,illustration3 ,,minerva                
,,on                                    
,yachts                                 
,,and                                   
,yacht ,handling                        
,,by                                    
,,thomas ,,fleming ,,day                
,illustration                           
,,new ,,york ,,and ,,london3            
,,the ,,rudder ,,publishing ,,company   
#aija                                   
,,copyright1 #aija1                     
,,by                            ,,thomas
 ,,fleming ,,day                        
,,all ,,rights ,,reserved4              
,,to ,,those                     ,,who  
,,have ,,spent ,,many ,,hours ,,with    
,,me                         ,,round    
,,the ,,clubhouse ,,fire                
,,contents        ,,on ,,this ,,book    
#ac    ,,on ,,seamanship                
#ai    ,,on ,,boats ,,in ,,general      
#cg    ,,on ,,one-,,man ,,boats         
#ee    ,,on ,,sea-,,going ,,boats       
#fg    ,,on ,,rigs                      

#ha    ,,on ,,sail ,,as ,,an ,,auxiliary
       #aji    ,,on ,,reefing           
#aai    ,,on ,,anchors ,,and ,,anchoring
      #abi    ,,on ,,rigging            
#afa    ,,on ,,stranding                
#age          ,,on ,,this ,,book        
,books were made that man might pass his
 knowledge to his fellows2  through them
 he speaks to a vast audience1 and his  
power to enlighten  is only             
circumscribed by the ability to impart  
this knowledge in lucid  and interesting
 language4      ,,on ,,this ,,book      
,my reason for writing this book is1    
that it is wanted2 my excuse1  thirty   
years' experience4 ,in those years ,i   
have handled many boats1  upon many     
waters4    ,you will find this book very
 different from other works on the same 
subject4 ,in the first place1 ,i believe
 that all text-books should be  written 
in a manner to please1 as well as to    
instruct2 that they should  be agreeable
 reading2 and1 aside from their teaching
 value1 have a  certain excellence as a 

writing4 ,again1 there is nothing in    
literature  so interesting as the       
autobiography1 real or fictional4       
,nearly all our  great works of fiction 
are of this class4 ,robinson ,crusoe's  
history  from any other lips than those 
of the castaway would lose half its     
interest2 ,gil ,blas in the third person
 would lack warmth and be wholly  devoid
 of its peculiar zest4 ,the flavor of   
the individual is lost  when you speak  
for1 and not as him4 ,the puppet talks  
like a puppet4  ,it is the difference   
between ,john ,alden pleading the cause 
of ,captain  ,standish and ,john ,alden 
pleading the cause of ,master ,john4    
,let a man  talk to you and he will     
interest and amuse2 let him write for   
you and  he will prove trite and dull4  
,therefore1 when imparting information1 
,i  like to talk1 not write4 ,i want to 
infuse into my words my person1 to      
endeavor to give my ideas an            
,i-am-with-you tone1 so that it will be 
me  and not the book that is present1   

and with whom you are in communion4     
,but this method of handling a subject  
is apt to breed dogmatism1  especially  
as the reader is unable to question or  
deny the statements  made until they    
have been chilled into ink4 ,so you will
 find in many  of my chapters that ,i am
 exceedingly dogmatic4 ,it is           
unintentional1  simply being a          
manifestation of the spirit peculiar to 
this style of  addressing an            
audience--one that must hear but cannot 
answer4 ,therefore  let me warn you to  
question all my statements1 and to      
accept only those  that harmonize with  
your own conclusions1 after you have    
carefully  thought them over4 ,those    
that you cannot reconcile to your own   
knowledge and experience1 lay on one    
side to be tried out at a future  day4  
,never1 no matter how high the          
authority1 accept any man's coin by its 
minted face4 ,it is as easy to strike a 
base as a sterling piece1 and  the      
king's head on the reverse and his arms 

on the obverse won't make  lead silver1 
or copper gold4 ,this in regard to      
statements made by those  who set       
themselves up as authorities on a       
subject is particularly true1  when the 
subject is one like this under          
discussion2 one in which no  fixed rules
 may be established1 and where so much  
depends upon the  man1 the place and the
 means4 ,i make a statement of practice2
 it was  deduced from my personal       
experience1 and in my case gave a       
perfect  result2 you follow it1 but     
owing to certain complicating           
circumstances1  in your case1 it fails4 
,for instance1 ,i tell you1 that when a 
vessel  gets sternway on in a seaway to 
keep your helm amidships1 and cast her  
with the headsails1 and not to put your 
helm hard over4 ,you accept my  method  
as being the correct one1 try it1 and   
fail to cast your boat so  as to fill   
away4 ,this does not prove that ,i am   
wrong in making such a  statement1 but  
it shows that ,i am wrong in not having 

qualified it4  ,it also shows that you  
are a lax thinker in not having         
questioned my  method before putting it 
in practice4 ,my error is the too       
frequent  error of men who write on     
vessel handling2 yours the too common   
error  of men who study their books4    
,the object of this book1 of these      
talks1 is not to fill you1 parrot       
fashion1 full of rules of action or     
methods of practice1 but to furnish  you
 with food for thought2 to lay before   
you certain statements from  which you  
must1 to a large extent1 deduce your own
 conclusions4 ,take  what ,i say1 mix it
 with your own knowledge and experience1
 and put into  action the result4       
,these talks are not intended for men   
who are what we may call seamen1  men   
who are thoroughly versed in the art1   
nor are they intended for  those who    
aspire to boats larger than forty feet  
over all4 ,a boat  above that size is   
too valuable to be trusted in the hands 
of an  inexperienced or half-trained    

man4 ,the owner of a large yacht1 if he 
is  not perfectly capable of handling   
her under all conditions1 should hire   
some one who is4 ,my sermons are        
addressed to the man who is learning to 
handle a small vessel1 who wants to be a
 seaman1 and who1 to be free of  all    
paid assistance1 is willing to study the
 art thoroughly and make  himself master
 of all its branches4          ,,on     
,,seamanship        ,the tar's a smart  
tar that can band1 reef and steer1      
,that can nimbly cast off and belay2    
,who in darkest nights finds each       
halyard and gear1      ,and dead        
reckoning knows well1 and leeway2       
,but the tar to please me must more     
knowing be4--                           
,,dibden--7,modernized74      ,,on      
,,seamanship    ,i have been all my life
 a lover of the sea2 an observer of its 
natural  and social conditions2 a       
student of its phases and fabrics2 but  
while my mind in its long and wide      
search has touched upon almost  every   

subject connected with ocean life1 the  
one that has constantly  interested and 
fascinated me is that which relates to  
the care and  government of sailing     
vessels4 ,this art1 which is called     
seamanship1 is  one of man's oldest and 
noblest attainments4 ,what does the     
world owe to  him who possessed it8     
,to him the civilization of to-day owes 
its existence4 ,man cramped in  the     
confines of a continent1 a prisoner at  
low-water mark1 a dwarf in  a dwarf     
world1 was released1 lifted and         
enlightened by the ,master of  the      
,sail4 ,it was he who found the universe
 upon the sea1 and brought it  home2 a  
free gift1 with the more costly but less
 valuable trophies of  distant trade4   
,it was he who1 broadening the world's  
world1 broadened  the world's mind4     
,with the spices and silks of the ,east1
 with the gold  and tobaccos of the     
,west1 he laded his ships with the new  
knowledge1 a  commodity that paid no    
revenues to the crown1 that added       

nothing to the  wealth and glory of     
princes1 but1 flowing slowly and        
steadily into the  minds of men1 incited
 the intelligent few to broader1 nobler 
and more  splendid achievements1 and    
filtering through the masses1 long      
steeped  in inveterate ignorance1       
uplifted1 enriched and regenerated all4 
,in the shadow of his sail hamlets      
became cities2 wealth increased1        
suffering diminished4 ,in his callous   
hands1 the helm1 that through  daylight 
and darkness guided his vessel from land
 to land1 was more  marvelous in its    
powers than the famed ivory wand of the 
,eastern  genii2 and to all who sought  
to receive1 his sail bore more jewels   
than ever burdened the magic carpet1 or 
came into the hands of the  daring and  
fortunate through the incantations of   
the ,sons of the ,hidden  ,light4 ,while
 with one hand he struggled with        
chaffering ,trade for her  sordid coin1 
with the other he threw into the laps of
 ,science and ,art  innumerable         

treasures4 ,impartial in his generosity 
as in his gifts1 he  gave to ,astronomy 
new constellations1 to ,medicine rare   
and efficacious  herbs1 to ,art fresh   
and invigorating colors1 and to         
,literature a  strange breed of heroes1 
novel situations and unfamiliar plots4  
,the freedom that he found upon the high
 seas he brought back to cheer  the     
slaves of the mart4 ,kings bargained for
 his services1 nobles and  merchants    
offered their purses to assist in his   
ventures4 ,in return  for three paltry  
vessels he presented ,spain with an     
empire2 to prove  a chimera false he    
perished among the northern ices4 ,no   
sea was too  broad to daunt him2 no land
 was too distant to escape his search4  
,the  miseries he endured1 the hardships
 he underwent1 were forgotten in the    
joys of a new discovery4 ,he opened     
roads of trade that brought riches  and 
power to his country1 and sprinkled     
these pathways with the bones  of his   
companions--victims of exposure1 famine 

and disease4    ,no reef lifts above the
 water1 no shallow spreads its          
treacherous  sands1 but the frames of   
his vessel have been broken upon it4    
,the  hurricane and calm have taken toll
 of him2 he has paid the penalty of     
recklessness and greed4 ,he has given to
 the annals of war its most  desperate  
and bloody conflicts2 he has perished   
that nations might  live1 and that a    
people might be free4    ,his life gave 
him strength and endurance2 his art made
 him skillful and  courageous4 ,he      
created and used a language of his own1 
and his customs  were not those of other
 men4 ,the inventor of the sail1 the    
user of  the elements1 the discoverer1  
the trader1 the protector1 the world's  
benefactor--the seaman4    ,a noble art 
makes noble men1 and there is no nobler 
art than  seamanship4 ,as free and      
changeful in its measures as are the    
elements  it employs and combats1 it is 
prolific of resource1 fertile in        
expedient1 and a prompter of mental     

activity4 ,it promotes skill of hand    
and tenacity of muscle4 ,courage is bred
 in its duties1 and the mind  broadens  
in its services4    ,it is this that    
makes the practice of seamanship so     
valuable to those  who employ it only as
 a pastime4 ,the care and handling of   
the sailing  vessel furnishes most      
excellent training for the young4 ,aside
 from  the skill it imparts1 it takes   
men out into the open air2 it offers  to
 those whom the obligations of life keep
 at the counter and desk an  opportunity
 to be free1 to get away from and       
completely out of the  business world4  
,it gives the mart-worn mind a change   
and a rest4 ,the  sea has no postmen2 no
 telegraph messengers4 ,it prints no    
newspapers4  ,the feet of society merely
 tread its borders4 ,it is a place where
 man  is really free1 and where he can  
realize his freedom4    ,many have      
written upon this art4 ,some of these   
works are an addition  to literature and
 of value to the seaman1 but the        

majority are not4 ,on  that branch of   
seamanship1 which we will call          
yachtmanship1 and which  is principally 
the art of sparring1 rigging1 canvasing 
and handling  fore-and-aft vessels1     
there has been penned several large     
works and  many small ones4 ,the        
standard books are by ,vanderdecken and 
,kemp1  and the majority of the others1 
,i am sorry to say1 are in the most     
part copies of these two4 ,in some cases
 the authors have lifted their          
information bodily1 and have forgotten  
to acknowledge the indebtedness4  ,while
 standard works of their time1 both     
,vanderdecken and ,kemp are now  out of 
date1 and1 moreover1 they deal largely  
with big vessels1 and  vessels of a type
 no longer employed in yachting4        
,among the smaller works there are      
several good ones1 but they lack        
originality and do not properly cover   
the ground1 nor do they contain  the    
information which is most necessary to  
the beginner4 ,again1 many of  them have

 been written by men who are enslaved by
 one type1 and are  therefore           
considerably biased2 others are from the
 pen of those who  have had a special   
and not a general experience4    ,but   
the crowning defect of all these books1 
to my mind1 is that the  authors in the 
portion relating to handling try to     
teach a man1 instead  of prompting him  
to learn4 ,you cannot teach a man to    
sail--he may  learn4 ,in order to do so 
he must have the sailor instinct4       
,unless he  has that he will never      
become a seaman4 ,that is why some men  
can never  learn to handle a boat1 and  
why others will pick up the knowledge in
 a  few months4    ,again1 there are    
many men who learn to sail a boat2 that 
is1 become  possessed of so much        
knowledge as will permit of their       
working a  vessel from place to place1  
but yet never succeed in mastering the  
nicer or more difficult points of       
seamanship4 ,these are the parrots of   
the profession--men who simply repeat   

what they see other men do4 ,the        
skillful seaman is the man who thinks1  
who studies his profession1 and  who    
learns from his own experience what he  
cannot from the practice of  others4    
,it is often said that experience is the
 great teacher4 ,to be sure it  is2 but 
even experience cannot teach one who    
will not learn4 ,the most  intense and  
varied experience is of no use to one   
who casts it aside  without first       
fitting it into place in his life's     
record by turning it  over and over in  
his mind4 ,spasmodic storage of         
experience is of no use  whatever2 it   
must be sorted1 checked up1 ticketed and
 stored away in  its proper place in the
 next bin to that which it joins in the 
sequence  of events4 ,unless this is    
done it will not be forthcoming when    
needed4    ,properly arranged and       
stored1 experience is the mother of what
 is  called presence of mind1 the most  
necessary mental part for a  seaman to  
possess4 ,without it he will be a menace

 to his own safety  and a threat of     
danger to others4 ,presence of mind is  
simply applied  forethought4 ,you do in 
an emergency without apparent reflection
 the  right thing1 and save your boat1  
your life1 or somebody else's life4     
,people who see the act1 exclaim1 ,what 
wonderful presence of mind6 but  would  
be more correct1 if they exclaimed1     
,what perfect presence of  plan6 ,you   
have simply executed at a moment's      
notice a plan of action  that has been  
stored away in your mind1 perhaps for   
years4    ,when a boy1 ,i frequently    
amused myself when skating by thinking  
out  what ,i would do if a person fell  
through the ice4 ,i pictured all        
possible situations and methods of      
rescue4 ,one day the accident  happened2
 a boy in skating across the head of a  
pond broke through the  thin ice formed 
where the river entered the lake4 ,from 
the hundred  skaters present a yell of  
terror went up1 and1 as was the case    
when  the immortal ,mr4 ,pickwick met   

with a similar accident at ,dingley     
,dell1 everybody called for help1 and   
nobody offered it4 ,though at  some     
distance1 my attention was drawn to the 
mishap by these cries4  ,instantly ,i   
responded4 ,there was no mental         
preparation1 no reflection2  the proper 
plan flashed into my acting mind4 ,i    
executed it1 and the boy  was saved4    
,now1 if ,i had not had that plan stored
 in my mind1 ,i should have been  just  
as much at sea as the rest were4 ,i     
should probably have joined  them in    
shouting for a plank or rope1 or1 like  
,mr4 ,tupman1 have cried  fire1 or      
performed some other senseless act1 such
 as people do when  brought suddenly    
face to face with a dangerous emergency4
    ,one day when running down wind ,i  
said to the young fellow at the wheel1  
who was anxious to learn the seaman's   
trade1 ,what would you do if one  of us 
fell overboard8 ,i don't know1 he       
answered4 ,haven't you ever  thought1   
planned out1 what you would do in such  

an emergency8 ,no1 he  hadn't4 ,well1 ,i
 said1 you think it out2 put the boat in
 different  positions and under         
different sail1 and plan out what you   
would do if  such an accident happened4 
,a day or two after1 while the same lad 
was at the wheel1 we lost the dingey4   
,without calling me from below  or      
hesitating1 he wore round and recovered 
the boat1 executing the  manoeuvre in so
 clever a manner as to call praise from 
all the old  hands4 ,when1 shortly      
after1 ,i relieved him at the wheel1 he 
said1 ,i  thought that out the other day
 after you spoke about what to do if a  
man falls overboard4    ,again1 ,i was  
on the bridge of a steamer chatting with
 the mate4 ,what  do you do to pass away
 the long night watches8 ,i asked him4  
,well1  he answered1 ,i spend hours     
thinking and planning out what ,i would 
do if certain things happened4 ,i put   
the ship into every possible            
danger--fire1 collision1 shifting cargo1
 broken shaft1 and unexpected  land4 ,i 

then plan how best to meet the emergency
 created4 ,i place other  ships in every
 position--green to port1 red to        
starboard1 lights dead  ahead1 lights on
 the beam1 lights everywhere--then plan 
to work my ship  clear of them4 ,i have 
some run into me1 am sinking1 lower     
boats1 save  my own crew and rescue     
others4 ,i pick up lame ducks1 pass     
hawsers1  make fast and tow them in4    
,everything that could possibly happen  
,i  have happen1 and plan the ways and  
means of meeting them over and over     
again4 ,that is how ,i while away my    
eight hours in the scuppers4    ,there  
was a seaman who had prepared himself   
for an emergency2 a  commander who had  
ready for instant use a plan1 so1 let   
occasion demand  it1 he could stand     
forth the man of the hour4    ,let me   
advise you who would learn the seaman's 
art to copy that mate4  ,spend your idle
 hours thinking and planning4 ,never go 
into a difficult  channel without first 
picturing what dangers may confront you1

 and how  you can overcome them4 ,never 
pass through a fleet or come to anchor  
among vessels without planning          
beforehand your mode of action4 ,never  
turn in at night without first looking  
about you and outlining in your  mind   
your position in regard to shore and    
craft1 and forming a plan  for getting  
away if anything should happen to oblige
 you to make sail4  ,after a little     
practice this thinking ahead will become
 second nature1  and your brain will    
plan and act with the regularity and    
cheerfulness  of a good clock4    ,the  
backbone of active seamanship is        
confidence--confidence in  yourself1    
confidence in your craft1 confidence in 
your crew4 ,the first  and most         
necessary of these is confidence in     
yourself4 ,without it the  place for you
 is on shore1 or in a subordinate       
position4 ,no man should  attempt to    
command who has shaken confidence in his
 own skill and  judgment4 ,i mean by    
confidence the true article1 not the    

false1 which  is more commonly called   
conceit4    ,confidence is inspired by  
action and confirmed by success4 ,you   
attempt  a feat such as you have never  
attempted before and are successful1    
therefore you are sure that the skill or
 knowledge you used in  performing it is
 reliable1 and that you are possessed of
 a mastery over  it sufficient to enable
 you to repeat the act4 ,in plain       
,english1 you  are sure you can do it   
again4    ,let us suppose it is a feat  
of navigation4 ,by yourself you have    
never  taken a yacht out of sight of    
land1 but1 having the opportunity1      
decide  to attempt to run from one point
 to another across an open stretch of   
sea4 ,you take the chart1 find the      
magnetic course and distance1 allow  for
 leeway and current1 and having thus    
found your compass course put  the ship 
on it1 and away you go4 ,land soon drops
 down astern1 and you  begin to feel a  
bit shaky4 ,suppose you have made a     
mistake in laying  off the course2 not  

allowed enough for leeway1 too much for 
current4  ,suppose you should miss the  
distant cape4 ,this and a dozen other   
things  begin to haunt your mind4 ,you  
go below1 out with the chart1 pass over 
your figures1 remeasure the distance1   
get the same result for compass         
course--we will say ,n4 ,e4 by          
,e4#a_/b;,e4 ,you go back on deck       
confident that  your course and distance
 are correct1 and then begin to worry   
about  the compass4 ,you are sure it was
 correct yesterday1 because you took    
several bearings and found it so1 and it
 was also correct two weeks  before1 on 
your last cruise4 ,then you reason that 
it is very unlikely  that it would go   
waltzing off into an excessive error    
just because it  happened to have been  
taken out of sight of land for the first
 time1  and so give it back your        
confidence and steer away ,n4 ,e4 by    
,e4#a_/b;,e4    ,your crew now begin to 
worry1 never having been out of sight of
 land  before4 ,they look at you as     

though they suspected you of            
contemplating  their murder4 ,they walk 
around uneasily1 search the horizon     
ahead1 and  cast regretful glances at   
the one astern1 pay repeated visits to  
the  log and act generally like a set of
 condemned victims4 ,your confidence    
under this condition begins to wilt     
again4 ,you take the log index1 go      
below1 and find that your passage is    
half made4 ,you show this to the  crew1 
and they appear half satisfied and half 
doubtful1 despite your  assumed air of  
implicit faith4 ,they seem to know that 
your face is  acting1 and that your     
stomach is not backing up the play4     
,just then the  helmsman calls out that 
a steamship is in sight ahead4 ,the     
smoke-boat  approaches rapidly1 running 
almost on the back-bearing to the one   
your  craft is on--,s4 ,w4 by ,w41 as   
near as you can make it4 ,as she draws  
near  you recognize her as a coaster    
running between the place you are bound 
to and the place you have left4 ,here is

 positive evidence that you are  on the 
right track4 ,you strut round the       
cockpit with the airs of an  admiral1   
and the timid members of your crew      
shrink into their lower  garments4      
,but a few hours after passing the      
steamer1 night comes on1 and it  begins 
to blow and get nasty4 ,you call all    
hands1 reef down1 and thus  check your  
speed1 so that instead of making six    
knots you are only  doing four4 ,then   
the wind hauls a bit more forward1 and  
you have to  flatten-in your sheets4    
,this increases your leeway1 and you    
decide to  allow another point for      
it--making your course ,n4 ,e41 #a_/b   
,e4 ,then you  wonder if that is enough1
 and again begin to worry4 ,by this time
 your  crew have accepted their fate1   
and are in a profound state of despair1 
beyond even a murmur of insubordination1
 doing their work slowly and  sullenly1 
as though every act was a part of a     
preparation to commit  suicide4    ,down
 to the chart you go again2 pass over   

the course1 and pricking  off the       
distance1 find that you are by your     
reckoning still twenty  miles from the  
landfall you expect to make4 ,the light 
on it is visible  fifteen miles4 ,laying
 out this on the chart1 you see that you
 can  hardly miss hitting that big      
circle1 and are somewhat assured4 ,now  
the  wind falls light1 and instead of   
being within the range of visibility  of
 the light in an hour or so1 it is three
 before the log says you have  run far  
enough4 ,you carefully search the       
horizon for it4 ,no light is  visible4  
,a cold sweat begins to break out4 ,you 
are lost--lost at sea4  ,you must have  
allowed too little for leeway and have  
passed far outside  of the light4 ,what 
had you better do1 keep your course1 or 
haul up8  ,after thinking it over1 and  
again consulting the chart1 you decide  
to  hold the course for an hour longer4 
,how slowly that hour drags away6 ,at   
its expiration the log shows three and  
one-half miles more4 ,you are now  by   

your reckoning eleven and one-half miles
 from the light4 ,certainly  you must   
see it4 ,a long search with the glass2  
no light4 ,you decide to  haul up and   
try for it to the north'rd and west'rd1 
but before doing  so have one more look4
 ,hello6 there it is1 a point on the    
starboard  bow4 ,that's the light1 sure 
enough4 ,it flashes2 you count ten      
seconds1  fifteen seconds1 darkness2    
again it flashes ten seconds4 ,light ho6
  you shout4    ,has your log overrun   
that amount8 ,you decide it has2 but a  
few  minutes later the light is lost    
again4 ,that settles it--fog or mist    
inshore2 the log is all right4 ,so you  
stand boldly on1 your whole  mind aglow 
with the triumph you have just          
achieved--that of making  a good        
landfall4 ,the drama of ,columbus at    
,san ,salvador is replayed1  you taking 
the part of the great admiral1 and your 
crew that of the  conscience-stricken   
mutineers4 ,you wonder why they ever    
doubted your  skill and knowledge1      

forgetting that you doubted yourself4   
,the next day your crew strut proudly   
about the port like a lot of  mariners  
just returned from circumnavigating the 
globe4 ,they are proud  of you1 proud of
 their vessel1 and very proud of        
themselves4 ,but what a  change it has  
worked in you6 ,you are a very different
 man to-day from  what you were the hour
 you took your departure to make that   
passage4  ,to-day you have confidence in
 your skill and knowledge1 and in       
yourself  as a user of those powers4    
,i have written that little sketch to   
show you that knowing how to  hand1 reef
 and steer is not all that is needed to 
make a seaman4 ,the  knowledge of the   
methods of working sails and ship are   
only a part of  the seaman's craft4 ,his
 head as well as his hand must be       
trained4 ,he  must not only know his    
vessel thoroughly1 but he must as       
thoroughly  know himself4          ,,on 
,,boats ,,in ,,general        ,is it    
come8 they said1 on the banks of the    

,nile1      ,who looked for the world's 
long-promised boat1    ,and saw that the
 lines he had drawn on a tile           
,would make a good cruiser--if it would 
float1    ,thro' pyramids1 temples1 and 
mummies stuffed1      ,we vainly search 
for this ideal plan2    ,we fear the    
,burgess of ,pharaoh's bluffed--        
,yet there was hope when that day began4
      ,,on ,,boats ,,in ,,general       
,men frequently come to me1 and ask1    
,what sort of a boat would you          
recommend me to have8 ,my reply always  
is1 ,what for8 ,in that small  phrase is
 contained the kernel of selection--what
 for8 ,do you want to  cruise1 go       
day-sailing1 or race8 ,do you want it to
 go alone1 or with a  crew8 ,do you want
 to sail in rough or smooth water8    ,a
 boat that is suitable for cruising is  
not the thing for racing or             
day-sailing2 a boat that would fill the 
bill if used on land-locked  waters     
would make a poor showing on an open sea
 or in rough stretches  of tide-swept   

channel4    ,let us first consider the  
racing craft4 ,racing1 as ,i have often 
told  you1 is a business1 not a pastime4
 ,if you want to win1 and those who     
race usually do1 you must subordinate   
everything to that want4 ,if you  don't1
 you will never be a successful mug     
hunter4 ,a racing boat must  be built as
 lightly as the law allows4 ,this not   
only means that her  frame and planking 
must be kept down to eights1 but she    
must be looted  of everything that the  
rules will permit you to remove4 ,she   
must have  large1 well-made and         
consequently expensive sails4 ,her gear 
must be of  the finest and strongest    
make1 and it must be kept up to the top 
notch  of perfection by constant        
supervision and repair4                 
,illustration3 ,,knockabout    ,then you
 must give up all below comforts and    
consent to live on bare  necessities4   
,you must forego all other pleasures and
 concentrate all  your faculties on one 
thing--your boat4 ,if you are willing to

 do this1  and have the racing skipper  
eye and hand1 you may pull out all right
 on  top4    ,if1 instead of racing1 you
 just want a boat to knock round in     
during  the day1 your craft is far more 
easily chosen and secured4 ,you won't   
have to read up several volumes of      
restrictions and rules1 you won't  have 
to nose through half a dozen classes to 
find the one in which the               
easiest-to-beat crowd harbor1 before    
making up your mind and giving out  your
 order4 ,you can just suit yourself as  
to how long1 how wide and how  deep your
 craft is to be4    ,illustration3      
,,cape ,,cat    ,a boat for day-sailing 
wants to be of strong and reasonable    
light  construction4 ,she needs much    
more cockpit than cabin1 and if the     
latter is of the summer variety it will 
be far more comfortable and  convenient4
 ,all boats should have some sort of a  
cuddy or cabin1  especially if they are 
to be used to take out women and        
children4    ,a day-sailing boat1 if to 

be used for taking out shore people1    
should  be absolutely uncapsizable and1 
if possible1 fitted with tanks of       
sufficient power to float the ballast4  
,her rig should be simple1 and  her     
canvas of moderate expanse4 ,the less   
gear and gewgaws she has  about her the 
better1 as it means a saving of work at 
all times1 and  especially in getting   
underway and coming to anchor4    ,the  
two best rigs for this class of boat are
 the cat and knockabout4  ,both these   
rigs are quick and easy to handle1 and  
having no bowsprit1  they can be brought
 up to a landing anywhere where there is
 water  enough to float them4    ,there 
is no better day-sailing boat in the    
world than the cat that  is used along  
our ,eastern seaboard to take out       
fishing and sailing  parties4 ,i don't  
mean the over-canvased brute that is    
frequently met--a  vessel that takes all
 hands to steer1 and a double watch to  
shorten  down1 but the properly sparred 
and balanced boat4 ,i have handled many 

of these boats1 and under our ordinary  
summer conditions have found  them to do
 what was expected of them in a boatly  
manner4 ,in skillful  hands they are as 
near being absolutely safe as it is     
possible for any  water-borne fabric to 
be4 ,one of their chief advantages is   
that they  can be got under sail or be  
relieved of it quicker than any other   
type4  ,they have but one sheet and two 
halliards to look after1 and all these  
can be tended by one hand without       
leaving the cockpit4    ,illustration3  
,,racing ,,pole-,,mast ,,sloop    ,the  
knockabout has many of the cat's good   
qualities1 and is in some  respects a   
better rig1 but the jib is apt to be a  
nuisance at times4  ,the disadvantage of
 the knockabout is that1 being a        
narrower model  than the cat1 you are   
cramped for room where it is most       
needed--aft4  ,owing to this latter rig 
being in fashion1 the cat has fallen out
 of  favor1 but there is no better boat 
for the young sailor to begin his       

studies in4 ,an open cat--that is1 one  
half-decked1 say of sixteen feet        
length--is just the thing for a boy to  
learn the sailor's trade in4    ,now for
 the cruiser1 and its name is legion4   
,but out of the lot there  are more bad 
than good ones to be picked4 ,a cruiser1
 in the first  place1 is a house--a home
 for days1 and perhaps weeks and months4
  ,therefore1 she must furnish sleeping 
and eating accommodations4 ,this  means 
room to stretch and stand1 or at least  
sit upright4 ,a cruiser in  which a man 
cannot live in comfort is no cruiser4   
,then first1 in selecting a cruiser1 the
 accommodation must be looked  to2 that 
is why when a man who knows anything    
starts to buy one he  invariably puts   
the question1 ,what is her head room8   
,the answer  generally tells the whole  
story4 ,the next important query is1    
,what is  her draught8 the third1 ,what 
is her rig8    ,unless you can sit up   
and lie down comfortably the boat is no 
cruiser2  you can at once make up your  

mind to that4 ,while no man expects to  
spend the greater part of his time      
below1 the time he does spend below  is 
that in which he seeks rest1 and must   
get it2 this is impossible in  cramped  
quarters4    ,the importance of the     
draught depends largely upon where you  
want to  sail and harbor4 ,your draft   
should never exceed the low-water depth 
of  the channel you have to pass through
 in order to reach your anchorage4  ,in 
our northern waters three feet is the   
minimum draught required2 in  southern  
waters less is almost necessary4 ,in    
some localities three feet  is the      
maximum draught4 ,short draught has the 
disadvantage of forcing  the bulk of the
 boat above the water line1 and the     
making of high  houses1 in order to get 
head room4 ,this produces a boat that   
offers  considerable resistance to the  
wind1 and consequently makes excessive  
leeway4 ,they are also unsteady at      
anchor1 and hard on the ground tackle4  
,deep draught cuts you out from many    

harbors and sheltering places1 and  in  
getting from port to port along shore   
frequently obliges you to take  the     
longest way round1 but it has the       
advantage of giving a firm hold  on the 
water and of keeping the weights and    
windages down low4 ,but1 as  in         
everything1 there is a happy medium--a  
betwixt and between4    ,it may be      
stated that for all reasonable purposes 
on a cruising boat of  #dj feet and     
under to be used on our coast1 a draught
 of five feet is  sufficient4 ,all over 
that will prove a cause of worry and a  
hindrance  to pleasant voyaging4 ,with  
this draught you can pass into nearly   
all  our bar harbors and navigate with  
safety among the shoals in our sounds   
and channels4 ,i prefer to limit my     
draught to three feet1 but then it  is  
my peculiar pleasure to sail where other
 men seldom venture4    ,illustration3  
,,cutter ,,rig    ,it is difficult to   
get a weatherly keel boat on four or    
even five  feet draught4 ,a boat to be  

good to windward must have a deep plane 
of resistance4 ,this makes it almost    
impossible to dispense with the         
centerboard in small boats4 ,but as soon
 as you admit this contrivance  into    
your plans you partly spoil your        
accommodations4 ,many designers  have   
tried to get round this by combining the
 two forms4 ,putting in a  half board   
that houses in the keel and does not    
come above the floor4  ,such of these as
 ,i have seen have proved to be poor    
makeshifts1 and the  result is the      
spoiling of what would have been a good 
keel boat4    ,while fully aware of its 
disadvantages1 ,i am a firm believer in 
the  centerboard for small cruising     
boats4 ,that it weakens a vessel there  
is no doubt1 but with the modern method 
of building the trunk the  injury to the
 fabric is very slight4 ,the saying that
 ,a centerboard  boat always leaks is   
more fact than fiction1 but in several  
modern  yachts that ,i have cruised in  
this is not so1 the trunk having been   

constructed in such a way as to resist  
the strains which are the cause  of     
leakage4    ,now to return to the       
subject of accommodations4 ,a cruising  
boat should  be of such shape as will   
give the largest interior possible in a 
given  length4 ,in this the older type  
of yacht was far superior to the modern4
  ,in the boats of to-day a man pays for
 a great deal of hull that is of  no use
 to him1 except for looks and speed4    
,the long overhangs provide  plenty of  
deck room1 but they add nothing to the  
cabin and but little  to the storage    
space4 ,in an up-to-date boat all that  
is habitable is  the middle third4 ,in  
such a craft1 #cj feet over all1 you can
 get but  #aj feet for cabin4 ,i have   
seen a #dj-;foot boat1 which was        
advertised as  a good cruiser1 in which 
there was sleeping room for two4        
,compare this  with the accommodations  
furnished by an old-fashioned           
plumb-ender1 or  with a ,cape cat4 ,one 
of these latter of #bj feet has more    

room than a  modern #cj-;footer of the  
up-to-date model4    ,the extreme       
overhangs are all right in racing craft1
 but they are a  detriment and a danger 
in cruising craft4 ,the same may be said
 of the  extreme full bow4 ,there never 
was1 and probably never will be1 a set  
of  ends better adapted for all-around  
work than those carried by the boats  of
 twenty years ago1 as shown in ,minerva 
and yachts of her day4 ,this  is what is
 known as the half-clipper or schooner  
bow4    ,in boats of this type there is 
sufficient overhang to prevent their    
diving and to give them sufficient      
buoyancy to lift easily over a sea1  at 
the same time the ends are not long     
enough to trip the vessel if  running in
 large water4 ,again1 the entrance and  
run are sharp enough  to fall without   
pounding--a disagreeable habit that full
 modern boats  are possessed of4 ,the   
most serious objection to the modern    
boat with  full and long overhangs is   
that it will not lay-to in heavy water  

bow-on4 ,just as soon as you put it to  
the wind and check its headway  it will 
fall off in a trough and work around    
stern to the sea1 a very  dangerous     
proceeding4 ,it is a splendid runner1   
and remarkably dry when  so engaged2 in 
fact1 it seldom ships solid water when  
going either on  or off the wind1 and is
 less liable to pooping than the older  
types1  but when brought to face a sea  
it pounds and sags and is exceedingly   
uncomfortable4 ,to one who has never    
experienced the sensation it is         
impossible to picture the punishment    
these full-bowed vessels receive  when  
driven against a head sea4 ,this        
pounding brings a terrible strain  on   
the spars and rigging and is very       
wearying to the crew4 ,i have  known a  
sea striking under the stern of one of  
these boats to throw  the crew off their
 feet1 badly injuring one man4 ,the mate
 of a large  ,english yacht who had     
crossed the ,bay of ,biscay in her on   
the way to  ,gibraltar told me that he  

had never in all his sea experience had 
such  a terrible knocking about4 ,every 
man on board was a mass of bruises  when
 the vessel made port1 and the copper   
was torn off her bows back  for eight or
 ten feet4 ,yet this boat's bow was     
nothing like so full as  that of many of
 our yachts of to-day4    ,illustration3
 ,,jib ,,and ,,mainsail ,,cruising      
,,boat    ,if you go to the other       
extreme1 and cut all end off a boat1    
giving  her a straight up and down stem1
 she is a bad runner and very1 very     
wet4 ,the cutters of this type were most
 uncomfortable sea boats1 being         
constantly deluged1 but they would eat  
out to windward in heavy weather  and   
lie-to a sea like birds4 ,between these 
two there is the end which  is the one  
for the cruiser to use4    ,the ideal   
end is one that will lift and lower     
slowly1 allowing the  vessel to fall and
 rise without jarring or jerking4 ,this 
sort of end  will1 when falling1 bring a
 vessel slowly to when the extreme point

  of the fall is reached4 ,with the     
plumb stem a vessel is apt to go too    
far1 deluging the decks1 and in one with
 the full long bow1 not far  enough1    
jarring the whole fabric by suddenly    
checking the motion4 ,it  is of course  
impossible to have absolutely perfect   
ends on a vessel1  as concessions have  
to be made to other purposes1 but the   
ends of the  majority of our modern     
yachts are decidedly bad for rough-water
 work4    ,another serious defect in    
many cruising boats is want of          
freeboard4  ,there is no excuse for     
this4 ,a low-sided boat is wet and      
uncomfortable1  both inside and out4    
,you see many boats of this description 
with scant  freeboard and excessively   
high houses4 ,the only object to be     
gained  by keeping the freeboard down is
 to reduce the windage and weight1      
important items in racing craft1 but of 
little matter in a cruiser4  ,farther   
on1 in speaking of handling in rough    
water1 ,i shall explain the  advantages 

of freeboard4          ,,on ,,one-,,man 
,,boats        ,alone1 alone1 all1 all  
alone1    ,alone on a wide1 wide sea6   
,,coleridge4      ,,on ,,one-,,man      
,,boats    ,this is a subject upon which
 volumes of rot have been written by men
  who ought to have known better4 ,we   
can forgive a man of no experience  for 
writing absurdly upon a subject1 but    
when those who have had  experience in  
handling craft alone come out in print  
in advocacy of an  utterly unsuitable   
type of vessel it is about time for     
somebody to call  them down4 ,it is the 
books of such men that have made common 
the idea  that the single-hander's      
vessel must be a sort of enlarged toy   
boat2 in  consequence1 whenever a       
single-hander is pictured1 it is of that
 type4    ,the principal cause of this  
error is that the men who have taken    
charge  of the task of disseminating    
information regarding the single-hander 
are of a class that1 as a class1 look   
upon small things as making big  things 

and not as big things being made of     
small things4 ,consequently  they give  
more importance to any part than they do
 to the whole4 ,then  they are the      
servants of an idea2 this once firmly   
fixed they distort  all out-doors to fit
 it4 ,all evidence to confirm is at once
 admitted1  while just as quickly the   
door is shut in the face of whatever    
does not  go to prove their first and   
final conception to be correct4         
,illustration3 ,,single-,,hander        
,almost every man ,i know of who has    
contributed to the literature of the    
single-hander has first sat by the      
fireside and designed a craft and  then 
built and sailed it to prove that it is 
the only perfect thing4    ,go over a   
fleet of this kind2 what are they8      
,either big toy boats or  small copies  
of large vessels4 ,while they may       
perfectly fit the theory  and be        
theoretically perfect1 they are         
practically of no use1 or else  inferior
 in many ways to a boat of the same     

dimensions designed by  experience4 ,the
 earliest types of these boats were     
closely moulded  upon the lines of      
fishing craft1 being models built to    
withstand the  rough usage of that      
trade1 and suited to oar and sail alike4
 ,that a  craft like this matured in a  
rough locality is the best for its      
purpose  is frequently true1 but that it
 is best for another purpose is as      
frequently false4    ,this is an error  
common to many who have advocated some  
local type  of boat for universal use4  
,having employed it successfully in     
certain  waters1 they imperatively      
assert that it will suit all waters1 and
  having found it to answer one purpose1
 they are equally certain  that it will 
answer all4 ,it is the old story of the 
blind men and  the elephant--that of    
forming a compound conclusion from a    
single  observation4    ,if a man       
cruise1 and cruise without assistance1  
the first important  thing is that his  
craft be one that he can handle without 

excessive  muscular strain4 ,therefore  
she must not be heavy for her size1 and 
her  gear must be of such weight as will
 readily permit of his working it4  ,the
 gear must be simple and of strength2   
the rig one that needs the  least       
attention4 ,this is exactly what the    
typical single-hander is not4    ,the   
typical single-hander is a coarse-lined1
 heavily built craft1 with  complicated 
gear and divided canvas4 ,she is        
generally very full-bodied  and badly   
overloaded with ballast4 ,her initial   
stability is great1 and  her helm action
 slow4 ,this is the type of craft       
advocated by nearly all  who have       
written on this subject4 ,one of the    
prime virtues of this type  in the eyes 
of single-hander writers1 is1 that such 
craft are good sea  boats4 ,a few years 
ago boats of this description were more 
common than  they are to-day1 but many  
are still afloat4 ,the favorite rig is  
that of  cutter or yawl4    ,these boats
 are safe--that is1 they seldom         

capsize--and are good sea  boats1 if    
simple ability to float in rough water  
constitutes a good  sea2 but they are   
slow1 awkward to handle1 and utterly    
unable to make  way in rough water and  
heavy winds4    ,off the wind in all    
weather they move slowly and steer badly
 and in  light breezes are logs4 ,one of
 these boats that ,i handled would yaw  
four points either way when running off 
in a following sea1 and when            
close-hauled in a blow would lie down   
and sag off bodily to leeward4 ,it  was 
utterly impossible to get her to        
windward except under conditions  of a  
smooth sea and steady breeze1 weather in
 which any vessel will do  her best4    
,i remember once seeing a small         
cutter-rigged1 single-hander trying for 
several hours to beat round ,matinicock 
,point against a head sea and  wind4    
,this vessel1 which was built after the 
plans of a celebrated  single-hander's  
boat1 was a failure on every point of   
sailing4 ,another  time we passed a     

small cutter off ,saybrook2 she was     
jumping up and down  and chopping waves 
at a great rate4 ,our consort1 who had  
passed the  same point two hours before1
 reported speaking the yacht in almost  
the  same position1 and no doubt she    
would be there yet if the wind and tide 
had not shifted and lifted her in4      
,the essential element of safety in all 
vessels is the power to move  forward   
under all conditions of weather4 ,this  
is especially so of a  sailing craft4   
,there must also be a perfect and rapid 
obedience to the  helm4 ,a slow-moving  
or sluggish craft is a dangerous one4   
,the smaller  the vessel the more true  
this is4    ,the other element of safety
 is the mobility of the rig4 ,the       
ability  to make1 reduce and shift sail 
rapidly is essential to safety4 ,this   
is only possible when the sails and     
spars are proportioned to the  strength 
of those manipulating them1 and the gear
 of the simplest and  most direct       
description4 ,the over subdividing of   

canvas is bound to  complicate the gear2
 the keeping of the canvas in large     
sails to make  the spars heavy and      
unwieldy4    ,the most perfect type of  
boat and rig for one man to handle is   
the  cat--in theory2 but in practice it 
fails in many ways4 ,if the weather  was
 a constant it would be the ideal rig4  
,but winds are changeable  things in all
 localities4 ,so long as a cat can carry
 her whole  sail comfortably she is the 
safest and most easily handled rig in   
existence2 but once reef her and she    
forfeits much of her ability4 ,then     
again1 in strong winds1 she is a bad    
runner1 and her sail being large  and   
well outboard she is difficult to reef4 
,for windward work under  favorable     
conditions the cat is unrivaled1 and as 
a one-man boat she is  for some purposes
 without a peer4 ,but ,i do not         
recommend the rig for  single-handed    
cruising4    ,let us next consider the  
sloop4 ,this is1 except for very small  
craft1  an inferior rig for the purpose 

to the cat1 it having all the latter's  
faults without any other advantages to  
compensate4 ,in single-handers  under   
#bj feet top measure the sloop rig will 
work very decently4 ,but  it is         
decidedly inferior to the knockabout1   
for the reason that in  order to expand 
its canvas both the boom and bowsprit   
must be carried  outboard4 ,this latter 
rig1 if kept down to reasonable         
proportions1 is  better than either cat1
 sloop or cutter for single-handers     
under #cj  feet top measure4 ,but all   
these three rigs have the one           
objectionable  feature1 that in order to
 reef the boat must either leave her    
course  or be hove-to while the         
operation is performed1 a serious       
disadvantage  under rough conditions4   
,in a full-manned vessel1 reefing1 when 
the proper method is employed1  is a    
simple affair1 but reefing by one hand  
is always a long and  troublesome job4  
,if the vessel cannot be kept on her    
course and is  brought to the wind the  

work is made much more difficult owing  
to  the rolling and pitching4 ,not only 
is this the case1 but it is very  often 
dangerous to venture on a bowsprit at   
such a time or to hang out  over the    
stern in order to secure the            
cringle-lashing4 ,any one who  has      
reefed a jib when the boat is head to   
the wind and pitching into  a steep sea 
will not deny this4 ,last summer in     
reefing down1 owing  to the weight of   
the wind1 ,i was obliged to take the    
sail completely  off my boat1 as it was 
impossible to knot the points with the  
canvas  straining2 losing her way1 she  
fell off into the trough of the sea1    
which was running very large1 and rolled
 so heavily that she threw all  hands   
off their feet4 ,we could do nothing but
 hold on until at last we  were obliged 
to run her off under the peak and reef  
her running4 ,this  manoeuvre cost us a 
good two miles of hard-won weather      
gauge4    ,the three best rigs for      
single-man handling are the ketch1 yawl 

or  sharpie1 or double cat1 as it is    
sometimes called4 ,the advantages of    
the yawl and ketch rig ,i have explained
 in another chapter4 ,the double  cat is
 also fairly good1 but its chief        
objection is that the stepping  of the  
foremast in the eyes of the boat makes  
it close work forward and  the lack of a
 bowsprit increases the work of handling
 the anchor4    ,as to the size of a    
single-hander4 ,i have handled boats of 
#ce feet1 top  measure alone1 but it was
 labor2 the ground tackle for such a    
craft  being a big lift for one man4    
,the only advantage of a long boat is   
the  increased speed and accommodation1 
but the latter is generally not  wanted4
    ,i would recommend for this purpose 
a boat of not over #cj feet--#be is     
better--and of either yawl or ketch rig4
 ,a moderate sail plan1 light  spars and
 strong rigging1 the iron work          
especially being extra heavy4  ,the     
hull1 while strongly built1 should be   
clean-lined1 and1 above all1  stiff and 

weatherly4 ,the last is the prime       
necessity4 ,she must be  capable of     
going to windward under any set of sail4
 ,at least half her  ballast should be  
inside1 firmly secured4 ,she should     
steer with a wheel4    ,we can summon   
all this up in one sentence1 that will  
concisely describe  the ideal           
single-hander3 ,a fast hull and a small 
rig4    ,illustration3 ,,full-,,rigged  
,,schooner          ,,on ,,seagoing     
,,boats      ,the sea and the wind are  
not our enemies4 ,they seldom destroy   
our  vessels without our connivance4 ,it
 is our own folly1 neglect or           
carelessness1 that opens the way for the
 attack4      ,,on ,,seagoing ,,boats   
,the first and absolute necessity of a  
seagoing boat is freeboard2 the  second 
is a complete deck and water-tight      
openings4 ,given these two  things and  
you have an almost safe craft4 ,there is
 no question of  capsizing a            
well-designed yacht of to-day by power  
of the wind4 ,our  outside ballasted    

boats cannot be kept wrong side up1 so  
long as the  water is kept out of them4 
,they may be hove down on their sides   
and  fill and sink1 but they cannot be  
turned completely over so long as  they 
retain their buoyancy4 ,i have been in  
one of them1 a boat carrying  only about
 half the usual weight of lead for a    
vessel of her size1  that was laid on   
her side in a squall with both mainsail 
and jib in  the water2 she remained in  
this position for nearly two minutes1   
and  then righted when the force of the 
squall was spent4 ,her lead kept her    
from turning right over1 and her large  
freeboard kept her from edging  down4   
,she simply made a bottom of her side   
and floated on it4 ,that is  one        
advantage of freeboard4 ,had she been a 
narrow-sided boat she would  have been  
forced between the pressure of lead and 
wind deeper into  the water1 but as it  
was her displacement1 owing to the      
bearing up of  the sail and mast1 was   
probably less when in that position than

 when  standing upright4    ,again1     
freeboard increases the range of heel4  
,this is of enormous  advantage when    
sailing in a sea way with a strong      
breeze4 ,the tripping  power of the wave
 is exhausted before the rail is brought
 down1 and  the boat not receiving a    
load of water on her lee deck rights so 
much  quicker4 ,a low-sided boat when   
canted by a beam sea edges her rail     
under and shovels the water up on her   
deck as she recovers4 ,for this  reason 
seagoing craft should have their upper  
freeboard slightly  tumbled home4       
,bulwarks and high rails are bad things1
 and combings  should be kept well      
inboard1 while raised cabin houses if   
fitted should  not be carried too close 
to the waterways4 ,rails and bulwarks as
 far  aft as the rigging can be raised  
to an advantage1 as they prevent the    
water from coming in and not passing    
out4 ,water in breaking on board  will  
always follow along anything like the   
side of a house1 and when  reaching a   

break spread in4 ,this is how cockpits  
are so easily filled4  ,the height is   
suddenly cut down from house to combing1
 and the sea  having become crowded up  
to the height of the house in its       
passage aft1  when it comes to the low  
place rushes into the cockpit4 ,if the  
combing  is carried up to the height of 
the house the water will pass along and 
go out over the stern4    ,ballasted    
boats should never go into rough water  
unless they have  water-tight cockpits  
and water-tight companions and openings4
 ,but  a water-tight cockpit1 unless it 
is well-scuppered and really            
self-bailing1 is of little use4 ,in     
eight out of ten small yachts the       
cockpits are not1 although they pretend 
to be1 self-bailing4 ,they will  bail   
perfectly when at anchor4 ,in order to  
bail quickly the floor must  be at least
 ten inches above the load water line4  
,here again freeboard  comes in4 ,again1
 the placing of the scuppers in the     
forward end of the  cockpit and their   

outboard openings under the bilge is    
decidedly wrong4  ,in the first place it
 keeps the water at all times in the    
forward end  of the standing room       
against the cabin1 just where you move  
about2 in  the second every drop that   
goes out through the lee pipe has to    
force  its way against a pressure4 ,this
 pressure is also constantly driving    
the water up and into the boat4 ,the    
place for the scuppers is aft with  the 
openings under the stern4 ,here there is
 constant suction so long as  the boat  
is moving ahead1 no matter to which side
 or how far she heels4  ,again1 if the  
floor is sloped aft1 whatever water is  
on the standing  room will run aft and  
be out of the way1 a measure of comfort 
that  those who sail in rough water can 
appreciate4 ,it is not generally known  
but a boat going at speed of four knots 
and over will1 if equipped with  proper 
scuppers1 siphon1 i4 e41 suck the water 
out4    ,illustration3 ,a ,,seagoing    
,,boat    ,another bad practice of      

builders is to put stationary seats     
around  a cockpit with lockers beneath  
them4 ,this never should be done4 ,you  
cannot keep them tight1 the wood being  
constantly subject to water and  sun4   
,never put lockers of any kind in a boat
 with outboard openings4  ,another bad  
practice is that of putting in low      
companion thresholds4  ,the threshold of
 the companion should be as high or     
higher than  the side of the boat1 and  
should on no account1 no matter how high
  the cockpit floor is1 be on a level   
with it4 ,the usual manner of           
constructing companion doors is also    
open to objection4 ,the new method  in  
which the door slides down into a recess
 through a rubber-packed  joint is far  
better than the old way of closing4     
,such a door can be  made absolutely    
water-tight1 and can be opened without  
being opened4  ,this enables you to see 
into the cabin or out of it without     
running  the slide back or risking      
getting a wash below by opening the     

doors4  ,these may seem trivial details1
 but it is the neglect of such to whose 
account the loss of the majority of     
seagoing vessels must be placed4  ,poor 
hatches and low1 badly protected engine 
room skylights are  responsible for     
nearly all the steamships that go to    
sea1 and are never  heard of again4     
,keep the water out and you can live out
 anything in the  way of sea or wind4   
,let it get in and everything that      
before made your  craft seaworthy will  
be an aid to your ending4 ,your ballast 
will be a  weight to sink you1 and the  
empty space that gave you buoyancy so   
much  room to quickly fill with water4  
,after this1 look to your pump4 ,where  
is it8 ,in most yachts directly         
amidships1 drawing out of a well over   
the lowest part of the keel4  ,where    
should it be8 ,in the place where it can
 be used when most  wanted--the bilge4  
,you must have a means of drawing from  
the center1  so you can pump out when at
 anchor or sailing upright4 ,but all    

pumps  should have a bilge intake4 ,it  
would be a very simple matter to make   
such a connection with a cock to cut off
 the other intakes4 ,how often1  when he
 least wants to1 has a man to let his   
boat up1 so as to get the  water        
amidships for the purpose of pumping it 
out4 ,if he could pump  from the bilges 
this coming up would be unnecessary4 ,to
 kill a boat's  way in a heavy beam or  
head sea1 so as to get her on her keel1 
is a  dangerous artifice2 but it must be
 done with the pump amidships1 if you   
want to get the water out1 and keep a   
dry cabin4 ,every seagoing small  yacht 
should have at least two fixed pumps1   
and a movable one4 ,the  fixed pumps    
should be constantly looked to1 and the 
limbers kept clean4  ,never stow inside 
weight alongside of or over the intake1 
and never  allow rubbish to be swept    
into the spaces between the floors4     
,with a  good pump a man can keep down  
all the water that will work into a     
tight  boat through her bottom1 topsides

 and deck4    ,all seagoing yachts      
should have the rudder post boxed up and
 carried  well above the water line4    
,the neglect of this is the cause of    
much  leakage4 ,she should also have in 
her rudder blade a boring or rod in     
which to make fast emergency lines or   
chains4 ,in craft that have their       
rudders well under them a rod must be   
used1 but in shallow boats with  broad  
blades a hole bored through the outer   
edge will do4 ,these lines  are         
extremely useful when anchored in a sea 
way2 by hauling them taut  over either  
quarter you can relieve the strain on   
the head of the post  and gear attached 
to it4 ,in case of a breakdown of the   
quadrant1 wheel  or post head1 you can  
at once take control of the rudder and  
keep the  boat under command4    ,no    
boat should go into rough water for a   
long run unless she have  ringbolts aft 
for the purpose of passing boom         
lashings1 and also a  fixed boom crotch1
 or at least one that can be made       

immovable4 ,there is  no other way of   
keeping a boom steady when the sail is  
lowered down4  ,you cannot by any       
possible means do so with lashings1     
unless you can  horn it in a crotch4 ,a 
loose boom is a constant menace4        
,provision also  should be made for the 
trysail sheets1 and for body lashings   
for the  crew1 and lashings for the     
boat1 even if you have davits4 ,the     
principal  weak spot in the rigging of a
 boat that is to be driven in heavy     
water  is the bobstay4 ,that piece of   
rigging is often carried away in a sea  
than any other1 and usually it is the   
bolt that goes4 ,look to it1 and  look  
to it well2 for if it parts1 most likely
 you will lose your mast4  ,the only    
safeguard lies in rigging a preventer   
stay that will set up  with a tackle1   
the fall leading inboard4 ,the stay     
should be of wire  rope properly and    
strongly secured to the stem4 ,use      
either a gun tackle  or luff tackle--the
 latter is preferable--and be sure to   

give it plenty  of drift4 ,when in use1 
set it up just scant of the strain1 so  
that if  the bobstay parts it will catch
 the strain before the spar gets a good 
spring4 ,in boats that have a forestay  
set up to the stem head there is  less  
likelihood of this accident happening2  
but it is always best to  have a        
preventer fitted4 ,make the fall fast   
around the bitts or mast  where you can 
readily get at it1 and hold a turn to   
set it up4 ,seagoing  boats should have 
two shrouds on a side and set up with   
lanyards in  preference to rigging      
screws4 ,if you fit the latter1 have    
them about  twice the size of those     
ordinarily put on by riggers4 ,she      
should also  have a heavy set of        
masthead runners and duplicate eyes to  
set them up  to1 one pair being placed  
well aft4 ,our modern full-bowed boats  
are  very hard on their rigging and     
spars when in a sea way1 and need to be 
heavily ironed4    ,outside of her      
ordinary sails a seagoing yacht needs a 

trysail1 a  small square sail1 and a    
small jib or staysail1 all made of heavy
  canvas4 ,particular attention should  
be paid to the roping and clews  of     
these sails4 ,it is of no use using     
heavy canvas if the clew irons  are     
frail and the rope light4 ,a gaff-headed
 trysail is better than a  jib-headed1  
but it is more bother to set4 ,care     
should be taken to see  that the cleat  
or ringbolt for the trysail sheet is in 
such a position  as will allow the sail 
to be properly sheeted1 for a trysail   
when used  for riding must set flat1 or 
else it will bang itself to pieces4     
,in seagoing craft looks don't count1   
and therefore be not afraid to  make all
 your rigging heavy and strong1 and     
wherever possible have a  fitting or    
tackle that can be instantly made to    
take the place of one  that carries     
away4 ,always when in rough water or in 
heavy weather keep  a vang or down-haul 
on the peak of the gaff4 ,it is         
sometimes the only  thing that will     

bring the sail down1 and it gives you   
command of the  spar1 especially when   
the yacht is rolling heavily4 ,the      
chafing of gear  when in a sea way is   
constant and ruinous4 ,to prevent it a  
close watch  must be kept on all ropes  
where they pass through blocks or lie   
against  spars or other ropes4 ,if your 
halliards and sheet remain long in one  
place they must be canvased or armored  
with some sort of chafing stuff4    ,one
 more important thing4 ,whenever you get
 far from land1 lash the oars  and      
rudder in the dingey4 ,then put in a    
good long coil of light line1  a bucket1
 a jug or breaker of water1 and enough  
food to last for a day  or two4 ,lash   
these in so they cannot get out4 ,many a
 life has been lost  and many a man has 
suffered horribly because these simple  
precautions  have been neglected4       
,something suddenly happens to the      
yacht2 it is a  case of boat at once4   
,the crew throw the boat over and jump  
in4 ,too  late they find that the oars  

are gone or that there is no water or   
food4 ,the bucket and rope are for use  
as a sea anchor4    ,illustration3      
,,full-,,rigged ,,schooner          ,,on
 ,,rigs      ,the present tendency of   
canvasing is to increase the number of  
sails  on cruising yachts1 and to       
decrease on racing craft4 ,experience   
teaches  that in both cases we are doing
 the right thing4 ,ultimate speed is    
found in single sails2 ease of handling1
 safety and mobility in divided  sail4  
,,on ,,rigs    ,in discussing rigs      
suitable for cruising we may at once    
dismiss from  consideration several that
 are in common use1 but which are not   
adapted  for service in our waters1 or  
are distinctly inferior by reason of    
being difficult to handle with small and
 unskillful crews4 ,we will1  also1     
dismiss the true cutter rig from our    
considerations1 as it has  almost passed
 out of use1 its place being taken by   
the modern type of  single-sticker1     
which is part cutter and part sloop4    

,this combination  rig is not in its    
full sparring suitable for boats under  
forty feet1  but when stripped of the   
topmast it is in some ways an excellent 
type4    ,we can also drop the cat1 and 
what is called the cat-yawl1 from our   
list4 ,the four rigs to which ,i shall  
call your attention are the  pole-mast  
sloop1 yawl1 ketch and schooner4    ,the
 pole-mast sloop1 of which the          
knockabout is the commoner specimen1  is
 an excellent rig for use on a cruiser4 
,the difference between  the sloop      
proper and the knockabout is in the     
method of spreading  the canvas2 in the 
sloop the canvas is spread fore-and-aft1
 a large  percentage being forward of   
the mast2 in the knockabout the much    
greater part of the spread is in the    
mainsail1 and the hoist is higher4  ,the
 tall1 narrow-peaked mainsail of the    
latter is its characteristic  feature4  
,the jib is small and tacked down to the
 stem head4    ,the disadvantage of this
 rig is that sufficient canvas to drive 

a heavy1 full-bodied boat cannot be     
spread2 consequently1 a true  knockabout
 is a comparatively roomless craft4     
,the false knockabout1 a bastard craft  
that is becoming very common1 is  one in
 which the sail area is increased by    
extending the headsail on a  bowsprit1  
and running the boom outboard4    ,the  
pole-mast sloop has many warm advocates1
 and is without question  a far better  
rig than the old sloop1 hampered with   
topmast and lofty  gear1 but it shares  
with all single-masted vessels the      
faults that are  common to the type4    
,the most serious of these is1 that you 
cannot  shorten sail except by reefing4 
,this can be done with the yawl1 ketch  
and schooner rigs4    ,i have heard many
 men1 and men of experience1 decry the  
yawl rig1  giving as their opinion that 
it is inferior in every way to the      
short-rigged sloop4 ,but ,i have        
generally found that these men have     
formed their judgment from the actions  
of one boat1 and that failing to        

confirm preconceived opinions they have 
condemned the type1 root1 bole  and     
branch4    ,in an article upon the yawl 
rig1 written some time back1 ,i         
explained  one of the reasons why this  
rig came into favor1 and why it has lost
  favor with many who at first highly   
valued it4 ,i cannot do better than     
reprint these remarks3    ,it has been  
said that the worst enemy a man can have
 is his best  friend4 ,howsoever this   
may be in the world of men1 it is most  
certainly  so in the world of things1   
and nowhere has unmeasured eulogy of the
  best friend wrought greater havoc than
 in the case of the yawl rig4           
,unfortunately for the yawl rig1 it has 
been repeatedly chosen to drive  the    
craft of the writing lonesome sailor1   
and consequently it has  figured to a   
marked degree in yachting literature1   
and as these writers  have lavished upon
 it page upon page of unqualified       
praise1 the  effect has been to lift the
 rig into a singular and prominent      

position1  and to surround it with a    
glamour not the less charming because a 
sparkle of truth concentrates and       
enhances its delusive glitter4          
,illustration3 ,,yawl ,,rigs    ,there  
is no question but what narratives like 
those penned by the  famous single-hand 
sailor ,mc,millan were the cause of the 
yawl's sudden  elevation to favor in    
,american waters1 and there is no       
question but  what some books are       
responsible for much of the fabulous    
that envelopes  the rig4 ,there are few 
of us who would be ready to swallow all 
that a  lover might say in praise of his
 mistress1 and yet a man is just as     
likely to magnify the points and virtues
 of his vessel as he is those  of his   
,dulcinea2 therefore we cannot be too   
careful in accepting the  evidence of   
the infatuated yachtsman or in adopting 
his finding as  infallible precedents4  
,for1 often carried away by the good    
behavior  of his craft1 he jumps at a   
conclusion1 attributing to one quantity 

that which should be adjudged to the    
fabric as a whole4 ,this is often  the  
case2 and again1 too frequently is the  
rig of the vessel blamed  for results   
which are the sum of defects altogether 
foreign to a  peculiar sparring and     
canvasing4    ,illustration3 ,,yawl     
,,rigs    ,the unqualified praise which 
has been lavished on the yawl rig has1  
as is usual1 awakened a no less         
unqualified storm of dispraise4 ,while  
the yawlman has1 with that noble        
effrontery which distinguishes the  true
 crank1 claimed for his favorite rig    
everything in sight1 the  recalcitrant  
unbeliever has as broadly denied it1    
even those common  virtues which one    
supposed to be possessed by even the    
meanest and most  primitive craft4    ,i
 have no hesitancy in saying that so far
 as the driving value of the  mizzen is 
concerned it is an unimportant quantity4
 ,this is especially  so when on the    
wind4 ,on most of the yawls ,i have     
handled there has  been good cause for  

this4 ,in the first place1 the boomkins 
were too  short1 and the other spars too
 light4 ,you cannot expect a sail to sit
  properly and hold its draught on      
buckling spars4 ,the lead of the sheet  
is such that the boom cannot be kept    
rigid1 and just as soon as it  blows its
 end turns up like a pugdog's tail1     
throwing the canvas all  out of shape4  
,then the back-wind from the mainsail   
makes it impossible  to keep the mizzen 
full unless it is sheeted very flat4 ,on
 yawls with  gaff-headed mizzens the    
mast is frequently too short2           
consequently  the head of the sail      
cannot be kept in place4 ,with          
jib-headed mizzens  the same spar is too
 light2 in consequence when the sheet is
 brought  down hard the mast buckles    
aft1 throwing the head of the sail into 
a  bag4 ,how frequently you see a yawl  
on the wind with her mizzen all         
a-shiver4 ,if you make the boomkin      
longer1 the boom stouter1 and give  the 
mast a good head1 you will get a better 

sitting and more efficient  sail4       
,illustration3 ,,yawl ,,rigs    ,now let
 us1 in order to test the qualities of  
short-rigged sloop and  yawl1 place them
 in such situations as they are liable  
to get into  when cruising4 ,first they 
are caught in a heavy1 sudden blow with 
a  lee shore close aboard4 ,it is       
necessary to shorten sail at once4 ,the 
yawl simply lowers her mainsail and1    
holding way under mizzen and jib1       
forereaches along1 while the crew1      
having secured the boom1 proceed to  tie
 in the reefs4 ,the sloop is in such a  
situation that she cannot run  off2 she 
must either anchor1 lower everything and
 drift1 or else jolly  along with head  
sheets flowed and the peak of the       
mainsail up4 ,having a  part of the     
mainsail drawing increases the          
difficulty of reefing1 and  if there is 
any sea the lowering of the sail will   
cause her to roll1  making it bad work  
securing the clew4 ,the yawl's clew is  
inboard1  where it can be readily       

handled1 and owing to her jib and mizzen
 sheets  being aft she is comparatively 
steady4    ,illustration3 ,,sharpie     
,illustration3 ,,knockabout             
,illustration3 ,,sharpie                
,illustration3 ,,raceabout    ,again1 we
 will suppose that both these boats have
 come to anchor1  sails stowed and      
awnings up4 ,it comes on to blow1 and it
 is necessary  to shift berth to a more 
secure anchorage4 ,the yawl hoists her  
jib  and mizzen--a very easy matter--and
 beats up to a better anchorage4  ,the  
sloop has to take in her awning1 clear  
decks and perhaps reef the  mainsail    
before hoisting it to follow4 ,how many 
times has the cruising  man remained in 
an uncomfortable berth because of the   
labor of making  sail on his sloop after
 all has been snugged down8    ,now let 
us suppose these two boats are running  
off large1 with a steep  sea and heavy  
wind4 ,the yawl takes in her mizzen and 
lets her boom  broad off1 its short     
length preventing the danger of         

tripping4 ,the  sloop has no mizzen to  
take in1 but it has a long boom which   
must be  watched carefully or else      
topped-up4 ,and with a strong beam wind 
the  yawl with jib and mizzen stowed    
will ratch along under reefed mainsail2 
very few sloops will do that4    ,one   
time when coming down along shore with a
 yawl we had an unsteady  northwest     
wind1 blowing a good whole-sail breeze1 
with now and again  tremendous heavy    
puffs1 acting as wind off land          
frequently does4 ,we  made company with 
a sloop of about our own size1 but a    
much faster  boat4 ,in the puffs it was 
necessary for both of us to let up1 but 
the  rest of the time we could carry our
 canvas without worrying4 ,i put  two   
hands on the main sheet with orders to  
spill the sail when a puff  struck1 and1
 keeping on my course1 shivered her     
through4 ,the sloop man  first tried    
luffing out1 but1 losing distance by    
this1 he resorted to  starting sheet and
 bearing off2 consequently he was all   

over the shop4  ,once or twice he had to
 drop his peak in order to keep control4
 ,neither  of us wanted to get offshore1
 as we had to haul up at the next point1
  so were hugging the beach rather      
close4 ,at last he gave in1 anchored    
and started to reef4 ,we followed suit1 
but kept on our course under  jib and   
mizzen1 getting a two-mile lead and     
first home4 ,he came aboard  that       
evening and asked me what kind of yawl  
his sloop would make4 ,as  he flicked   
the oakum out of us the next day in a   
beat to windward ,i am  afraid he didn't
 stay converted1 but relapsed into the  
sloop heresy4    ,illustration3         
,,clipper ,,dory    ,illustration3 ,,cat
 ,,sloop    ,illustration3 ,,fishing    
,,dory    ,illustration3 ,,cat    ,the  
ketch rig1 which is very like the yawl1 
has all the latter's  virtues and       
defects and a few of its own4 ,the      
difference between the  ketch and the   
yawl is this3 in the yawl the           
mizzen-mast is stepped  abaft the rudder

 post1 and in the ketch forward of it4  
,in the ketch  this brings the mast just
 where it is most in the way1 right at  
the  forward end of the cockpit1        
generally obliging the putting of the   
companion on one side1 or else taking   
the hatch well forward to the  middle of
 the cabin4 ,the ketch mainsail is      
narrow-footed1 and longer  on the hoist 
than that of the yawl4 ,it is a very    
light and easy rig  to handle1 and for  
large boats is better than the yawl2 and
 for small  ones it is better than the  
schooner4 ,in this country it is mostly 
used  on shallow1 flat-bottomed hulls1  
such as are employed in navigating      
,southern waters4 ,in the ,british      
,isles it is a favorite rig for         
coasters1 and ,i have heard it highly   
commended by coastwise skippers4  ,most 
of the sloops formerly used in that     
trade have been in late years  converted
 into ketches4 ,the most marked         
advantage it has over the yawl  is that1
 if the largest sail be taken in1 there 

is left in the head  sails and mizzen a 
good spread of canvas2 whereas1 if the  
mainsail be  taken off a yawl she is    
under too short sail to do satisfactory 
work4  ,the advantage the ketch has over
 the schooner is in getting rid of the  
long main boom4    ,like the catboat1 if
 the weather were a constant quantity1  
the schooner  would be a rig without    
peer4 ,in smooth water and when she can 
carry her  sail1 especially to windward1
 there is no rig to equal the schooner4 
,she has the speed and weatherliness of 
the sloop1 with lighter and  easier     
sails to handle4 ,she can be shortened  
down without reefing1 and  can spread   
plenty of light canvas in soft winds4   
,her defect is the  defect of all       
fore-and-afters1 although in her case it
 is aggravated by  having the mainmast  
stepped further aft--she is a bad runner
 in heavy  water4    ,i have made a     
passage of twelve days in a schooner1   
during which time  we never had the     
stops off the mainsail2 during part of  

the time having  no after-sail1 and the 
rest of the time a trysail set4 ,to have
 set the  mainsail and squared off the  
boom would surely have brought about a  
disaster4    ,illustration3 ,,jib ,,and 
,,mainsail    ,illustration3 ,,sloop    
,,rig    ,let me here repeat some former
 remarks on the subject3 ,it is often  a
 matter of wonder to landsmen why       
sailors continue to use square  sails1  
when to all intents the fore-and-aft    
canvas is so much easier  to handle4 ,so
 it is in smooth water and under average
 conditions2 so  long as one of our     
typical fore-and-aft schooners can carry
 all sail  and make progress in a       
windward direction there is no abler    
vessel  afloat4 ,but when obliged to    
shorten down or make a run for it1 they 
are the worst craft in the world4 ,so   
long as you can keep sail on them  they 
will do all that a ship can be asked to 
do1 but once they are  stripped in a    
gale1 good-bye to safety4 ,take a good  
look at an ordinary  two-masted coaster1

 and you will comprehend at once why    
this is4 ,these  vessels have enormously
 long lower masts1 and the spread of the
 rigging  is in consequence small2 their
 booms are long and heavy1 and all the  
weight above deck is centered in a line 
over the keel4 ,the pressure  of canvas1
 except when the sails are winged1 is   
all on one side1  and is exerted so as  
to bring a twisting strain upon the     
supporting  spars4 ,there is not1 as in 
the square-rigger1 a balancing of       
weights  and strains4 ,the freer these  
vessels are sailing the more pronounced 
is this strain4 ,the only relief the    
spar can find is to impart this  strain 
to the hull1 which in consequence forces
 the bow in the opposite  direction and 
brings a pressure upon the helm4 ,to    
prevent this action a  reducing of the  
after canvas is necessary4              
,illustration3 ,,pole ,,mast ,,sloop    
,illustration3 ,,cutter ,,rig           
,illustration3 ,,ketch    ,illustration3
 ,,small ,,schooner    ,a close study of

 the fore-and-aft rigs used along our   
coast will show  what devices have been 
resorted to in order to remedy this     
defect4 ,in  the first place1 there was 
the subdividing of the mainsail--making 
a  three-master2 then a gradual         
reduction of the spanker1 until on many 
of  our three-masted schooners it is    
to-day the smallest of the three lower  
sails4 ,at the same time the lower masts
 have been shortened and the  hoists of 
the topsails increased4 ,on the great   
lakes the fresh-water  man has reduced  
his spanker to almost the proportions of
 a ketch's  mizzen1 the necessity of    
more constant jibing having forced him  
to this  change4 ,but alter as you      
please1 the fore-and-after is still a   
bad  runner when winds blow strong and  
seas run high4    ,our modern racing    
schooners are a particularly bad type4  
,they are  really large sloops with a   
fake foresail1 this latter bit of canvas
  being more ornamental than useful4 ,a 
good specimen of the rig proper  are    

some of our large cruising schooners1   
with wide-footed foresails  and short   
main booms4 ,the pilot-boat and         
fisherman rigs are also  excellent      
types4    ,illustration3 ,,ketch        
,illustration3 ,,full ,,schooner ,,rig  
,in a proper schooner the foresail      
should be in such a position as to      
allow the vessel to be handled under it 
alone1 as it is the last sail  to take  
off in heavy weather4 ,it should be     
broad-footed in order to  trim properly2
 you cannot trim a narrow-footed        
foresail so as to draw  when going to   
windward unless it has a lug2 this lug  
is a nuisance1 as  it obliges the       
tending of the sheet when tacking4 ,the 
main boom should  not go over the       
taffrail beyond easy reach4 ,a          
forty-foot pole-mast  schooner makes a  
very handy boat for two men to work4    
,her heaviest sail  is lighter than the 
heaviest sail of a yawl or ketch of the 
same size4  ,this is something you must 
always take into consideration when     

choosing  a rig for cruising4 ,the      
average yachtsman is a man who does not 
do  manual labor for a living1 and is   
consequently soft-muscled4 ,handling    
sails1 unless you are constantly at it1 
is hard labor1 and if a boat is         
short-handed is sometimes a heavy tax on
 the strength of the crew4 ,any  one who
 has hoisted a heavy mainsail by himself
 will understand this4  ,many a time    
after making sail or reefing when alone 
,i have lain down  completely exhausted4
    ,a man who intends to employ a crew 
can afford to ignore this question1  as 
he can suit his crew to his boat2 but   
when you depend upon amateurs  for help 
you cannot do so4 ,one day you may have 
a double watch1 and  the next day       
nobody4 ,so it is best to select a rig  
of such weight  as you can handle       
yourself if necessary4 ,this makes you  
to a certain  extent independent of your
 friends4          ,,on ,,sail ,,as ,,an
 ,,auxiliary        ,when blows the     
breeze we spread our sail      ,and save

 the gasoline1    ,but when the gentle  
zephyrs fail      ,we start the old     
machine2    ,and with a clank of shaft  
and crank      ,go rattling into port-- 
,and this is what1 to be quite frank1   
,some folks consider sport4      ,,on   
,,sail ,,as ,,an ,,auxiliary    ,one    
day1 while standing talking to a        
builder1 we were joined by the  owner of
 a naphtha launch who was desirous of   
having his vessel rigged  as a yawl1 and
 had come to get the builder's opinion  
as to what the  change would accomplish 
and cost4 ,in response to an inquiry as 
to  what speed he might expect to get   
out of the craft under canvas1 the      
builder answered1 four miles4 ,then1    
replied the owner in jubilant  tones1   
she will go eleven miles1 as ,i get     
seven out of her now without  any sail4 
,he was greatly surprised1 and rather   
suspicious of our  knowledge1 when we   
informed him that if sail increased the 
speed of his  craft over her maximum to 
the extent of half-a-mile an hour1 he   

might  consider himself fortunate4 ,now1
 this man is by no means a lone bird  in
 his belief2 he shares the misconception
 with many launch-owners and  others4   
,like some of our popular authors who   
write sea stories that are  not sea     
stories1 the average man firmly believes
 that steamships can  and do sail1 and  
it will take many years of pounding to  
get this idea  out of the public's head4
 ,there are afloat steam vessels that   
can and  do sail1 but they are sailing  
vessels equipped with engines4 ,in      
former  times almost all ocean-going    
steam craft could work to leeward under 
canvas1 but they1 unlike the vessel of  
to-day1 were heavily rigged1  most of   
them carrying full sets of yards        
forward1 and spreading many  thousand   
feet of cloth4 ,the steam vessel of this
 age1 when put to using  sail1 simply   
drifts4 ,except as a check to rolling1  
the sails carried by  steam vessels are 
of little use4    ,now1 to the question 
of what use is sail as an auxiliary     

power4 ,in  vessels of a speed exceeding
 ten knots1 it is of little or no use1  
except when due to the form of the hull1
 or for other reasons the slip  of the  
screw is excessive4 ,as1 for instance1  
in a vessel towing others1  such as     
sea-going tugs1 where the actual speed  
is one-half of the screw  speed1 sail is
 an aid4 ,again1 in a vessel of bad     
form1 when1 frequently  owing to the    
weight on the engine it is unable to run
 at its highest  working speed1 sail is 
an aid1 as it lifts some of the weight  
off the  engine1 and allows an increase 
of revolutions without an increase of   
fuel expenditure4 ,for this purpose1    
fore-and-aft canvas is of doubtful      
utility1 the square sail being far      
better4 ,but in high-powered1           
fine-lined vessels auxiliary sail is of 
no use whatever4 ,the little  that might
 be gained by employing it under the    
most favorable  circumstances is offset 
by the retarding effect of the windage  
under  unfavorable circumstances4    ,a 

vessel whose screw speed is eight knots 
and whose actual speed is six  knots has
 a slip of twenty-five per cent4        
,supposing that her sail power  is      
sufficient to drive her five knots or   
three knots in excess of the  slip4     
,now1 if her speed be increased to      
eleven knots by using canvas1  it must  
not only take up the slip1 but induce an
 acceleration of the  engine1 so as to  
give an additional screw speed of three 
knots--an  increase of #cg-a_/b per     
cent4 over the working speed of the     
engine4 ,this  is practically           
impossible4 ,no engine is built to run  
at a speed of  #cg-a_/b per cent4 over  
its working speed1 yet unless the screw 
travels  as fast as the hull1 it is     
useless4 ,it is exactly the same thing  
as  when trying to row a boat running   
under sail2 unless you move the oars    
faster through the water than the boat  
is moving you do not assist in  the     
propulsion4 ,reasoning from this1 we may
 lay it down as an axiom1  that3 ,when a

 vessel's maximum speed under power     
exceeds her maximum  speed under canvas1
 the use of sail in conjunction with    
power will not  increase the speed      
beyond the percentage of slip4    ,when 
mechanical propulsion is the auxiliary  
power1 we have a different  problem4    
,take a vessel capable of being driven  
by sail at a speed of  eight knots1 and 
by her engines alone at four knots4     
,now1 if she be  sailing at a speed of  
eight knots1 and we start her engine to 
make  the number of revolutions         
necessary to induce a speed of four     
knots1  the screw1 not traveling as fast
 as the hull1 will be dragged to  the   
amount of the difference between its    
speed and the speed of the  boat--four  
knots4 ,in that the screw shall have a  
propulsive force it  must be driven at a
 speed to exceed eight knots1 an        
increase of over  #ajj per cent4        
,reasoning from this1 we may lay it down
 as an axiom1  that3 ,a vessel whose    
maximum speed under sail exceeds her    

maximum speed  under power will not     
increase her speed by employing sail and
 screw  conjointly4    ,while auxiliary 
sail is of little or no value1 auxiliary
 mechanical  propulsion is4 ,but its    
chief value lies in it as a substitute1 
and  not as an auxiliary4 ,the wind--the
 fuel of the sail--is not only a        
variable quantity1 but frequently an    
absent one4 ,a small vessel1 such  as   
are the majority of our cruising yachts1
 seldom exceeds a speed of  eight knots1
 and as a general average taken through 
a summer's cruising  do not log more    
than four1 much of this low average is  
due to the hours  spent in calms and    
light airs2 and if we add the time lost 
in waiting  for a breeze1 the average   
will fall still lower4 ,a yacht in      
sailing  #ajj miles in the usual summer 
weather takes1 we will say1 twenty-five 
hours4 ,sixty miles of this is made in a
 fair breeze in ten hours1 then  six    
hours in which she makes ten miles1     
leaving nine hours in which to  make the

 other thirty4        #fj miles #aj     
hours4          #f miles an hour4       
#aj       #f                #a-b_/c     
#cj       #i                #c-a_/c     
,average for #ajj miles1      #d        
,let us suppose that a similar craft is 
fitted with a motor to drive  her at a  
speed of five miles an hour4 ,she       
voyages #ajj miles1 the first  sixty in 
ten hours4 ,during the doldrums she uses
 her power for six  hours1 and makes    
thirty miles1 and in sixteen hours has  
covered ninety  miles against the sail  
yacht's seventy4 ,having made the       
distance at an  average speed of #e-e_/h
 miles1 she is within sight of her port 
when the  other is thirty miles off4    
,last summer ,i ran thirty-eight miles  
in fourteen hours in a small  sloop4    
,thirty-two miles of this distance was  
made in eight hours1 the  remaining six 
miles taking six hours to cover1 and if 
you analyze a  set of cruising runs you 
will see that mine was an exceptionally 
good  performance4 ,i usually1 in       

cruising1 figure on making an average of
  three miles1 thirty miles being a fair
 day's work and forty a good  one1 while
 a fifty-mile run is possible only once 
or twice during the  season4 ,this is in
 a boat whose maximum speed is seven    
knots4    ,i have not the slightest     
doubt but what a man with a yacht fitted
 with  a motor capable of driving her at
 a speed of five miles1 and using the   
engine only as a substitute for sail    
when the wind is dead or fickle1  could 
cruise twice as far and see twice as    
much as one who depended  solely upon   
canvas4 ,this is a deal to promise1 but 
no doubt those who  have had a long     
experience in cruising in our ,eastern  
waters will  underwrite the opinion4    
,but while auxiliary power has its      
advantages1 it also has its             
disadvantages4 ,it increases the        
expense2 it takes up room in the boat2  
it is noisy1 and1 to a certain extent1  
disagreeable1 due mostly to the  use of 
a fuel which is not equal1 odoriferously

 speaking1 to genuine  wood violets4    
,but its chief drawback is that its use 
tends to make  cruising less toilsome   
and hazardous4 ,like all modern         
,inventions that save our seamen's      
lives1      ,and murder the breed of    
sailor men1    its effect is to discount
 skill and pluck1 to take away from     
voyaging  that uncertainty which is the 
chief charm of the cruiser's existence4 
,the fact that you leave port with a    
certainty of getting to your            
destination on time1 barring accidents1 
makes somewhat monotonous an  event that
 otherwise containing a large element of
 chance induces a  corresponding degree 
of excitement4 ,there is probably no    
pastime so  tiresome to an active man as
 steam yachting1 especially if it be in 
familiar waters4 ,a steam yacht is a    
lazy man's palace and an active  man's  
prison4 ,except when there is a race or 
a difficult bit of  navigation1 ,i would
 as soon run a trolley car as a power   
boat4 ,but1  then1 happily for the      

world1 we are not all taken off the same
 molds4  ,many men yacht for pleasure1  
and find such pleasure in idleness4 ,i  
don't4 ,i find my pleasure in physical  
exertion1 and in opposing what  skill   
and knowledge ,i may possess to the task
 of getting the better of  the elements4
 ,but as age and rheumatism tighten     
their grip1 my heart  is being gradually
 weaned from the sail1 and ,i find      
myself thinking  seriously1 if1 after   
all1 it will not be better to have a    
little power  under the deck to fall    
back on at certain times4          ,,on 
,,reefing      ,precaution is the mother
 of safety4      ,,on ,,reefing    ,this
 is a short chapter on a short subject1 
but one that is of interest  to the     
green hand4 ,men often ask when it is   
time to reef8 ,it is always  time to    
reef when you think it is4 ,the moment  
you would feel easier  and your boat    
handle better by having less sail       
spread1 is the time to  shorten down4   
,never mind what anybody else is doing  

or what anybody  else tells you4 ,it is 
your boat1 not some other boat that is  
worrying1  and yourself1 and not some   
other person1 who is in charge4 ,never  
carry sail for the sake of carrying it2 
the ignorant may praise your            
recklessness and pluck1 but the         
experienced man will call you either a  
lubber or a fool4    ,never let the     
action of another guide you in this     
particular1 unless  the action agrees   
with your own judgment4 ,it is very     
common for  young sailors to reef or not
 reef as they see some other man1 and   
consequently to carry sail much to the  
risk of their vessel and lives4  ,you   
must remember that these remarks of mine
 have nothing to do with  racing4 ,in   
racing1 a man cannot reef when he wants 
to1 but when he can2  therefore1 he     
frequently carries sail when he would   
give a good slice  of his daily income  
to have it off1 and often keeps in his  
reefs when  he would like to shake them 
out1 but does not for the same reason4  

,then1 again1 in racing1 boats are      
always in company1 and if an accident   
happens someone is close aboard to give 
assistance2 but in cruising  this is not
 so1 and many a life has been lost for  
want of a reef in  time4    ,when ,i was
 young and fresh ,i had an idea that if 
anyone could carry  sail on a boat ,i   
could do the same4 ,one day ,i had a    
lesson that made  me think1 and         
partially cured me of the habit4 ,i went
 with a clever  old boatman across the  
,sound to bring home a new cat4 ,we each
 took a  crew1 and1 to return1 he sailed
 the new boat1 and ,i the one we had    
come over in4 ,halfway across it came on
 to blow very hard1 and it was  all ,i  
could do to keep my boat on her feet4   
,my crew wanted me to stop  and reef1   
but as the new boat kept on1 ,i insisted
 upon following her1  being afraid that 
the old man would laugh at me4 ,in plain
 talk1 ,i was  afraid of being thought a
 coward1 and for this ,i jeopardized my 
own  and the lives of the other boys4   

,when at last1 after a struggle and     
half full of water1 we reached port1 the
 old man met me with a torrent  of      
invectives1 calling me a fool and       
several other hard names for not        
reefing4    ,but you didn't reef1 ,i    
protested4 ,reef6 he exclaimed4 ,no1 for
  ,i couldn't2 but ,i'd given fourteen  
dollars if ,i could have got that  sail 
down4 ,do you think ,i was carrying     
whole sail for fun8 ,it seems  the      
halliards1 being new1 had jammed1 and   
they could not get the sail  down1 so   
had to lug it4 ,this taught me a lesson1
 one that ,i have never  forgotten2 and 
oftentimes when ,i see a man struggling 
along under too  much sail1 ,i wonder if
 he1 like the old boatman1 wouldn't give
 fourteen  dollars if he could get that 
sail down4    ,the first thing when you 
get a crew is to break them in to a     
method  of reefing4 ,give each man a    
place and teach him to keep it2 this is 
the secret of rapid and efficient work4 
,let us suppose that you are in  command

 of a small sloop1 with a total crew of 
four4 ,it comes on to  blow1 and you    
decide to reef4 ,there is a bit of lee  
under the shore1  and you go in for it4 
,now you have decided to reef without   
anchoring1  and when close enough luff  
up and prepare to lower the mainsail4   
,your  mate1 your best hand1 and the man
 in his watch go to the halliards1 you  
stay at the helm and your watch-mate    
takes the sheet4    ,now1 if you lower  
the mainsail all the way down1 you will 
have to take  in your headsail and      
drift2 this will soon take you out of   
your kindly  lee1 but if you can keep   
some after-sail up1 with the jib on an  
easy  sheet1 you can jolly her up to    
windward a bit and keep close inshore4  
,having decided on this you order the   
sail lowered down to the reef4  ,the    
getting down of the sail quickly depends
 on your cleverness at  the helm2 you   
must spill just at the right moment4 ,as
 the sail comes  down your two men      
handle and lay the sail along the boom1 

the mate  tending the halliards4 ,when  
the tack cringle is low enough he belays
  the halliards and ties down the tack4 
,by this time you have the pendant      
ready1 and when the mate shouts ,all    
fast1 you haul out1 one man  helping you
 and the others shaking and lighting out
 the canvas4 ,when  this is handed out  
and made fast1 the hands begin to tie   
the points1  beginning in the middle and
 working forward and aft4    ,your      
business is to look after the dog-ear1  
to tie in the outboard  points1 and pass
 a lashing round the clew1 wrapping it  
round the boom4  ,the points are passed 
between the foot of the sail and the    
lacing1  not between the lacing and the 
boom1 a common error with green hands4  
,tie your points with a square bow knot2
 don't tie them too tight2 try  and put 
the same strain on all4 ,don't haul out 
your clew too hard1  especially if it is
 raining or the water is flying4 ,the   
pendant will  shrink one way1 the sail  
the other1 and in consequence the canvas

 be  pulled out of life4 ,as soon as all
 the points are tied1 look them over    
carefully to see that they belong to the
 proper reef1 and are not tied          
cross-faced1 and1 if correct1 hoist     
away4    ,lazy-jacks on a boom are of   
great assistance in taking a sail in1   
but  they are in the way when reefing4  
,quarter-lifts as substitutes are       
better for small craft4 ,the reef points
 should be made of different  kinds of  
stuff1 or else be dyed different colors1
 so as to be easily  distinguishable4 ,i
 prefer different kinds of stuff1 as    
they can be told  by the feel at night4 
,the first reef being cotton line1 the  
second  manila1 and the third cotton4   
,if you are going to tie in more than   
one reef1 it is best to tie in the      
first1 then the next over it1 and so on4
 ,this also makes a much neater  looking
 job4 ,teach your men to roll the sail  
up tightly before tying  in2 nothing    
looks so bad as a reef made up of a     
series of bags4    ,illustration3 ,,the 

,,proper ,,way ,,to ,,tie               
,,reef-,,points    ,if you are caught   
out in the open1 and have to reef1 it is
 best to  lower all down and reef       
running off2 by getting the boom firmly 
lashed  amidships you can handle the    
sail1 whereas if you lay-to the sea will
  make trouble4 ,in running off         
carefully tend your helm1 and keep the  
vessel moving1 or you may get pooped4   
,if anywhere near shore it is best  to  
go in1 anchor and reef in quiet1 and at 
your leisure4 ,the methods of  reefing a
 sloop are the same for reefing a cat1  
but if you have a yawl1  ketch or       
schooner1 the work is much more simple  
and easy4    ,always1 when anchored in  
an open roadstead1 or in any place where
 you  may have to get out in a hurry1   
reef your large sails before turning    
in4 ,then1 if it comes on to blow in the
 night1 you are ready for it4  ,if you  
expect a squall to hit you1 in a place  
where you cannot anchor1  reef down1 and
 do so in plenty of time4 ,before       

leaving harbor1 if  there is any        
question of weather outside1 reef and   
carry them out with  you1 until you get 
the heft of the breeze2 if it is lighter
 than you  expected1 it is a simple job 
to shake out4    ,reefed jibs are not   
much use2 they seldom work well1 and it 
is far  better to shift headsails than  
to reef them4 ,the jibs should be       
snap-hooked on the stay2 in this way    
they can be quickly shifted4  ,reefing  
on a bowsprit in a seaway is a difficult
 and dangerous job4 ,i  shall speak     
further of this matter of head-sails in 
another chapter4          ,,on ,,anchors
 ,,and ,,anchoring        ,let's forge a
 goodly anchor--a bower thick and broad2
    ,for a heart of oak is hanging on   
every blow ,i bode2    ,and ,i see a    
good ship riding all in a perilous      
road--    ,the low reef roaring on her  
lee2 the roll of ocean poured    ,from  
stem to stern1 sea after sea2 the       
mainmast by the board2    ,the bulwarks 
down2 the rudder gone2 the boats stove  

at the chains2    ,but courage still1   
brave mariners--the bower yet remains6  
,and not an inch to flinch he           
deigns--save when ye pitch sky high2    
,then moves his head1 as though he said1
 ,fear nothing--here am ,i4             
--,,ferguson      ,,on ,,anchors ,,and  
,,anchoring    ,one of man's oldest1    
simplest and most perfect               
instruments--the anchor4  ,like all     
early inventions1 it obtained its       
present form by a slow  process of      
evolution1 and1 as is the case with     
nearly all implements  of the same      
nature1 it is to-day to be found in use 
in every step-form  which during the    
gradual process of development it       
assumed4 ,the  primal anchor of stone is
 still universally employed1 its        
immediate  successors1 the              
stone-weighted net and log1 are yet in  
use in the ,east1  and iron forms that  
might have found their shape under the  
hammer blows  of the sinewy ,sidonian   
smiths still swing from the bows of     

vessels  plying the ,indian seas4    ,as
 to who first forged anchors of iron    
there is some doubt1 the  ancient       
historians disagreeing on this point    
with amiable unanimity  that            
characterizes all their statements in   
regard to the origin of  things1 both   
animate and inanimate4 ,the balance of  
evidence appears  to favor the          
,phrygians1 a people of ,asia ,minor1   
whose most celebrated  king1 ,midas1 is 
well remembered as the avaricious       
monarch who had the  unfortunate        
experience with gold1 as related in a   
yarn which probably  originated in the  
imaginative brain of some ancient       
free-silver orator4    ,but whether     
these people or their contemporaries1   
the ingenious1 rich  and daring         
,phoenicians1 first forged it1 there is 
no question but what  iron anchors were 
originally used by the maritime nations 
inhabiting  the shore of the great      
tideless sea4 ,the anchors were1 as ,i  
have said1  of stone and of wood        

weighted with stone and metal1 such as  
are still  used by the ,chinese and     
,malays4 ,it is easy to see how from the
 latter  came the shape of the anchor of
 to-day4 ,from the use of a straight    
balk  of timber to one with a crook is a
 natural step4 ,it is much easier to    
lash a stone to a crook of wood by      
placing it between the trunk and  branch
 than it is to lash it to a straight    
stick4    ,evidence favors this as the  
step of progression2 the first iron     
anchors having but one arm and no stock2
 being simply the wooden crook          
reproduced in metal4 ,the next step was 
to add the bill or point1 which  very   
readily took its shape from the spear of
 that day or the spade1  both of which  
implements were arrow-shaped4 ,the next 
step forward  was the adding of the     
second arm4 ,the arms of ancient anchors
 were  straight1 not curved1 as are the 
anchors of to-day4 ,the curved arm      
being very modern4 ,with the stock      
added1 when and by whom it is not       

known1 the anchor of the ancients       
continued to do its duty until early  in
 the last century1 when an ,englishman  
named ,pering greatly improved  it by   
curving the arms and strengthening the  
crown and shank4 ,at the  same time the 
trip-hammer came into use for forging1  
allowing of a far  more perfect welding 
of material than could be secured with  
hand-swung  sledges4    ,in order to    
understand the action of the anchor1    
which is perfect1  it is only necessary 
to take the common pick1 such as is     
employed by  laborers in breaking up    
earth1 and drive it into solid ground4  
,drive  the arm of your pick right to   
the helve2 now pull on it at right      
angles  to the arm4 ,you cannot move it2
 nor could the strongest man2 simply    
lift the handle up and the arm will come
 out of the ground easily4 ,such  is the
 action of the anchor4 ,is anything more
 simple or perfect8    ,when out ahead  
this small arm will hold a great ship   
against wind and  tide2 when brought    

under foot it is broken from its hold by
 half a  dozen men4 ,an anchor weighing 
#b1jjj pounds will hold a ship weighing 
#e1jjj tons1 yet when brought to such a 
position as will permit of its  being   
tilted up it can be broken-out by an    
engine of five horse-power4    ,since   
,pering's day many improved anchors have
 been patented2 of these  only two1 the 
,rodgers and ,trotman1 are of any       
account4 ,of what are  called patent    
anchors1 that is1 anchors of peculiar   
shapes1 there is  this to say1 they are 
inferior to the original form4 ,the only
 argument  in their favor is that they  
stow easier1 and it is for this reason  
that  the stockless variety is employed 
on steam vessels4 ,this form can be     
hauled directly into the hawse pipe1    
thus doing away with the labor  of      
catting and fishing1 but they will not  
hold with the old form1 and  need a much
 longer scope of hawse4 ,i have         
experimented with several of  those     
built for yachts and have in every case 

found them inferior to  the common      
anchor4 ,they are useful sometimes as   
stern-holds1 and for  dropping on ragged
 bottom1 where a common hook is liable  
to foul4    ,for use where a vessel is  
anchored in a current1 and is apt to be 
tide-rode1 the ,trotman is excellent4   
,the peculiarity of this anchor  is1    
that the arms are pivoted so that the   
fluke of the upper arm when  the hook is
 biting is down on the shank2 this      
prevents the hawser from  fouling and   
upsetting the anchor if the yacht       
happens to ride over it4    ,the average
 yacht anchor that is found on sale is  
an instrument that  could be largely    
improved without adding to its cost or  
weight4 ,a  better distribution of the  
metal would add much to its value1 but  
its  worst feature is the method in     
which the stock is secured in the head4 
,these pins are always a nuisance1      
frequently working out and more         
frequently being lost4 ,there are       
anchors made in which the stock screws  

in1 and others in which the stock passes
 through a slot with a lug1  which1 on  
being turned1 engages with the side of  
the head1 preventing  its slipping back4
 ,both these are better than the pin4   
,every yachtsman  knows what it is to   
find the pin missing just when it is    
wanted and  wanted in a hurry1 and to   
have to substitute a nail or a penknife 
blade4 ,there is a small fortune for the
 man who will bring out an  anchor with 
a stock that can be shipped and         
unshipped quickly1 and yet  stay fast   
when down on the bottom4    ,the strain 
on anchors when holding a vessel is     
nothing like what it  is commonly       
supposed to be4 ,if it was how could a  
vessel be drawn  up to her anchor8 ,it  
has to blow very hard when a man cannot 
draw a  small yacht up to her hook4 ,the
 reason of this is1 that the windage  of
 an anchored vessel is a comparatively  
small surface1 so long as  she lies     
head-on4 ,it is the sum of the area of  
the widest section of  the above-water  

hull1 and the area of the rigging and   
spars1 found by  multiplying their      
diameters by their lengths4 ,this is1 as
 ,i have said1  a comparatively small   
surface4    ,in a strong blow1 such as  
yachtsmen generally describe as a gale1 
the  wind pressure is only about five   
pounds to the square foot1 while in an  
ordinary breeze1 such as usually blows  
in summer1 the pressure is scant  of a  
pound4 ,so that a boat with a hundred   
square feet of windage would1  in a     
yachtsman's gale1 only be forced back by
 a pressure of #ejj pounds4  ,some day1 
just for your own enlightenment1 take a 
spring scale and put  it on your hawse  
when the yacht is riding to a wind with 
no sea on4    ,one day my boat was lying
 in a tide running at a rate of one     
mile4  ,the bottom was a medium hard    
gravel and the water perfectly clear4   
,in  turning tides she had capsized the 
anchor and it was lying stock up and    
flukes flat4 ,this anchor1 weighing     
thirty pounds1 by its weight and        

friction of the stock end on the bottom 
kept the boat stationary4 ,her          
displacement was just over four tons4   
,the anchor was simply resisting  the   
friction of the tide on the immersed    
hull4 ,reverse this and it  shows how   
small is the power necessary to drive a 
vessel one mile an  hour4    ,the direct
 strain on anchors is of no consequence 
except in very high  winds2 it is the   
sea that causes them to leave their     
hold4 ,go back to  our pick for an      
explanation4 ,when given sufficient     
scope the anchor1  like the pick1 is    
resisting a pull at right angles1 and   
stands fast1  but the minute the sea    
begins to move the vessel up and down   
the handle  of the anchor is worked up  
and down2 the shorter the scope the more
  surely is this motion transmitted1 and
 the more effective is it in            
breaking-out the arm4 ,to prevent this  
in a heavy sea we resort to a  practice 
called backing4    ,the object of       
backing an anchor is to prevent this up 

and down motion  from passing from the  
vessel to the anchor4 ,in order to do   
this it  is necessary to weight the     
cable1 so as to prevent its lifting from
  the bottom1 some distance inside of   
the anchor4 ,this is done either  by    
leading the cable through another anchor
 or by weighting the cable  with        
ballast4 ,the last is the better method1
 as it can be done from the  vessel     
without disturbing the hawse4    ,i find
 that few yachtsmen make a study of     
anchoring2 mostly because  they anchor  
in places where there is little to be   
feared either from  wind or sea4 ,it is 
only when they get into harbors where   
both are to be  dreaded that they learn 
this part of the trade4 ,to show how    
universally  careless we are in this    
respect it is only necessary to recall  
the  disastrous effects an unexpected   
summer gale has upon a fleet of our     
yachts4 ,in ,august1 #ahic1 a storm of  
this character swept the ,eastern       
seaboard1 and some eighty yachts were   

driven ashore and many of them  totally 
wrecked4 ,in the summer of #ahig a      
moderate gale came on the  coast1 and   
out of a fleet of some thirty yachts    
anchored and moored  about the boat ,i  
was in1 twelve went adrift4 ,the same   
day1 in and  around ,boston1 the storm  
played havoc with the pleasure fleet4   
,another time we were caught off the    
,thimbles in ,long ,island ,sound in    
company with a small fleet4 ,everything 
dragged and several were only  saved by 
a lucky shift of wind from going on the 
rocks4 ,many of these  boats had no     
spare anchors2 some had the anchors and 
not sufficient  cable2 others had ground
 tackle much too light for their bulk4  
,few  of the crews knew how to properly 
use what they did have4 ,i was in a     
#cj-;foot sloop of the old flat type1 an
 exceedingly bad sea boat4 ,we  rode it 
out with two anchors and #cjj pounds of 
ballast down ahead1  but it was only by 
judicious management1 and the addition  
of a new  mainsheet to our scanty length

 of cable4    ,every boat should carry  
two anchors1 and every boat that cannot 
readily  make fast to a dock1 three4    
,the weight of anchors to be carried can
  only be approximated1 as it depends   
largely upon the build of the  vessel1  
the extent and prevailing conditions of 
her sailing waters and  the service     
engaged in4 ,a boat that is only used   
for day-sailing that  finds shelter at  
night in a safe harbor and moors or     
makes fast1 needs  but light ground     
tackle4 ,she can get along with an      
anchor weighing a  half-pound to each   
foot of over-all length1 and need never 
to resort  to her spare hook except on  
extraordinary occasions4    ,narrow deep
 boats with sharp entrances are very    
light on their ground  tackle and do not
 need nearly as heavy anchors as do     
broad shoal boats4  ,our modern         
full-bowed boats are very hard on all   
kinds of gear1 and  need especially     
heavy anchors and cables4 ,flat-bottomed
 craft1 like  sharpies and scow         

houseboats1 are the hardest of all1 and 
your hooks  and hawsers can't be too    
heavy to make sure of holding them4     
,high-sided  and high-housed yachts are 
also hard riders1 the windage having a  
tendency to keep them worrying at their 
hawse4 ,all these things must  be taken 
into consideration when selecting a     
weight of anchor and a  size of cable or
 chain1 but1 as it is always best to err
 on the safe  side1 be less afraid of   
getting too heavy gear than of getting  
too  light4 ,a #bj-;foot boat will hold 
to a ten-pound anchor1 if the hook is   
well proportioned and takes a good hold 
in good ground1 but ,i should  not feel 
comfortable in turning in on a rough    
night with only that  weight of iron out
 ahead of me4 ,an old fellow1 who is a  
bit of a crank  on the subject1 once    
took me to task for carrying such heavy 
anchors  and cables4 ,to his mind they  
were totally unnecessary2 ones half the 
weight and size would do as well4 ,he   
used a twelve-thread line and an  anchor

 about vest-pocket size on his boat4    
,his argument was good from his side of 
the deck1 but things had a  different   
aspect from mine4 ,in the first place1  
he always anchored  where he wanted to1 
but ,i1 being a roving bird1 had        
frequently to  anchor where ,i did not  
want to4 ,in the second1 if ,i turned in
 to sleep  ,i had to do so feeling sure 
that my boat would be in the same place 
the  next morning1 or else ,i could not 
sleep peacefully4 ,again1 a small line  
is awkward to handle and is easily      
chafed through2 these are things to  be 
considered as well as strength4 ,the    
breaking strain of a cable used  should 
always be at least four times the weight
 you expect to put on  it4 ,it is to the
 extra factor of safety that you must   
frequently trust  for the odd trick and 
the game4    ,a heavily-built cabin     
craft1 or a yacht loaded with lead on   
the keel1  needs an anchor at least a   
pound weight for each foot of her deck  
length4 ,this is for a regular stand-by1

 something to be used whenever  she     
comes to a halt4 ,such weight will1     
under all ordinary conditions1  give    
sufficient hold1 admitting that the     
bottom is suitable for  anchoring4 ,i   
have seen a #be-;foot cabin sloop hang  
to a twenty-pound  anchor in a gale of  
wind1 in a place where there was no sea 
to bother  her4 ,but the sea is what    
troubles the anchor1 not the direct     
strain4    ,a yacht of #dj feet1 used   
for cruising to distant ports and       
anchoring  here1 there1 and everywhere1 
should carry four anchors4 ,of course   
you  can get along with less1 perhaps1  
for many seasons1 but to have peace  of 
mind and absolute security1 you need    
four4 ,two of these anchors  are for    
constant use and the other two for      
special work and dangerous  emergencies4
    ,the two first are what are called  
on large vessels bowers1 being the      
anchors hung at the bows1 but we will   
sometimes speak of them as  stand-bys1  
they being the instruments always ready 

for use4 ,the third  is a light fellow1 
exceedingly useful when needed1 called a
 kedge4  ,the fourth is the big-weight1 
whose services are only called upon as  
the last resource1 and who passes the   
bulk of his days in idleness  below--he 
is called the spare4    ,the stand-bys  
for a #dj-;footer should weigh together 
twice the boat's  length in pounds--#hj 
pounds4 ,this can either be evenly      
divided or  unevenly1 as you see fit4 ,i
 prefer to divide the weight unevenly1  
having1 say1 one thirty-five and one    
forty-five-pound1 or one thirty  and one
 fifty-pound4 ,these anchors should be  
galvanized and be  uniformly strong     
throughout1 the large one being of heavy
 shank and  broad palm2 the smaller1    
lighter in build1 with narrow palm and  
sharp  bill4 ,this lighter anchor should
 always be ready for service under the  
bowsprit or at the cathead4    ,on a    
cruiser the heavier stand-by should also
 be kept ready to shackle  to the chain 
or bend to the hawser4 ,it need not be  

kept hanging under  the bowsprit or at  
the cathead1 but can be lashed on the   
fore deck1  so as to be available for   
instant use4 ,i remember once going     
ashore  because the owner insisted upon 
having the second anchor unshackled  and
 stowed below2 his reason being that it 
made the boat look untidy  forward4     
,when we rounded-to and let go the small
 one1 the chain parted2  and before the 
other could be brought on deck and bent 
on we were blown  on the beach4    ,the 
spare anchor is kept below1 but not1 as 
in most boats1 in a place  where you    
cannot get at it without hauling over a 
mass of dunnage4 ,one  time1 when       
anchored in an open bight1 we were      
joined at sunset by a  large sloop2 she 
letting go outside and to windward of   
us4 ,during the  night it came on to    
blow very hard1 and at daylight we were 
riding to  both anchors with a full     
hawse ahead4 ,the big sloop was dragging
 badly1  and1 in response to their calls
 for help1 ,i took my crew and went     

aboard her4 ,she was in charge of her   
owner and three other amateurs4  ,they  
had let go both her bowers and all the  
chain1 but they failed to  hold the     
yacht and she was slowly going for the  
beach4    ,as soon as ,i got on board ,i
 asked if they had a spare anchor4 ,the 
owner1 who had just bought the boat and 
was taking her home1 after a  little    
thinking1 said he thought it was        
mentioned in the inventory1  but he had 
never looked to see4 ,taking my two     
hands ,i went below to  the usual place 
and began a search4 ,we pulled out sails
 in bags and  sails out of bags1 awnings
 and stanchions1 old mops1 holystones1  
rope1  brooms1 deck cushions and the    
devil knows what1 before finally the    
spare hook was brought to light4 ,into a
 cabin1 that looked like a ,south       
street junk shop1 we at last lugged it  
and its cable1 and from the  looks of   
both1 decided it was their first call to
 action4 ,that as may  be1 when once    
overboard they did yeoman service and   

held the sloop in  safety4 ,i did not   
fail to read the owner a lesson on how  
not to keep  his reserve ground tackle1 
and ,i guess the job of putting the     
dunnage  back helped to impress it on   
his mind4    ,illustration    ,the spare
 anchor occupies but little room if     
properly stowed1 takes  up the work of  
the same weight of ballast1 and is a    
harmless but  exceedingly useful        
creature4 ,it inspires a feeling of     
safety that  more than pays for its     
keep4 ,this anchor should always be used
 with a  hawser1 and a long and stout   
one1 and to make assurance doubly sure1 
should be fitted with three fathoms of  
chain and a stout ring to which  to bend
 the rope4 ,you can either have the     
chain permanently attached  to anchor or
 hawser as you prefer1 but keep both    
where the ends can be  readily laid     
hands upon4 ,the best place to stow it  
is aft under the  cockpit floor1 placing
 it in such a way as it will lie snug   
and not get  adrift1 no matter how the  

boat pitches or heels4 ,if your compass 
is  over it1 you had better see that the
 placing of it does not affect that     
instrument1 and if so1 how much4        
,frequently compasses are thrown into   
error by the keeping of anchors and     
awning stanchions under the cockpit     
floor4    ,the fourth anchor--the       
kedge--is a most useful piece of        
furniture4  ,being light and easy to    
handle it can be kept on the bows when  
racing  or cruising4 ,if it falls calm  
it is there to let go and hold you2  if 
you go ashore it can be at once run out 
with a line to haul off1  and if you    
miss a mooring it will enable you to    
hang on until a line  can be carried to 
the buoy4 ,it is useful when coming-to  
at a dock or  when finding a berth in a 
basin or slip2 light enough to be thrown
  over anywhere you can anchor by the   
stern or head with equal facility4      
,having it allows you in racing on      
tender trimming craft to keep the       
stand-by anchor below out of the way and

 where it will interfere least  with the
 trim of the boat4 ,heavy weights hung  
on a boat's nose do not  improve either 
its speed or its bad weather qualities4 
,to a cruising  man a kedge is          
invaluable2 ,i would as soon be without 
my compass as my  little hook4 ,in boats
 under #ce feet the kedge takes the     
place of the  smaller bower and performs
 its duties4    ,to give good service a 
kedge must be a properly designed kedge1
  not simply a small anchor4 ,the proper
 kedge is what is known as              
spider-built--long arms1 long shank1    
long stock and narrow1 sharp  flukes4   
,it is difficult to get these           
ready-made1 but the shipsmith will  make
 you one4 ,the best substitute for a    
genuine kedge is the seine  anchor4     
,now what is the best to use with these 
anchors--chain or rope8 ,with an  anchor
 like the stand-by1 chain is best for   
all boats that have a place  to stow it4
 ,chain is more lasting1 less dirty1 and
 takes but little  room in comparison   

with the same length of rope4 ,hawsers  
are always in  the way1 no matter how   
neatly they are coiled down4 ,besides   
they are  expensive1 owing to their     
short lives4 ,in bad weather you cannot 
well  keep them on deck1 and they are   
wet and disagreeable cabinmates4    ,for
 the kedge a long light line should be  
used1 something that one man  can       
readily handle4 ,it is best to have it  
in two parts2 one part being  kept      
stowed away and the other always bent4  
,then you have less of a  coil on deck  
or in the bow locker1 but have1 by      
bending on the second  piece1 a length  
that will enable you to kedge off or on 
to advantage4    ,for the spare ,i      
prefer1 and so will any man who has     
experience1 a  hawser4 ,in heavy weather
 a boat will ride much easier to hemp   
than  she will to chain2 no matter how  
much of the latter you may pay out1  she
 has the weight to lift every time she  
takes up the slack1 and  consequently   
rises slower and falls quicker4 ,hemp1  

until it gets well  soaked1 puts little 
of its weight on a riding vessel1 and   
besides the  give of the slack it       
stretches in itself4    ,but whichever  
you use1 be sure and have plenty of it4 
,remember this3  that the first and     
all-important thing in anchoring is     
,,scope4    ,one night1 not long ago1 we
 wanted to anchor a yawl1 as it was calm
  and the tide setting us away from our 
port4 ,my companions let the  anchor go 
without first sounding2 it ran to the   
bitter end of the  chain with no bottom4
 ,as the chart only gave #ae fathoms ,i 
was rather  surprised and supposed ,i   
had miscalculated the yacht's position1 
but1  as my bearings seemed to be       
correct1 ,i overhauled the chain4 ,how  
much  chain do you think was on that    
anchor8 ,the boat being an old-fashioned
  plumb-stemmer1 #cb feet on top4 ,just 
#aj fathoms4 ,gaze on that--#aj  fathoms
 of chain to anchor a boat of that size4
 ,why1 to make it hold in  a breeze of  
wind you would have to be in eight feet 

of water4    ,the former owner1 who was 
responsible for this1 was a man who     
never  went ten miles from his home     
port1 and ,i should judge knew very     
little  about vessel handling4 ,there   
are hundreds of other boats in just the 
same fix4 ,and still we wonder why      
yachts blow ashore4    ,now1 as we are  
through with the anchors1 let us        
bear-off for a bit  and tackle the      
subject of anchoring1 which is the art  
of using them4  ,let me here remark that
 in all my experience ,i never had      
anchors fail  to do their duty1 when    
properly used and attended to1 and that 
every  scrape in this line that ever ,i 
got my boat into1 was due to my own     
carelessness or laziness or somebody    
else's4 ,i have had hawsers part  and   
chains break1 and ,i have broken arms of
 anchors and have lost them  altogether1
 but in every case the accident was     
avoidable if proper  forethought and    
precaution had been used4    ,if you are
 rather new at the business1 or have    

hands forward that you  cannot rely     
upon1 when making port have the hook    
cleared away early in  the game4 ,then  
go forward and see that all is in order4
 ,when she comes  to let it be at       
sufficient distance to leeward to kill  
all way before  she reaches the selected
 berth4 ,when stopped dead give your    
order to  let go4 ,then comes in the    
judgment as to how much scope she needs4
  ,whatever the decision1 always lean to
 the side of more than less4    ,before 
anchoring in a strange place consult the
 chart1 and know the  bottom1 depth1 and
 fall of the tide1 also its present     
height2 this is  of especial importance 
in places where there is a big rise4 ,in
 light  weather1 for a short stay1 six  
times the depth is sufficient2 that is1 
in six feet of water give her six       
fathoms of cable4    ,if it is blowing  
hard and a sea running1 before letting  
go1 if you are  using a hawser1 range a 
good length of it on deck clear for     
running  out4 ,get a good turn round the

 bitts and after the hook has taken hold
  slack away handsomely1 but at the same
 time keep full control4 ,let her  take 
it out2 don't give it to her4 ,when the 
hawser has a lead that  enters the water
 well ahead1 make fast1 and watch how   
she rides to it4    ,you can tell by    
feeling the cable whether the anchor is 
biting or not4  ,if it continues to drag
 and drags rapidly it is probably foul2 
if it  drags slowly it is most likely   
bad bottom2 your chart will tell you    
what kind4    ,never drop without first 
taking a range1 either on shore or on a 
nearby  vessel1 for not only will it    
tell you if you are dragging1 but it is 
the only sure way of locating an anchor 
if you lose it4 ,the way to tell  if you
 are dragging at night or when you      
cannot get a range is to drop  the lead 
overside with a slack line2 if she drags
 the line will trend  out ahead4    ,if 
your hook drags badly and you have sail 
on1 get it up1 and do the  act over     
again4 ,if you cannot1 why then heave in

 rapidly on the first  and when under   
foot let go your second4 ,do not1 if you
 possibly can  help it1 let go the      
second while the foul anchor is out     
ahead1 for  if it should stick it will  
put you in the predicament of having an 
unreliable hold at the end of your      
longest cable4    ,if the first anchor  
drags because the bottom is bad holding1
 then  shorten up1 let go your second1  
and pay out on both4 ,if she still      
continues to drag get up the spare1 and 
if you can1 heave in on both  to        
half-hawse1 and then let the spare go4  
,if she goes on dragging you  have two  
hopes and one alternative4 ,one hope is1
 that the weather will  let up2 the     
other1 that as she drags she will get   
into better holding  ground2 the        
alternative ,i will attend to in another
 chapter4    ,many accidents are the    
result of haste and carelessness1 when  
letting  the hook go4 ,a mate of mine   
once let the anchor drop without fitting
  the pin in the stock2 it came on to   

blow in the night and we dragged  down  
on another yacht4 ,dropping the hook    
while a vessel has headway  on is       
another cause of anchors being foul4    
,frequently in small yachts  carrying   
the hook under the bowsprit1 the fluke  
will catch on the  bobstay2 instead of  
hauling it up and clearing it1 a lubber 
will let  the stock drop down and then  
lift the fluke up and let all go4 ,what 
is the consequence8 the arm falls across
 the cable and you have a foul  anchor4 
,twice in my life ,i have had men anchor
 the boat on the bobstay4  ,this        
happened at night and through my not    
going forward and looking to  things    
myself4 ,instead of1 like the           
unfortunate ,wentworth1 exclaiming3     
,put not your trust in princes1 let me  
cry1 ,put not your trust in  amateurs1  
especially coming to anchor at night4   
,but the most frequent  cause of mishap 
is in giving either too little or too   
much scope4  ,laziness stands impeached 
of the first1 and over-caution of the   

second4    ,before turning in1 if the   
weather looks at all dubious1 but not   
threatening enough to warrant your going
 to the trouble of sending off  another 
anchor1 you can secure yourself from a  
sudden attack by these  means4 ,we will 
suppose you are riding to your heaviest 
bower4 ,down the  second bower under the
 fore-foot1 being careful to see that it
 falls  clear1 then take the end of your
 hawser from underneath the coil1  and  
take a round-turn round the mast1       
securing the end with two half  hitches 
over the standing part4 ,see that it    
renders freely from the top  of the     
coil4 ,pass it through either the chock 
on the bowsprit or the  chock on the    
rail4 ,if the yacht drags she will carry
 out the hawser  and fetch-up when the  
end is reached4 ,if you are using chain 
see that  it is clear for running out4  
,by employing your second anchor in this
  way1 you will prevent fouling hawse if
 the yacht swings with the tide  or     
wind4    ,illustration3 ,,how ,,to      

,,anchor ,,with ,,two ,,hooks ,,down    
,a is the right way2 ,b the wrong way4  
,c shows anchor backed with ballast4    
,backing an anchor is done in several   
ways1 but as it is only done in  extreme
 cases you are generally obliged to do  
it the best way you  can1 using such    
materials as are at hand4 ,take two or  
four pigs of  ballast1 wrap them        
securely with a strong small line1 and  
put on a  shawl-strap handle over the   
chain and let them slide down with a    
small  line attached to prevent their   
working right out to the anchor4 ,a     
small  piece of chain is better than    
rope to use on a chain hawse4 ,if you   
can  heave in you can lash the ballast  
to the chain1 and then pay out again4   
,backing is usually done at the last    
call1 and as it is wet and  dangerous   
work on a small boat's head when she is 
pitching with a sea1  the job is a hurry
 one and is frequently bungled4 ,by     
putting a line on  the ballast you can  
recover it if the lashing parts or frets

 through4    ,a trip-line is made fast  
to an anchor with a clove hitch round   
the  crown1 and either buoyed or led on 
board4 ,if led on board1 it should be   
stopped down to the heel of the shank   
with a rotten stop and belayed  with    
plenty of slack4    ,now ,i am going to 
give you ten rules for anchoring1 but be
 pleased to  remember that these rules  
are not fixed laws1 and as such do not  
bind  you to do anything against what   
judgment1 experience1 or a present      
difficulty may suggest4    #a4 ,never   
drop an anchor until you have first     
examined it4    #b4 ,never drop an      
anchor stock down4    #c4 ,never drop an
 anchor from the bows while the boat has
 headway1  except for the purpose of    
preventing her going ashore or into     
something4    #d4 ,with the wind and sea
 ahead give any amount of scope4    #e4 
,in a tide-way give just sufficient to  
hold1 no more1 unless the  conditions of
 wind and sea oblige a long lead2 then  
watch your hawse  when she shifts tides4

    #f4 ,when getting underway in a     
strong wind1 do not shorten too much    
before everything is ready aloft2 same  
when surrounded by other vessels4    #g4
 ,be sure when you make fast1 that you  
make fast4 ,always weather-bit  your    
hawser before turning in4 ,don't make   
fast over an old set of  turns when you 
shorten hawse4 ,always keep your        
riding-bits clear of  everything but the
 hawser4    #h4 ,always examine the gear
 before leaving the yacht or turning in4
 ,if  she is riding hard1 feel if she is
 fast or dragging4    #i4 ,keep your    
hawsers or chains leading free of the   
bowsprit rigging4  ,look out for chafing
 and freshen the hawse frequently4      
#aj4 ,never anchor on rocky bottom      
without a trip line4      ,,weight ,,of 
,,anchors              ,length          
,kedge  #ast ,bower #b;d ,bower  ,spare 
----------------------------------------
-----------     #bj feet o4 a4  #aj lbs4
  #bj lbs4   ----    #cj lbs4     #be   
#aj      #be       ----    #dj       #cj

           #ae      #cj       ----      
#ej       #ce           #ae      #dj    
#cj lbs4  #fj       #dj           #bj   
#de      #ce      #hj          ,these   
weights should be 7excepting kedge7     
increased #be per cent4 when  anchors   
are for use on a broad shoal model1 and 
can be decreased if  model is very sharp
 and the hull light4 ,there is no       
advantage to be had  by decreasing the  
weight of the spare in any case4        
,anchors are seldom  forged to weigh    
exactly the above weights1 but the      
matter of a few  pounds either way will 
not effect the service4      ,,size     
,,and ,,strength ,,of ,,chain           
,size   ,average   ,proof  ,average     
,suitable  ,size of             ,weight 
,test  ,breaking  for ,yacht ,anchor    
,per ,fathom         ,strain            
----------------------------------------
-------------    ,inch   ,in ,pounds    
,tons    ,tons       ,tons    ,pounds   
#c_/af    #c          #a_/b     #g_/h   
#a-a_/b    #bj     #a_/d     #d-a_/b    

#c_/d   #a-a_/d      #b        #cj      
#e_/af    #f-a_/b    #a-a_/b   #b-a_/b  
#d        #ej     #c_/h     #i        #b
       #d          #h        #ge        
#g_/af   #ab        #c       #e-a_/b    
#ah       #ajj     #a_/b    #ae         
#d       #f-a_/b     #cj       #aej     
,from ,catalogue of ,a4 ,s4 ,morss1     
,boston1 ,mass4      ,,size ,,and       
,,strength ,,of ,,hawsers               
,size in    ,size in    ,weight of      
,breaking ,number of feet               
,circumference ,diameter  #ajj ,fathoms 
,strength   in #a lb4                   
,manila in lbs4  in lbs4                
----------------------------------------
------------------------      #f thd4   
#c_/af in4       #ab         #edj       
#ej feet1      #i            #a_/d      
#ah         #ghj     #cc      #d in4    
#ab            #f_/af         #bd       
#a1jjj     #be       #ae                
#c_/h          #cj       #a1bhj     #bj 
#a-a_/d in4     #g_/af         #cg      
#a1efb     #ag      #h        #a-a_/b   

#a_/b          #df       #b1bej     #ac 
#a-c_/d        #i_/af         #fe       
#c1jfb      #i      #c        #b        
#e_/h          #hj       #d1jjj      #g 
#f        #b-a_/d        #c_/d          
#ih       #e1jjj      #f        #b-a_/b 
#ab_/af        #abj       #f1bej      #e
        #b-c_/d        #g_/h            
#adb       #g1ejj      #d      #c       
#c            #a           #agj         
#i1jjj      #c      #f          ,from   
,catalogue of ,a4 ,s4 ,morss1 ,boston1  
,mass4          ,,on ,,rigging          
,then let his vessel feel the strain    
,when wars the gale along the main2     
,strong in his trust of shroud and stay 
,the seaman holds his leeward way1      
,spreads the reef'd sail on buckling    
mast    ,and proudly dares the stormy   
blast4      ,,on ,,rigging    ,when we  
speak of a vessel's rigging we mean     
everything that supports  the spars and 
is employed in setting and trimming the 
sails4 ,rigging  is divided into two    
classes--standing and running4 ,the     

first is the  portion that remains      
stationary1 and whose office is to hold 
and  strengthen the spars4 ,the second  
is rove through blocks and moves2 its   
office is to hoist1 lower and trim the  
sails4    ,rigging has been much        
simplified of late years owing to the   
use of  better proportioned fittings and
 stronger materials4 ,the use of wire   
rope in place of hemp has reduced the   
size and weight of standing  rigging1   
and what is of more importance1 given a 
stable factor4    ,in the old days when 
hemp was used1 the shrouds and stays had
 to  be constantly watched1 as they     
varied in length every time there  was a
 large change in the atmosphere4 ,this  
was a frequent cause of  dismasting4 ,a 
vessel before leaving port would have   
her rigging set up  in dry1 cold        
weather2 going to sea she would run into
 a warm region and  everything would    
slack up4 ,as it is now1 the expansion  
and contraction  of wire rigging is so  
small that a few turns of a screw will  

take it  up or give it back4 ,the only  
danger from wire is in setting it up too
  taut when at its full stretch1 but    
this1 in such length as go to make  the 
shrouds of a yacht1 is little to be     
feared4 ,but the funnel guys of         
steam-yachts should be frequently looked
 to1 as the expansion of the  iron is   
liable to pull out the deck eye-bolts4  
,i am not going to tell you how to rig a
 yacht1 because you can learn  that     
better and quicker by doing as the      
,yankee did who wanted to learn  how to 
make clocks--took one apart and put it  
together again4 ,just  strip a yacht1   
then re-rig her1 and you will be in a   
fair way to learn  all about it4 ,what  
,i am going to do1 is to point out to   
you a few  things in regard to rigging  
that may aid you in taking better care  
of  what you have1 and in making more   
secure and simple its use4    ,the one  
axiom of the business is this1 and ,i   
want you to engrave it on  your memory1 
for the violation of its truth is the   

cause of nine out  of ten breakdowns3   
,the weakest part of any shroud1 stay or
 tackle is  its strongest part4 ,if you 
take two pieces of chain capable of     
lifting  a ton1 and join them with a    
piece of rope capable of lifting five   
hundred pounds1 your combination is only
 as strong as the rope1 and  will only  
lift the smaller weight4 ,this is why   
shrouds so frequently  give way2 the    
wire rope is strong enough1 the splice  
is firm1 but the  rigging-screw is only 
capable of bearing half the strain of   
those  parts4 ,same with halliards2 the 
tackle will lift a ton1 the pin in the  
block or shackle not five hundred       
pounds4 ,all parts of any tackle must   
be proportionately strong4    ,the most 
unreliable portion of a yacht's rigging 
is the ironwork4 ,in  the first place1  
much of it is badly proportioned1 and in
 the second  place it is too light4     
,there is no sense in making ironwork so
 light  as is frequently done4 ,the     
amount of weight saved1 especially in   

those  parts attached to the hull1 is of
 no importance4 ,another source of      
weakness1 especially in chain plates1 is
 in making the straps too  short2 not   
giving room for the fastenings4 ,chain  
plates should be  carried right down and
 be secured to the frame4    ,the       
kingpin of the whole structure erected  
above the deck of a yacht  is the       
bobstay4 ,if that goes you are liable to
 lose everything1 and  it does go       
frequently4 ,the principal cause of its 
parting is the over  setting up of the  
headstays4 ,sometimes the bobstay itself
 is set up too  taut1 at other times the
 jib stay is strained4 ,one way or      
another the  spring of a spar is brought
 on it1 and the vessel1 getting into a  
head  sea1 begins to pitch2 this causes 
a back-lashing and away goes a bolt  or 
a plate4    ,not long ago we were trying
 to insure a yacht that was to go       
,south4  ,the underwriters refused the  
risk on the ground that the yacht would 
get dismasted1 and be obliged to put    

back or be lost altogether4  ,at the    
same time they willingly took a risk on 
two small topsail  schooners bound to   
the ,west ,indies4 ,we all sailed within
 four days4 ,the  yacht went through all
 right1 but both the schooners lost     
their fore  topmasts1 bowsprits1 jib    
booms and other headgear1 and had to    
return to  ,new ,york for a refit4 ,they
 ran into a high head sea1 and the      
foremast1  being set up on the bowsprit1
 the bobstay parted under the strain and
  away everything went4    ,i have seen 
a small racing boat with a bronze rod of
 #c_/h inch diameter  for a bobstay1 and
 this secured to the stem with two      
one-inch screws4  ,you cannot make your 
bobstay too strong or fasten it too     
securely4 ,it  was formerly a custom to 
fit two bobstays1 a regular one and a   
smaller  one1 called a preventer4 ,this 
latter was set up slack of the heavier  
one4 ,for many reasons this was a poor  
practice1 it being far better to  put   
the strength of the two in one4 ,in     

another chapter ,i have told you  how to
 rig a tackle preventer for use when    
going to sea4    ,bowsprit shrouds      
should be made heavy1 and carried as far
 aft as  possible to get a spread4 ,care
 should be taken to set them up evenly4 
,foot ropes under a bowsprit are        
unsightly1 and are not needed unless    
the spar is long4 ,if your jib stay is  
carried through the spar and made  fast 
to the stem1 it should render freely in 
the bee hole4 ,unless it  does it is    
liable to strain the spar4 ,i nearly    
lost a mast once by the  jib stay sawing
 into the wood and sticking4 ,it parted 
in a sea-way1 and  the shock broke the  
bobstay shackle4 ,every cruising boat   
should have  two shrouds to a side4 ,on 
pole-mast boats one of these should run 
to  the hounds and the other to the     
masthead4 ,don't set them up to bands2  
eye-splice and put them over the spar4  
,you never can trust the eye in  a band4
 ,the rigging screws should be just     
twice as heavy as what the  average man 

will tell you to use4 ,the screw is the 
weak part4 ,cutting  the thread destroys
 the strength of the metal4 ,the extra  
weight is  nothing to speak of2 the     
extra strength is everything4 ,although 
they  are more trouble to care for ,i   
prefer lanyards4    ,always keep your   
shrouds set up bar-taut2 the old notion 
that a mast  should have play is a      
fallacy4 ,the stiffer your spar the     
better it  will carry sail4 ,in our     
modern boats a mast should be kept      
plumb4 ,from  what ,i have seen all     
boats sail better with their masts      
plumb4 ,another  thing1 don't cut your  
sheer-poles too short2 they are so cut  
on half  the boats ,i have seen2 the    
consequence is they are always working  
loose4    ,on many yachts the rope used 
in the running rigging is too small4 ,it
  may be plenty strong enough1 but a man
 gets tired of picking up and  pulling  
on shoestrings4 ,this is a frequent     
fault with main-sheets2  another is not 
having enough parts4 ,a sheet tackle    

should be powerful  enough to give one  
man control of the sail at any time4    
,weak travelers  is another defect4     
,this should be doubly strong1 as it is 
frequently  used to tow or make fast to4
 ,every boat should have a strong       
ringbolt  on each side in the quarters  
for boom lashings1 etc4    ,there are   
plenty of good blocks and plenty of bad 
ones4 ,the modern  metal blocks are     
good1 but should be of a big passage1 as
 the gear  when wet is apt to jam in    
them4 ,this is a fault with all blocks  
having  small sheaves4 ,the weak part of
 a block is either the pin or the       
shackle4    ,on small boats a single    
topping lift is all that is needed1 but 
on  yawls and ketches1 where the main   
boom is inboard and short1 two lifts    
are better4 ,boats with heavy spars     
should have a jig fitted to the  lift4  
,lazy jacks are useful on cruising      
boats1 especially if you are  sailing   
short handed1 but they are a nuisance   
when reefing4 ,the ends  should be made 

fast in such a way as to allow of their 
being slacked  up1 but not so as to     
permit of their getting adrift4 ,i have 
got into  trouble several times through 
the lazy jacks getting adrift4 ,the     
ends blew across the peak halliards1 and
 fouled them in such way as  to prevent 
the sail from coming down4 ,if this     
happens at night when  reefing you are  
liable to be in a fix4 ,i may as well   
say here that the  ends of all running  
gear should be made fast4    ,if you    
have a pin-rail this is easily done4    
,take out the pin and slip  the socket  
through the rope between the strands1   
shove it on the collar  of the          
projection and put the pin back4 ,if    
your halliards are belayed  to cleats1  
marl them to the cleat4 ,at night or in 
a blow the crew will  let go one        
halliard to pick up another1 and away   
goes the end flying  out4 ,if it is dark
 it can't be found1 as more than likely 
it is wrapped  round a shroud or lift1  
or is flying out from aloft like a      

pennant4  ,i have had some anxious times
 hunting the ends of gear of a dark1    
windy night4 ,when sailing in the dark  
or in bad weather make the end  of your 
mainsheet fast2 always keep a knot in   
it4 ,jib's sheet should  be endless1    
running right round the cockpit4 ,then  
you can always find  them1 and the end  
won't wash overboard4    ,it is the     
custom now to put bridles or spans on   
gaffs and booms in  order to distribute 
the strain4 ,they are good things if    
used in  moderation1 but it is extremely
 foolish to put a rig of this kind on a 
twenty-footer carried out in the lavish 
fashion of a cup defender4 ,i  have seen
 little boats knocking about with spans 
on the boom that would  pretty nearly   
have held the ,columbia's spar4 ,some of
 our designers have  an especial fad for
 loading down boats with all kinds of   
gear1 and seem  to glory in bridling    
everything that offers the least excuse 
for such  fittings4 ,the first thing    
that a good racing man has to do when he

  gets one of these boats is to strip   
off about half the stuff and change     
leads all round4    ,complicated running
 rigging is a nuisance2 it cannot be too
 simple so  long as it is effective4    
,the less strings you have to pull the  
quicker  you can work4 ,this is just as 
true on a cruiser as it is on a racer4  
,a lot of line is also a nuisance round 
the decks2 a clear deck is a  sailor's  
blessing4    ,one of the things ,i have 
helped to simplify is the gear on       
spinnakers4  ,long ago ,i pointed out   
that this sail could be used on small   
boats  without outhauls and lifts1 and  
that without them the sail was easier   
set and easier taken in4 ,this method of
 handling that sail has since  been     
practiced on the majority of our racing 
craft4 ,half the spinnaker  poles are   
too heavy for their length1 and the     
sails too big to be  effective in       
anything but extremely light weather4   
,all gear belonging  to the pole should 
be snap-hooked1 so that it can be       

attached or  detached at once4          
,snap-hooks and sister-hooks are        
excellent contrivances1 but beware of   
them4 ,they have a trick of giving out  
just at the wrong time1 and are  to     
blame for many a lost spar4 ,they should
 be extra large and strong  if they are 
to be subjected to heavy and continued  
strains4    ,all gear1 especially the   
iron work1 should be constantly         
examined1 not  only when at anchor1 but 
while under way4 ,many men never look at
 their  boat's gear from the time she is
 put overboard until she is hauled out4 
,here is a case that fell under my      
notice3 ,a boat was being stripped  for 
hauling out1 when we noticed that her   
mast was shaky2 on examining  the step  
it was found that the heel of the spar  
was just in it and no  more1 allowing   
the mast to play4 ,taking her under the 
shears1 we raised  the spar1 and found  
lying in the step a cold chisel that    
prevented the  heel from dropping home4 
,this boat had been sailed about all    

summer1  and the owner admitted that he 
noticed something was wrong with the    
mast1 but that he had never examined the
 step4 ,another time ,i was on a  cutter
 that carried away her mast-head4 ,when 
we examined the break it  was found that
 the stick was completely rotted        
through4 ,the damage was  caused by     
hollowing of the wood above the upper   
band1 which allowed the  rain water to  
stand and soak into the grain4    ,if ,i
 have a boat in charge ,i make it a duty
 to go aloft at least once  a week when 
she is under way and take a careful     
survey of all the  ironwork1 blocks and 
splices4 ,i also examine the bowsprit   
rigging  thoroughly4 ,the ironwork      
should be sounded with a hammer or heavy
 knife  blade1 just as railroad men     
sound carwheels4 ,blocks should be      
looked  to and kept well oiled4         
,turnbuckles should also be kept oiled1 
and if  you are out in much rough water 
they should be covered with a false     
parceling of painted canvas4 ,if this is

 done they won't freeze1 and  when you  
want to tauten or slack the rigging you 
will be able to do so  without using a  
lot of kerosene and hard twisting4      
,on cruising boats with outboard booms  
reef-pendants for the two lower  reefs  
are generally kept rove1 but they are   
much of a nuisance4 ,this  can be       
obviated in a measure by having them in 
two lengths1 keeping one  part in the   
sail and the other in the locker when   
not in use4 ,if the  sail is heavy a    
small tackle is handy4 ,such a tackle   
should be carried  on all boats2 it     
saves a lot of hard labor1 especially if
 you take  ground and have to haul off4 
,illustration3 ,,auxiliary ,,cruiser    
,,for ,,southern ,,waters          ,,on 
,,stranding        ,borne o'er a latent 
reef the hull impends1    ,and          
thundering on a marble crag descends2   
,her ponderous bulk the dire concussion 
feels1    ,and o'er upheaving surges    
wounded reels--    ,again she plunges6  
hark6 a second shock    ,bilges the     

splitting vessel on the rock4           
--,,falconer      ,,on ,,stranding      
,this is a subject upon which ,i can    
pose as a master4 ,if any man has  been 
ashore more times than ,i have1 ,i      
should like to meet him and spend  an   
evening comparing notes4 ,one of my     
favorite amusements is to sail  into    
places where a man of sense has no      
business to go2 consequently  my boat is
 continually being hung up on rocks1    
shoals and bars4 ,while  this is not    
particularly good for the boat1 it has  
done me no harm1 as  ,i have gathered a 
lot of knowledge and experience which1  
you willing1 ,i  will spread before you4
    ,yachts1 unlike merchant vessels1   
are seldom damaged by taking ground4    
,this is because1 in proportion to their
 weight1 they are extremely  strong     
fabrics4 ,a merchant vessel when loaded 
has little reserve  buoyancy1 and when  
she strikes1 she hits hard2 but a yacht 
is almost as  buoyant as an empty       
barrel1 and unless she hits with a      

perpendicular  portion1 does so very    
lightly4    ,frequently when a yacht    
hits a rock it seems to those on board  
as if  the end of things had come2 but  
when an examination is made it will be  
found that little harm has been done4   
,i once struck a rock with a small      
sloop4 ,it was blowing a strong breeze  
and considerable sea running4 ,when she 
struck1 the blow was terrific2  it threw
 me over the wheel to land on my head in
 the fore end of the  cockpit1 and      
knocked the rest off their pins4 ,the   
centerboard was  driven clear up out of 
the case against the cabin roof1 the    
sloop  making a jump over the stone and 
into deep water on the other side4      
,we all thought the boat must be badly  
damaged1 but as she made no  water1 we  
turned round and worked her home4 ,when 
she was hauled out1  the only sign of   
the blow was a dent in the lead keel    
just deep and  wide enough to hold a    
finger4    ,another time ,i was in a    
bulb-fin boat1 racing1 when she struck a

 rock4  ,she was close-hauled and going 
like a scared cat4 ,it felt like banging
  up against a stone wall1 the shock    
sending us all flying forward4 ,the     
damage done amounted to a bruised bulb  
and a slightly bent fin2 the  hull was1 
so far as we could ascertain by         
superficial inspection1  unhurt4        
,metal-shod keels are undoubtedly a     
great protection1 and a yacht that      
strikes fairly on her iron or lead will 
seldom be damaged to such an  extent as 
to endanger her safety4 ,i have known   
boats to be sunk by  striking rocks1 but
 they hit either the side of the bow or 
the bilge  and stove in the plank4 ,for 
this reason1 if you find yourself going 
on  a rock1 always take it stem-to4 ,by 
this means ,i jumped a rock in ,wood's  
,hole that was six inches out of water1 
and landed all right on the  other side4
    ,the most dangerous thing to do1 yet
 the thing that is most natural  to do1 
is to put the helm up or down with the  
hopes of escaping2  consequently your   

craft is carried on1 and strikes        
broadside4 ,this not  only is liable to 
bilge her1 but makes it far more        
difficult to get her  off4 ,it is       
especially dangerous if you go on with a
 weather wind or  tide4    ,always      
remember that wounds in a hull are least
 dangerous at the  ends1 and most       
dangerous in the middle body4 ,if a boat
 is pierced in  her head or tail you may
 be able to trim the leak out1 or save  
her  from sinking by stranding and      
jacking the leaky end up1 but if she is 
pierced amidships you cannot get at the 
hole unless you haul completely  out4 ,i
 remember seeing a sandbagger that had  
torn the plank away from  her stem saved
 from sinking by trimming1 the crew     
raising her head by  piling all the bags
 aft4    ,luckily for the navigator1 the
 sea by constant washing1 and nature by 
a covering of seaweed and slime1        
prepares the majority of rocks for  his 
reception1 so that if he strikes the    
object fairly with sufficient  way on1  

his craft will slide over4 ,but         
sometimes he runs against a  ragged     
reef1 and then there is trouble4 ,the   
reefs and lone rocks along  our coast   
are generally worn smooth1 and are not  
dangerous customers  like the coral     
formations of warmer climes4 ,one of the
 worst things to  run on is a reef of   
small boulders1 as you are liable to get
 one on  either side just under the     
bilge4 ,these places are the remains of 
a  point or island1 and are good places 
to fight shy of4 ,the worst boats  to   
take ground are flat-bottomed craft like
 sharpies2 when they go on  they        
generally make a perfect job of it4     
,they are bad things to strand  on a    
sand-bar or flat1 the bottom of the boat
 sucking like a leech to  a turtle's    
hindquarter4 ,unless you can get the    
tide to lift one of  this kind off1 it  
is either jettison the ballast or dig   
out4 ,a man who  knocks about a sandy   
land in a sharpie should always carry a 
shovel  with him4    ,the first rule of 

action upon stranding is to at once     
lower all sail4  ,there is but one      
exception to this2 ,i will state it     
later4 ,you cannot  drive a vessel off  
ground with her sails 7you may back her 
off72 at  least ,i never could4 ,the    
reason of this is that a boat under sail
  pressure drives down1 and draws more  
water the harder you force her4  ,again1
 if you drive her off1 or over bottom1  
with the sails1 you are  likely to      
damage the hull or break the rudder4    
,after taking off sail run out a kedge  
against the wind or current1  unless    
both are ahead2 then take it out the way
 you came in4 ,give it  all the line you
 can2 the straighter the pull the less  
likely that your  anchor will come home4
 ,as soon as it is down1 heave taut1 and
 keep the  vessel's stern to the sea1   
current or wind1 whichever is most      
powerful4  ,this done1 if on a rock1 go 
below and see if she is making water4   
,while  you are doing this let the other
 hands sound round the craft to find    

how she lies4    ,if she is not leaking1
 get all your beef on the hawser and    
heave away4  ,here is where a           
handy-billy or watch-tackle comes in4   
,sometimes you  can use the windlass1   
but this is not as good as a tackle1    
because the  hands have to stand forward
 to work it1 and you want all the weight
  aft4 ,if she refuses to budge under   
the pull1 go below1 and if you have     
inside weight shift it aft4 ,if she     
still refuses to start1 get out         
everything weighty1 and either lighter  
it or heave it over-side4    ,sometimes 
you can start a boat off a rock by      
broadening off the  main-boom1 and      
sending a man out on it to roll her4    
,before you do this  be sure and set up 
the topping lift1 and weather preventer 
if one is  fitted4 ,the principal thing 
is to keep a constant and firm strain on
  the hawser4    ,if there is any roll  
on1 get the hawser set up fiddle-string 
taut with  the tackle1 then place all   
hands so as to surge it sideways every  

time  she lifts on the sea4 ,if the boat
 is one with a deep false keel you  can 
gain a few inches off the draught by    
careening her4 ,this is done  by taking 
an anchor off at right angles to her lay
 and setting up the  hawser by any of   
the mast-head tackles1 either jib or    
peak halyards4  ,never do this if there 
is any sea on1 as it is liable to strain
 the  hull or break the false keel4 ,i  
don't believe it is much good1 and do   
not recommend its practice except as a  
last call4    ,another plan which ,i    
found to work well when a boat is       
stranded on a  shelving bank of either  
mud or sand is to overhaul the throat   
halyards1  and bend the gaff-block to a 
bight in the hawser1 letting a tail of  
the  hawser drop down from the block4   
,then set up hard on the halyard1 using 
the windlass or watch-tackle4 ,this     
done1 let a man hang on the tail of  the
 hawser1 throwing his weight up and down
 so as to surge it1 the rest  taking in 
the slack4 ,this makes the mast a lever 

to lift her1 and if  there is water     
under the stern she will surely start4  
,in a boat with a deep sternpost and    
sloping keel you can sometimes do       
better by swinging it on its heel1 and  
heaving off bow first1 getting  all your
 spare live weight out on the bowsprit  
to bring her by the  head2 but it       
depends on where she is hardest fast1   
and how much weight  you have to trim   
with4 ,if she is fast aft of midships   
this plan will  work1 but if forward of 
that point it will not4    ,the most    
frequent strandings are when trying to  
enter the mouths of  creeks or rivers2  
places beset with bars and flats4 ,if   
the wind and  tide are ahead you can    
easily get off1 but if either is astern 
you are  liable to be in a fix4 ,if you 
strike carrying the tide and wind with  
you1 down all sail instantly1 lash the  
helm amidships1 and get out the  anchor 
and long warp4    ,the minute a vessel  
strikes under these conditions she will 
swing  broadside-to1 and drive up       

higher1 at the same time the tide will  
pile  the sand or silt round her4 ,if   
you can hold her stern to the tide1 the 
current will cut the sand away1 and the 
swell will help you to pull her  off4   
,now comes the only exception to the    
rule of taking in sail3 ,if you are     
going into an inlet with a fair wind and
 head-tide1 and take ground  on a soft  
bar1 keep your sails full and hold the  
boat's nose to the  current4 ,if you can
 keep her steady1 which you can best do 
by getting  all your spare life weight  
forward1 the current will cut a passage 
for  you4 ,the most dangerous stranding 
is with a strong in-running tide and  a 
stern swell4 ,a boat under these        
conditions is liable to be hove over  on
 her side and flooded4 ,a small         
steamship was lost last winter in the   
,bristol ,channel by an accident of this
 kind2 she struck on a shoal1  swung    
beam to the tide1 and rolled completely 
over4    ,several power boats have been 
wrecked in the same manner1 as from the 

narrowness of their beam they are very  
liable to roll over when caught         
broadside-to by a current4 ,another     
thing that often damages launches  is   
leaving them where1 when the tide falls1
 they are broadside on  a shelving bank4
 ,the water leaves them and they fall   
over2 the tide  returns1 and not having 
sufficient buoyancy to lift before it   
rises to  their coamings they are       
flooded and sunk4    ,years ago1 when ,i
 was a lad1 a very fast and narrow steam
 launch was  left by her crew on a      
shelving bank close to where we were    
anchored4  ,when the tide dropped she   
fell over1 and as her crew did not      
return we  tried to save her1 but the   
bottom was too soft to allow working on1
 and  she filled at the flood4 ,on the  
next ebb we bailed her out1 and with a  
little engineering and a lot of labor   
got her righted up4    ,we took two big 
joists and lashed them across the boat1 
but so poorly  fitted was she with      
cleats and other things to make fast to 

that we had  to bore holes in the deck  
to pass the lashing and secure them to  
the  frame4 ,the ends of the joists     
stuck out about fifteen feet on the high
  side4 ,under these ends we laid       
another timber1 parallel to the boat's  
length1 in the mud and ballasted it with
 stones and iron4 ,to this  timber we   
lashed two tackles1 one from each joist4
 ,then as the tide  made we hove slowly 
down on them1 and she righted up4    ,if
 the bottom had been hard we could have 
parbuckled her1 but it was  impossible  
to do it in the deep1 soft mud4 ,this   
boat had a high and  heavy boiler1 which
 made the work harder1 as it levered her
 down4    ,if you can float another boat
 alongside of a launch in this fix you  
can  lift her by parbuckling1 or you can
 do it from a dock if the wall is  high 
and near enough4 ,to do this1 take a    
stout line1 made fast1 from  the near   
side over the deck and right under the  
keel2 then lay your  floating boat      
alongside as close as possible1 and bend

 this line to the  latter's throat      
halyards4 ,heave taut on it and belay4  
,if possible get two lines1 one forward 
and one aft1 having separate  tackles4  
,as the tide makes keep heaving in the  
slack1 letting your  floating boat draw 
in sideways to the launch4 ,this strain 
will aid the  water in lifting1 as the  
launch will have to rise with the       
floating  boat4 ,if the launch is very  
heavy or of scant beam1 like the steam  
craft ,i mentioned1 you had better use  
joists or spars to help the  leverage4  
,i once took a launch off a rock by this
 same plan1 when hours of  heaving on   
hawsers had failed to move her4 ,another
 plan is to lift a  boat by lashing     
empty barrels to the side by passing    
slings under the  keel4 ,if the boat is 
neaped so that sufficient tide cannot be
 got to  lift her1 you can fill and sink
 the barrels1 bunghole up2 then shorten 
up the slings and pump the barrels out  
with a hand-pump4 ,this barrel  trick is
 only performed when a boat is bilged   

and full of water4    ,let me say here  
that all small power boats that cruise  
in strange  waters where the bottom is  
hard should carry either a screw or     
hydraulic jack1 and a good stout piece  
of square timber4 ,if you get  aground  
in places where there is little or no   
rise of the tide you have  something to 
start in the wrecking business with4 ,a 
jack and timber are  also useful if     
anything happens to the wheel and you   
want to get the  stern raised4    ,to   
show the danger of forcing a boat off a 
rock let me cite one  instance3 ,a      
#ej-;foot sloop of the old flat-floored 
centerboard model  struck on a stone    
when going free with a moderate wind4   
,the sailing  master kept his sails up1 
and with this pressure and a warp       
dragged her  over and off the rock bow  
first4 ,she had no sooner gone clear    
than she  filled and sank4    ,when     
floated and docked it was found that she
 had a hole in her bilge  big enough for
 a dog to crawl through4 ,the first blow

 had started a  butt2 this caught1 and  
in dragging over the plank was bent back
 and  ripped away from the frames4 ,had 
he taken in sail1 and pulled her off    
stern first1 she would have floated long
 enough to have got into harbor4        
,having considered accidental stranding1
 let us now consider voluntary          
stranding--that is1 the running of a    
vessel ashore to save the vessel  or the
 life of her crew4 ,let us suppose that 
you are caught on a lee  shore1 and for 
some reason cannot claw off4 ,you are   
bound to go ashore  anyhow1 and in order
 to give the boat and people a chance   
decide to run  in and strand her4    ,if
 the shore under your lee is rock ,i can
 do nothing for you4 ,your only  chance 
is to pick out an opening or cleft and  
drive her in1 and the  minute she       
strikes jump for hard land4 ,such places
 are usually to be  found on the rocky  
shores of our coast1 but if the land is 
steep-to and  sheer-faced1 there is     
little hope for the boat or her people4 

,there are two kinds of sandy shores on 
which you may have to strand  your      
vessel--the gradual slope and the steep 
slope4 ,the former is by  far the more  
dangerous1 as the broken water extends  
some distance from  the beach4    ,in   
running in breaking water--in fact1 in  
running in all heavy  seas--the rule for
 safety is this3 ,let the wave-crest    
pass you1 not  carry you4 ,if you can   
hold the boat back1 so that the         
wave-crest will  split at her stern and 
rush by on each side1 the boat will     
travel in  safety4 ,this is why it is   
dangerous in heavy water to carry sail  
when  running4 ,many men do it for fear 
of pooping1 but there is far less       
danger of pooping than there is tripping
 or being brought by-the-lee4           
,fore-and-aft canvas1 particularly sails
 laced to booms1 are bad  things to run 
under2 anything in the shape of a square
 sail is much  better4 ,hundreds of     
vessels have been lost by running under 
a press of  sail--probably ten times as 

many as have been destroyed by pooping4 
,now if you are obliged to strand on a  
flat beach1 keep your vessel's  stern to
 the swell and moving as slowly as      
possible4 ,the best thing to  do is to  
tow a hawser astern1 or a small sail4   
,this will check her way1  and also     
prevent the sea swinging her stern      
round4 ,watch her closely  as the sea   
strikes under the stern1 and check the  
desire to broach  with the helm4 ,she   
can also be aided by having hands on a  
small jib or  staysail sheet1 and       
backing this sail either on one side or 
the other1  as the threatened sheer     
requires4 ,get your weights out of the  
bow and  keep her trimmed a bit by the  
stern4 ,the idea is to have her strike  
bottom on her whole keel-length1 and not
 on the forefoot4    ,here is where the 
luck comes in4 ,if she strikes with her 
heel first and  her head raised on a    
sea1 you will probably land well up on  
the beach1  but if she strikes with her 
forefoot first and her stern up in the  

air  you will land--well1 only good     
fortune can save you4    ,i have seen   
fishing boats beached in this way in    
heavy surf1 the crews  dropping an      
anchor and checking the craft until the 
right moment1 and  then slacking away   
smartly4 ,in this way they rode the boat
 in on the  back of successive seas4    
,with sharp-stern craft this can be done
 with  safety1 but ,i would not care to 
try it with a square stern or long      
after-overhang craft4    ,i would advise
 the young seaman to take a small skiff 
or dingey to a  beach where there is a  
small sea breaking and practice         
making-off and  landing through the     
surf4 ,he had better dress in a bathing 
suit1 and  try the game when the water  
is warm4 ,in a day or two of this work  
you  will learn more than ,i could teach
 you in seventy volumes4    ,if the     
beach is steep-to1 the sea breaking but 
a few rods from the  strand1 you can    
stand in under good way1 keeping her    
end-on until close  to4 ,the instant you

 feel that she is going to strike put   
your helm over  and bring her almost    
broadside to the sea4 ,the wave rising  
under her  weather bilge will throw her 
sideways on the beach1 and each         
succeeding  sea will drive her higher   
up4    ,in running at any time in heavy 
water use oil1 letting it drip from     
either bow4 ,with a good thick slick in 
your wake you will be less  likely to be
 washed by the crests4    ,but better   
than all these directions is the advice 
to keep off rocks1  shoals and shores4  
,don't go into places unknown to you    
unless you have  a good chart or your   
lead going2 especially keep away from   
dangerous  places when the wind is      
brisk1 the sea heavy or the tide strong4
 ,an  ounce of precaution in this matter
 is worth tons of cure4    ,nine out of 
ten strandings or strikings are the     
result of carelessness  or recklessness4
 ,the only thing a man is justified in  
hitting is a  wreck or a lone rock2     
these things the lead will not announce1

 and they  are frequently uncharted4    
,old familiar didn't know it was there1 
should more properly be didn't know ,i  
was there4 ,rocks don't move1  but you  
would think they did to hear many       
yachters explaining how it  happened4 ,i
 have hit a good many rocks in my day1  
but don't believe ,i  could prove an    
alibi except in one case1 when the boat 
ran on a stone  that nobody had ever    
heard of before4 ,we examined the       
stranger and  found it was a rock sure  
enough1 but where it came from or how it
 got  there no man knew1 but all hands  
stood ready to swear that they had      
sailed over the exact spot many times   
and never touched anything4    ,i don't 
doubt but what there are thousands of   
uncharted rocks over  which and         
alongside of which vessels constantly   
pass but do not happen  to strike4 ,like
 the celebrated ,daedalus ,rock1 they   
may lurk for years  in the course of    
commerce1 until the unfortunate boat    
comes sailing  along that is destined to

 win immortality by striking and        
unmasking  the danger4 ,but it is not   
worth while to worry over these vigias  
while  there are plenty of well-known   
dangers to keep the navigator busy4 ,so 
proceed fearlessly but cautiously1      
trusting in your lead and chart1 and    
hug and play with weather shores as much
 as you please1 but give the  lee ones a
 wide berth4    ,before entering an     
inlet1 creek or river mouth1 if you are 
not familiar  with it1 lay-off or anchor
 outside4 ,send in the dingey with a    
lead or  pole1 and sound for the deepest
 place on the bar2 when this is found1  
let the dingey lie there or on a line   
inside of it to guide you in4 ,you  may 
lose a few minutes by so doing1 but by  
the delay may save yourself  hours of   
hard labor and anxiety4    ,never try to
 run inlets when a heavy swell is on2   
the open sea is far  more merciful than 
a bar at such times4 ,it is especially  
dangerous to  attempt such places in    
small power boats4          ,in a second

 book now in preparation ,i shall talk  
to you upon sails1  ballast1            
sea-anchors1 cruising1 rough water1     
weather and other subjects  of interest 
to the young mariner4 ,i will be pleased
 to have my readers  suggest themes the 
exposition of which would interest them1
 and if ,i am  competent to discuss the 
subject ,i will be only too glad to do  
so4          ,technical and ,practical  
,technical books are tools4 ,no man can 
excel in a trade unless he has  good    
tools2 neither can a man expect to excel
 in a sport unless he has  at hand1     
ready for reference1 a good collection  
of books relating to  its theory and    
practice4         ,we have in this list1
 gathered for the first time1 all the   
obtainable books on the subject of      
yachting and its kindred sports4        
,the yachtsman will find here those     
books which are invaluable as           
guides to a higher knowledge of         
yachting1 and which no yachtsman's      
library is complete without4            

,any book not here listed1 if in print1 
we will obtain1 no matter       in what 
language or land it is printed4         
,send postal for complete catalogue4    
,,the ,,rudder ,,pub4 ,,co4             
#i ,murray ,st4   ,new ,york1 ,u4,s4,a4 
,books for the ,yachtsman's ,library    
,,technical ,,and ,,practical4          
,amateur ,sailing4 ,by ,biddle          
#a4ej    ,amateur ,sailor4 ,by ,alex4   
,i4 ,mc,loed                            
4#ej    ,boat ,sailer's ,manual4 ,by ,e4
 ,f4 ,qualtrough                        
#a4ej    ,canoe ,handling4 ,by ,c4 ,b4  
,vaux                                   
#a4jj    ,corinthian ,yachtsman         
#a4ej    ,canvas ,canoes--,how to ,build
 ,them4 ,by ,field                      
4#ej    ,canoe ,cruising and ,camping4  
,by ,p4 ,d4 ,frazer                     
#a4jj    ,canoe and ,camera4 ,by ,steele
                                        
#a4jj    ,canoe and ,boat ,building for 
,amateurs4 ,by ,stephens                
#b4jj    ,canoe and ,camp ,cookery4 ,by 

,seneca                                 
#a4jj    ,electrical ,boats and         
,navigation4 ,illustrated               
#b4ej    ,elements of ,navigation4 ,by  
,henderson                              
#a4jj    ,fore and ,aft ,seamanship     
4#ej    ,handbook of ,naval ,gunnery4   
,by ,radford                            
#a4ej    ,how to ,swim4 ,by ,capt4      
,dalton                                 
#a4jj    ,how to ,build a ,racer for #ej
                                        
#a4jj    ,how to ,build a ,skip ,jack   
#a4jj    ,illustrated ,coast ,pilot4 ,by
 ,n4 ,l4 ,stebbins            #a2 by    
mail #a4be    ,ropes1 their ,knots and  
,splices                                
4#ej    ,log of ,yachts                 
4#ej    ,model ,engines and ,small      
,boats4 ,by ,hopkins                    
#a4be    ,model ,yachts4 ,by ,grosvenor 
#b4jj    ,manual of the ,canvas ,canoe4 
,by ,webb                               
#a4be    ,marine ,engineers--,how to    
,become ,one4 ,by ,e4 ,g4 ,constantine  

#b4ej    ,navigation for ,yachtsmen4 ,by
 ,v4 ,j4 ,english1 ,r4,n4               
#g4ej    ,practical ,boat ,building4 ,by
 ,nelson                                
#a4jj    ,practical ,boat ,building and 
,sailing4 ,by ,nelson1 ,kemp and ,davies
   #c4jj    ,practical ,boat ,sailing4  
,by ,davies                             
#b4jj    ,supplements to ,small ,yachts4
 ,by ,stephens                          
#d4jj    ,sails and ,sailmaking         
#a4be    ,steam ,yachts and ,launches4  
,by ,kunhardt                           
#c4jj    ,sailing ,alone ,around the    
,world4 ,by ,capt4 ,joshua ,slocum      
#b4jj    ,small ,yachts--,their ,design 
and ,construction4 ,by ,c4 ,r4 ,kunhardt
   #aj4jj    ,torpedoes and ,torpedo    
,vessels4 ,by ,armstrong                
#a4be    ,the ,pilot4 ,how to do the    
work1 a ,text ,book for ,navigators     
#a4jj    ,the ,rudder--,volumes #e1 #g1 
#h1 #i1 #aj                             
each #c4ej    ,yacht ,etiquette4 ,by    
,patterson                              

#a4jj    ,yachting ,wrinkles4 ,by ,a4   
,j4 ,kenealy                            
#a4jj    ,yacht ,designing4 ,by ,biddle 
#a4jj    ,yacht and ,boat ,sailing4 ,by 
,dixon ,kemp                            
#aj4jj    ,yacht ,architecture1         
,designing and ,building4 ,by ,dixon    
,kemp        #af4hj    ,any of the above
 sent postpaid in ,united ,states or    
,canada on receipt  of price      ,,the 
,,rudder ,,pub4 ,,co4      #i ,murray   
,st41 ,new ,york1 ,u4,s4,a4             
,how to ,build a ,motor ,launch         
,by ,c4 ,d4 ,mower                      
,designing ,editor of ,,the ,,rudder    
,a simple and practical work in every   
detail1 showing how to construct a      
launch hull suitable for use with any   
description of motor4         ,each step
 of the work is clearly and thoroughly  
explained1 both by       text and       
drawings1 so that a man who has never   
even seen a boat       built will have  
no difficulty in understanding the      
process4         ,the author1 a         

self-taught boat builder1 thoroughly    
comprehends       what a novice does not
 know1 and is1 therefore1 able to point 
out       the hard places1 and to show  
the amateur builder how to get over     
or around them4         ,in the after   
part of the book are given the designs  
of several       launches1 from #ah to  
#ej feet in length4         ,the whole  
is heavily illustrated1 and is the most 
complete       treatise on launch       
building yet published4                 
,,the ,,rudder ,,pub4 ,,co4             
#i ,murray ,st4    ,new ,york1 ,u4,s4,a4
         ,bound in cloth1 price #a      
,same size and style as ,how to ,build a
 ,skipjack and ,how to ,build       a   
,racer for #ej          ,on ,marine     
,motors  ,motor ,launches               
,a handy book for yachtsmen             
,by ,e4 ,w4 ,roberts1 ,m4 ,e4      ,a   
reprint in a handy form of ,mr4         
,robert's instructive and interesting   
,,rudder articles4 ,in it the author    
explains what a gasoline motor is1  and 

points out in understandable language   
the difference between the  types1 and  
shows what is a good motor and what is a
 bad one4         ,he gives valuable    
information to the buyer1 and also      
explains       how to run a motor1 how  
to prevent breakdowns1 and how to remedy
       defects4         ,to the novice1 
the chapter on gasoline is alone worth  
the price       of the book1 as it      
explains the properties of that fluid1  
and the       proper manner in which to 
handle it so as to prevent accidents4   
,no motor man should be without a copy  
of this book2 it will save       him    
time1 trouble and expense4              
,,the ,,rudder ,,pub4 ,,co4             
#i ,murray ,st4    ,new ,york1 ,u4,s4,a4
    ,bound in cloth1 price #a           
,illustration    ,,how ,,to ,,build ,a  
,,skipjack      ,complete plans and     
directions for building a #ai-;ft4      
sloop1 the material  for which will cost
 less than #ajj2 and pictures of        
numerous boats that  have been built in 

all parts of the world from these plans4
 ,bound in  blue cloth and gold1 uniform
 with ,how to ,build a ,racer for #ej4  
,,price ,,one ,,dollar ,,postpaid       
,,the ,,rudder ,,publishing ,,company   
#i ,murray ,street1 ,new ,york          
,,how ,,to ,,build ,a ,,racer ,,for #ej 
,illustration      ,simplest1 safest and
 fastest boat that can be built4 ,the   
working plans  are such that a boy can  
build from them4 ,the plans were        
published in  #ahih1 and since then some
 #ejj boats have been built from them4  
,the book  has numerous illustrations of
 boats in and after construction1 and   
also  gives experience of builders in   
all parts of the world4 ,blue cloth and 
gold1 uniform with ,how to ,build a     
,skipjack4                              
,,price1 ,,postpaid1 #a4jj4             
,,the ,,rudder ,,publishing ,,company1  
#i ,murray ,street1 ,new ,york4         
,the ,rudder      ,the policy of ,,the  
,,rudder is to give to yachtsmen a      
thoroughly practical  periodical1       

dealing with the sport of yachting in   
all its phases1  and especially to      
furnish them with the designs and plans 
of vessels  adapted to their wants in   
all localities4         ,in each issue  
is a design of a sailing or power craft1
 and at       least four times a year a 
complete set of working drawings is     
given1 so that the unskilled can try a  
hand at building with a       certainty 
of making a success of the attempt4     
,in the last two years over #ejj boats  
have been built from designs            
printed in the magazine1 and in almost  
every case have given                   
satisfaction4         ,outside of the   
strictly practical1 the magazine has    
always a cargo       of readable things 
in the way of cruises and tales1 while  
its       illustrations are noted for   
their novelty and beauty4         ,the  
editor desires to increase the size of  
the magazine and to add       to its    
features4 ,in order to do this it is    
necessary that it be       given the    

hearty support of all who are interested
 in the sport4       ,the cost of a     
subscription1 #b a year rolled or #b4ej 
mailed flat1       is as low as it is   
possible to make it and furnish a       
first-class       publication1 and he   
asks yachtsmen to subscribe1 as in that 
way       they can materially assist him
 in keeping the magazine up to its      
present standard of excellence4         
,,the ,,rudder ,,pub4 ,,co4             
#i ,murray ,st4    ,new ,york1 ,u4,s4,a4
                                        
,vol4 ,,xi1 ,the ,rudder                
,,for ,,the ,,year #aijj                
,illustration                           
,,to ,,be ,,had ,,from                  
,,the ,,rudder ,,publishing ,,company   
#i ,murray ,st41 ,new ,york      #adc   
,strand1 ,london1 ,w4 ,c4               
,,or ,,at    ,damrell  ,upham1 #bhc     
,washington ,st41 ,boston1 ,mass42      
,koelling   ,klappenbach1 #ajj ,randolph
 ,st41 ,chicago1 ,ill42 ,lowman         
,hanford  ,stationery and ,printing     

,co41 #faf ,front ,st41 ,seattle1       
,wash42 ,wm4 ,foster  ,brown1 #bcbc ,st4
 ,catherine ,st41 ,montreal1 ,canada2   
,levant  ,chevalier1 #ej  ,quai ,st4    
,jean ,baptiste1 ,nice1 ,france2 ,swain 
,co41 ,munroe ,st41 ,sydney1            
,australia2 and all booksellers         
throughout the world4    ,it contains   
#dfj pages1 #bd full-page supplements1  
#ejj other  illustrations1 over #ajj    
designs and plans4 ,bound in blue cloth2
 gold  top and lettering4    ,price1    
postpaid1 #c4ej2 #ae ,shillings2 #bj    
,francs           99       99       99  
99       99    ,transcriber's ,note3    
,obvious typographical and punctuation  
errors were repaired4