WHALER, MOTOR CUTTER,  CARLEY FLOAT and RAFT

27 FOOT WHALER

This wooden boat of "clinker" or "lap strake" construction was lowered as the ship's rescue boat if a man fell overboard, or if there were  survivors in the water. It could also be rigged as a sailing yawl. A hinged centreboard was permanently fitted for use under sail. HAIDA carried  one whaler and two motor cutters on-build.

Whaler cross section. A whaler weighed 2,700 lbs. Click on image to enlarge. (From BRCN 3029)

A whaler was manned by a crew of five oarsmen and  a coxswain.  The coxswain was the person in charge and he also operated the tiller. There were always men in the WATCH ON DECK designated as boat's crew. The boat could be manned and lowered by hand in minutes. Two Robinson Disengaging Gear devices allowed both falls to be  released simultaneously.  Afterwards, the boat could then be re-connected and hoisted aboard manually by the ship's company, or by using the torpedo winch and davit on the port side. The whaler could also be sailed and it was used in harbour for recreation or rowing competitions. .Whalers and motor cutters did not belong to a particular ship.

When HAIDA was built, there was one motor cutter on the port side . On the Starboard side, in the forward position, was the whaler and aft of that was the motor cutter. During the 1944 refit, the boat positions on the starboard side were reversed,  putting the cutter forward and he whaler aft. Moving the whaler aft makes it much easier to access by the crew and gives more room in the waist for men to man the Falls.  A second  advantage of moving the motor cutter forward is having equal weight distribution on each side of the ship. Lastly, it allows the falls of the starboard cutter to be lead to the port side and the torpedo winch. The seaboats were  hoisted by the winch.

One misconception is that HAIDA's whaler and motor cutter were lifeboats. The ship's boats are NOT lifeboats. It is the Carley floats that are the principal life-saving platforms in the case of abandonment of the ship. Each man aboard was assigned to a specific raft.   The boats could, in theory, be used as lifeboats. That would be great if you had the time and luxury to lower them.  Many of the Tribals all met violent ends and went down in minutes There would be insufficient time to man and lower the boats.

The whaler's four oars are 20 feet  long with  the  bowsman's oar being  18 feet. It was hard work to "pull " the whaler. That is why there is one oar  per thwart  as  the  boat's gunwhale takes  a  lot of the weight of the oar  across the boat. Oarsmen sat on a thwart which is a  structural crosspiece forming a seat for a rower in a boat. Of note is the whalers design. It was pointed at each end for better performance in rough water.

Crew positions in the whaler. (From BRCN 3029)

The motor cutter and whaler davits are different  The motor cutter davits are heavier (the width of the arm is 12 inches)  and have more slope to take the beam of the boat.  Port and starboard davits for the motor cutters are the same. The whaler davits are smaller and lighter. They are NOT interchangeable. The procedure to lower each type of boat is also completely different.

 HAIDA used to have a 27 foot whaler until it deteriorated over time.  Every time the ship was drydocked, the  boats went into supply and would be re-issued to another ship. During  Typhoon "Grace"on  August  26th 1954,  all of HAIDA's boats were  lost. In HAIDA's final tour  of the Great Lakes  in 1963,   she actually had  a fibreglass whaler. The actual  drill for  hoisting and  lowering  boats  is now an  antiquated part of seamanship - now long gone.

Peter Dixon relates this humourous incident. "I did a day sail  on HMCS TORONTO in 2000. A classmate of mine was the C.O. I remember  the demonstration on launching the RIB ( Rigid Inflatable Boat)  and the electric hoist didn't work. The Officer kept  pushing the buttons .... I guess the  poor man overboard  drowned due to an electrical malfunction."

In naval circles, the 27 foot whaler was considered  to be the most seaworthy of all the boats that warships normally carried during HAIDA's era.   It was the only one that could be trusted under most conditions. The whaler depicted in the photo is the one aboard HMCS Sackville. (Photo by Jerry Proc)	HAIDA's whaler as it appeared some time after October, 1944. (HAIDA Archives photo 991.974. 014.001) Note  that there are six oars in the whaler but only five oarsmen positions.  The sixth oar is called a boathook. It would be used by the bowman to fend the boat off,  catch and grapple the Falls, or the boat rope or men in the water,  etc.

Neil Bell relates his experiences with the whaler. " I’ve done a reasonable amount of time in whalers both under sail and oars.  "A particular time that I remember was while I was in CHAUDIERE on our way to Hawaii.  At noon, every day, the ship reduced to bare steerage way (a knot or two) and the Officer cadets manned the two whalers and raced around the ship.  Going aft was fine but coming forward and then crossing the bows of the ship was a terrifying slog.  No matter how far forward you went before turning in the ship caught up to you and the sight of that bow pitching up and down a few feet away gave one pause.  That and the fact that the swell was big enough that when you were on the crest, the bowsman couldn't reach the water with his oar".

Neil also provides this procedure on how to rig a whaler for use with sails.

MOTOR CUTTER   (1943-1963)

The motor cutter (aka as a SEA BOAT)  was used in harbour to ferry crew (ie  liberty-boat) and stores to the ship when the ship  was anchored to a buoy  It would also be used for picking up survivors in the water. The cutters weighted 5,000 + lbs and were  either 25 or 27 feet long depemding on the vintage. The 27 foot boats were of the newer vintage.  They were deeper and wider than the whalers. As a result, the  boat davits were different.  The motor cutter davits are heavier  and have more slope to accommodate the beam of the boat. The motor cutter davits for port and starboard are the same.

The motor cutter was a Canadian designed boat which was carried on destroyers  in  the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. It was carvel built and powered by a diesel engine. The crew consisted of three men: a coxswain, a  bow man and a stoker/mechanic to work the engine. This boat could carry 36 men. . Portable canopies could be fitted for harbour work for the protection of personnel.

In destroyers,  the whaler and the motor cutter were lowered by hand  but hoisted back unto the ship by using a deck winch.

HAIDA's motor cutter was restored for a second time and made seaworthy in 2007. Due to vibration problems which developed after the restoration, the cutter was placed on permanent display in HAIDA's Gift Shop.  HAIDA carried  two  motor cutters - one on port and one on starboard. Select this link for the complete story. (Photo by Jerry Proc)

The motor utter in HAIDA's Gift Shop is not original to the ship . Every time  a ship was drydocked, the  boats came off and went into supply/stores  and would be reissued to another ship. So the cutter currently on display was NOT used to rescue Athabaskan seamen on April 29,  1944. One of HAIDA's motor cutters had rotted out and was scrapped prior to her refit in 2002. The other motor cutter was moved and placed in permanent preservation in HAIDA's Gift shop.

CARLEY FLOAT (1943 to 1957)

The Carley float (sometime referred to as the  Carley raft) was a form of a liferaft designed by American inventor Horace Carley (1838–1918). Supplied mainly to warships, it saw widespread use in a number of navies during peacetime and both World Wars until superseded by more modern rigid or inflatable designs. Carley was awarded a patent in 1903 after establishing the Carley Life Float Company of Philadelphia

These life rafts, made from cork and copper, were the primary life saving apparatus and used by the RCN until the late 1950s. If the ship were to go down. HAIDA was fitted with twelve Carley Floats which could accommodate 20  men each according to one photo.  HAIDA'S crew compliment averaged 225  so there was adequate accommodation on the Carley floats. The two motor cutters and the whaler could only  accommodate around 80 survivors, hence the need for Carley floats.

The cross section  of the  Carley float. ( Courtesy Wikipedia)

The Carley float was formed from a length of copper or steel tubing 12 to 20 inches in diameter bent into an oval ring. The ring was surrounded by a buoyant mass of kapok or cork, and then covered with a layer of canvas rendered waterproof via painting or doping. The metal tube was divided into waterproof compartments with vertical baffles. The raft was thus rigid, and could remain buoyant, floating equally well with either side uppermost, even if the waterproof outer jacket was punctured. The floor of the raft was made from wood slats or a webbing grid. Boxes containing paddles, water, rations and survival equipment were lashed to the floor grid. Men could either sit around the rim of the raft, or, if in the water, cling to rope loops strung around its edge.

Rafts were supplied in two sizes and each size was sometimes designated by either its Admiralty Pattern number or (more usually) by the number of persons  it was rated to support, both inside and outside the raft . A  20 man raft would support 8 men inside on the platform and 12 more outside clinging to the rope loops. HAIDA was originally fitted with twelve,  6 ft x 10 ft  Carley floats which could float up to 20  men per unit . Each float weighed 385 pounds.

Wounded or injured survivors would be allocated to the inside netting or a platform so they would be sitting or lying on the raft. The remaining survivors would cling to the rope  hold on the sides.  If they weren't rescued quickly or at all, the  survivors  would perish from hypothermia. Most of the casualties in the Battle of the Atlantic died  this way. The average "life expectancy" in the North Atlantic was twenty  minutes ; even less in the Arctic.

Each member of the crew was assigned a specific raft, known as his RAFT STATION. When the ship left port, "Raft Stations" would be piped and everyone not on watch would go to their raft. This was the method of accounting for everyone aboard. This would also be done if someone went overboard, to determine who was missing.

Darren Scannell provides some background information on Carley  floats "The RCN used oval, cork filled life rafts until the mid to late 1950s s. These were painted in several styles such as light grey with a dark grey or black band on the straight sides, black or yellow with a red band on the straight sides, or standard shipside grey. to match the superstructure".

This table lists the various Carley float sizes and the number of persons that could be accommodatewith  each size. T (Via Australian War Memorial site)

During the mid 1950’s, the RCN started to transition to CO2 inflatable life rafts during normal ship refit periods. Since ships go through refits at different times, you will see the old Carley life rafts as well as the inflatable ones being used into the early 1960’s. You may also notice that the new shipside grey came into usage about the same time frame. Photos of these inflatables show a fabric bundle, strapped to a slatted frame at the ships railings. Photos also show several colours, - black, dark grey, beige, and orange. Sometimes they were  singles or double stacked. On  HMCS Bonadventure, they were stacked 3 high. Sometimes they were covered with a white tarp. I’ve always thought that they were a fabric bag with the raft inside, but there might be a fiberglass case inside or the ‘fabric’ might be the rubberized bottom of the raft. If anyone knows for sure, I’d like to hear from them. During yard periods, the rafts were removed for inspection and inspected ones in inventory were put back on the ships. This is why you sometimes see different coloured rafts over the years, although, the reason different colours existed I can only guess at. Possibly it was the procurement from different manufacturers, or the lack of a colour requirement in the specs"

Taken after  1947, this view of  HAIDA illustrates that she was fitted with yellow Carley floats. Click on image to enlarge. (Provided by Darren Scannell)

 

In this photo, note that the oars are lashed to the Carley float. This identical to a photo taken of HMCS Iroquois in 1962. Click on image to enlarge. (HAIDA Archives photo)

Having the oars lashed to the Carley float raises a question. Suppose the Carley float  is deployed and when it hits the water it flips over with the oars now facing the sea instead of the sky. How would the oars be accessed?  More than likely survivors would be motivated to do whatever it takes to get at those paddles.

Another question  - Suppose the Carley was at its 20 man capacity, how would the oars be used if people are in the way?  One opinion suggests that paddling would only be needed to maneuver  toward something nearby such as other rafts, rescue craft, or near the vicinity of a sinking ship. Paddling was not intended to be used for distance. If at capacity, (which wasn't the norm in many cases), people wiuld somehow have to move and get out of the way of the oars.

Carley floats were stowed in a single configuration as above or in a dual configuration as  below. They were usually painted the same colour as the superstructure.  (Photos by Jerry Proc)

 

Crewmen from HMCS Clayoquot struggle in the water after their ship was torpedoed  in the approaches to Halifax Harbour on Dec 24, 1944. (RCN photo PA-13434(?)) Wounded and injured would be placed in  the middle of the float.  When a vacancy became available someone in the water could then move to the platform. The float could be tossed into the water with no special equipment. It could be used immediately, no matter which side is up, and was so buoyant it could keep afloat many more men than it was designed to handle. John Gleason, a  survivor of the sinking of HMCS Guysborough, in March 1945, indicates he was one of 42 crew members swarming around one Carley float designed to carry 12.

Carley floats  were painted in several styles, including light grey with a dark grey or black band on the straight sides, black or yellow with a red band on the straight sides, or standard ship's grey same as the superstructure. Aboard HMCS CAYUGA 1955-57, the Carley floats were painted  two tone grey  then ship side grey after the refit. Carley rafts were not to be repainted because the weight of successive coats of paint would reduce buoyancy.

All stowages, slings, equipment and launching arrangements were to be inspected any time a ship came into the yard for any maintenance.  During yard periods, the  Carley  rafts were removed for inspection and inspected ones in inventory were put back on the ships. When HAIDA arrived in Toronto in 1964 to become a naval museum, she arrived with a full complement of Carley floats.

20 MAN INFLATABLE LIFE RAFT (1957 to 1963)

In the late 1950s and early 1960s,   20 ,man inflatable rafts in fiberglass containers started appearing on RCN ships.

By March 1957, the Carley floats aboard HAIDA  were replaced with 20 man inflatable life rafts. The designers of the life raft used by  the RCN (circa 1960s) took into account he factors of survival, particularly protection from exposure to wind and weather. It carried the essentials of life for 20 men, and it could also carry  an overload complement of 27 men. The raft could be launched manually, or if the ship sinks before this is possible, it will be released and inflate itself  automatically.

In the raft itself there were provisions such as fresh water, pyrotechnic (fireworks) signals, a flashlight, a knife, fishing outfits,  repair kits, fresh water making and collection equipment, and a first aid outfit. There was also a waterproof book showing how all of these items were to be used. It  was important that this book be read before any of the equipment in the raft was used.

The 20 man life raft was stowed deflated in a camvas bag. The kit  was attached to a hydrostatic release gear which would automatically release the raft at between 1.5 and 15 metres distance from the ship , or it could be released  manually with a Senhouse slip.  The canvas storage bags for the rafts came in several colours -  black, dark grey, beige, and orange. Click on image to enlarge (From BRCN 3029)

Jim Brewer, who served in HMCS Chaudiere  (235), relates his experience with the 20 man inflatable life raft. "Our storage bags  were painted white. Ttwo straps went over the top and down the back where they were joined together. Between the joint and the deck there was a round device with a bellows system inside. If the ship was to sink before the rafts were released., the bellows would pull a pin and allow the rafts to float up. There was also a lanyard tied to the mounting frame that would pull the pin on the air tank to inflate the raft.

One could also push the raft  over the side and it would inflate on its way down. Then you jumped over the side  and you swam over to the raft . If  it inflated on its side you had to  use the ladder on the bottom of the raft to pull it over then go to either end and climb in. Most of the time, the rafts would inflate on their  side.  Training to climb aboard a life raft was conducted in the indoor swimming pool at HMCS Stadacona.  We had to jump into the water in our work dress less our shoes. Everybody had to do it".

This was just one of the areas where the 20 man life rafts were stowed. After HAIDA paid off, all the 20 man inflatable life rafts would have been removed for redeployment to other ships.   (Photo is dated March 1957 and provided by Darren Scannell)

LIFE JACKET

Since this document pertains to survival at sea, it would be prudent to mention the type of life jacket issued to seamen in the period 1943 to 1963.

The standard life jacket used by the RCN (circa 1960)  is shown in Figure 4-23. It is inflated by means of a carbon dioxide cylinder, but should this fail, there is a rubber tube long enough for the sailor to put in his mouth and inflate the jacket manually. The life jacket is not to be inflated until it is needed.

The life jacket, stowed in its pouch is won by all personnel at all times in wartime. The pouch may be tuned to face the front or the back, whichever is more convenient.  Before jumping off a sinking ship, the life jacket should be inflated, and, if it is night time, the two plugs (see illustration) which protect the battery for the electric light should be pulled out. If one jumps off the ship on the leeward  side, the drifting ship is liable to overtake the sailor. If jumping off  the windward side, one will probably jump into fuel oil .

 However, if you are properly at emergency stations, you will probably be able to jump from the sides directly alongside a raft. There is little danger in jumping with your life jacket inflated. However, when jumoping with a life jacket inflated, it was important to cross both arms across the chest and hold on to the life jacket when you jumped, otherwise when you hit the water, the life jacket stopped and you kept on going

The RCN started to issue this type of life jacket in 1943.  Sometimes crew had no time to find and don them before abandoning ship. (Courtesy Legion Magazine)		This is the type of life jacket used by the RCN  circa 1960s. Before inflation it was rolled up and stored in a pouch attached to a  belt worn around  the waist  (From BRCN 3029 - 1960)

The life jacket was designed to keep one's neck and head out of the water thus allowing you to float on your back. Swimming while wearing the jacket was a bit difficult.  Paddling with one's feet worked better.  The sea-salt battery which powered the light could be reused if properly dried out.

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Contributors: or Credits

1) Peter Dixon
2) Neil Bell
3) Jim Brewer
4) Carley floats  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carley_float
5) BRCN 3029 Seaman's Handbook
6) Darren Scannell
7)  The 1943 life jacket   https://legionmagazine.com/en/2016/07/the-carley-float/
8) https://www.navyhistory.org.au/carley-life-rafts-of-ww2/

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