The coils of single-conductor cable are carried aboard the planter, to the aft deck, by the cable detail, or they may be lowered onto the deck by means of the cable yoke and a derrick on the wharf. The cable for mine No. 1 is placed on the starboard side of the aft deck and its mine-cap end is carried forward on the cable racks close to the mines. The other cables, Nos. 2 to 9, inclusive, are placed in succession on the starboard side in the same manner. The cables, Nos. 19 to 10 are placed in succession on the port side, with No. 19 at the bottom. The coils on each side are placed on top of each other. The cable should be removed from the racks when its corresponding mine is being prepared for planting.
At the same time the other apparatus and appliances are carried aboard and placed forward, the proper supply on each side. The anchors are placed as convenient to the forward davits as possible.
Finally, the loaded mines are put aboard. If they contain dynamite they should be protected from the direct rays of the sun by being covered with a paulin.
Preparing mines for planting.—The detail on each side of the planter prepares a mine on its own side. The loading wire from the mine is cut to the proper length, a water-tight joint is made with the single conductor of the corresponding cable, and the Turk’s-head is clamped in place, care being exercised that no part of the leading-in wire is caught under the clamp. The cable is lashed with soft-drawn copper wire or secured by clips to the bails just above the ring.
The proper mooring rope is now shackled at one end to an anchor, at the other end to the mine, and is lashed to the mine cable with soft-drawn copper wire at every 5 feet. If automatic anchors be used, the mooring rope is shackled to the mine after the anchor and mine are swung outboard; the lashing of the cable to the mooring rope is omitted.
A rope for raising the mine is cut to the length of 80 feet plus the depth of water. One end is attached to the anchor by an anchor knot or bowline, the other to the mine cable by two half hitches and a seizing of soft-drawn copper wire. It should not be secured at other points.
The mine buoys have attached to them 60 feet of ½-inch rope, which is marked at every 5 feet. The free end is slipped through the maneuvering ring of the mine and tied to the buoy.
When planting mines for practice, marline may be used to seize the raising rope to the cable and to lash the cable to the bail and mooring rope.
A mousing must be put around the upper hook of the differential block to prevent the block from jumping off the hook when the mine or anchor is tripped. The tripping hook of the differential block on the forward davit is attached to the anchor and it is hoisted and swung outboard clear of the rail. The mine is similarly slung from the after davit by its maneuvering ring or by a rope sling through the latter. Both mine and anchor are lowered as close to the water as conditions will permit. A heaving line is bent onto the free end of the mine cable, generally by means of a clove hitch and two half hitches.
The aft detail now removes or cuts the rope lashings of the coil of the corresponding mine cable. A detail sees that the cable and raising rope are held on the gunwale ready for planting. These should not be allowed to trail in the water. A man stands near the mine davit ready to throw the mine buoy clear of the planter when the mine is tripped. ([Fig. 13] shows the mine and anchor slung for planting and [fig. 14] shows the relative position of the various parts in the water. In these figures the cable should be shown as lashed to the mooring rope.)