—a specialist seaman
Signalman
Navigator—Lieutenant as and when required
Captain—on call at all times from his cabin which is located under the bridge

For navigable waters i.e. coming into harbour or under special circumstances the captain will be on the bridge, the coxswain—a petty officer or chief petty officer (seaman branch) on the helm and extra two seaman manning the engine room telegraphs. The radar operator reports directly to the bridge officer via voice pipe.

6. How much water comes into a corvette when in open seas with bad weather?

Corvettes were not large vessels (186 feet) and were more often than not smaller than the distance between two waves or swells. This meant that they had to climb up the side of the wave (or crash through it) and then fall off the other side in a fairly uncomfortable manner.

A wave could come over the stern or the waist and these seas were often easier to ride. It was interesting, if operating in company with a much larger ships, to watch them steaming comfortably (because they straddled 2,3,4 or more waves) whilst the corvettes were suffering considerable punishment.

7. How are the anchors worked?

The anchor (either the port or starboard side) is 'let go' by freeing the restraining shackles and striking the slip link of the slipable shackle with a hammer. The brake fitted to the anchor winch controls the rate of decent of the anchor and cable and the amount payed out.

When required the anchor is raised by the steam driven winch. As the anchor is raised the cable is scrubbed free of any mud and run into the cable locker. If making ready to sea the anchors are raised hard in the hawsepipe so as to restrict their movement.

The anchors may, not only be used to hold the ship in a specific position, but also used to manoeuvre the ship in restricted waters.

The usual personnel engaged at these times are the chief stoker, a stoker and a seaman.

8. Located in the chart house is a small board readily visible from the door way to the chart house with the printed words: 'MAN ALOFT'. What is its purpose?

At times it was necessary for a mechanic to climb the mast and service the radar antenna. Before ascending the mast he would display this sign and when back on deck slide it so that it was blank. If at that time the radar operator rotated the antenna whilst the mechanic was aloft the mechanic would have to jump and cling onto the antenna and go around with it or be pushed from the mast and fall in the sea or to the steel deck some 13 metres below. It was therefore imperative that radar operator check the board before rotating the antenna.

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