Exploring A Harbor (1950s)

[Music] a large Harbor is an exciting place because so many different things happen there every day today is a holiday and Bob and his cousin Dan plan to explore the many bays and channels Bob takes his regular place in the bow of the boat and his dog Mac rides in the center better sit down Bob while the boat is going this boat really travels fast the way they go out into the big Channel Bob is lucky to have an older cousin who has an outboard motor the motor is fastened to the boat before each trip and after the ride it is taken off and put into the boat house large buoys in the harbor are markers to guide the boats and tell the sailors how to keep within the harbor channels boys have fog horns lights and bells in heavy fogs they warn the people in the boats of danger spots and show them where the channels are deep and safe these heavy piles are driven far down into the bottom of the bay they are called dolphins and are a protection for the bridge beyond the speed of a boat is measured in knots just the way the speed of an automobile is measured in miles a harbor has signs just like a street a boat is allowed to go only 6 knots an hour in the harbor a navy boat was thrown on the rocks in a storm and has large holes in its side it cannot be repaired and the Coast Guard will haul it away before it sinks if it were left underwater it could not be seen and the boats might run into it the Coast Guard inspects the harbor and keeps all the channels clear Bob feels the water hey pretty cold huh however it's colder out here in the bay than it would be along the beach where Bob goes swimming on they go toward the new steel Harbor Bridge with its towers that are 200 ft High boats 50 ft high can go under the bridge without the middle span being raised when larger boats enter the span can be raised 175 ft off the water the supports for the towers are driven 90 ft down into the ground Bob looks up as the cars slide over the bridge like large bugs the bridge floor is open grating because if it were solid it would be too heavy to be raised easily on the other side of the new bridge is the old bridge which still is in use for cars and trains looking back Bob can see the two Bridges the spans are now raised over the old bridge Beyond is an oil refinery where coconut oil from the Philippines is refined a large Ferry booat or steamer with a load of 2,000 passengers is starting out on a pleasure ride for the day the law requires them to carry a large LGE number of Life boats you can see them along the lower deck there must be a life preserver for each person on the [Music] boat here we see a different type of ferry boat these boats carry 24 Automobiles and 400 passengers across the harbor channel the cars May ride on these boats for 25 cents a piece with a small charge for each passenger this is how it looks when you are on the ferry approaching the large Ferry buildings Bob has been on this boat and he thinks it's lots of fun these boats have a crew of seven men Fair boats are used in most Harbors as they are a shortcut between two pieces of land the left side of a boat is called the port side and the right side is the starboard side on Bob's port side the large freighter steams by it carries steel and manufactured goods from the eastern coast to the West Coast and returns to the east with a load of oranges and lemons large freighter Dock at the pier or birth of their own steamship company while the cargo is being unloaded these ships refuel from small barges cargo is put in large warehouses for protection it is not stored long in the warehouses but is sent as soon as possible to the company that has bought the cargo an oil tanker is leaving for Arabia the oil is stored in separate tanks in the hold of the ship so that if the sea is rough the oil will not all roll to one side and capsize the tanker different types of cargo must be stored in different ways in the large Freighters another very large oil tanker is being pushed into dock by two tugboats the pilot on the tanker gives directions to the pilots on the tugboats the large boats cannot turn by themselves in a small space at a slow speed their engines are so powerful that they would approach the docks too fast they must depend upon the tugboats to help them duck many pleasure boats pass but Bob likes his little outboard boat the best of all and he hopes when he grows up to be able to run the engine just like Dan this Square Watchtower was used as a guard house in the war and Men watched night and day for enemy planes Harbors are important in time of war and are one of the first places an enemy tries to attack Harbors have important industries and also they have bases for the Navy and Air Force at the mouth of a harbor lighthouses stand guard all during The Night the Lights flash a warning to enter ing ships Harbors are protected by large break Waters that hurl back the Heavy Seas a large y sails by swiftly in the brisk wind it is arriving from Honolulu large sailboats can sail clear across the ocean ma is such a good sailor that Bob and Dan have decided to call him the skipper of the ship on they go into another [Music] Bay every way that Bob looks there are large freers at their docks and yes a Matson line passenger boat is pulling out for the Orient passengers line the docks waving goodbye to their Homeland it is exciting to leave land behind and start across the big ocean again we see how the large ship is dependent upon the small Tugboat to help her out of the harbor Channel a Red Cross hospital ship is in dock it is plainly marked with a red cross so that in case of War it will not be a target for enemy guns a hospital ship has comfortable beds operating rooms and everything needed to care for the sick and wounded Bob turns first one way and then the other to see all the harbor sites here A beautiful white freighter from England is taking on cargo the little boat sails on right under the bow of another large freighter Bob likes to look up and see the huge anchors and the large black hoses that are refueling the boat while it is unloading Dan explains how the boat must take on fuel food and other supplies for the long trip ahead and what fun the museum ship that is like an old Sailing Boat people can buy a ticket and go aboard it's fun to climb all over an oldfashioned sailing ship the Pirates used to use boats like this and just for fun the manager of this boat hung a dummy man from the yardarm on the way home they Cruise along along the edge of the Breakwater Bob looks down far into the Clear Pools he looks for fish and crabs Mack too watches the rocky bottom Bob likes to see the waves wash over the beautiful seaweed and shells one may find all kinds of things along a harbor Shore once Bob found a piece of a rect boat what a wonderful day well Dan says it is time to go back home and get that holiday dinner the little boat turns toward duck a day in the brisk wind really makes a boy hungry Bob thinks that exploring a harbor is the most exciting thing a boy can do [Music] oh