At the moment when the piece of bunting marking the stray line goes overboard, the glass is smartly turned. As soon as the sand has run out, the man holding the glass calls out, “Stop!” and the log line is suddenly checked. The number of knots that have been reeled off represent the number of sea miles the vessel is sailing an hour.

Several forms of self-registering logs are now in general use. These are towed astern, and communicate the revolutions of a screw rotator to a register—either overboard or on the taffrail of the vessel—which indicates the distance run.

These patent logs do not act in an altogether satisfactory way on small sailing craft. They generally under log the distance run when the vessel is sailing slowly, and are more adapted for use on steamers. For ordinary cruising purposes, on a small fore-and-after, we prefer the old-fashioned log ship and line, and it is not very often that one has occasion to use even that.

The Lead Line.—Two leads are employed on vessels—the deep sea lead weighing 28 lb., and the hand lead weighing 14 lb. The latter, or even a lead weighing somewhat less, is sufficient for a small yacht.

The line used for a hand lead is 25 fathoms long, and is generally marked as follows:—

At2 fathoms, Leather, with two ends.
3”Leather, with three ends.
5”White calico.
7”Red bunting.
10”Leather, with hole through it.
13”Blue serge.
15”White calico.
17”Red bunting.
20”Strand, with two knots in it.

It is possible, by the different feel of the materials used, to tell what mark is in one’s hand in the dark. The above depths are called marks; the intervening depths in fathoms which are unmarked are called the deeps. Thus, in five fathoms, the leadsman sings out, “By the mark five,” in eleven fathoms, “By the deep eleven.” He also calls out the halves and quarters of fathoms thus, “And a half six,” for six and a half fathoms, “A quarter less six,” for five fathoms and three-quarters.

To sound when the vessel is under way, swing the lead round and throw it as far forward as possible, so that the lead be at the bottom and the line tight from it to the hand, when the vessel is just over the lead.

If the lead be hove properly, so that it draws the line through the hands, it is easy to tell when it has reached the bottom, by the sudden withdrawal of the strain.

When sailing on very shallow waters, soundings can be taken much quicker with a pole or boathook than with a lead.