OPERATION FREIGHTER

[Music] this is the Hawaiian farmer one of 18 traders flying the house flag of the Matson line one of America's major shipping companies she is on a regular run between San Francisco and the Hawaiian Islands and can carry 12,000 tons of cargo the farmer as she is familiarly known is making her 180 7th voyage to Hawaii and while cargo is being loaded fuel oil is pumped aboard from barges this is known as bunkering in former times steam ships burn coal but modern ships use oil [Music] when the ship is ready for sea a signal to standby is given to the engine room this device is called the engine room Telegraph below the engineers answer the signals standby slow ahead then full speed an engineer opens the valve that feeds steam to the turbines and the great propeller shaft begins to turn located near the bottom of the ship this shaft of steel is more than a hundred and seventy feet long and oiler checks frequently to see that it's properly lubricated at the end of this shaft the propeller of the farmer revolves eighty three times each minute at full speed the powerful thrust of the propeller churns the sea into form that streams far behind the ship this is called the week the section in the middle of the ship is the superstructure or deck house here live the officers and Men the part of the upper deck across the front of the superstructure is called the bridge and the enclosed portion is the wheelhouse when the ship is at sea an officer is on the bridge at all times officers stand watch for four hours and are off duty for eight hours throughout the 24 hour day the wheelhouse is the nerve center of the ship here are the compass the engine room Telegraph telephones alarm signals and other vital instruments a crew member stands constant watch at the wheel for although today ships are steered automatically while at sea any change in course is done manually also the compass must be watched for variations due to wind and current when the wheel is turned electrically operated machinery turns the rudder at the stern of the ship the pressure of the water moving against the flat surface of the rudder forces the stern to one side and the ship's Direction is changed the deck of the ship from the superstructure to the stern is called the after deck cargo of the type that will not spoil or be damaged in the open is carried on deck in boxes crates or modern metal containers on this voyage in addition to general cargo the farmer carries 50 head of purebred cattle for the famed Parker ranch on the Island of Hawaii they are housed in strong pens lashed to the deck and are fed and cared for by two men called stock tenders this little fellow was born at sea and very quickly became the sailor's pet the longest part of the ship's deck forward of the superstructure is known as the fore deck here the farmer is carrying drums of liquid chemicals and boxes of machinery plus insulated aluminum containers filled with frozen meat and vegetables for Hawaiian markets for immediate identification all containers and boxes are numbered and the numbers are entered on the cargo list which is called the manifest [Music] the early navigators followed their course by watching the Stars and later with an instrument called the astrolabe we're able to measure the altitude of a star above the horizon this officer is measuring the altitude of the Sun with a sextant the standard navigational instrument for more than 200 years on a map or globe our earth is divided into parallels of longitude and latitude ships find their way across the oceans by locating their positions within these parallels by using the sextant and with the aid of the chronometer a highly accurate clock that gives the exact time west of London's Greenwich Observatory the ship's position is determined in the chart room behind the wheelhouse this officer is plotting the farmers noon position on a chart a chart is like a map [Music] other instruments are the barometer which registers atmospheric pressure and gives warning of changes in the weather and the paragraph which records weather conditions throughout the day the clinometer shows the degree of the vessels role and in bad weather this is noted in the ship's log book in case of damage to cargo charts like this one indicate coastal lights with the frequency of their flashing beacons to aid in navigation we're nearing the land in approaching a coast when visibility is poor the radio direction finder can be used signals from shore stations tell the officer whether the ship is on her correct course today ships also use radar for the same purpose and so guided by many centuries of experience and by the devices of modern science the ship plows her lonely track across the vast ocean for only companions deceivers a great albatross believed by the old Mariners to embody the souls of drowned seamen follow the ship for days waiting for scraps of food soaring without effort on the currents of air above the waves in addition to his duties on the bridge the captain spends many hours in his office checking papers necessary to the operation of the ship the captain is completely responsible for the safety of the vessel her cargo and the 52 officers and men who make up her crew the chief officer called by seaman the first mate is in charge of all routine work on deck each morning he gives orders for the day - the boatswain or bosun the bosun is the foreman of the day men who work on deck at the never-ending tasks of maintenance aboard ship like the ship's carpenter they do not stand watch and have regular working hours like most workmen ashore overhauling cargo gear greasing the heavy steel cables against corrosion chipping rust and painting are only a few of the many jobs that occupy the day men throughout the voyage [Music] in the heart of the ship below the superstructure is the engine room here the men of the engineers department known as the black gang keep the farmers engines operating efficiently to produce the needed Steve the ship will use about 400 barrels of oil daily during the voyage her tanks hold 12,000 barrels the steam turbines of the farmer generate 8500 horsepower to produce the steam air and fuel oil are fed into the furnaces that heat the boilers the amount of air being forced into the burners is indicated on these gauges each morning a heavy cloud of black smoke pours from the smokestack when a blast of steam removes the accumulation of soot on the boiler services this is known as blowing the tools electricity is provided by three generators which never stop electric power is not only necessary to the ship at sea but is also needed in Port to operate the machinery used in handling cargo [Music] all ships today carry a radio operator known as sparks he is needed not only in case of an emergency at sea but also to keep the ship in touch with the company's office and agents the members of the stewards department keep the quarters clean prepare and serve meals to both officers and crew and serve the needs of passengers if they are carried the steward discusses details of the day's menu with the chief cook an experienced chef who knows what will be needed to satisfy the 52 men whom he must feed three times each day the kitchen aboard ship is called the galley [Music] in olden times life at sea was a hungry life but today aboard ships like the farmer the men have a better and more varied diet than most families ashore the purser is the ship's bookkeeper he is responsible for recording the expenses of the voyage listing over time for the crew members paying the crew and many other clerical details in spite of their number ships do not often meet on the broad Pacific but one afternoon the farmer salutes a sister ship homeward bound [Music] Frasier's normally carry two lifeboats one on the starboard or right side of the ship and one on the port or left side in compliance with Coast Guard regulations boat drill is held once each week during the voyage crew members and passengers must appear at their assigned stations wearing lifejackets the boats are swung out to make certain that all is in working order they are equipped with oars sails and compass plus food and water lifeboats are rarely needed aboard modern ships but efficient crews assured that they are ready if they are needed [Music] more bells 6 o'clock and all's well below in the crew mess room the men off-duty past their leisure hours they play chess or read or talk of ships of strange ports and a friends and families ashore at sunset the lookout takes his place at the bow to keep watch for the safety of the ship through the night [Music] when the ship is made ready for a voyage heavy chains are lashed over the deck cargo and drawn taut as a fiddle string by big steel turnbuckles this seems like unnecessary work but seamen know the moods of the sea and on the afternoon of the third day out the wind begins to moan and the farmer dips her nose deep into the waves they light next morning finds the ship rolling in mountainous seas under a legend bank of flowers all but the essential work on deck is stopped and the men wait out the storm [Music] at sunset the rage of wind and wave has passed swept beyond the horizon and the ship glides peacefully along her course toward Honolulu early on the morning of her sixth day out the farmer arrives at Honolulu where she is met by a pair of tugboats with their own engines barely turning the tugs swing her around in the narrow waters of the channel lines are sent ashore and the winches aboard the farmer pull the ship slowly to the side of the pier this is known as warping in as soon as the gangway is lowered the longshoremen go aboard these men will unload the cargo and reload the ship for sea again while at sea the hatches are covered with heavy steel beams and made watertight with thick canvas tarpaulins the longshoremen first removed the chain lashings and then the lumber or dunnage used to hold down the cargo carried on deck on the foredeck the drums of chemicals are already being unloaded these must be removed before the hatches can be opened the ship's hatches are large openings in the decks through which cargo is loaded and unloaded [Music] from the afterdeck the cattle are driven down a chute into waiting trucks they will be taken to a special area to be inspected and sprayed before being shipped to their destination electrically operated winches located at convenient points on deck raise and lower the cargo by the use of strong steel cables that are wound on revolving drums the cargo is lifted above and across the deck by suspending the cables through pulleys or blocks which are attached to long steel poles called cargo booths a safety net hanging from the ship's side catches cargo that would otherwise fall into the water [Music] the winch drivers are longshoremen who operate the levers controlling the winches so skillfully that the most delicate items of cargo are loaded or discharged without damage [Music] a huge gantry crane moves along the pier and lifting the big containers easily over the deck lowers them gently to the dock where a vehicle called a straddle carrier picks them up and hauls them to the nearby container yard in the time of Columbus the raised section at the bow of the ship was called the forecastle and its deck is still known to seamen as the fo'c'sle head here our house the ships anchors anchors are used when a ship must wait in a harbor for clearance by port authorities or for room to tie up it appear if necessary a ship can anchor near land in foggy weather the farmer's anchors weigh four tons each and are being raised by a powerful electric winch this is known as weighing the anchor when a ship's cargo has been discharged her load lines tell how high she is in the water shipping laws regulate how deep a ship may be loaded at various seasons and in different parts of the world the farmer is now taking on cargo for her return to San Francisco several thousand tons of canned pineapple are stowed below the after day into a forward hatch go sacks of coffee beans thrown on the Kona Coast of the Island of Hawaii of most interest to the crew are the animals of a circus that has toured the islands and is returning to the mainland three African lions three polar bears Grizzlies and Himalayan bears all veteran travelers are foisting aboard like all deck cargo the cages are securely lashed to the deck with a framework of tonnage used to prevent the chains from slipping the animals are cared for by two men from the circus who will feed them and keep their cages clean during the days ahead each day the cages are raked out and clean shavings put in for the animals comfort at feeding time the big cats pace restlessly back and forth waiting for their ration of fresh meat this is Kansas a lion with a bad temper while the others enjoy their meal with quiet good manners Kansas lies with his meat between his paws and divides the world [Music] with her cargo stowed the hatch covers on and her deck ears secured for sea a captain and pilot take command on the bridge and the farmer backs slowly from the pier when entering or leaving a port all vessels must use a pilot who knows the channels the shallows and underwater obstructions of the particular port in which he operates when the farmer has cleared the channel the pilot hurries down a Jacob's Ladder to his waiting launch the three traditional blasts of the pilot boats whistle mean good luck and the safe passage [Music] homeward bound once more when the clean saw thereof a northeast trade winds sweeping her decks the Hawaiian farmer sets her course towards San Francisco and the end of another voyage [Music]