Yuku free message boards

When embarking or disembarking from a small craft the ranking officer gets in last and when disembarking from a small craft the ranking officer gets off first.

When coming aboard a ship tied up to a pier the ranking officer goes aboard first and disembarks first.

Ed

Try the Whitehall Rowboat:-)

These were the captains gig or their forerunners from the days of wooden ships.

The captains gig belonged to the captain.

Over the years the captains gig has been a much talked about thing and I think its origin is british?

Anyway from the rowboat they came to be any size and later were furnished with sail and usualy a crew of 4 plus a coxswain.

Then came sails and some were pretty big.

MacArthur's captains gig in australia had several sails and was about a 50 footer as I recall.

With the engine coming about then engines were also installed but the sail was the primary mover and the crew were "REAL" sailors:-)

Lots of what could be a captains gig are found in any marina.

Ships like DD's had a motor whale boat which we used and when the captain used it it was a captains gig.

Motor whale boats have carried many an admirial and or high ranking civilian official or otherwise.

On larger ships the captains gig could be any configuration and in todays language would be called a perk.

For a BB or carrier to pull into port and the captains gig be sent to bring a high ranking official aboard for entertainment, meetings and dining was something that impressed the natives and bought the US and USN some high marks from foreigners.

The admirals barge was never to outshine the captains gig and came later.

Both the captains gig and the admirals barge could be used when the captain and admirals allowed it.

This usually was when we were anchored far out for some reason and it added another boat or two to get people ashore and back.

Just a little trivia for the hands:-)

A little more trivia.

What color is a captains gig and what color is the admirals barge?

In wartime the admirals barges were painted battleship grey.

BOBC 59 said that in war time the captains gig was painted battleship grey which is true. The admirals barge in wartime was also painted battleship grey.

In peace time the admirals barge is black with a white canopy. Sometimes the canopy is also black but that makes it hot.

The captains gig however were many colors the primary being a white hull and the decks and gunrails are finished teak and lacqured. All finishes are poilshed to a point that should a fly light on the surfaces he will slip and break his neck:-)

The brass you can shave in.

There were usualy 3 sails with one main mast.

The captains gig was always kept ship shape by her crew who were sailors that knew very well how to sail a boat.

There were always more men aboard that had sailing experience than the crew size of the captains gig could have as most had a crew of 4 and 1 coxswain.

When the engine came about an engine was installed for those times when it might be needed which was very rare.

To see a captains gig sailing in the harbor was quite a sight for in those days there were not too many marinas full of sail or power boats as there are today.

I don't believe today that any private boat is as shiney, trim and well kept as a captains gig even today because it takes a lot of time to put a boat in that shape and to keep her in that shape.

Today the Captains Gig will outshine any boat in the marina as well. They ain't quite all gone yet.

The colors in the USN are Red Lead, Zinc Chromate, Deck Grey, Grey, Machine Grey, Black and White. The Deck Grey is sometimes called Battleship Grey. Grey is sometimes called Navy Grey but thats not whats on the can. Machine Grey is always used inside the ship on machinery, and No you do not mix these colors to suit yourself.