While the Yacht and Pharos lay at anchor at the Isle of May, Mr David Balfour, Mr Andrew Duncan, Mr David Cargill, Mr John Fleming, and Mr William Kidd, as a Committee from Arbroath, having hired a vessel, left that place in the morning, and hailed the Yacht, soon after she came to an anchor, when some of their party joined us on board. As the accommodations of the floating light were very ample, having only the ship’s company on board, it was proposed that the whole party should meet in her, and pass the night; but she rolled from side to side, in so extraordinary a manner, that even the most sea-hardy of our number were content to remain in a state of separation, rather than accept of the best birth in the floating light. It was humorously observed of this vessel, “that she was in some danger of making a round turn, and appearing with her keel uppermost.” Another said, “she would roll out her masts;” and a third that she would “even turn a halfpenny, if laid upon deck.” These, and such like remarks, afforded much pleasantry on board of the Light-house Yacht, and were suggested by the manner in which the Pharos rolled and yawed about, when compared with the more easy motion of the other vessels. Being then in light ballast trim to fit her for riding in bad weather, and very flat in the bottom, the smallest wave set her in motion, when at anchor; and when under way, she was little better, for she answered the helm with so much difficulty, that a large decked Praam-boat, which she had in tow, was upset in the passage from Leith. The writer is the more particular on this subject, as the rolling motion of the floating-light became proverbial in the Light-house service, and continued a source of much trouble and uneasiness to all concerned, especially while she was used as a tender or store-ship for the works.
Pharos anchors in a temporary birth.
Early in the morning of the 11th, the vessels left their anchorage at the Isle of May, and sailed for the Bell Rock; but on reaching it, in the course of the forenoon, the wind came to the eastward, accompanied with thick hazy weather, and drizzling showers of rain, which so completely hid the distant landmarks from view, that there was a necessity for ordering the Pharos to come to an anchor with her best bower, on the smoothest spot of ground that could be found, until a change of weather should admit of her being moored in a proper manner. The weather afterwards became so foggy that every object was lost sight of. The vessel which had brought our friends from Arbroath, put into that harbour in the course of the evening, but the Light-house Yacht kept at sea till the morning of the 12th, when it came to blow so fresh, that she also went into that harbour, to wait a change of weather. On the 14th, it improved, and the Yacht again sailed for the Bell Rock. On returning to the floating light, we were happy to find that all was well on board, though Mr Sinclair and Mr Webb, the pilot, complained that their anchorage was not very good, as the bottom was hard, and the soundings or particles brought up with the lead exhibited sharp coral and coarse gravel. After plying about for some time with the Yacht, and sounding in every direction, a place was at length fixed upon, about a mile and a half in a north-westerly direction from the Bell Rock. The Yacht, as before noticed, having on board the floating-light’s moorings, anchored on the spot most approved of for laying them down.
In laying down her Moorings, the whole chain goes overboard.
Some arrangements having been made among the nautical gentlemen, as to the precise mode of going about this operation, it was resolved to suspend the mushroom anchor over the gunwale of the Yacht, and before letting it into the water, to bring the greater part of the chain upon deck, taking the precaution to make the further end of it fast to the lower part of the mast, in the vessel’s hold, with a very strong and perfectly new stopper, or piece of rope, measuring 7 inches in circumference. It was not doubted but that this strong rope would have held the chain against any strain that might have been brought upon it, in the process of letting down the moorings. But the mushroom-anchor was no sooner let go from the ship’s tackle, than the part of the chain which had been coiled upon deck went overboard with such velocity, that it communicated a similar impetus to the remainder of the chain in the hold, and the strain coming ultimately upon the stopper, snapped through the several parts which fixed the end of the chain to the mast, and, consequently, the whole went to the bottom with the mushroom-anchor.
Moorings recovered with great difficulty.
This untoward circumstance greatly disconcerted and embarrassed the operations of mooring the floating-light, as the chain had now to be fished or hooked at the bottom, and raised from the depth of seventeen fathoms. After many trials, we at length succeeded in hooking it with a grappling-iron, but as it happened to lay hold only a few fathoms from the anchor, it required all the purchase-blocks and tackle of the Yacht and Pharos to raise it: for the weight, including the anchor, and so large a portion of the chain, could not be less than about three tons. This operation was begun at mid-day, and, although the united force of the crews of both ships was fully mustered, it was not till two o’clock on the following morning,—being a period of fourteen hours,—that the moorings were got up, and the Pharos brought alongside of the Yacht, to receive the hempen cable, which was made fast to the clinch, or great ring, connected with the chain moorings. The weather was fortunately the most favourable that could have been desired for this operation; and it is impossible for the writer to describe the anxiety and exertions of all on board in getting this matter adjusted. Were he to judge by his own feelings, he has no doubt that all on board would join in saying, that it was one of the most painfully laborious days they had spent in the course of their existence. For the space of about twenty hours, the crews of both ships had never been off deck, and during twelve of these the hand-spike, or the tackle, had not been five minutes together out of their hands, as the refreshments which they got were served up at the windlass. The same observations are literally applicable to the gentlemen of the quarter-deck, who divided their attention severally to the different tackles and purchases employed in raising the moorings.
The perplexing and tedious business of mooring the floating-light having been happily got over, it was judged necessary to see how she would ride at anchor for a time, before advertising the light to the public. The writer accordingly returned on board in the course of three weeks, and examined the moorings, which were found in good order. The anchorage ground was also considered of a very proper description, in so far as observations, made during a tract of favourable weather, had afforded the means of judging. The vessel lay in an excellent position for the direction of shipping; and being at this time only about a mile from the Bell Rock, her situation as a hulk or store-ship for the light-house operations, was as favourable as the relative position of the rock would admit. In this state of things, notice to the following effect was given in the newspapers, for the direction of mariners, and along with a copy of the notice, a chart or sketch of the opposite coast was sent to the different Custom-houses.
Description of the Floating-Light.
“In virtue of an Act of Parliament of the 46th year of Geo. III. chap. 132. authorising the Commissioners of the Northern Light-houses to erect a Light-house on the Bell Rock, to place a floating light there, and to collect duties thereupon,—notice is hereby given, that a vessel, fitted out for a floating-light, is now moored off the Cape or Bell Rock, situate at the entrance of the Friths of Forth and Tay, in North Lat. 56° 27´, and West Long. 2° 27´.