,,boat ,,sailing1 ,,fair ,,weather ,,and ,,foul4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,illustration3 ,good ,luck and a ,fair ,wind4 ,a4 ,j4 ,kenealy4 ,,outing ,,library ,,of ,,sport4 ,,boat ,,sailing ,,in ,,fair ,,weather ,,and ,,foul4 ,,by ,,captain ,a4 ,j4 ,,kenealy4 ,man made him a boat of a hollow tree1 ,and thus became lord of the bounding sea4 ,illustration #aijc4 ,,sixth ,,edition4 ,,revised4 ,,with ,,illustrations ,,and ,,diagrams4 ,,the ,,outing ,,publishing ,,co41 ,,new ,,york4 ,,london4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,copyrighted by ,,the ,,outing ,,publishing ,,company1 #aijc1 ,,new ,,york4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,preface4 ,when the first edition of this little book was printed in #ahid my publishers thought they would be very lucky if they ever disposed of half the number of copies turned out by the press4 ,i had the same melancholy forebodings4 ,the result has shown that our fears were groundless4 ,the book was written in a simple sailorly style for all lovers of the sea and boats4 ,that it should have received such cordial commendation as it has from amateurs and professionals has been both a pleasure and a surprise4 ,in sending it out on its sixth edition1 ,i cannot lose the opportunity of thanking my critics who have been very flattering to whatever merits it may possess4 ,a4 ,j4 ,,kenealy4 ,new ,york1 ,april1 #aijc4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,preliminary ,hints to an ,amateur with ,ambitions ,toward ,owning a ,boat--,why ,he ,ought ,join a ,yacht--,club ,handiness of the ,cat-,rig #ae ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,the ,choice of a ,boat--,advantages of ,stationary ,ballast and a ,centerboard--,how to ,avoid ,being ,done in a ,boat ,trade--,bargains at the ,navy ,yard--,the ,way to ,cure a ,nail-,sick ,craft #bb ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,trial ,spin in a ,cat-,boat--,how to ,get ,under ,way1 ,beat to ,windward and ,run ,back1 with ,instructions ,how to ,act if ,caught in a ,squall or ,stranded on a ,shoal1 and ,how to ,avoid ,collisions and ,come to ,anchor #bh ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,advantages of the ,yawl-,rig for ,general ,cruising ,purposes1 especially when ,single ,handed1 with a ,description of a ,representative ,craft--,disadvantages of the ,ballast ,fin for ,all ,purposes ,except ,racing--,the ,fin in ,model ,yachting ,years ,ago #cg ,,chapter ,v4 ,the ,popularity of the ,knockabout as an ,excellent ,cruising ,craft1 with ,some ,observations on the ,one-design ,classes from ,schooners to ,dories #ee ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,keep ,your ,weather-,eye ,open ,all the ,time ,when ,afloat--,how to ,handle a ,boat in ,heavy ,weather or a ,summer ,squall--,the ,use of the ,sea ,anchor in ,riding ,out a ,gale1 and ,how ,shipwreck ,may ,be ,avoided by the ,judicious ,use of ,oil #fe ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,overhauling the ,yacht--,practical ,instructions for ,cleaning and ,painting the ,craft ,inside and ,out1 with ,hints on the ,care of ,hull1 ,spars1 ,canvas and ,running gear #hh ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,fitting ,out for a ,cruise--,hints on ,equipping and ,provisioning a ,boat so as to be ,prepared for ,all ,emergencies--,a ,sailor's ,solution of the ,culinary ,problem--,hot ,grub in a ,gale #aae ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,beating to ,windward--,the ,theory and ,practice of ,sailing a ,vessel ,against the ,breeze #abh ,,chapter ,x4 ,combination ,rowing and ,sailing ,boats--,the ,jib and ,mainsail ,sprit1 ,leg-of-,mutton1 ,cat1 ,balance ,lug and ,sliding ,gunter-,rigs--,the ,folding ,centerboard #adj ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,rigging and ,sails1 with ,some ,impartial ,remarks on the ,lanyard and the ,deadeye1 as ,opposed to the ,turnbuckle--,standing and ,running ,gear1 and the ,bending and ,setting of ,canvas #aee ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,laying ,up for the ,winter--,practical ,suggestions for ,protecting a ,boat and ,her ,gear from the ,stress of ,our ,inclement ,climate--,a ,plea for ,trustworthy ,skippers and ,engineers #afh ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,useful ,hints and ,recipes1 with ,some ,remarks on the ,buying of a ,binocular ,marine ,glass1 from the ,brain-,pan of a ,practical ,sailor #age ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,the ,rule of the ,road at ,sea3 ,being a ,digest of the ,present ,international ,regulations for ,preventing ,collisions on ,oceans and in ,harbors #ahe ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,the ,mariner's ,compass1 with ,remarks on ,deviation1 ,variation1 ,leeway1 etc4 #aib ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,charts1 with ,some ,hints as to ,navigation by ,dead-reckoning--,lead1 ,log1 and ,lookout #bjc ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,marlinespike ,seamanship3 ,being ,practical ,instructions in the ,art of ,making the ,splices1 ,knots and ,bends in ,ordinary ,use #bjg ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,weather ,wrinkles from the ,scientific ,point of ,view of ,professional ,meteorologists and also ,jack ,tar #bag ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,sea ,cookery for ,yachtsmen #bbc ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,nautical ,terms in ,common ,use1 from which all ,obsolete and ,antiquated ,terms1 such as were in use aboard the ,ark1 have been eliminated #bcf ,addenda--,recent ,changes of ,sail ,plan and ,rigging in ,modern ,craft #bdh ,,illustrations ,,and ,,diagrams4 ,frontispiece4 ,turning the ,stake4 ,,page ,yawl in a ,squall1 #da ,latest ,type of ,fin-,keel1 #di ,sail ,plan of ,modern ,fin-,keel1 #ed ,seawanhaka1 #ba-;foot ,knockabout1 #ef ,seawanhaka ,knockabout1 #eg ,sail ,plan ,seawanhaka ,knockabout1 #eh ,drogue1 or ,sea ,anchor1 #gj ,diagram of ,floating ,anchor1 #ga ,floating ,anchor in ,use1 #gb ,the ,boston ,knockabout1 ,gosling1 #ge ,plan of ,oil ,distributor1 #hj ,in ,dry ,dock1 #ih ,hauled ,out for ,painting1 #ih ,making ,ready for a ,new ,dress1 #aad ,pleasant ,cat-,boat ,sailing1 #aai ,sailing ,under ,varying ,conditions of ,wind1 #abh ,running ,before the ,wind1 #acj ,gybing1 #aca ,close ,hauled on ,port ,tack1 #acb ,close ,hauled on ,starboard ,tack1 #acc ,dead ,beat to ,windward1 #acd ,a ,long ,leg and a ,short ,leg1 #ach ,the ,manuvre of ,tacking1 #aci ,whip ,purchase and ,traveler1 #adj ,jib and ,mainsail ,rig1 #ada ,sprit ,rig1 #adc ,leg-of-,mutton ,rig1 #adg ,cat ,rig1 #adh ,balance ,lug ,rig1 #aej ,sliding ,gunter ,rig1 #aea ,detail of ,sliding ,gunter ,rig1 #aeb ,folding ,centerboard1 #aed ,shroud1 ,deadeye1 ,lanyard1 #aef ,turnbuckle1 #aeg ,topmast ,rigging1 #aeh ,rig of ,running ,bowsprit1 #aei ,horse for ,main ,sheet1 #afa ,gear for ,hauling ,out ,loose-footed ,mainsail1 #aff ,luncheon in the ,cock-pit1 #agi ,scowing an ,anchor1 #ahj ,half ,raters1 #ahd ,the ,compass1 #aic ,marlinespike1 #bjg ,knots and ,splices1 #bjh ,cautionary ,signals1 #bba ,storm ,signals1 #bbb ,a ,yachtsman's ,stove1 #bbc ,the ,ideal ,fry-pan1 #bbe ,a ,nest of ,stew-,pans1 #bbg ,ice ,tub1 #bbi ,a ,traveling ,companion1 #bca ,the ,sloop ,yacht1 #bdf ,the ,cutter ,yacht1 #bdg ,the ,sail ,plan and ,rig of a ,modern ,schooner1 #bdi ,the ,sail ,plan and ,rig of a ,modern ,yawl1 #bea ,illustration3 ,,turning ,,the ,,stake4 ,i4 ,,advice ,,to ,,an ,,amateur4 ,all of us remember the old sailor's retort to the man who reproached him for soaking his clay in bad rum4 ,there ain't such a thing under heaven as bad rum1 he sagely remarked4 ,of course some rum is better than another1 but ,i have been knocking about the world for more than fifty years and never did ,i drink a glass of rum that deserved to be called bad1 and ,i got outside of some pretty fiery tipple in my time4 ,the same is true in a general way of boats4 ,there are many types of boat and each has some peculiar attribute to recommend it4 ,no two craft1 for instance1 could be more widely different in every way than a ,gloucester fishing dory and a ,cape ,cod cat-boat1 yet each when properly handled has safely ridden out an ,atlantic gale4 ,of course if their movements had been directed by farm hands both would have foundered4 ,in point of fact1 there is no royal road to the acquisition of seamanship4 ,experience is what is needed first1 last and all the time4 ,it is true1 however1 that the rough sea over which the learner has necessarily to sail may be smoothed for him1 even as the breakers on a harbor bar are rendered passable for a homeward-bound craft by the judicious application of a little oil4 ,the choice of a boat depends upon a vast variety of circumstances1 the chief of which is the location of the prospective boat owner4 ,if he lives on the ,great ,south ,bay1 for example1 he should provide himself with a craft of light draught1 almost capable of sailing on a clover field after a heavy fall of dew4 ,equipped with a centerboard and a sail a boat of this kind1 if of the right shape and construction1 will be found comfortable1 safe and of moderate speed4 ,a man may also enjoy an infinite amount of pleasure aboard her1 after he has mastered the secret of her management4 ,there are so many sandbars in the ,great ,south ,bay that a boat of light draught is indispensable to successful sailing4 ,the same remark applies also to ,barnegat ,bay and adjacent ,new ,jersey waters4 ,there are some persons who believe that it is impossible to combine light draught and safety4 ,they make a great mistake4 ,a twelve-foot sneakbox in ,barnegat ,bay1 with the right man steering1 will live for a long time in rough water that would sorely try the capacity of a much larger craft in the hands of a lubber4 ,the same is true of a sharpie4 ,the man who makes up his mind that he wants a sailing boat should study well the geography of his vicinity4 ,if he lives in ,new ,york or on the ,sound his course is easy4 ,he is sure to be within reach of a yacht or boat club from whose members he can get all the information he needs4 ,they will tell him the boat best adapted to his requirements and his finances1 and if they persuade him to join their organization they will be conferring upon him a favor4 ,i have traveled a good deal among the yacht clubs of ,new ,york1 ,new ,jersey and ,connecticut1 and ,i never came across a more generous1 more obliging and more sportsmanlike body of men than those enrolled on the rosters of these enterprising associations4 ,they are convinced that there is more real pleasure to the square inch in the possession of a stout boat capable of being managed by a couple of men1 than there is in the proprietorship of a big yacht that carries a crew of twenty and whose owner probably knows nothing about the art of sailing her1 but depends all the time on his skipper4 ,it is a pleasure to meet these men and listen to their yarns4 ,the earnestness1 the zeal and the ability with which they pursue their favorite pastime are indeed commendable4 ,and the best of it is they are always ready to welcome recruits1 and to pass them through the rudimentary mill of seamanship and navigation1 their motto being ,every man his own skipper4 ,the only requisite necessary to membership in one or more of these clubs is that you should be a clubable man with manly instincts4 ,young fellows1 too1 are eagerly sought1 so you need have no compunction about seeking their doors1 the latchstrings of which are always down4 ,by all means join a club1 ,i say4 ,you get all the advantages of the house and the anchorage1 and all the benefits that accrue to association with men who are ardent and enthusiastic in the enjoyment of their pet diversion4 ,besides--let me whisper a word in your ear1 my brother1 you of the slender purse or may be economic instincts--it will be cheaper for you in the end2 it will put money in your purse4 ,your boat will be looked after all the year round by watchful guardians1 who will see that it isn't stripped or rifled by river pirates1 and that the elements do not mar its beauty4 ,i confess ,i was surprised when ,i learned how little it costs to become entitled to all the privileges of these clubs1 and it is owing to their moderate charges that the mosquito fleet in the vicinity of ,new ,york is growing so big and interest in the sport is increasing so rapidly4 ,what ,i have written of ,new ,york is true1 perhaps1 in a greater measure of ,boston4 ,there is no finer sheet of water for boat sailing than ,boston ,bay1 and no people in the world are more devoted to the sport than those who dwell in the city of culture and its sea-washed environs4 ,there are plenty of yacht clubs between ,point ,allerton1 on the south1 and ,marblehead1 on the north4 ,it has been ascertained that more than five thousand members have joined these organizations and that nineteen hundred yachts are enrolled on their lists1 most of the craft being less than twenty feet on the water line4 ,it will thus be seen that ,boston fully appreciates the value of small sailing craft as a means of amusement and healthful recreation4 ,the port from which ,volunteer1 ,mayflower and ,puritan originally hailed1 though justly proud of those three magnificent racing yachts1 has always been distinguished for turning out stout1 able and seaworthy vessels of the smaller type1 and also for breeding a sturdy race of men who know every trick of seamanship4 ,the majority of the boats are so constructed and rigged as to ensure that they will render a good account of themselves in a blow and a seaway4 ,thus the sandbagger type of vessel is rarely found down east1 and this1 in my opinion1 need not be regretted4 ,the catrigged boat1 with stationary ballast and a centerboard1 may be said to be the type generally preferred in those waters4 ,the ,newport cat-boat is famous the world over for her handiness1 speed and ability4 ,i know that it is fashionable for scientific men and swell naval architects to decry the seaworthiness of these boats4 ,it has been urged that the weight of the mast in the eyes of the craft is a serious objection1 a strain on the hull1 and not unlikely to be carried away for want of proper staying4 ,the long boom also has been objected to1 because of its liability to trip4 ,the craft has been declared difficult to steer and a regular yawer4 ,but while saying unkind things of the cat-boat's behavior in a blow1 no critic1 however biased1 has ventured to deny her general handiness4 ,i might remind these gentlemen that the owner of a pleasure boat does not as a rule sail her in a blow or in a seaway1 but this would not be a fair or legitimate argument4 ,the elements are treacherous4 ,a summer storm often plays havoc among the shipping1 and a man who ventures seaward in the morning in a balmy breeze and with the water smooth as a horsepond may be caught in a savage blow1 followed by a heavy sea1 both of which may sorely try the capabilities of his craft and his own resources as a seaman4 ,i am such a devout believer1 however1 in a cat-boat of proper form and rig1 that ,i will defend her as a good and handy craft in both fair weather and foul4 ,it blows hard in ,narragansett ,bay sometimes1 and ,i have often known a devil of a sea to be kicked up off ,brenton's ,reef lightship4 ,but the ,newport cat-boat1 with a couple of reefs down1 comes out of the harbor and dances over the steep waves like a duck or a cork4 ,i never saw one of them come to grief1 and in fact they have always impressed me as being the handiest all-round boat afloat4 ,i have sailed in them in all sorts of weather1 and ,i am not likely to alter my opinion4 ,many of the objections raised against them are idle4 ,for instance1 the mast can be so stayed as to be perfectly secure4 ,there is also no reason why the boom should project so far over the stern as to trip1 and in this connection ,i should like to ask of what use is a topping lift unless one avails himself of it in just such an emergency8 ,a man should always keep the boom well topped up when running before the wind in a seaway1 and by this means he may avoid much trouble and possibly peril4 ,the above remarks are applicable to both salt water and fresh water1 to the yachts of the ,north1 the ,south1 as well as of the ,great and ,little ,lakes1 and indeed wherever the glorious sport flourishes4 ,in point of fact1 all the hints and directions given in these chapters may be followed with profit on the ,pacific ,coast as well as on the ,atlantic ,seaboard1 on ,lake ,michigan or on the ,gulf of ,st4 ,lawrence4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,choice ,,of ,a ,,boat4 ,if any ambitious would-be mariner1 old or young1 hailing from anywhere were to ask me what sort of a boat ,i would recommend him to build or buy1 ,i would answer him frankly that an able cat-boat1 with a centerboard and stationary ballast would1 in my judgment1 be best4 ,i would advise him to shun the sandbaggers--not that one cannot enjoy an immense amount of exciting sport in one of them1 but because they seem to me to be only fit for racing1 and ,i will tell you why4 ,a man when he goes on a quiet cruise doesn't want to be bothered by having to shift heavy bags of sand every time the boat goes about4 ,it is too much like hard work1 and by the time your day's fun is finished you feel stiff in the joints4 ,i have other arguments against the use of shifting ballast1 but do not think any other save the one mentioned is necessary4 ,this point disposed of1 let us confer4 ,of what shall the stationary ballast for our able cat-boat consist8 ,outside lead is of course the best1 but its first cost is a serious matter4 ,a cast-iron false keel or shoe answers admirably1 and is moderate in price4 ,some persons object to it1 claiming that it rusts and corrodes2 that its fastenings decay the wooden keel to which it is bolted1 and that its weight strains a boat and soon causes her to become leaky4 ,there is of course some truth in these charges2 but if the boat is built by a mechanic and not an impostor1 none of these disadvantages will exist1 and the cast-iron keel will prove to be both efficient and economical4 ,but if1 by straining a point1 lead can be afforded1 procure it by all means and have it bolted on outside4 ,it neither tarnishes nor corrodes1 and as it does not deteriorate1 its marketable value is always the same4 ,racing yachts have1 however1 been known to sell for less than their lead ballast cost1 but such instances are rare4 ,it should be borne in mind that the lower down the lead is placed the less the quantity required1 and the greater its efficiency4 ,there are always a number of second-hand cat-boats in the market for sale at a reasonable rate1 and an advertisement will bring plenty of replies4 ,but for a tyro to purchase a boat haphazard is a mistake on general principles4 ,it is like a sailor buying a horse4 ,get some honest shipwright or boat builder to examine1 say1 some half-dozen boats whose dimensions suit you1 and whose prices are about what you think you can afford4 ,there are certain portions of a cat-boat that are subject to violent strains when the craft is under way4 ,the step of the mast and the centerboard trunk are parts that require the vigilant eye of an expert4 ,human nature is prone to temptation1 and paint and putty are used quite often to conceal many important defects in a craft advertised for sale4 ,the keen eye of a mechanic who has served his time to a boat-builder will soon detect all deficiencies of this kind1 will ferret out rotten timbers1 and under his advice and counsel you may succeed in picking up at a bargain some sound1 seaworthy and serviceable craft in which you can enjoy yourself to your heart's content4 ,but if some rotten hull is foisted on you by an unscrupulous person you will be apt to kick yourself round the block1 for she will be always in need of repairs1 and in the end1 when she is finally condemned1 you will find on figuring up the cost that it would have been money in your pocket if you had built a new boat4 ,the principal boat-builders of ,new ,york1 ,new ,jersey1 ,connecticut and ,massachusetts are men of high character1 who take a pride in their work 7which is thoroughly first-class71 and whose prices are strictly moderate4 ,any one of these will construct a capital boat of good model and fair speed4 ,i am an old crank and a bigot in many things appertaining to boats and the sea1 but ,i hope that any reader of this who is going to build a pleasure craft will follow my advice at least in this instance3 ,let her be copper-fastened above and below the water-line4 ,don't use a single galvanized nail or bolt in her construction4 ,see that the fastenings are clenched on a roove--not simply turned down4 ,don't spoil the ship for a paltry ha'porth of tar4 ,many builders1 for the sake of economy1 use galvanized iron throughout1 and will take a solemn affidavit that it is quite as good as copper4 ,but in the innermost cockles of their hearts they know they are wrong4 ,others more conscientious use copper fastenings below the water-line and galvanized iron above2 but copper throughout is my cry1 and so will ,i ever maintain while ,i am on this side of the ,styx4 ,sometimes one may pick up a good serviceable boat at a ,navy ,yard sale4 ,uncle ,sam's boats are of fair design and well built4 ,they are often condemned because they are what is called nail sick1 a defect which can be easily remedied4 ,occasionally a steamship's life-boat can be bought for a trifle1 and if it be fitted with a false keel with an iron shoe on it1 will prove thoroughly seaworthy and a moderately good sailer4 ,mr4 ,e4 ,f4 ,knight1 the ,english barrister and author of the ,cruise of the ,falcon1 tells how he bought a life-boat condemned by the ,peninsular and ,oriental ,company4 ,she was thirty feet long with a beam of eight feet1 very strong1 being built of double skins of teak1 and1 like all the life-boats used by that company1 an excellent sea boat4 ,this craft he timbered and decked1 rigged her as a ketch1 and crossed the ,north ,sea in her1 going as far as ,copenhagen and back1 and encountering plenty of bad weather during the adventurous voyage4 ,mr4 ,knight is a believer in the pointed or life-boat stern for a small vessel4 ,he was caught in a northwest gale1 in the ,gulf of ,heligoland1 in the above-mentioned craft1 and had to sail sixty miles before a high and dangerous sea4 ,his boat showed no tendency to broach to1 but rushed straight ahead across the steep sea in a fashion that gave us confidence and astonished us4 ,had she had the ordinary yacht's stern to present to those following masses of water1 instead of a graceful wedge offering little resistance1 we should have had a very uncomfortable time of it4 ,many men dislike a pointed stern and consider it ugly4 ,however that may be it behaves handsomely1 and we should certainly recommend any amateur building a sailing boat for coasting purposes to give her the life-boat stern4 ,mr4 ,knight fitted his boat with lee boards1 which no doubt served their purpose admirably4 ,i should1 however1 favor a false keel and an iron shoe as being more efficient and less unsightly4 ,i should not advise the purchaser of a condemned life-boat to have her fitted with a centerboard4 ,the cost would be high1 and unless the job was done in a first-class manner by a man experienced at this sort of work it would be very unsatisfactory4 ,a nail-sick1 clencher-built boat should be hauled up on the beach and filled with water4 ,every leak should be marked on the outside with chalk or white paint4 ,after all the leaks have been discovered1 run the water out of her and dry her thoroughly4 ,next examine every nail and try the lands or joinings of the planks with the blade of a very thin knife4 ,any rivets which have worked loose must be taken out and replaced with nails and rooves of a larger size4 ,through the chief parts of the bottom it may be necessary to put an additional nail between every two originally driven4 ,many of the old nails which are only a little slack should be hardened at their clench by a few taps from inside1 one hand holding a dollie against the head of the nail on the outside4 ,melt a pound of pitch in a gallon of boiling ,north ,carolina tar and give her bottom a good coat inside1 filling the lands or ledges well4 ,the garboard strake fastenings and also those of the hooded ends should be carefully caulked4 ,so should the seams4 ,the seams of the planking should also be caulked4 ,there are various methods of making a boat unsinkable4 ,cork is sometimes used1 but it takes up too much room and is not so buoyant as air4 ,copper or zinc cases1 made to fit under the thwarts and in various odd corners1 have been fitted in boats1 but their cost is high4 ,amateurs have used powder flasks and cracker cans1 with their covers soldered on1 cigar boxes1 covered with duck and painted1 bladders inflated with air1 etc41 etc4 ,a boat displacing one ton will take about forty cubic feet of air to make her unsinkable4 ,,iii4 ,,trial ,,spin ,,in ,a ,,cat-,,boat4 ,before getting a cat-boat under way from an anchorage1 or casting adrift from moorings1 the captain should see all gear clear1 that the centerboard works easily in its trunk1 and that oars1 rowlocks and a baler are aboard4 ,an oar is very handy for turning a boat's head round in a light air when she has barely steerage way on2 and in case you are confronted with a flat calm1 a pair of oars are indispensable for working homeward4 ,a boat-hook1 too1 should not be neglected4 ,there is a story that ,i heard in the forecastle1 of a mean old ,dutch skipper who left his new anchor ashore on purely economic grounds4 ,he was afraid it might rust1 ,i suppose4 ,the result of this thrifty dodge was the loss of his vessel on the ,goodwin ,sands4 ,my counsel to the young boat-skipper is to see that his anchor is snugly stowed away forward1 and that his chain--if his cable is of chain--is properly shackled to the ring of the anchor1 and that the inner end of the cable is fast to the heel of the mast by a lashing that can be cut if it is necessary to slip at any time4 ,if the cable is of rope1 take care that it is not made fast to the ring with a slippery hitch4 ,anchors cost money1 and a bend that will not come adrift is quite simple to make4 ,cast the tyers off the mainsail and hoist it1 pulling up best on the throat halyards and then swigging on the peak till the after-leech is taut and the sail begins to wrinkle slightly at the throat4 ,while you are setting the sail1 let the sheet fly4 ,next coil down the throat and peak halyards clear for running1 and see that the mainsheet is free from kinks and coiled so that it can be eased off at a moment's notice without any danger of jamming in the block4 ,a kink in the mainsheet has capsized many a cat-boat4 ,before you reeve a new mainsheet1 stretch it well and take all the kinks out of it4 ,take care that the running parts of all sheets and halyards are coiled uppermost1 with the ends underneath4 ,let us suppose that there is a nice breeze blowing and that your intention is to essay a four or five mile beat to windward1 and then conclude your trial trip with a run home4 ,cast adrift from your moorings or get your anchor aboard1 as the case may be1 and start out on whichever tack is convenient4 ,when on the starboard tack the boom is over to port1 and vice versa4 ,lower the centerboard and fill away on the boat with one hand on the tiller and the other holding the mainsheet1 which should never be belayed1 but may be held by half a turn round the cleat4 ,do not make the mistake of trimming in the sheet too flat1 but let the boom off till it is well on the quarter and keep the sail well full1 not allowing it to shiver4 ,this is called steering full-and-by1 which signifies as close to the wind as possible with the sail not shaking4 ,if your boat is well balanced--that is1 if her weights are well adjusted and her sail of proper cut--she will carry quite a little weather helm4 ,so much so that if you allow the rudder to come amidships or on a line with the keel she will fly up in the wind and her sails will shake4 ,this is by no means a fault unless it is carried to excess1 and it may be said1 indeed1 that there is something radically wrong with a craft that requires lee helm--a defect that should be remedied at once4 ,the young sailor should bear in mind that to accomplish the best results in beating to windward the sail should always be kept full4 ,nothing is gained by sailing a boat right in the wind's eye with the sail shivering4 ,the boat then points higher but she goes to leeward like a crab4 ,instances have been known of a fore-and-aft racing yacht sailing within three points of the wind1 but these are rare1 indeed4 ,the ordinary cat-boat will not often do better than pointing up within four points of the breeze1 and her best windward work is generally thus accomplished4 ,there are occasions1 indeed1 when what is known as a fisherman's luff may be indulged in with profit1 such as when rounding a mark or shooting up to an anchorage where there is little room4 ,the maneuver consists in luffing the boat up into the wind so that the sails shake1 and she shoots dead to windward by her own momentum4 ,if the boat is a heavy one she will shoot quite a distance4 ,care must be taken to put the helm up and fill on her before she loses way1 or she will get in irons and acquire sternway1 or perhaps pay off on the other tack4 ,if a boat acquires sternway the helm must be shifted at once4 ,the rudder will now produce the reverse effect to what it would if the boat were going ahead4 ,putting the tiller to starboard turns the vessel's head to port1 and vice versa in the case of sternway4 ,the beginner will find that his boat spins along quite merrily and obeys the slightest touch of the tiller4 ,he should not relax his vigilance in the least1 but should keep his weather eye skinned for sudden gusts of wind or catspaws which may be seen ruffling the water to windward1 in timely season before they strike the boat4 ,as the little craft begins to heel or list over to the pressure1 luff up a little so that the fore-leech of the sail begins to shiver4 ,if there is not weight enough in the puff to put the lee rail under1 sail her along with just the suspicion of a shake in the luff of the sail1 so that if she goes over far enough for the water to threaten to come over the lee coamings and deluge the cockpit you can put your helm down and luff up until the boat comes nearly head to wind1 at the same time lowering away your sail and making preparations for taking in a reef4 ,if you are a novice1 and the water is neither too rough nor too deep and the breeze seems likely to last1 and you think your craft is not up to carrying a whole mainsail1 there is no reason why you should not drop anchor and reef your sail in leisurely and comfortable fashion4 ,if you feel at all nervous take in a couple of reefs4 ,after sail has been shortened set the mainsail1 hoist up the anchor again and thresh her at it4 ,you will observe that she inclines less to the puffs under the pressure of the reduced sail1 and that the lee gunwale is always well clear of the water4 ,watch the boat well2 look out for coming squalls1 and be prepared to ease off the sheet and luff up instantly should occasion arise4 ,if there are other boats in company with you tacking toward the same point you must remember that those on the starboard tack have the right of way1 and thus when you are on the port tack you must keep clear of them4 ,i would not advise a novice in a boat on the port tack to try and cross the bow of a boat on the starboard tack unless there is plenty of room4 ,distances on the water are deceptive to the tyro1 and it is well to run no risk of collision4 ,if the boat on the port tack will not keep away for you when you are on the starboard tack1 and seems to be making for you with the intention of running you down1 keep cool4 ,stand by to put your helm hard down so as to luff right up in the wind or even to go about4 ,if you put your helm up and keep away1 and a collision ensues1 you would probably have to pay all the damage4 ,the strict legal rule is that the vessel on the starboard tack must keep her course and neither luff nor bear up4 ,if this rule is observed you will be within the letter of the law4 ,in yacht racing a yacht on the port tack can be disqualified if she is struck by a yacht which is on the starboard tack1 no matter how the striking happened2 if she herself strikes a yacht which is on the starboard tack2 if she causes a yacht which is on the starboard tack to bear away to avoid a collision4 ,it is apparent1 therefore1 that no wise helmsman will run any risks4 ,if he is on the port tack he will give way with a good grace and try to look pleasant4 ,it is better than a collision1 which is sure in a brisk breeze to do a lot of damage1 and may possibly cause serious personal injuries or even loss of life4 ,the beginner may1 after threshing to windward for an hour or so1 begin to feel homesick4 ,let him then put his helm up1 easing the mainsheet off at the same time until he gets the boom at a right angle with the mast and the boat dead before the wind4 ,he will at this time have to pay particular attention to the steering1 giving the boat small helm and giving it to her quickly in order to keep her steady on her course4 ,steering a cat-boat in a stiff breeze and lumpy water requires both skill and experience4 ,i should counsel a green hand to lower the peak of the mainsail and run her under easy sail until he acquires the art4 ,in that case1 should he accidentally gybe the boom over1 the result is not likely to be particularly disastrous2 whereas1 if the sail were peaked up1 the boom might snap in two or the boat herself might broach to4 ,the centerboard should be hoisted up into the trunk when running before the wind1 and the boom should be kept well topped up4 ,in some small cat-boats there is no topping lift and the sail has only one halyard1 which hoists both the throat and peak4 ,this is a faulty rig4 ,throat and peak halyards should be separate1 and a topping lift should always be fitted4 ,i think it my duty to warn the inexperienced boat sailer against gybing his little craft4 ,it is a maneuver that requires skill and care1 especially in a brisk breeze4 ,if you must gybe1 lower the peak so as to scandalize the sail1 and haul the boom well aboard as the helm is put up4 ,as the wind shifts from dead astern and comes on the other quarter1 carrying the boom over1 ease off the sheet handsomely and take care to meet her promptly with the helm as she flies to1 which is invariably the case4 ,you can then hoist the peak up again4 ,if you have women and children aboard the boat1 gybing should never be resorted to if the wind is strong4 ,it is far preferable to luff up into the wind and tack and then keep off again4 ,in coming to anchor or picking up moorings make the boat describe a good sweep1 so that she may come up in the wind and lose her way exactly where you wish4 ,you can then either let go the anchor or pick up the moorings1 as the case may be4 ,then lower the sail1 furl it snugly1 put on the sail cover1 stow away everything neatly1 haul taut the halyards and the mainsheet1 which you should coil up1 and leave everything tidy and in readiness for getting under way next time4 ,when1 on a wind with a light breeze and in smooth water1 it becomes necessary to heave to to let a boat come alongside1 haul the mainsheet flat aft and haul the fore and jib sheets a-weather4 ,if in a fresh breeze1 flatten in the mainsheet1 let the jib sheet flow1 and haul the fore sheet a-weather4 ,for small open boats the anchor should weigh one pound for every foot of length up to twenty feet length4 ,if the boat is ballasted1 another half pound per foot should be added4 ,if you have the misfortune to get stuck fast in the mud or on a sand bank1 you must act quickly4 ,if you ground while running before the wind1 lower your sails at once4 ,if you have a dinghy1 run out your kedge anchor1 with a line fast to it1 astern into deep water and try to haul off4 ,work the helm to and fro4 ,run from side to side so as to loosen the boat from her muddy bed4 ,if the tide is rising and your kedge does not drag1 you will be sure to get off4 ,if you run aground while close-hauled1 let go the mainsheet1 put the helm hard over and try to back her off with the jib1 at the same time using a boathook or oar to try to shove her into deep water4 ,if you have any passengers1 concentrate all their weight as far aft as possible4 ,send out a kedge1 and let all hands clap to on the line4 ,if the tide is on the ebb1 you may probably have to wait till high water4 ,now comes a ticklish crisis4 ,if your craft is beamy1 with full bilges1 she will take the ground and lie easily as the water recedes4 ,if1 on the other hand1 your little ship is of the deep and narrow kind and is not provided with legs1 you will have to improvise something in that direction to prevent her from careening on her side4 ,legs are not fashionable on this side of the ,atlantic4 ,they are props of wood shod with iron1 one end of which rests on the bottom1 while the other fits under the channels1 or is lashed to a shroud4 ,if you have no other spar available1 unbend the head of the mainsail from the gaff4 ,stick it in the mud jaws downward close to the rigging and lash it firmly to a shroud4 ,list the boat over to the side the gaff is out by guying over the boom and putting any extra weight you happen to have on the same side4 ,the boat will then take the ground in safety4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,yawl ,,rig4 ,though ,i recommend the catboat as a general craft for knocking about and having a good time in1 ,i am not blind to the advantages of the yawl rig4 ,in fact1 the bold young seaman contemplating long cruises and sometimes venturing out of sight of land will find that the yawl rig possesses no mean merit4 ,for single-handed cruising its worth has long been recognized4 ,the sails are so divided that they are small and easy to handle1 but this division of sail inevitably decreases the speed and also the weatherly qualities of the boat4 ,if we take a catboat and change her into a yawl rig she will not be nearly so fast1 nor will she point so close to the wind4 ,there are fathoms of scientific reasons for this with which ,i will not bother my readers4 ,suffice it to say that it has been demonstrated practically over and over again4 ,but although the yawl-rigged sailing boat of the smallest type has at least three sails--foresail1 mainsail and mizzen--yet the last named1 after once being set1 practically takes care of itself4 ,the mainsail1 too1 is quite easily handled1 the whole sail being in the body of the boat4 ,the foresail sometimes gives a little annoyance in taking it in1 if the boat is pitching her nose under in a steep sea4 ,this1 however1 is unavoidable4 ,headsails on all sailing vessels1 big or little1 have never been conducive to dry skins under certain conditions of wind and sea4 ,the yawl is always under control1 and in this attribute lies her chief charm4 ,when a squall is bearing down all one has to do is to lower the mainsail and pass a tyer or two round it to keep it muzzled4 ,when the gust strikes the boat she is under easy sail and is not likely to come to grief4 ,if the squall is of exceptional strength1 ease off the foresheet and keep the sail shaking a little until you have felt the full strength of the wind4 ,act then as judgment may dictate4 ,if the blow is very heavy and seems likely to last it may be necessary to take in the foresail and the mizzen1 and close reef the mainsail4 ,if you are sailing with the wind a-beam and a squall smites you it may not be necessary to lower the mainsail at all4 ,ease the sheet right off so as to spill the wind1 and you will pass safely through the ordeal without parting a rope yarn4 ,in getting under way or in working up to anchorage in a crowded harbor or roadstead the yawl rig is one of the handiest known1 for by having the mainsail furled the speed of the boat is reduced so that you can pick your way among the craft without danger of collision or striking flaws4 ,so many famous cruises have been made in small yawl-rigged craft that there can be no doubt about their adaptability for such work1 and to the man anxious for more ambitious achievement than merely sailing in rivers1 bays and sheltered harbors1 ,i most certainly would recommend the rig4 ,despite the yawl's certain safety for single handed cruising1 ,i am not in favor of sailing by myself4 ,i prefer a congenial companion to share whatever pleasure or peril may be encountered4 ,of course one must exercise some wise discrimination in the choice of a cruising companion2 for when once at sea there is no way of ridding yourself of an objectionable mate except throwing him overboard1 which would not be exactly fair to him4 ,besides1 he might throw you overboard1 which would be bad for you4 ,there are1 however1 hundreds of good yachtsmen and boatmen who have made long voyages alone and have written charming accounts of their nautical expeditions4 ,john ,mc,gregor's ,voyage ,alone in the ,yawl ,rob ,roy and ,e4 ,middleton's ,cruise of the ,kate 7also a yawl7 are two entertaining books of sea travel which ,i heartily recommend to those who contemplate sailing by themselves4 ,while ,i am in favor of a catboat for general purposes in the neighborhood of ,new ,york1 yet when long distance trips are to be made the yawl rig will1 on the whole1 be found preferable4 ,that keen sportsman1 ,mr4 ,w4 ,h4 ,h4 ,murray1 is a firm believer in the yawl rig for cruising4 ,in ,,outing for ,may1 #ahia1 there appeared a most valuable article from his facile pen entitled ,how ,i sail ,champlain4 ,the ,champlain is of sharpie model1 thirty feet on the water-line4 ,she is of remarkably strong construction1 her oaken keel being sixteen by twenty inches amidships and tapering properly fore and aft4 ,through this keel is sunk a mortise four inches wide and sixteen feet long1 through which the centerboard works4 ,this fin is of oak planking thick enough to easily enter the case when hoisted1 but leaving little space between it and the case when in use4 ,the centerboard is sixteen feet long1 four feet deep forward and seven feet aft1 and it has fifteen hundred pounds of iron for ballast4 ,mr4 ,murray says3 ,when the centerboard is lowered this mass of metal is eight feet below her water-line1 and guarantees a stability adequate to resist any pressure which the wind can put upon her sails and the sails withstand4 ,of course ,i am speaking with the supposition that the boat receives1 when under stress1 judicious management4 ,the centerboard1 which weighs two thousand pounds1 is lifted by a differential hoist1 by means of which the helmsman1 with one hand on the tiller1 can1 if need occurs1 with the other easily run the heavy board rapidly up into the case4 ,the value of this adjustment can only be appreciated by a cruising yachtsman4 ,it places him in perfect control of his craft under all conditions of varying depth of water and difficult weather4 ,in a heavy seaway2 in rapidly shoaling water on an unknown coast2 when suddenly compelled to beat up against a swiftly flowing tide2 or when finding himself unexpectedly near a reef1 unobserved through carelessness or not plainly charted--this hoist is simply priceless4 ,it is not over expensive1 and can easily be adjusted to any yacht4 ,illustration3 ,,yawl ,,in ,a ,,squall ,the cockpit is roomy1 and1 because of its high coamings1 is also deep4 ,the cabin is sixteen feet long1 the forward half being permanently roofed4 ,the after-half of the cabin is constructed1 as to its roof1 in equal divisions4 ,the forward-half is tracked1 and the after-half is grooved to run upon it4 ,mr4 ,murray finds this arrangement most convenient1 as it gives to the yacht such coolness and comfort as cannot be obtained in a cabin permanently roofed4 ,the whole roof is so fitted to the coamings that it can be quickly and easily removed and stowed1 leaving the yacht to be sailed as an open one1 decked from stem to midship section4 ,this arrangement is an admirable one for harbor sailing in bright weather or for racing4 ,regarding the handiness of ,champlain ,mr4 ,murray says3 ,all yachtsmen know what a disagreeable job it is to reef a sloop or cat-boat in rough water1 and from this cause many skippers will delay reefing as long as possible and often until too late4 ,and because of this many accidents happen yearly4 ,in this respect the yawl rig shows to the greatest advantage and commends itself to all sensible yachtsmen4 ,for when the moment has come to reef1 if the boat is running free her head is brought up to the wind1 the mizzen and jib sheets trimmed in1 and with the main boom well inboard the pennants are lashed and the reef points tied down1 when she is let off again and goes bowling along on her former course4 ,in ,champlain the three reef cringles on the leech of the mainsail are all within easy reach from the cockpit1 and the skipper1 without leaving the tiller1 can lash the pennants1 and hence1 with only one assistant1 the three reefs can successively1 if need be1 be tied down4 ,indeed1 so well do the jib and mizzen sail work in unison1 that unless the wind is very puffy and variable1 the helm can be lashed and she will hold her course steadily onward while the skipper is tying down the after reef points4 ,it is a matter of pleasant surprise to one not accustomed to this rig how easily and rapidly a reef in most trying conditions can be taken in the mainsail of a yawl whose sails are well balanced4 ,moreover1 unless the squall is a very heavy one1 a yawl can be eased through it without reefing at all4 ,for when the wind comes roaring down and the white line of froth and spray is right upon you1 the boat can be brought up to the wind and the mainsheet eased handsomely out1 and with jib and mizzen drawing finely and the mainboom off to leeward the wind whistles harmlessly between the masts1 while the yacht1 only slightly disturbed in her balance1 sails steadily along4 ,or1 if the squall is a heavy one and there is no time to reef down before it strikes1 the yacht can be luffed up1 the mainsail let down at a run1 and with the belly of the sail held within the lazy-lines the yacht is under safe conditions4 ,but ordinarily it is better to reef or even tie down the mainsail snugly1 and as in a yawl it can be done rapidly and easily there is no reason why it should not be done and everything be kept shipshape4 ,in cruising ,i often sailed ,champlain under jib and mizzen alone1 with the mainsail stowed and the boom crutched and tied snugly down amidships1 especially in the night time when it was very dark and the weather foul4 ,under this scant canvas with a favorable wind she would sail along at a very fair rate of speed and even make good progress in beating up against quite a sea1 and ,i need not say that it adds greatly to the pleasure of cruising in a small yacht with only one man for your crew to feel that you have your boat in a condition of perfect control4 ,it is evident that with no other rig can this condition to the same degree be obtained or such a sense of absolute security be enjoyed4 ,to an amateur nothing is more trying than coming to or getting away from moorings1 especially if the wind is blowing strongly and the anchorage ground is crowded with other yachts1 not to speak of vessels of commerce1 bateaux1 tugs and ferryboats4 ,under such circumstances it is no easy matter for any1 save an expert1 to work a sloop or cat-boat or schooner safety out through the crowded harbor or basin to the open water beyond2 and it is all the more trying to a skipper if there is a strong tide running at the moment4 ,but with a yawl the difficulties of the situation are almost wholly removed4 ,for with mainsail unlashed he can hoist his anchor or cast off from moorings1 and under his two small sails work his boat out slowly and safely from the jammed basin or crowded space within the breakwater4 ,he must be a tyro indeed who cannot safely manage a yawl under the worst possible conditions of this sort4 ,in cruising1 if the weather is threatening it is well to carry a single reef in the mainsail until it clears up1 for a yawl works well under such a sail with jib and mizzen furled4 ,in such trim the yacht is as a cat-boat with a small sail1 and as her main boom is shorter than a cat-boat's or a sloop's she can be worked in a very heavy sea with her boom's end well above the rollers4 ,and ,i know of nothing more trying to a skipper than to sail his craft with his boom's end half the time under water4 ,in such a condition the spars1 rigging and boat are under a stress and strain which every prudent skipper dreads and seeks to avoid1 and it speaks volumes in favor of the yawl rig to say that with it such a trying condition can never arise4 ,indeed a yawl under a double-reefed mainsail alone is in perfect trim for scudding4 ,if well modeled she will neither yaw nor thrash the water with her boom's end1 but career along almost with the speed of the wind itself4 ,for her canvas is low down1 as it should be1 and her boom carried well above the seething water4 ,in this shape1 moreover1 she can lay a course with the wind well over her quarter without strain1 and it must be a very hard blow and rough water indeed to give anxiety to any on board of her4 ,that the ,champlain is a capital sea-boat is beyond question4 ,her owner thus describes a run on the lower ,st4 ,lawrence in returning from a cruise to the ,saguenay3 ,we passed ,baie ,st4 ,paul in the evening1 whirled along by a rising gale blowing directly up the river4 ,the night was pitchy dark1 the tide running fiercely on the ebb at the rate of five miles an hour at the least4 ,the water was very wild1 as one can easily imagine4 ,stemming such a current it would not do to shorten sail if one wished to pass ,cape ,tourmente and get into quiet water1 the ,isle of ,orleans and the north shore1 so we let every sail stand1 cleated the sheets tightly and let her drive4 ,how she did tear onward6 ,the froth and spume lay deep on her pathways and after-deck4 ,the waves crested fiercely1 rolling against the current1 and the black water broke into phosphor as we slashed through it4 ,i do not recall that ,i ever saw a yacht forced along more savagely4 ,how the water roared under the ledges and along the rough shores of ,tourmente6 ,and ,i was profoundly grateful when we were able to bear off to starboard and run into the still water back of ,orleans4 ,perhaps that midnight cup of coffee did not taste well6 ,its heat ran through my chilled veins like ,chartreuse4 ,i can taste it yet6 ,the ordinary jib-and-mainsail rigged boat1 as seen in the waters round ,new ,york1 might easily be improved upon4 ,in the first place1 the majority of them are too much after the skimming-dish pattern to suit my fancy4 ,then the mast is stepped as a rule too far forward for the best work1 and renders reefing difficult1 as she will not lay to comfortably under her headsail1 whereas if the mast of a boat is stepped well aft1 cutter fashion1 the boat will lay to quite well1 and reefing the mainsail is easy4 ,the ,american sloop rig is open to the same criticism1 and that is why the ,english way of rigging a single-sticker has been adopted in all our new racing craft4 ,to my mind there is nothing more hideous than a bobbed jib4 ,it renders good windward work impossible1 as it causes a boat to sag off to leeward and is in other ways a detriment4 ,a small boat with the mast stepped in the right place and carrying a jib and a mainsail is1 however1 a very satisfactory craft1 good at beating to windward as well as reaching or running4 ,i should advise that a spit-fire or storm jib be carried along whenever a sail of any distance is contemplated1 and also a gaff-headed trysail1 so that the adventurous skipper may be always prepared for storm and stress of weather4 ,this extra muslin takes up little room when properly rolled up4 ,the simplest and safest rig in the world is the leg-of-mutton sail4 ,it is the one fitted exactly for river work1 where one is sure to encounter puffs of some force as ravines are reached or valleys passed4 ,to amateurs it is the sail par excellence for experimenting with1 for no matter how many blunders are made a mishap is well nigh impossible4 ,the leg-of-mutton sail has no gaff1 nor need it have a boom4 ,there is little or no leverage aloft1 and all the power for mischief it has can be taken out of it by slacking off the sheet and spilling the wind4 ,the learner might with advantage practice with a sail of this shape until he becomes proficient4 ,if he eventually determines upon a jib and mainsail or yawl rig for permanent use1 he may avoid wasting it by having it made over into a storm trysail4 ,i would strongly advise every amateur skipper to shun the ballast-fin device as he would shun cold poison or a contagious disease4 ,that is unless he intends to go in for a regular racing career1 in which case the cups carried off might possibly compensate him for the woe1 the anguish and the premature gray hairs inseparable from this contrivance4 ,mind you these remarks of mine apply only to amateurs and not to grizzled sailing-masters of yachts who fully understand how to navigate and handle all types of pleasure craft4 ,theoretically the ballast-fin has many obvious advantages4 ,illustration3 ,,type ,,of ,,fin-,,keel4 ,the fin consists of a plate of iron or steel to the base of which is affixed a bulb of lead1 which1 being in the best possible place1 insures stability4 ,the fin proper gives lateral resistance in an almost perfect form1 for there is no deadwood either forward or aft and the least possible amount of wetted surface4 ,i remember when a little boy in a fishing village on the bank of a land-locked arm of the sea1 where the water was always smooth1 how we youngsters came to appreciate fully the worth of an improvised ballast-fin4 ,we used to enjoy the diversion of model yacht sailing and the delights of many regattas4 ,i owned one of the smartest models in the village4 ,she was rigged as a cutter with outside lead1 self-steering gear and all the latest maritime improvements1 and she generally came out a winner4 ,i tell you ,i used to put on a great many airs on this account1 and as a natural result was duly hated and envied by my playmates1 who owned more or less tubby craft that could scarcely get out of their own way4 ,but the day arrived when my pride was destined to have a fall4 ,a shrewd youth of ,scottish extraction came to our village for the summer with his father4 ,he had the keenest1 greenest eye you ever saw1 and one of those money-making noses that are unmistakable4 ,his whole physiognomy and form indicated shrewdness4 ,he mingled with us for some time on the beach1 mudlarked with the boys and watched our model yacht matches with undisguised interest4 ,we all got the notion that he was an inland landlubber1 though it is only fair to him to acknowledge that he never told us so in so many words4 ,one ,saturday afternoon1 after my little cutter had surpassed herself by distancing all her opponents1 ,i indulged in some unusually tall talk1 and challenged each and every one of my rivals to a race across the creek1 as the sheet of water was called1 offering to give them four minutes' start1 the distance being half a mile4 ,to my surprise1 our green-eyed friend came along and accepted the challenge1 saying that on the following ,saturday he would produce a craft that would knock spots out of my cutter without any time allowance whatever1 and without the aid of a longer hull or larger sailspread4 ,he also remarked that he had a month's pocket money saved up1 and was willing to wager it on the result4 ,i accepted his offer without superfluous parleying1 and in my mind's eye was already investing that pocket money of his in various little treasures for which ,i hankered4 ,but1 for all that1 ,i made every preparation for the fray1 using very fine sandpaper and pot lead till my boat's bottom was beautifully burnished1 and seeing that her sails and gear were in tip top racing condition4 ,all the boys wondered what sort of a craft my opponent would bring out4 ,he had never been seen with a boat of any description4 ,we laughed in our sleeves and whispered it about that he would probably produce one of those showy vessels that one sees in the city toy store1 and that generally sail on their beam ends4 ,the hour for the race arrived4 ,the boys were all excited and flocked to the water's edge1 whence the start was to be made4 ,there was a goodly throng of them present1 and1 notwithstanding their contempt for the ,scotchman1 it was no doubt the desire of their hearts that some of my overweening conceit should be taken down a couple of pegs or so4 ,presently my rival appeared on the scene1 carrying in his arms the queerest looking craft any of us had ever seen4 ,her hull was shaped like an ,indian birch bark canoe1 except that to the rounded bottom a keel was fastened4 ,a groove was made in the keel1 in which an oblong piece of slate was placed1 to the bottom of which a strip of lead was secured4 ,the rig was that of a cutter1 and ,i noticed that her sails were well cut4 ,she looked quite business-like1 and when she was measured we found she was two inches shorter than my cutter4 ,there was a nice1 fresh westerly wind blowing1 and quite a lop of a sea running for diminutive craft such as were about to race4 ,i had already deemed it prudent to take in a reef in the mainsail of my vessel1 and set a ,no4 #b jib1 but my ,scotch friend said he thought his boat would carry whole sail without any trouble4 ,the course was south1 so the craft had to sail with the wind a-beam4 ,the start was made1 my boat being to windward1 as ,i had won the toss4 ,and that was all ,i did win4 ,the ballast-fin craft beat my cutter so badly that even at this distance of time my ears tingle and ,i feel ashamed4 ,while my boat was burying herself1 her rival took the curling wavelets right buoyantly1 standing up to her work valiantly1 and moving two feet to the cutter's one4 ,we accompanied the model yachts in row-boats1 keeping well to leeward1 but quite close enough to observe their movements accurately4 ,that was my first experience of the ballast-fin4 ,we all became converts1 and shoal1 round-bottomed craft1 with slate fins to give stability and lateral resistance1 were thenceforward the fashion4 ,my successful rival1 we afterward discovered1 was the son of a naval architect of repute1 and he is now practising his father's profession with a good deal of success4 ,thus ,i have not a word to say against the ballast-fin so far as racing is concerned1 but in cruising the average man who sails for pleasure wants a craft that he can haul out of the water easily to scrub1 clean and paint4 ,now1 if you put a ballast-fin boat on the mud for any one or all of these purposes she requires a leg on each side to keep her upright1 and also supports at the bow and stern to prevent her from turning head over heels4 ,the stationary fin always represents your true draught of water4 ,it is always with you and is an integral portion of the boat's hull4 ,if you happen to get stuck on a shoal--and this is a contingency that has occurred frequently to the most skillful and careful navigator--in thick weather for instance1 your lot is by no means to be envied4 ,this is particularly true if the tide is falling fast4 ,the boat would go over on her side as soon as the water got low enough4 ,the crew and passengers might have to wait aboard until high water1 and a precious uncomfortable time they would pass ,i am certain4 ,when the flood tide made it might be a moot question whether the boat would float or fill with water4 ,the movable centerplate will always let you know when you get on a shoal1 and will in nearly all cases give you warning in time to avoid grounding1 which is always an unpleasant predicament and one entailing much labor4 ,then1 again1 the anchorages at which small boats can safely lie are generally pretty shallow at low water and the ballast-fin is found to be mighty inconvenient for such places4 ,illustration3 ,,sail ,,plan ,,of ,,fin-,,keel4 ,v4 ,,the ,,knockabout ,,classes4 ,the knockabouts1 which had their origin in ,boston1 have much to recommend them4 ,they are free from freakiness4 ,none of them at this time of writing have been fitted with fin-keels to harass their skippers when they come in contact with the ground4 ,they have a moderate sail area1 and thus are under control at all times4 ,in a blow one is as safe aboard one of these craft as a converted ,chinaman under the lee of his fair ,sunday-school teacher at church-time4 ,the variety in vogue in ,boston in #ahig was limited to #ejj square feet of sail4 ,all were keel boats1 #ba feet being the limit of length on the load water-line4 ,this class gained popularity from the intrinsic excellence of the boats themselves1 combining capital cruising qualities with fair speed and good accommodations4 ,several designers competed1 the restrictions governing their construction1 dimensions1 and sail area being such that the boats were very even in speed1 and the contests in which they took part were keen1 close1 and exciting4 ,illustration3 ,,seawanhaka #ba-;,,foot ,,knockabout4 ,the type of knockabout chosen for the season of #ahih by the ,seawanhaka ,corinthian ,yacht ,club and the ,westchester ,country ,club has proved to be quite admirably adapted for cruising and racing4 ,they were designed and built by ,mr4 ,w4 ,b4 ,stearns1 of ,marblehead1 their dimensions being3 ,length over all1 #cc feet2 on the load water-line1 #ba feet2 beam1 #g feet #h inches2 draught1 #d feet2 with board down1 #g feet4 ,the area of the mainsail and jib contains #eej square feet4 ,the centerboard is a small one of iron1 and houses below the cabin floor4 ,the trunk cabin is #h feet long1 with #e feet head-room4 ,the price of these boats was #gej complete1 and1 their construction being sound and strong1 they will1 if taken care of properly1 be good for many years4 ,it is impossible to speak in terms too high of this class after a surfeit of the racing machines and freaks like the #bj-;footers whose alarming antics so often amused and amazed us whenever they happened to meet in a reefing breeze4 ,another good property they possess is that they look like boats when hauled up on the beach1 and can never be mistaken when their masts are unstepped for pig-troughs or fish floats4 ,there is no doubt of the seaworthiness of these craft4 ,they are perfectly safe in a northwest squall off ,sandy ,hook or in a dirty easterly gale on ,long ,island ,sound4 ,illustration3 ,,seawanhaka ,,knockabout4 ,another craft of this type which was deservedly popular last year is of larger size than the one described above4 ,she is #be feet on the load water-line1 #ch feet over all1 with a beam of #h feet #f inches1 and #e feet draught with centerboard up4 ,the boat1 which was designed by ,mr4 ,b4 ,b4 ,crowninshield1 of ,boston1 has a commodious cabin with six feet head-room1 a seven-foot cockpit1 and #hjj square feet of duck in mainsail and jib4 ,a very able and roomy boat nearly twice as costly as the ,stearns craft1 but indeed quite a little ship4 ,illustration3 ,,sail-,,plan ,,of ,,seawanhaka ,,knockabout--#eej ,,square ,,feet4 ,personally ,i favor a short bowsprit in a knockabout1 it being convenient for hoisting the anchor1 keeping it clear of the hull1 and preventing unseemly dents from the flukes4 ,i fear that knockabouts1 or raceabouts1 even in restricted classes1 are destined eventually to be fitted with fin-keels4 ,as a speed-inducing factor the fin has fully demonstrated its capacity since the first edition of this little book appeared4 ,i have not1 however1 altered my opinion one iota since my remarks on the ballast-fin made in the chapter which precedes this4 ,in my judgment the fin is admirably adapted as an adjunct to a racing machine1 but for cruising craft ,i like it not4 ,brand me as an old fogy1 if you will2 half a century behind the times1 if it so pleases you1 shipmates1 but give me credit for sincerity4 ,the keen sense of rivalry inherent in every ,american will not permit him to be content with a good1 honest sailing boat for cruising purposes only4 ,if one of his chums comes out with a faster craft1 whether a fin-keel or a modification thereof1 he will become dissatisfied with his own boat1 no matter how seaworthy and comfortable she may be1 and will promptly discard her for a new-fangled design in which speed is the principal characteristic4 ,the so-called restricted classes1 which are so popular just now1 are1 ,i think1 sure in the end to become purely racing classes1 something after the fashion of the ,herreshoff #cj-;footers now so fashionable in ,newport4 ,as racing boats1 none afford more sport than these wonderfully smart flyers1 and ,i can well understand what fascinating toys they have proved to their owners4 ,but1 after all1 they are only toys1 vastly expensive1 too1 with no accommodations for cruising and apt to be uncomfortably wet in a breeze4 ,the one-design classes of small yachts are not confined to knockabouts only4 ,cruising schooners1 designed by ,cary ,smith1 made their appearance in #ahih1 and the class1 from a modest beginning1 seems likely to grow4 ,the features of the boats are their sound and wholesome characteristics4 ,they possess moderate draught1 large accommodations1 and strength of construction4 ,they are #fd feet #b inches over all1 #df feet long on the load water-line1 #af feet beam1 draught without board #f feet #f inches1 least freeboard #c feet4 ,a rather low cabin trunk gives full head-room for the greater part of the yacht's length1 the main saloon being more than #ac feet long with a floor width of #f feet #i inches4 ,on each side are two berths and two sofas with drawers beneath4 ,there is accommodation in the forecastle for four men4 ,the yachts carry #bj1jjj pounds of lead ballast1 of which #ah1jjj pounds is on keel4 ,another one-design division is the ,riverside ,yacht ,club dory class1 which has been adopted by many of the clubs enrolled in the ,yacht-,racing ,union of ,long ,island ,sound4 ,these boats are thirteen feet on the keel1 seventeen feet over all1 with four feet beam1 fitted with a centerboard and rigged with a small jib and a leg-of-mutton sail4 ,they are for single-handed racing1 but for pleasure cruising or fishing a man can take his chum along4 ,fully equipped with oars1 sails1 etc41 they cost about forty dollars1 and afford capital sport on fine afternoons4 ,to encourage this little class1 prizes worth winning are offered by the club1 and sweepstake races are popular features4 ,the idea was probably taken from the ,nahant ,dory ,club1 organized in #ahid1 which did much to encourage sport in this serviceable and inexpensive class4 ,spectators will find amusement in watching green hands in their maiden efforts at sailing these dories1 as strange and startling results often follow the rash experiments of an adventurous tyro4 ,but apart from the comic element1 valuable lessons in yacht-racing may be learned by steering and manuvring a dory against a fleet of half-a-dozen eager competitors4 ,thus1 yachtsmen cannot help approving this new ,riverside venture1 originated1 ,i believe1 by ,mr4 ,f4 ,bowne ,jones1 of the ,regatta ,committee4 ,the origin of the one-design class was ,dublin ,bay1 where the ,water ,wag type was first evolved4 ,a ,norwegian praam with a boiler-plate centerboard1 combining ballast and lateral resistance1 and carrying a big sail1 was built in #ahgh at ,shankhill4 ,she was christened ,cemiostama and proved an ideal boat4 ,the conditions were a sloping sandy shore on which the high surf not infrequently broke1 and from which the craft had to be launched every time her owner wanted a sail1 and onto which she had to be beached after the cruise was finished4 ,cemiostama was a capital sea-boat2 she pointed well1 hit what she aimed at1 did not sag off to leeward1 and was quite fast4 ,when the centerboard1 weighing about one hundred pounds1 was raised she ran up easily on the beach1 resting quietly on her flat bottom4 ,her centerboard was then lifted out1 and her crew of two hauled her up4 ,the knowing ,irish yachtsmen1 appreciating a good thing1 saw that there was a lot of fun in a boat of this class1 and several were built1 and many scrub races were indulged in4 ,in #ahhg the ,water ,wag ,association was started1 the craft being built on the same lines and the sail-area being limited4 ,their dimensions were thirteen feet in length1 with a beam of four feet ten inches1 full lines and a flat floor4 ,the ,water ,wags are presided over by a king and a queen1 bishop1 knights and rooks2 and although the boats were at first used principally for pleasure1 they are now racers pure and simple4 ,their headquarters are now in ,kingstown ,harbor1 and prizes are put up for them at all the local regattas4 ,they are very handy1 too1 and quite admirable for the purpose for which they were designed4 ,they cost from #ge to #ajj1 and the rules that govern their races provide that they shall be similar in every respect except sail-plan4 ,the mast must not exceed thirteen feet over all1 measured from top of keel to truck2 the fore and aft sails must not exceed seventy-five square feet in area1 and the spinnaker 7which is to be used only before the wind and never as a jib7 must not exceed sixty square feet4 ,each boat shall carry no less than two or more than three persons in a race1 all of whom shall be amateurs4 ,a member or a lady may steer4 ,no prize shall be awarded a boat for a sail-over1 but she may fly a winning flag therefor4 ,a pair of oars and a life-buoy must be carried in every race4 ,it is only right to mention that these sailing regulations are vigorously enforced4 ,the latest one-design class established by our rollicking ,irish cousins is known as the #be-;footers of the ,dublin ,bay ,sailing ,club4 ,these craft are of such noteworthy type as to deserve a few lines of description and approval here1 especially as it was wisely decided that the type shall not be altered for five years from ,january #a1 #ahih4 ,the boats1 of which quite a number were built and raced1 are deep-keeled cutters of the following dimensions3 ,length over all1 #cg feet #c inches2 length on load water-line1 #be feet2 beam1 #h feet #h inches2 draught1 #f feet #c inches2 lead on keel1 #c tons #e cwt41 and sail area1 #hde square feet1 divided into a mainsail laced to the boom1 gafftopsail1 foresail and jib4 ,a second jib1 jibtopsail1 balloon foresail1 spinnaker1 storm jib and trysail may also be carried4 ,the design1 made by ,will ,fife1 ,jr41 of ,fairlie1 is handsome1 the type being eminently adapted for ,dublin ,bay4 ,restrictions of the strictest kind ensure the boats being exactly alike in size1 material1 construction and canvas4 ,the ,mermaids1 a craft much used by the ,b division of the same club1 are large ,water ,wags1 #ah feet long1 with #f feet beam1 fitted with centerboards1 but carrying no ballast1 and limited when racing to #ahj square feet of sail4 ,these are vastly popular1 and a dozen or so race every ,saturday afternoon during the season4 ,although one-design racing originated on the other side of the ,atlantic1 it is questionable if any one class has been sailed with more spirit or persistency than were the ,herreshoff #cj-;footers at ,newport during the yachting season of #ahig and since4 ,that the classes are destined to prosper there is no doubt1 the only condition being that the type must be carefully adapted to the location for which it is intended1 and the more it is available for fishing excursions and pleasure trips the greater favor will attend it4 ,another helpful feature is the substantial economic gain from the construction of several boats by the same builder from the same design4 ,,vi4 ,,keep ,,your ,,weather ,,eye ,,open4 ,the sailer of a boat1 little or big1 should keep his weather eye open all the time4 ,when sailing in a river where the banks are of irregular height he should be especially on his guard1 because puffs of considerable violence frequently come with little or no warning4 ,a few inches of sheet eased off1 and a gentle luff not quite sufficient to spill the sail1 will generally prevent the shipping of water over the lee gunwale1 and a possible capsize4 ,thus the mainsheet should never be made fast permanently1 and should always be coiled so as to be clear for running4 ,a neglect of either of these precautions has often been attended with fatal results4 ,if by any mischance the mainsheet becomes jammed do not hesitate1 but cut it4 ,a sharp knife in such an emergency has often saved life when an upset has seemed inevitable through the boat being nearly on her beam ends4 ,if you are sailing in a jib and mainsail craft1 and the squall has a good deal of weight in it1 let fly the jib sheet and let the boat come up in the wind1 at the same time lowering away the mainsail and taking care to spill it as it comes down4 ,a reef should then be taken in1 and the boat be filled away on her course4 ,while sailing anywhere in the vicinity of ,new ,york1 and when one of those heavy thunder-squalls that are so frequent in the summer time is seen rising in the northwest1 waste no time4 ,if not in too deep water1 anchor at once and stow your sails snugly4 ,you can then ride out the fury of the squall in perfect safety2 that is1 if your ground tackle is sufficiently strong4 ,if your cable parts and you are on a lee shore and there is a harbor to run for1 scud for it under bare poles or with a fragment of sail set4 ,if there is no refuge under your lee1 set as much sail as your boat can safely carry and thresh her off shore4 ,the chances are that you will be successful1 because these squalls while often very dangerous seldom last long1 and are generally followed by a flat calm which is more exasperating than a blow4 ,we will take it for granted1 however1 that your anchor and chain are of the correct strength and quality1 and that you bring up before the squall strikes you4 ,if you have time it would be well to close-reef your mainsail before furling it1 and then you would be prepared for any emergency4 ,but let me impress upon all who are in charge of boats with women and children aboard1 that it is their duty1 when one of those peril-fraught thunder-squalls is seen approaching1 to dowse every stitch of sail at once and let go the anchor4 ,there is a wide gulf between bravado and bravery1 and no truly courageous man would imperil the lives of anyone1 especially of helpless women and children4 ,the rash carrying on of canvas has been responsible for more loss of life on the water than any other cause4 ,it is a seaman who shortens sail in time1 but a lubber who cracks on till all's blue4 ,great caution is necessary when passing under the lee of a vessel at anchor or under way1 especially in a fresh breeze4 ,your boat is sure to get becalmed and may possibly nearly lose her way1 so that as she draws clear of the object the full force of the breeze will strike her when she has scarcely steerage way on4 ,the result may be a complete knockdown or even a capsize4 ,therefore have your mainsheet clear for running1 and do not hesitate to let it fly in a hurry before your little vessel's gunwale is anywhere near the water4 ,by all means endeavor to keep clear of vessels at anchor4 ,do not try to get in the wash of steamboats1 as some foolhardy persons do1 just for fun4 ,on the contrary take special pains to avoid them4 ,when you must encounter their wash1 which in the case of large and fast steamers is heavy and dangerous1 do your best to let your boat take the brunt of the waves on the bluff of the bow4 ,if they strike her broadside on1 swamping is a possibility not far remote4 ,in sailing a boat in rough water the greatest precaution is necessary4 ,a craft that in smooth water could safely carry all sail1 might when the sea is perturbed be forced to stagger along under double reefs1 the force of the wind being the same in both instances4 ,especially is this the case when the wind and sea are both abeam1 the former strong and the latter heavy4 ,this is probably the most dangerous point of sailing there is1 and requires the most careful touch of the tiller4 ,a boat heeled over to fifteen degrees by the force of the wind1 by the joint influence of a sudden puff and a heavy roll to leeward may be inclined to such an angle that a capsize is inevitable4 ,when there seems to be any danger of this mishap occurring the helmsman must not close his eyes to keep them warm4 ,when he sees a larger wave than usual coming along he should put his helm up a little1 so that it may strike the boat abaft the beam and so reduce the danger to a minimum4 ,the judicious application of weather helm in a beam sea has saved many a big ship's deck from being swept1 and many a small boat from being capsized4 ,it is in my judgment rash to sail a small boat under these conditions unless it is imperative1 such as when a harbor is being entered1 or when the boat's course must necessarily be steered with wind and sea abeam4 ,i should strongly advise the hauling of the boat on a wind until she reaches the point where her sheets may be eased off and she can be headed for her destination with wind and sea on the quarter4 ,a boat with any pretensions at all can be sailed close-hauled in rough water with safety if certain elementary precautions are observed4 ,everybody on board except the helmsman should sit amidships in the bottom of the boat1 so as to keep the weight as low as possible and the craft herself in her natural trim4 ,no unusual weight is wanted in the bow of the vessel1 which should lift in a prompt and lively manner to each sea4 ,in an open boat and a nasty sea no more sail should be carried than will keep her under proper command4 ,a great deal depends upon the nerve and skill of the man at the tiller4 ,keep her moving all the time4 ,if a big wave threatens to come aboard over the weather bow1 luff smartly into it and meet it as nearly end on as possible4 ,then up with the helm at once and fill on her again1 repeating the process as often as it may be needful4 ,never let the lee gunwale get under water in a seaway1 nor at any other time1 but always luff before it is too late1 and help her to come up in the wind if necessary by easing away the jib sheet4 ,if the wind keeps increasing and the sea rising1 haul down the headsail and pass a gasket round it1 close-reef your mainsail1 previously seeing your sea anchor clear for letting go4 ,if you have no sea anchor with you1 rig some sort of a raft with oars1 boathook and sails1 the latter lashed securely to the spars4 ,make a line fast to this raft and pay out about twenty fathoms and let the boat ride to it as to an anchor4 ,it is surprising what a good effect this contrivance has in breaking the waves and keeping the boat head to sea4 ,nothing else can now be done until the gale moderates sufficiently for sail to be made and the boat headed for her destination4 ,it may be consolatory to those aboard a craft in such a contingency to buoy themselves up by remembering that some of the heaviest gales known have been safely ridden out in cockleshell boats without any damage to crew1 hull or gear4 ,illustration3 ,,drogue1 ,,or ,,sea ,,anchor4 ,the sea anchor consists of a hinge-jointed galvanized ring about three feet in diameter4 ,a conical bag made of stout canvas is sewed to the ring and roped1 as shown in sketch4 ,a bridle is fitted to the ring1 to which the riding hawser is bent4 ,a cork buoy prevents the anchor from diving4 ,when thrown overboard the mouth of the anchor opens and fills4 ,to hoist the anchor on board1 the tripping line1 shown in diagram1 is hauled on4 ,when not in use the ring is folded together by the joints1 and the bag is made fast snugly round it4 ,illustration3 ,,diagram ,,of ,,floating ,,anchor4 ,another plan for making a floating anchor is shown below4 ,k1 ,m1 ,n1 ,o1 are the ends of two iron bars formed into a cross and connected by a stout bolt1 nut and pin at their intersection1 ,s4 ,at each end of the bars is an eye through which a strong rope is rove1 hauled taut1 and well secured4 ,thus a square is formed1 and over the square a piece of strong canvas is laced to the roping4 ,four ropes are made fast to the iron bars1 forming a bridle4 ,to this the riding hawser is made fast4 ,to prevent the anchor from sinking1 a buoy1 ,b1 is made fast to one corner by a rope1 with five or six fathoms of drift4 ,the buoy rope1 ,p1 leads on board4 ,h is the hawser to which the boat is riding1 ,a is the anchor1 and ,b the buoy4 ,to get the anchor aboard haul in on the line1 ,p4 ,this will cause the anchor to cant edgewise1 and it can then be easily hauled in4 ,illustration3 ,,floating ,,anchor ,,in ,,use4 ,in scudding before a strong wind and a heavy sea in a small craft1 a trysail is always preferable to a sail with a boom1 which may effect much mischief by trailing in the water or suddenly gybing4 ,the helmsman must be always on the alert to prevent the boat from broaching to1 which means flying up in the wind2 or from being brought by the lee1 which means running off so as to bring the wind on the other quarter4 ,a long1 narrow boat will always run before the wind better than a short1 beamy craft1 as she is better adapted for taking the seas1 and she also steers easier1 not yawing about so much or turning round every few minutes to take a look at her wake4 ,the inexperienced boat sailer should bear in mind that scudding in a seaway is ticklish work1 and is not unlikely to be attended with peril4 ,if you have no trysail1 reef the mainsail and lower the peak4 ,hoist on the weather topping lift so as to keep the boom as high as possible out of the water4 ,by no means run a boat before the wind until it blows too hard and the sea is too high to heave to with safety4 ,if the breeze seems likely to pipe up1 make up your mind immediately4 ,delay is dangerous4 ,have your sea anchor ready4 ,watch for a smooth4 ,when it comes put your helm down smartly1 trimming in the mainsheet4 ,when she gets the wind on the bow1 heave your sea anchor overboard and ride to it either with the mainsail set or lowered1 as may be deemed best4 ,if you happen to be on a lee shore1 with the surf breaking high on the beach1 and you cannot claw off1 do not wait until it is too late and your boat is in the breakers4 ,let go the anchor1 and if it holds try to ride out the storm4 ,if your ground tackle gives way1 do your best to set the mainsail and steer boldly for the shore4 ,the faster you go the better chance you have to be carried high and dry4 ,remember that this will give you a fighting chance for your life1 whereas if your boat gets broadside on in the breakers she will most likely roll over and over and in all probability drown you and your crew4 ,it may be thought preposterous for me to advocate the use of oil to break the force of curling wave-crests when a small craft is riding to a raft or sea anchor4 ,most people would naturally suppose that a boat could not carry enough oil aboard her for it to have any beneficial effect in smoothing a turbulent sea4 ,nor could it if it was poured into the ocean out of its original package1 or out of bags with small holes punctured in their bottoms1 as some marine experts advise4 ,the proper way to apply oil is to fill a round bottomed canvas bag1 about two feet long and eight inches in diameter1 three parts full of oakum or cotton waste4 ,do not pack too tightly4 ,pour into this as much fish or animal oil as the oakum or waste will suck up4 ,sew the mouth up tightly with palm and needle4 ,secure a lanyard to it4 ,make a few holes in its sides with a marlinespike and hang it over the lee bow1 and you will be surprised at the result4 ,the seas1 instead of breaking over the boat and threatening to swamp her1 will become comparatively smooth as soon as they approach the limits of the film of the oil as it oozes slowly out of the bag4 ,when running over a harbor bar where the sea is breaking badly1 a couple of these bags suspended from either bow will prevent the waves from pooping the little craft and help her materially in her struggle for existence4 ,mineral oil will do if no other is available1 and a gallon of it will go a long way if used in the manner mentioned above4 ,these bags should be carried all ready for use when cruising1 so that all you will have to do is to pour the oil in1 sew up the mouths and hang them over the bows by the lanyards4 ,a ship's boat with a dozen men aboard once safely weathered an ,atlantic gale by riding to a couple of buckets and a cork fender saturated with kerosene4 ,pouring oil on troubled waters is by no means a case of bluff or the dream of an opium smoker1 but a capital wrinkle by means of which many a good man has been saved from ,davy ,jones' yawning locker4 ,i trust that these little bags will form part of the outfit of all going on long cruises4 ,they may serve as pillows or may be made in the shape of cushions1 so long as the above general idea is followed4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,boston ,,knockabout ,,gosling4 ,as a striking instance of the value of oil in a heavy gale ,i will quote the case of the ,british ship ,slivemore1 which took fire in ,june1 #ahhe1 while in the ,indian ,ocean about eight hundred miles northeastward of the ,seychelle ,islands4 ,the ship was abandoned and the boats steered for the islands4 ,capt4 ,conly1 of the ,slivemore1 gave orders that each boat should take aboard two cans of paint oil for use in bad weather1 and he also instructed the officer in command of each boat in the use of the oil4 ,three days after the ship was left the boats encountered a cyclone4 ,drags made from spars1 oars and sails lashed together were rigged1 and to these improvised sea anchors the frail craft rode securely4 ,stockings filled with oakum saturated with the oil were hung over the bows of the boats and formed an oil-slick of considerable expanse4 ,before the stockings were hung out the boats narrowly escaped being swamped and the men had to bail hard with buckets4 ,the oil prevented the seas from breaking and the boats rode over the enormous waves in safety4 ,little water was shipped1 and those on board the boats were able to lie down and sleep while a tropical cyclone was raging furiously4 ,all the boats reached the islands in safety without the loss of a man1 but had it not been for the oil the loss of the ,slivemore would have remained an untold mystery of the ocean4 ,a still more wonderful example of the efficacy of oil is told by the captain of the ship ,martha ,cobb1 and it relates to the achievement of a sixteen-foot dinghy4 ,in ,december1 #ahhf1 the ,martha ,cobb1 petroleum laden1 encountered a heavy gale in the ,north ,atlantic4 ,she shipped some tremendous seas which swept away all her large boats1 washed away her bulwarks and played havoc generally with her decks4 ,the only boat that was left uninjured was the aforesaid sixteen-foot dinghy1 intended solely for smooth water work4 ,while laboring and plunging in the mountainous sea1 the ,martha ,cobb fell in with a sinking vessel flying signals of distress to the effect that the water was fast gaining on her and that all her boats were stove in4 ,the captain of the ,martha ,cobb determined to stand by the vessel in distress1 in the hope that the gale would abate4 ,he knew that his little cockleshell of a dinghy could not possibly live in such weather1 and that it would be suicidal to lower her and attempt a rescue4 ,after standing by till near nightfall with no prospect of the storm moderating1 the commander of the ,martha ,cobb determined to make an effort to save the crew of the fast foundering craft4 ,the ,martha ,cobb's petroleum was in casks1 some of which leaked4 ,the captain had noticed that when the pumps were being worked the sea in the wake of his ship was always much smoother4 ,he got the ,martha ,cobb to windward of the wreck and started the pumps1 in the hope that the oil in the well and bilges would create a smooth when it reached the sea1 so that the dinghy could be lowered in safety4 ,he found1 however1 that the ships drifted faster than the oil1 so that while the sea to windward was comparatively smooth the water to leeward was rough as ever4 ,so he kept his ship away1 ran down under the vessel's stern and luffed up under her lee4 ,then he started the pumps and also allowed a five-gallon can of fish oil to trickle into the water through the scuppers4 ,the effect was almost miraculous4 ,in less than half-an-hour the crested surges and breaking combers were converted into long heavy swells such as you see when a calm has succeeded a heavy gale4 ,the little dinghy was lowered1 and manned by three men was pulled to windward alongside the wreck with little difficulty4 ,all hands were rescued1 and the tiny boat1 while engaged in the gallant work1 shipped no water4 ,all this time the waves were breaking furiously outside the magic limit of the oil-slick4 ,one more illustration and ,i am done4 ,capt4 ,amlot1 of the steamer ,barrowmore1 on ,january twenty-fourth1 #ahhe1 while in #ea degrees north latitude and #ba degrees west longitude1 fell in with the sinking ship ,kirkwood4 ,this ship had for part of her cargo several hundred casks of canned salmon4 ,in order to make a smooth and allow the boat of the ,barrowmore to come alongside in safety1 the crew of the ,kirkwood broached a number of the cases1 and opening the cans poured the oil from them into the sea4 ,this had the desired result1 and although the sea was very heavy the oil reduced it rapidly1 and the boat of the ,barrowmore had no difficulty in taking off the twenty-six men that composed the ship's company of the ,kirkwood4 ,two quarts of oil used per hour will produce effective results4 ,a ship scudding before the wind1 with a mountainous sea running and threatening to poop her1 has expended this amount and kept dry4 ,experts have calculated that this quantity of oil has covered the sea with an infinitesimal film measuring thirty feet in width and ten nautical miles in length4 ,as the thickness of this film is only 4#jjjjjdg of an inch1 its efficacy is indeed marvelous4 ,a simple and excellent device for distributing oil has been invented by ,capt4 ,townsend1 of the ,united ,states ,signal ,office4 ,it is cheap and convenient1 and is especially adapted for use in boats or small yachts4 ,it has been thus described3 ,it consists of a hollow metal globe ten inches in diameter1 with a capacity of about one and a-half gallons of oil4 ,it has an air chamber separated by a partition to keep it afloat in a certain position1 and there are two valves4 ,when filled with oil the upper valve is adjusted to allow oil to flow out at any desired rate1 while the lower valve admits water4 ,when placed in the sea it floats with the upper valve a little above the surface1 and water will enter to displace the oil from the graduated upper valve4 ,the specific gravity of oil will keep it in the upper part of the distributor1 and the motion of the globe on the breaking waves or swell will insure the ejection of the oil through the graduated valve in any quantity4 ,illustration3 ,,oil ,,distributor4 ,this may be used by towing over the bow when running1 or made fast to a sea anchor when hove to4 ,people inclined to be skeptical are1 of course1 at liberty to doubt the efficacy of oil to lessen the dangerous effect of heavy seas1 but the examples ,i have quoted are simply a few culled from several hundred well authenticated cases4 ,illustration3 ,,plan ,,of ,,oil ,,distributor4 ,the lesson learned from the ,shipwash lightship ever so many years ago1 has not been without profit and benefit to naval architects4 ,let me spin you the yarn4 ,the ,shipwash lightship is moored in one of the most exposed places on the east coast of ,england1 and is thus continually encountering particularly heavy seas4 ,it came to pass that the old lightship was replaced by a new and scientific vessel4 ,the new-fangled craft was1 however1 so remarkably unsteady and rolled so heavily that to the storm-tossed mariner beating up the coast her light appeared to be of crescent shape4 ,her crew got scared4 ,they were afraid she would turn turtle4 ,a surveyor from the ,trinity ,house was sent aboard1 and he made a report which was submitted to her designer1 who eventually said the fault complained of could be easily remedied by the addition of extra ballast4 ,accordingly this was done1 and the next gale she rode out her rolling was worse than ever1 and produced quite a panic among her crew1 who were afraid to go below while the storm lasted4 ,another report was made to headquarters4 ,other students of naval architecture were consulted1 who not only advised that the extra ballast be taken out1 but that four tons of lead be attached to the frame or cage supporting the light4 ,these instructions were carried out1 and the result was the steadiest lightship on the east coast4 ,a vessel will carry herself full of coal and behave herself in heavy weather4 ,but when she comes to be laden with copper ore or lead1 a certain amount of ingenuity has to be used in the storage of such heavy cargo to make her seaworthy at all4 ,if it were all stowed in the bottom of the vessel she would roll so heavily in a seaway as to get dismasted1 and would probably become a total wreck4 ,it is now that the experienced art of the stevedore comes in4 ,the man who follows the proper authorities would construct a bin or compartment in which to stow this dangerous freight thus3 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #a ,the result would be highly satisfactory4 ,the vessel's center of gravity would be the same as though she were laden with coal1 and her movements in a seaway would therefore be quite as easy4 ,another man might construct his compartment thus3 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #b ,the vessel in this case would labor quite heavily on the slightest provocation and would not be so steady or so seaworthy as the one first mentioned1 with the narrow bin or compartment extending to the upper deck4 ,the same remarks apply to the ballasting of yachts4 ,before the days of outside lead1 when pleasure craft shifted their racing for a cruising rig preparatory to a deep-water voyage1 it was customary to raise the inside lead ballast by placing layers of cork beneath it1 thus ensuring easy movements in a seaway4 ,racing yachts nowadays have all their weight outside1 and this device for their relief cannot therefore be resorted to4 ,when crossing the ,atlantic1 say for a race for the ,america's ,cup1 they are always in danger of getting caught in a gale of wind and an accompanying mountainous sea4 ,in order to prevent excessive rolling1 which might endanger the mast and consequently the vessel herself1 it is necessary to keep a press of sail set4 ,for this purpose a trysail with plenty of hoist to it is indispensable4 ,it should not be one of those jib-headed impostors that some racing skippers most unaccountably affect1 but one with a good long gaff that will successfully prevent the otherwise inevitable and peril-fraught roll to windward4 ,a yacht under these circumstances1 it is true1 cannot carry a great press of canvas when on the top of one of those big rollers that a gale soon kicks up in the ,atlantic4 ,but she wants as much of her sail area as possible exposed to the gale when she is in the hollow of the wave4 ,otherwise there will not be sufficient pressure to prevent her from rolling to windward4 ,rolling to windward--easy enough to write1 you may think--but every sailor knows what may follow4 ,green seas fore and aft1 mast sprung1 men washed overboard2 and if the gale does not abate1 why1 ,davy ,jones' locker for all hands and the cook6 ,the storm trysail must necessarily be a sheet-footed sail set over the furled mainsail4 ,it is a sail comparatively narrow at the foot1 but it should for obvious reasons be made as broad as possible at the head1 in proper proportion of course to the breadth of the foot4 ,it need not have quite as much hoist as the mainsail1 for the throat halyards at such a time must have a good drift1 while to keep the sail inboard the peak should be quite extreme4 ,it follows1 therefore1 that although the rollers may be high the peak of the trysail is above them1 and the yacht is kept jogging along steadily without any sudden and violent shocks or strains to spar or rigging4 ,the following rough sketches will1 ,i think1 serve to demonstrate the superiority of the gaff-headed trysail over that abortion1 the thimble-headed variety1 which ,i do not hesitate to condemn as useless for a modern yacht ballasted with outside lead in a seaway4 ,illustration ,no4 #a shows vessel with gaffheaded sail on the crest of a wave4 ,she drops down into the hollow of the wave and becomes ,no4 #b4 ,the shaded part of the sail catches the wind over the crests of the waves1 and the area so exposed is sufficient to steady the vessel and give her a safe heel or list4 ,illustration ,now ,i wish to call your attention to ,no4 #c4 ,she has enough sail spread when on the crest of a wave4 ,but observe her when in the hollow4 ,she has scarcely a stitch of sail above the level of the crest4 ,the consequence is that her weight being so low down1 and her form having so much stability1 she swings with a violent roll to windward and her mast is thereby imperilled4 ,this is the result of not having the requisite amount of pressure at the head of the sail4 ,the commanders of square-rigged vessels always bear this in mind4 ,they heave to under a close-reefed maintopsail1 never under a lower course1 and the ship when in the trough of the sea has enough sail exposed to keep her steady4 ,the smart schooners that used to ply between ,st4 ,michaels and ,london in the fruit trade1 and that were bound to make smart passages or lose money1 were always fitted with gaffheaded trysails1 and found them most efficacious in beating to windward in strong gales4 ,their sturdy skippers would have looked with contempt and ridicule upon any person so fatuous as to recommend a jibheaded trysail4 ,and they were skilled sailors of fore-and-aft rigged craft1 and were well acquainted with that stretch of the wild ,atlantic between the ,lizard and the ,azores4 ,these vessels used to beat up the ,english ,channel in the teeth of an easterly gale and fight their way homeward inch by inch1 and ,i consider the practical experience of their captains as far more reliable than the theoretical vagaries of men who were never out of soundings in a small craft4 ,what is true of comparatively large yachts in an ,atlantic gale applies equally to the small cruiser4 ,the theory is precisely the same1 and in ordering a storm trysail from his sailmaker the aspiring owner of a smart1 seaworthy cruiser might well be guided by the few hints given above4 ,a gaffheaded trysail is just what he wants to steady his boat when hove to1 and to counteract that tendency toward rolling that outside lead always has on the hull of a boat in a seaway4 ,when coming to anchor at any other time than low water1 do not forget to allow for the fall of the tide4 ,for instance1 if you bring up in #aj feet of water when the tide is high1 in a boat drawing1 say #e feet1 and the range of rise and fall is also #e feet1 at low water your vessel would be aground and perhaps under untoward circumstances in danger of damage or even total loss4 ,this hint is worth remembering in many parts of the world1 especially in some parts of the ,bay of ,fundy1 where there is a range of no less than #ej feet6 ,soundings on the chart denote the depth at mean low water4 ,illustration ,,vii4 ,,overhauling ,,the ,,yacht4 ,no matter how small a craft the yachtsman owns she will1 after a winter's lay-up1 require a good deal of attention before she is fit for the water2 and there is no reason why a keen yachtsman who owns a tidy little craft should not fit her out himself in his spare time4 ,in fact1 ,i am acquainted with many boat-owners who find nearly as much delight in getting their own vessels into proper fettle for the season's sport as they do in navigating them4 ,there is much to be said in favor of this enterprise4 ,the principal argument is that a man overhauling the hull of the boat which belongs to him will not be at all likely to scamp the work4 ,on the contrary1 it is to his interest to do the job thoroughly while he is about it1 for he is improving his own property2 whereas if he employs a mechanic to do it by piece work1 or by the day1 the task may be performed in a manner more or less perfunctory1 or at any rate without the attention to minor details which the actual proprietor would be expected to bring to the task4 ,i would not counsel a man to attempt repairs which call for the skilled shipwright or boat-builder4 ,the result would in all probability be a lamentable failure1 and in the end a mechanic would have to be called in4 ,but the work of cleaning1 painting and varnishing a hull intrinsically sound may be accomplished by the man or boy of average intelligence and industry4 ,what is true about a hull is still more so of her rig4 ,when ,i first went to sea on a deep-water voyage1 as soon as the ship was out of soundings the crew's first duty was to undo the work of the professional rigger1 stay the masts anew by shrouds and backstays1 and replace the hurried botch-work of knots and splices by seamanlike and shipshape work4 ,anything in the shape of a boat may be made water-tight1 no matter how leaky she may be1 if treated with careful ingenuity4 ,i would be the last man to suggest patching and puttying up a ramshackle craft whose frames and planking are rotten4 ,supposing1 however1 that the hull is fairly sound1 but through exposure to the hot sun her planks are cracked in sundry places1 and that in fact she leaks like a sieve1 there is no reason why she should be condemned4 ,there is a lot of good fun to be got out of a craft of this kind1 if the proper repairs are made4 ,if put in the hands of a professional boat-builder the cost would be very high1 even if he could be induced to undertake the work4 ,here1 then1 is where a handy man or boy has a capital opportunity to try his hand as a craftsman4 ,i repaired an old #ah foot boat in my younger days1 when money was scarce and ,i had the alternative of giving up my pet diversion of sailing or making the ancient bucket tight4 ,this is how ,i went about it4 ,the craft in question was hauled out on the shore above high-water mark4 ,she had been abandoned by her rightful owner1 who had moved inland and left her to the tender mercies of the sun in summer and the snow in winter4 ,for sixteen months she lay on the beach neglected4 ,every day ,i cast covetous eyes on her4 ,i will make a clean breast of it now in my old age and confess that ,i had contemplated stealing her4 ,that sin was1 however1 spared me1 as ,i found her owner's address and wrote1 asking if he would sell her4 ,he replied that he would give her to me and welcome1 and thus made me the happiest youth in the land4 ,the boat was originally a first-class little lap-streaker of good model1 built of teak throughout and copper-fastened2 but there were many cracks in her planks and most of her fastenings were loose1 and in a general way she might be described as nail-sick all over4 ,with the help of a couple of chums ,i placed her on chocks and shored her up on an even keel1 supporting her well1 so that she should not suffer from any unequal strain when ,i filled her later on with water4 ,she was very dirty inside1 and ,i remember it took me the greater part of a day to thoroughly clean her with soap1 hot water and a scrubbing brush4 ,then ,i put the plug in and started to fill her up with water4 ,although ,i had plenty of help from the village boys1 who were never so joyous as when pottering about a boat1 it took a long time to fill her1 for the water poured out of her like the streams from a shower-bath4 ,but her dry and thirsty planks soon began to swell a little and the leaks to diminish4 ,i kept her as full of water as possible for two or three days1 marking with chalk every leak that appeared4 ,i may remark that the chocks on which her keel was raised were high enough for me to crawl completely under her bottom and get at every part of her4 ,her hull1 which originally had been varnished to show the grain of the natural wood1 was pretty well checkered with chalk-marks by the time ,i had finished4 ,then ,i let the water drain out of her1 and waited until she was dried thoroughly by wind and sun4 ,meanwhile ,i bought a lot of copper nails of the requisite length and rooves to match1 with the use of which ,i had become thoroughly familiar from watching the men in the boat-shop hard by4 ,then ,i began operations1 aided by an apprentice from the boat-builder's establishment whom ,i induced1 by the proffer of pocket money1 to turn out of his bed at dawn and lend me a hand till the clang of the bell summoned him to his daily toil4 ,we replaced all the rivets that had worked very loose with new ones of a larger size1 and drove an additional nail between every two originally driven4 ,the old nails1 which were only a little slack1 ,i hardened with a few taps of the hammer from the inside1 while ,toby1 the afore-mentioned apprentice1 held on against the heads of the nails with another hammer on the outside4 ,this was slow and tedious work1 but it paid in the long run1 for it made the boat almost as good as new1 her frames1 as ,i have already mentioned1 being in capital condition4 ,my next operation was to borrow a pitch-kettle from the boat shop and to put in it a pound of pitch and a gallon of ,north ,carolina tar4 ,kindling a fire under it ,i let it boil until the pitch had melted1 stirring it constantly4 ,this mixture ,i applied boiling hot to the inside of the boat with a paint-brush1 filling every crevice and ledge up to the level of the underside of the thwarts4 ,it was astonishing what a quantity of this composition the planks absorbed4 ,i put only half a ladleful of the tar into my paint-pot at a time1 so that it should not stand long enough to cool1 replenishing every few minutes from the boiling kettle4 ,tar when at the boiling point is comparatively thin1 and has superior penetrative qualities1 so it can be worked with the point of the brush into every crevice1 no matter how minute4 ,when it hardens it forms a water-tight seam which possesses1 from the nature of its ingredients1 a certain amount of elasticity4 ,there were a number of sun-cracks in the planking1 which ,i filled with fish glue1 run in hot from the outside4 ,this composition dries very hard and does not crack4 ,my next task was to sandpaper the outside1 smoothing the very rough places with pumice-stone after wetting them well4 ,i ached all over by the time this process was completed but ,i got her as smooth as glass4 ,then ,i gave her outside a couple of good coats of raw linseed oil applied on a hot day4 ,as a finish1 not caring to waste money on varnish1 ,i gave her a final coat of boiled linseed oil1 in which a generous lump of rosin had been melted4 ,this is the mixture used from time immemorial by the ,dutch on the bottoms and topsides of their galliots1 and it wears well and looks well1 resisting the action of both fresh and salt water4 ,i may say that this method of making my boat water-tight was economical and successful4 ,the example may be followed with similar results by anybody who owns a leaky lapstreak craft4 ,another method1 as practiced on a ,st4 ,lawrence skiff that was badly checked and rotten in places1 is thus described by a veteran boatman who made the successful experiment3 ,the boat was of lapstreak construction1 and many of the seams had opened4 ,i went entirely over the boat1 first closing the seams as much as possible by drawing together with clout-nails4 ,next1 where there were cracks through the #c_/af-;inch planking1 ,i cleaned the painted surface1 and where the paint had blistered ,i removed all of it by scraping4 ,when the surface was in proper condition ,i cut a strip of eight-ounce duck of a length and width to cover the crack 7generally #c_/d inch was wide enough7 and smeared one side1 by means of a stick1 with liquid glue4 ,the canvas was applied to the crack and pressed down1 and the glue-stick drawn over the raveled ends from the center outward1 to make them adhere closely to the boat4 ,then the canvas and surrounding wood were brushed over with enamel paint4 ,the painting must be done before the glue sets1 as otherwise the canvas is apt to warp4 ,open cracks #a_/h inch wide were covered in this manner1 and also cracks at the butts of the strakes4 ,after all of the cracks were treated ,i gave the boat two good coats of paint over all1 and the result was a comparatively smooth surface1 and one that was absolutely watertight4 ,the veteran very truly adds that an old boat repaired in this way will not stand any rough usage1 and the patches are not proof against being dragged over rocks1 or even a sand-beach2 but by a little labor a boat that is practically worthless may be so made serviceable for an indefinite time4 ,by either of the methods mentioned above a lapstreak boat may be made tight as a bottle4 ,a carvel-built craft--that is1 one with the planks flush1 edge and edge1 and the seams between calked and payed--may generally be made tight by recalking her with threads of cotton prepared for that purpose and sold by ship-chandlers1 driving the cotton well home with iron and mallet1 and afterward puttying up the seams4 ,care should be taken1 however1 not to put the cotton in too tight1 or drive it right through the seam4 ,serious damage has often been done to a boat in the way of increasing her leakiness by too hard calking4 ,or the boat's hull may be completely covered with light duck nailed on with copper tacks1 and afterward well painted4 ,this1 however1 is rather difficult for a greenhorn to accomplish so as to make a neat fit of it2 but ,i have seen several boats repaired and renovated in this manner by young men gifted with ingenuity1 and a great deal of patience4 ,i may say that the result1 if the work is well done1 is worth the pains thereon expended4 ,rowboats1 sailboats1 and launches propelled by any kind of power may have their hulls treated after one of these fashions1 with quite satisfactory results4 ,if the owner does not think he is sufficiently handy to undertake the stopping of leaks he can1 at any rate1 paint and varnish his craft4 ,to paint a boat outside or inside a perfectly smooth surface is necessary1 and to obtain this all rough spots should be smoothed with pumice-stone and sand-paper4 ,enamel paint should be used above the water-line1 and the bottom may be painted with any one of the excellent compositions now in the market1 which prevent grass and barnacles from flourishing too luxuriantly on the underbodies of boats4 ,the interior of the boat1 after being thoroughly washed and scrubbed1 should also have a coat or even two coats of enamel paint1 as this composition is lasting and wears three times as long as the ordinary preparation of white lead1 oil1 turpentine1 and pigment4 ,one thing1 however1 is worth remembering4 ,never use washing soda or boiling water to clean wood covered with enamel paint4 ,rub it with a sponge or flannel cloth dipped in lukewarm water and a little soap4 ,for protecting and beautifying natural wood above deck or below1 use a good brand of spar varnish4 ,this will resist the damp1 salt air of the ocean1 or the more penetrating moisture of fresh-water lakes and rivers1 far better than the higher grade of varnish used for the indoor decoration of dwelling houses1 which1 when it gets damp1 acquires a plum-like bloom on its surface by no means beautiful4 ,mr4 ,w4 ,baden-,powell1 than whom there is no better authority1 says very truly1 that there is no more dangerous time in their lives for the spars of canoes than when stowed away in a boat-house roof for the damp winter's rest4 ,bamboo spars are more liable to suffer than pine1 or solid spruce1 but each and all are in danger of splitting or kinking1 especially so in the case of built spars1 if glued up1 instead of screw-built4 ,with such convenient lengths as are found in canoe spars1 there is no excuse for leaving them in damp boat-houses1 as they can be stacked in a room corner1 on end1 and the sails and rigging in drawers or boxes4 ,in this way each item of rigging can be overhauled1 mended1 improved1 and set in order for the coming year1 just as convenient spare time offers4 ,about the middle of ,march in these latitudes we generally are blessed with ideal sailing breezes1 a trifle blustering and boisterous1 perhaps1 when the merry music of the stiff nor'wester pipes through the rigging1 but nevertheless vastly enjoyable to the ardent amateur1 who grasps the tiller of his stanch shippie and fearlessly luffs up to the strident puffs1 knowing that he has a stout hull beneath him1 and that sails and gear are of trusty strength4 ,it is all very well for the steam-yachtsmen and such-like marine ,sybarites to wait for the hot days of ,july to arrive before ordering their floating palaces to go into commission1 but he who depends upon sails can ill afford to allow all the glorious winds of the fresh and fragrant springtime to blow themselves to waste in such reckless1 feckless fashion4 ,there may be a chilly sting or bite in the spray that breaks on the weather bow in a silver shower and smites the helmsman mercilessly in the face1 but there is invigorating ozone in wind and water1 and a glow of triumph after a successful battle with breeze and billow4 ,illustration3 ,,in ,,dry ,,dock4 ,illustration3 ,photo by ,dr4 ,titus4 ,,hauled ,,out ,,for ,,painting4 ,it is prudent1 too1 to fit out early and lay up late1 for life1 alas6 is brief1 and it behooves us1 my boating brethren1 to enjoy as many brave sailing days as possible ere we make our final voyage across the ,styx1 with grim ,charon1 the ferryman1 taking his perennial trick at the tiller1 while his pets1 the frogs1 plash and play and croak in his muddy wake4 ,if the yacht is a small one--a knockabout or a #cj-;footer--and she has wintered afloat1 the first thing is to haul her out and prepare to clean her hull of barnacles and grass1 of which a goodly crop is sure to have grown on her below the water-line4 ,start in with scrubbing brushes1 sand and canvas and use plenty of elbow grease until she is thoroughly cleaned and all rough places smoothed with pumice stone4 ,use plenty of fresh water1 with a flannel cloth as a final application to her hull4 ,then leave her until she is thoroughly dry4 ,carefully examine her seams for leaks1 calking where necessary4 ,when your boat is out of water open her wide to the fresh air4 ,rig up a windsail1 and let the healthful breezes circulate through her interior4 ,if she has hatches or skylights1 lift them off2 if portholes1 unscrew them and give the wind a chance to blow all close impurities away4 ,rig the pump and relieve her of all malodorous bilge water1 the most nauseating and offensive evil that is met with by mariners4 ,take up the cabin flooring4 ,if the ballast consists of pig iron1 rout it out1 clean off the rust1 and before replacing give it a good coat of coal tar1 applied hot4 ,clean the limbers and flush them with plenty of water1 using a bristly broom to remove the dirt4 ,splash the water about lavishly1 and then pump it out dry4 ,if there happens to be a cooking stove below1 as there generally is in a vessel of any size1 light a roaring fire and do your best to kill all fungoid germs or spores that may have gathered in damp places during the winter4 ,examine the ceiling for leaks4 ,should1 through imprudent oversight1 any bedding1 matting1 carpet1 or clothing1 have been left in the boat since last season1 take them out and have them cleansed and dried4 ,if mold and mildew have attacked them1 destroy without compunction1 and resolve to take better care next time4 ,after thoroughly cleansing the craft inside from the eyes of her to right aft with soap and hot water1 you can paint her cabin1 if you deem she needs it1 using enamel paint if you are willing to go to a little extra expense1 or1 at any rate1 if not1 using a generous quantity of spar varnish with the oil and dryers you mix your white lead with4 ,this dries good and hard and is easily cleansed with warm water1 soap and a sponge1 and is far more durable and satisfactory than paint mixed in the ordinary manner4 ,two coats should be given4 ,the next process is to clean the deck of the coat of varnish with which it was doubtless covered when the yacht was prepared for the winter4 ,to accomplish this in the most efficacious manner1 procure from a ship chandler a sufficient quantity of one of the many preparations of caustic soda1 with which the market is well equipped4 ,dissolve it in an iron bucket in hot water1 mixing it strong enough to act as a powerful detergent4 ,these preparations vary in power1 so it will be well to experiment on a section of the deck with a sample and then add more soda or more water as required4 ,after sundown apply plentifully to the deck with a mop1 rubbing the mixture well into the planks4 ,next morning before sunrise arm yourself with a good hard deck-scrubber1 and set to work in earnest1 using plenty of hot water and scrubbing the deck planks 7fore and aft1 mind you1 always1 and never athwart-ship7 until every particle of the old varnish and every speck and stain is removed4 ,if the detergent is allowed to remain on the deck while the sun is shining1 it is bound to eat into the planks and burn them4 ,the next operation is the painting of the boat inside and out4 ,there are many excellent compositions for coating the hull below the water-line1 but if you do not care to experiment with them1 use the recipe given in the chapter on ,useful ,hints and ,recipes4 ,choose a clear1 dry day and apply the paint4 ,for above the water-line use pure white lead of the best quality reduced to the proper consistency with equal parts of raw and boiled linseed oil and copal varnish4 ,add a dash of dryers and a few drops of blue paint1 strain and apply4 ,personally1 ,i prefer to varnish the deck of a small craft1 though ,i am quite willing to acknowledge the superior beauty of a spotless deck white as a hound's tooth4 ,the friends of a yachtsman often wear boots with ugly nails in them1 both on soles and heels1 and these are apt to play havoc with the spick and span appearance of a deck innocent of varnish4 ,after cleaning the decks thoroughly let them dry well4 ,wait for a sunny morning and a northwesterly wind1 when the air is comparatively free from moisture4 ,get your can of spar varnish out1 and after sweeping the decks and dusting them thoroughly with a feather-duster1 apply with a regular varnish brush of convenient size4 ,it is advisable to pour out the varnish into a shallow jar1 a marmalade pot for instance1 in small quantities as required1 as varnish loses its virtue rapidly by exposure to sun and air4 ,it is expedient1 therefore1 that the varnish can1 or bottle1 should never be left uncorked4 ,the varnishing process should not be undertaken until the last thing1 after the boat has been cleaned and painted inside and out1 spars and blocks scraped and polished1 standing rigging set up1 running rigging rove and sails bent4 ,two thin coats of varnish will be ample for the decks and spars1 as well as all the hardwood fittings and trimmings of the yacht inside and out4 ,should the varnish be too thick to flow freely from the brush1 don't thin it with oil or spirits of turpentine unless you wish to dim its luster and deprive it of much of its preservative quality4 ,simply place the varnish can in a bucket of hot water1 and let it remain there until it gets warm1 when you will experience no difficulty in applying it to advantage4 ,another hint worth taking is never to buy cheap and inferior varnish4 ,the best is none too good4 ,these suggestions may appear superfluous to a professional yachtsman1 who1 if he happens to read this yarn1 might feel tempted to observe3 ,why1 every darned chump knows that6 ,as a matter of fact1 amateurs as a rule are not familiar with these little wrinkles1 which are in many cases tricks of the trade4 ,this yarn is spun for amateurs only1 and not for the edification or instruction of veteran professionals4 ,about half a century ago1 when ,i first became a boat owner1 ,i should have been delighted to get the fruits of a practical man's ripe experience4 ,fashionable craft with spoon bows and long overhangs forward have abolished the long bowsprits and simplified the head gear4 ,the short bowsprit is secured with a steel bobstay extending from the stem to the cranze iron on the bowsprit1 the bobstay being set up taut with a turnbuckle of galvanized iron4 ,the bowsprit shrouds are of steel wire also set up by turnbuckles4 ,the polemast has also done away with all the topmast gear1 the mast being secured by a forestay which sets up to the stem head and by one or sometimes two shrouds on each side set up by turnbuckles4 ,the days of deadeyes and lanyards and of reefing bowsprits are departed4 ,a sailor to be quite down-to-date should combine with his nautical knowledge some of the art of the blacksmith4 ,strength and lightness and handiness are the watchwords of to-day1 and with modern methods the gear of a small craft is so simple that it takes little time to rig her4 ,i suppose ,i may take it for granted that all the running rigging was neatly coiled up and labeled and stored ashore when you went out of commission last fall4 ,i know many smart young yachtsmen who while away many a long winter evening with pleasure and profit overhauling sheets and halyards1 stropping blocks1 varnishing them1 splicing1 serving and generally repairing all of the running gear that needs attention1 making manropes1 scraping and polishing the gangway ladder1 the tiller1 etc41 and in other ways preparing for their summer's amusement4 ,the study of navigation1 the rule of the road at sea1 the coast pilot1 the learning of marlinspike seamanship and a rudimentary knowledge of the use of the palm and needle1 so that if a sail should need some simple repairs they may be made without loss of time and without seeking aid from a sailmaker--all these the amateur will find useful4 ,it is astonishing how much one can learn in one winter if he devotes only an hour a night to the acquirement of nautical lore4 ,but supposing that his running gear has not been touched since it was unrove1 it will take only a short time to get it in tip-top order1 and the work may be done in the evening when it is too dark to potter about the yacht4 ,while you are about it you may as well make a thorough job of this fitting out4 ,shin up the mast and make a tail-block fast to the masthead as high as possible1 reeving a gantline through it so that you may sit in a boatswain's chair or in a bowline while you survey the stick4 ,if the collars of the shrouds or forestay show any sign of chafe1 they must come down and be served over again with spun yarn or covered with canvas sewn on with a palm and needle1 using plenty of lead colored paint in the process to prevent rust4 ,examine the masthead carefully for weak parts1 which generally are to be found in the wake of the rigging4 ,if rot and signs of serious strains are met with1 it is evident that a new mast is needed4 ,longitudinal cracks may be disregarded unless they are glaringly apparent1 but transverse cracks should be viewed with suspicion4 ,if1 after close inspection1 you conclude that the mast is good enough to stand1 you may as well begin to scrape it1 engaging your chum to lower you down by your gantline4 ,after scraping1 use sandpaper until it is polished smooth4 ,then give it a couple of coats of spar varnish4 ,if the boat has a bowsprit1 treat it in the same way4 ,if she carries a topmast1 scrape and varnish it and the boom1 gaff1 spinnaker-boom1 boathook and the oars of your dinghy as well as all blocks ashore1 wherever convenient4 ,next set up your rigging good and taut1 taking care to stay the mast perfectly plumb--no rake aft or forward4 ,if you carry a topmast1 send it up and stay it in the usual way4 ,get your boom in position by means of the gooseneck and the crotch2 reeve your topping-lift and hook it on to its place at the end of the boom4 ,get the gaff in place1 hook on the throat and peak halyards1 and there you are all ready to bend sails4 ,it is imperative that your vessel1 whether she be a cruiser pure and simple or a racer1 should have a well cut suit of sails4 ,if it is your intention to treat her to the luxury of a brand new suit1 ,i hope that you placed your order with a responsible sailmaker weeks ago4 ,the winter is the correct time to have your sails made1 when the knights of the palm and needle are not so apt to be rushed4 ,yacht owners have the habit of procrastinating where sails are concerned1 and postpone their orders for new canvas to the very last moment4 ,this causes such a hurry in the loft that large orders are apt to receive the first and best attention of the sailmaker1 while the owner of a moderate-sized vessel has to wait the foreman's convenience2 whereas1 if an order is placed before1 say1 ,christmas1 one of the firm is as likely as not to give the matter his personal attention1 measure your craft himself1 and let the cut and the sit of the sails have the benefit of his own supervision4 ,it is also a fact that the sailmaking firms make it a point to keep their best men at work all the year round1 while the mere ordinary workmen are laid off when the season closes4 ,the consequence is that the yachtsman who orders his sails in good time has the advantage of the most skillful craftsmen in the market1 and he is likely1 too1 to have better prices quoted him than in the rush of the season1 when all hands are hard at it4 ,therefore1 my advice is to take early action and win the best results at the most favorable figure4 ,it was always my custom1 before unbending my yacht's sails preparatory to going out of commission1 to summon my sailmaker aboard and take him for a short trip1 pointing out what ,i considered to be the defects in the muslin and listening to his suggestions for their remedy4 ,he would make notes in his memorandum-book and inscribe certain hieroglyphic marks on the sails themselves4 ,when the canvas was unbent he would send for it1 make the repairs and alterations at his leisure and store the sails for me until the spring1 when ,i would find them in perfect condition for setting4 ,all this was done for moderate compensation1 considering the excellence of the workmanship4 ,the importance of a well-cut and well-sitting suit of sails cannot be over-estimated4 ,no matter how well the naval architect may have executed his work in the design of a vessel's hull1 if the sailmaker has failed in his task1 success in racing is an impossibility4 ,you might just as well expect a fast homing pigeon to attain his normal speed with a crippled wing as a yacht to win a cup hampered by sails of poor material and faulty construction4 ,if low-grade material is used1 despite the best efforts of the scientific sailmaker1 the sails are sure to be unsatisfactory4 ,the climate on the ,atlantic coast is peculiarly trying even to the finest grades of cotton duck1 which is assuredly the best fabric known that can be used for the purpose of the sailmaker4 ,the hot and arid westerly winds dry out the sails so that they become soft and open1 causing them to stretch abnormally and to get full of what are technically termed hard places4 ,the wind shifts to the eastward1 a damp1 moist quarter1 and the result is a severe shrinking1 which1 in conjunction with the previous violent stretching1 is enough to play havoc with the best and closest woven material1 no matter how scientifically designed and constructed4 ,you can imagine how a suit of sails of cheap and common duck1 botched by some ordinary tentmaker1 would be likely to behave under such circumstances4 ,my advice is to order your sails of a reputable firm of experience1 have them made of the best material1 and take care that they are bent by a man of judgment and skill and not by some habitu of a hay-mow or a pig-drover fresh from the farm4 ,i have known a suit of sails that cost several hundred dollars irretrievably ruined by being overstretched in the first instance by a sailing-master ignorant of the first principles of his calling4 ,a well-known sailmaker1 who has made sails for some of the crack racing yachts of ,america1 gives the following admirable instructions for setting the sails of a #dj-;foot single-sticker3 ,cast off the tyers from the mainsail2 hook on the peak halyards2 see that the gaff goes up between the topping-lifts as you hoist up on the throat and peak halyards2 hoist up on the throat until the luff-rope is straight2 if the sail has a slide on the boom1 haul out on it till the canvas is just straight and smooth on the foot2 too hard a pull will throw a heavy strain on the diagonal1 from the end of the boom to the jaws of the gaff1 giving a bad after leech when the peak is swayed up2 next sway up the luff pretty taut2 it is not necessary to top the boom up to too great an angle out of the crotch2 man the peak halyards and hoist on them until the after leech is so lifted that it spreads and stretches every square inch of the after angle of the sail2 as soon as the peak begins to lift the outer end of the boom1 the mainsheet should be made fast 7unless the boom extends so far over the taffrail that it would bring an undue leverage on the boom and spring it to breaking72 now sweat up the peak halyards until the stretch is entirely taken out of the halyard canvas2 if the peak is hoisted beyond its proper angle1 it puts an undue strain on the diagonal1 from the end of the gaff to the center of effort of the sail1 the consequence being a nasty gutter just inside the leech1 which gives rise to the groundless complaint that there is a tight cloth inside the after leech4 ,it should be remembered that the trouble lies in stretching the head and foot of the sail too taut1 and over-setting1 the peak4 ,these instructions are so clear as to be intelligible to the merest tyro1 and should be followed out on all occasions4 ,a good mainsail costs a large sum1 and there is no reason why it should be ruined by neglect of proper precautions4 ,in setting a thimble-headed topsail hoist away on the halyards1 then bowse the tack down with a purchase1 then sheet it out to the gaff end so that there shall be an exact and even strain on both foot and leech4 ,the proper angle of the jib-sheet depends entirely on the position its clew occupies in relation to the stay4 ,it should always hold the foot of the sail a little more than it does the after leech1 so as to allow the proper flow1 which is so effective as well as so beautiful4 ,if you determine that the craft's old suit is good enough for another year1 overhaul it for holes4 ,perhaps the sails have been stowed away where rats or mice have had free access to them4 ,if so1 they will need repairs4 ,if they were rolled up damp1 or stored in a damp place1 they will probably be badly mildewed4 ,the unsightly stains of mildew can be partially removed by scrubbing the sail on both sides with fresh water and soap1 and afterward rubbing whiting over it and leaving it to dry and bleach in the sun4 ,if the sails are discolored1 they may be improved by laying them on a plot of clean sand1 scrubbing them on both sides with sea-water and salt-water soap1 and afterward sprinkling them with salt-water in which whiting is dissolved until it looks like milk4 ,let them bleach in the sun until one side is quite dry1 and then turn them over4 ,to prevent mildew from spoiling the sails1 keep them dry and well ventilated4 ,if a sail is furled when damp1 the inner folds will mildew4 ,always roll up a wet sail loosely1 and shake it out and dry it the first chance you get2 in any case open it out and give it air1 even if rain continues to fall4 ,remember that new sails will mildew very quickly because of the dressing in the duck1 which sets up a fungoid growth or fermentation4 ,for these reasons don't depend too much on your watertight sail-covers1 but give your canvas frequent air and sun baths if you wish your white wings to remain things of beauty4 ,the same attention to the sails to avoid mildew should be given to the hull to prevent dry rot1 which is quite as frequently caused by the lack of ventilation as by the use of unseasoned timber in the construction of a vessel4 ,the principal labor of fitting out has been described1 but the cabin is yet to be fixed up for occupation1 and stores taken aboard for the opening cruise4 ,it is well to have a list prepared of the actual necessities in the way of supplies that must not be left ashore when you get under way4 ,here are a few things that cannot be dispensed with3 ,anchor and chain1 small kedge anchor1 tow-rope1 life-buoy1 side-lights1 anchor light1 oil and wicks1 bell1 foghorn1 compass with binnacle1 hand lead1 chart of waters you intend to navigate1 dinghy1 either on board or towing astern1 properly fitted with oars1 boathook1 rowlocks and plug1 all secured by lashings4 ,a good supply of fresh water should be taken along1 and a stock of provisions suitable to the tastes of the skipper and his guests4 ,an awning for the cockpit may prove a great comfort both in hot and rainy weather1 when becalmed or at anchor4 ,i recommend that a storm trysail1 a storm jib and a drogue1 or sea-anchor1 form part of the yacht's equipment1 and that they be stowed away in some place convenient for instant use4 ,perhaps they may never be needed1 but it is often the unforeseen that happens1 and in this world of uncertainty it is best to be always ready for an emergency4 ,thus prepared the yachtsman may safely venture for a cruise1 selecting those waters with which he is most familiar or most anxious to explore4 ,he will find ,april an ideal month for yachting1 and if he puts in his time to the best advantage he will have his craft tuned up to racing pitch1 his amateur crew so admirably drilled and disciplined1 and his sails and gear in such capital shape that1 if there is really any speed in the craft at all1 prizes should be the inevitable reward of his skill and his enterprise4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,,making ,,ready ,,for ,a ,,new ,,dress4 ,,viii4 ,,fitting ,,out ,,for ,a ,,cruise4 ,in equipping a boat for a cruise1 even in summer1 it is always well to remember that gales of wind are not unusual even in ,july4 ,i once knew it to blow with spiteful ferocity in the last week of that month1 and to disperse the ,atlantic ,yacht ,club squadron and drive them to seek shelter in various harbors of ,long ,island ,sound1 between ,black ,rock and ,new ,haven4 ,out of the whole fleet only two yachts reached their destination1 ,new ,london4 ,one was the sloop ,athlon1 ,vice-,commodore ,e4 ,b4 ,havens1 on board of which ,i was a guest1 and the forty-footer ,chispa4 ,it was quite an exciting and hard thrash to windward in the teeth of an easterly gale1 but we got there4 ,had not the two yachts mentioned been properly prepared for such an exigency1 they also would have been forced to bear up and run for some land-locked haven in which to linger until the wind had blown itself out4 ,although these summer gales generally exhaust themselves in twenty-four hours1 they are often quite savage while they last1 and the sensible yachtsman will always be prepared to meet them4 ,his standing and running rigging will be in first-class condition2 whatever storm canvas he carries will be ready for bending at a moment's notice2 his sea anchor or drogue will also be at hand for letting go should the necessity arise4 ,of course ,i need not impress upon the amateur boat sailer that a compass should be taken along on a cruise4 ,but ,i have mingled a good deal with the owners of small craft1 and have met many who either did not carry one at all or1 if it was aboard1 as likely as not stowed it away in the same locker with a hatchet1 marlinespike and other tools not likely to improve it4 ,a compass should always form part of a boat's outfit4 ,a fog often makes its appearance when a party of pleasure seekers are enjoying a sail on sound or bay1 and when it shuts down on you thick as a hedge ,i will defy you not to lose your bearings1 and consequently your way4 ,in times such as these a compass will prove a source of great comfort1 and instead of being compelled to anchor and await clear weather you can steer for your destination under shortened sail4 ,in such cases never fail to blow the foghorn1 which should be of regulation size and not a penny squeaking trumpet such as a six-year old schoolboy affects4 ,the ordinary boat's compass will answer admirably if only short sails are contemplated1 but on a long cruise where a heavy sea is not unlikely to be encountered1 a fluid compass should be carried4 ,the motion of a small craft in rough water causes the common compass card to jump about so much as to be perfectly useless to steer by1 while a fluid compass remains steady and reliable under all circumstances and conditions4 ,there are several fluid compasses in the market at a reasonable price1 which can be depended upon in an emergency4 ,the fluid on which the needle floats is generally alcohol1 to guard against freezing1 and is simply a development of a primitive compass used by the daring seamen of the twelfth century4 ,this old-fashioned instrument consisted of an iron needle1 one end of which was stuck into a piece of cork4 ,the other end was well rubbed with a loadstone1 and when the cork was floated in an earthenware bowl of water the end so treated pointed to the magnetic ,north4 ,in spite of the meager knowledge of those early navigators concerning variation and deviation1 they generally managed to make a sufficiently good land-fall4 ,it may not be generally known that a sewing needle rubbed on a magnet and carefully dropped into a vessel of water will float and point to the ,north4 ,the rule of the road at sea requires vessels in a fog to go at a moderate speed and to blow the foghorn at intervals of not less than two minutes2 when on the starboard tack one blast1 when on the port tack two blasts in succession1 and when with the wind abaft the beam three blasts in succession4 ,it also has certain imperative rules for a vessel at anchor in a fog4 ,the law provides that a vessel not under way in a fog shall at intervals of not more than two minutes ring a bell4 ,it will be seen therefore that a bell is quite as necessary as a foghorn4 ,if a boat at anchor or under way in thick weather1 with neither bell nor foghorn in use as provided by the law1 should be run into and damaged or sunk by any other vessel1 her owner would have no redress4 ,on the contrary1 if he escaped with his life he could be forced to pay for any damage1 however trifling1 the vessel colliding with him sustained in the act4 ,if he was drowned his estate would be liable4 ,a bell should form part of the careful boatowner's outfit4 ,but if you have neglected providing one1 don't despair4 ,get out a frying pan or a tin kettle and kick up as much racket as you can by beating one or both with a hammer or a marlinespike4 ,a fishhorn has many times answered the purpose of a foghorn1 but ,i would not recommend it as a steady substitute4 ,all ,i wish to convey is that a frying pan and a fishhorn are better than nothing4 ,the variety of anchor to be carried depends very much upon choice4 ,there are several kinds for sale quite suitable for small cruisers1 all of which have good points to recommend them4 ,illustration3 ,,pleasant ,,cat-,,boat ,,sailing4 ,the law is imperative as regards the carrying of lights by night when at anchor or under way4 ,if your craft is very small1 there is a light in the market fitted with green and red slides to be shown when required1 which may suit your purpose4 ,but if your craft has any pretensions to size provide yourself with a pair of brass side lights and also a good brass anchor light4 ,avoid those flimsy articles with which the market is flooded4 ,the best are cheapest in the end4 ,see that all the lamps you have aboard take the same sized wick4 ,buy the brand of oil known as mineral sperm1 which is used by all first-class steamship lines4 ,its quality has borne the test of years and has never been found wanting4 ,for lamp cleaning take a plentiful supply of cotton waste and old newspapers1 the last named for polishing the glass4 ,a hand lead and line must not be forgotten1 while an aneroid barometer1 a thermometer and a marine clock will be both useful and ornamental4 ,do not forget a canvas bucket and a deck scrubber4 ,a few tools will be found necessary4 ,a hatchet1 hammer1 chisel1 file1 jack-knife1 gimlet1 screw driver1 small crosscut saw and an assortment of screws and nails will be about all that is essential in this direction4 ,a few yards of duck1 palm and needles and sewing twine1 a ball of marline1 one of spun yarn and a marlinespike may be stowed away snugly1 and their possession in case of need is often a great boon4 ,the adventurous voyager must use his own discretion as to his wardrobe4 ,the marine dude is in evidence in our midst1 and who am ,i that ,i should condemn a man for trying to look his prettiest1 both ashore and afloat8 ,don't forget to buy a good suit of oilers1 and don't fail to slip them on when it rains4 ,when you come to get to my age1 and feel the rheumatism in your old bones1 you will wish you had followed my advice4 ,tastes differ so widely that it is hard to advise a man as to his cuisine when afloat4 ,what would suit an old sea dog right down to the ground might not be palatable to the nautical epicure with a taste for humming-bird's livers on toast1 or other such dainty kickshaws4 ,personally1 ,i can enjoy a good square meal of sardines and hardtack1 wash it down with a cup of coffee and wind up with a pipe of plug tobacco1 and conclude that ,i have feasted like a prince4 ,this is probably due to my forecastle training4 ,others are more fastidious4 ,luckily this is the age of canned viands1 and almost every delicacy under the sun is put up in convenient form1 requiring only a can-opener to extract the hidden sweetness4 ,the culinary difficulty that confronts the sailer of a small craft is the cooking stove4 ,like the servant girl problem1 it is still unsolved4 ,many great geniuses have wasted the midnight oil and have nearly exhausted the gray matter of their brains in trying to invent a stove that shall be suitable for a little cockleshell of a boat with a penchant for dancing over the waves in lively style4 ,some have tried cast-iron stoves with a smokestack1 and coal for fuel1 and have cursed their folly ever after4 ,gasoline stoves1 so long as they don't explode and set fire to the boat1 are convenient and cleanly4 ,various kinds of alcohol lamps1 hung on gimbals to accommodate themselves to the perpetual motion of a vessel1 are in use and are thoroughly adapted for making a pot of coffee1 tea or chocolate1 and for heating a can of soup or preserved meat4 ,a hungry boatman should not ask for more luxurious fare4 ,there are preparations of coffee and milk and cocoa and milk in cans1 which can be got ready in a hurry and with the least possible trouble4 ,they are also nice1 and ,i do not hesitate to stamp them with the seal of my approval4 ,by looking over the catalogue of the canned goods of any first-class grocer1 you will find a quantity of varieties to select from1 all of excellent quality and moderate in price4 ,in order to provide against waste it would be advisable if cruising alone to buy the smallest packages in which the viands are put up4 ,hardtack should be kept in airtight tin boxes to guard against damp4 ,matches can be stowed in a glass fruit jar1 and in this snug receptacle defy salt spray and sea air which threaten the integrity of brimstone and phosphorus4 ,the man who indulges in tobacco 7and what lover of the sea does not87 will find it well to pack a supply of wind matches in a glass jar1 so that he can keep his match safe replenished and be able to light his pipe or cigar no matter how the breeze may blow4 ,i have found tobacco a mighty source of comfort under adverse mental and physical conditions1 and its soothing influence has made many a trick at the tiller seem less weary4 ,cooking in a small craft tossed like a cork on the waves is a confounded nuisance1 but a hot meal tastes well after you have been stuck at the tiller for four or five hours in squally weather4 ,i remember an incident that occurred on board my cutter1 the ,heather ,bell1 when ingenuity provided a hot breakfast which otherwise we should not have enjoyed4 ,we were caught in a southerly gale in the ,english ,channel1 and under trysail and spitfire jib we were doing our best to claw off a lee shore4 ,i had been at the tiller nearly all night1 and when day broke ,i was thoroughly exhausted4 ,the little cutter--she was only fifteen tons--was pitching and 'scending at such a lively rate that lighting a fire in the stove was out of the question4 ,my chum1 however1 managed to make some coffee with the aid of a spirit lamp1 and also to cook a couple of plump ,yarmouth bloaters4 ,this last-named feat was difficult1 but my chum was a man of genius4 ,an inspiration came to him4 ,he split the bloaters down the backs1 put them in an extra deep frying pan1 such as should always be used at sea1 deluged them with ,scotch whiskey1 old and smoky1 and set fire to it4 ,i can see him now1 hanging on to the cabin ladder with one hand and balancing the frying pan in the other1 so that the blazing whiskey should not overflow and set fire to the cabin4 ,those bloaters were fine4 ,they went right to the spot4 ,it was rather an expensive mode of cooking1 for the whiskey in question was choice1 but we both agreed that the fishes were worthy of it4 ,i suppose they would have tasted just as well if they had been cooked in alcohol1 but that idea did not occur to my friend4 ,a beefsteak prepared in the same way was delicious4 ,we had it for dinner and soon after there came a shift of wind which enabled us to run for ,newhaven and sleep comfortably4 ,you should take with you a box of seidlitz powders1 a bottle of vaseline1 court plaster1 a box of your pet pills1 a bottle of extract of witch hazel1 a bottle of extract of ginger1 a bottle of ,sun cholera mixture1 and a bottle of ,horsford's acid phosphate4 ,these should be stowed away in a medicine-chest1 which1 if you have any mechanical skill at all1 you can make yourself4 ,if you are no hand at a saw or a chisel1 a small medicine-chest1 filled with all the requisites and adapted for use in a boat1 can be obtained from any good drug-store at a reasonable figure4 ,a locker for the storage of ice is indispensable for one's comfort when sailing in these latitudes in summer4 ,the locker should be lined with zinc1 and should be fitted with a brass tap to draw off the waste water4 ,wrap your ice up in paper first1 and then in a piece of coarse flannel1 and you will be surprised at the length of time it will keep4 ,a porous earthenware bottle should form part of your equipment4 ,it can be suspended in a draught1 and will supply you with a moderately cool drink when your ice is all used4 ,remember that sea air generates damp very quickly in a cabin4 ,bedding should be aired and sunned if possible every day1 and the cabin should be well ventilated4 ,cleanliness and comfort go together in a boat1 and scrubbing-brush and swab should not be allowed to get dry-rot by disuse4 ,cultivate order and tidiness so far as the domestic economy of your yacht is concerned4 ,have a place for everything and everything in its place1 or your little cabin will present a slovenly appearance instead of looking pretty and snug4 ,if the interior of your cabin is painted white1 use enamel paint1 which dries hard and smooth1 and can be easily cleaned by washing with warm 7not hot7 water1 soap and sponge4 ,cocoa-nut matting is better than carpet or oil-cloth as a covering for a small craft's cabin floor4 ,it is difficult to dry carpet when it gets thoroughly drenched with salt water4 ,oil-cloth is comfortless and cold to bare feet1 but cocoa-nut matting is open to neither of these objections4 ,it is easily washed and dries quickly4 ,the cushions for the cabin may be stuffed with cork shavings or horse-hair and covered with india-rubber sheeting4 ,these may again be covered with corduroy or blue flannel1 as the india-rubber sheeting is cold4 ,mattresses made of deers' hair are in the market1 and are quite comfortable4 ,being buoyant1 they can be used as life-savers in an emergency4 ,cups1 saucers1 plates and dishes of enameled iron or agate ware are unbreakable and much superior to those of tin1 which rust and are hard to keep clean4 ,crockery and glassware are easily destroyed in a cruising craft1 in spite of the ingenious racks and lockers invented to preserve them4 ,don't omit to include fishing tackle among your stores4 ,there is lots of sport in catching blue-fish or mackerel when under way1 and many a weary hour when your craft is becalmed may be beguiled with hook and line4 ,besides1 a fish fresh from the water forms an agreeable and appetizing change from the monotony of canned goods4 ,there is no necessity to purchase expensive tackle for sea-fishing4 ,all that is wanted is strong and serviceable gear4 ,for blue-fishing provide yourself with a well-laid cotton line1 which is not liable to kink4 ,the line should be seven-sixteenths of an inch in circumference for the big fish one catches in spring and fall1 and the hooks should be strong4 ,it is well to carry with you several varieties of squid4 ,for smaller blue-fish a lighter1 cotton-braided line is good4 ,when ,i go blue-fishing ,i take rubber finger-stalls along to prevent my fingers being chafed by the line4 ,my readers should do the same4 ,horse-mackerel and ,spanish mackerel are often taken with a blue-fish line4 ,for navigating purposes all that is really necessary for a coasting voyage is a chart of the waters you propose to sail in1 a pair of dividers and parallel rulers1 and a book of sailing directions4 ,a patent log may be added if so desired1 and will add to the accuracy of your dead reckoning4 ,thus equipped1 the navigator may boldly venture forth either by himself or with a congenial companion4 ,if he does not enjoy every moment of his cruise1 and gain health and strength from the tonic sea breezes1 he can safely conclude that ,nature never intended him for a sailor4 ,in that case he should dispose of his craft at once and seek such consolation as agricultural pursuits afford4 ,illustration ,,ix4 ,,beating ,,to ,,windward4 ,there is an old nautical truism to the effect that a haystack will sail well to leeward1 but that it takes a correctly-modeled vessel to beat to windward4 ,it is easy to comprehend how a straw hat thrown into a pond on its northerly edge will1 under the influence of a brisk breeze from the north1 make a fast passage to the southerly bank4 ,it is more difficult to understand how the same straw hat1 if put into the water at the southerly end of the pond1 might be so manuvred as to make a passage to the northern extremity of the sheet of water1 though the wind continued to pipe from the north4 ,this was1 no doubt1 a tough nut for the early navigators to crack1 and the problem may have taken centuries to solve4 ,illustration3 ,diagram ,no4 #a4 ,sailing under ,varying ,conditions of ,wind4 ,the paddle was naturally the first means of propelling a rude craft through the water1 and the ingenious savage 7probably an indolent rascal7 who discovered that a bough of a tree1 or the skin of a beast extended to a favoring breeze1 would produce the same effect as constant and laborious plying of paddles1 was presumably hailed as a benefactor by his tribe4 ,but this device1 artful no doubt in its inception1 was only of avail while the wind blew towards the quarter in which the destination of the enterprising voyager lay4 ,if the wind drew ahead1 or dropped1 the skin or leafy bough was no longer of use as a labor-saving contrivance1 and the wearisome paddle was necessarily resumed4 ,the primitive square sail of antiquity embodies the same principle as that governing the motion through the water of the modern full rigged ship1 which is admirably adapted for efficient beating to windward1 or sailing against the wind4 ,superiority in this branch of sailing is the crucial test of every vessel whose propelling power is derived from canvas1 and the shipbuilders and sailmakers of all seafaring nations have vied with each other for centuries to secure the desired perfection4 ,beating to windward may be described as the method by which a vessel forces her way by a series of angles in the direction from which the wind is blowing4 ,some vessels will sail closer to the wind than others4 ,that is to say1 with their sails full they will head a point or more nearer to the direction from which the wind comes than vessels of different rig4 ,illustration3 ,diagram ,no4 #b4 ,running ,before the ,wind4 ,broadly speaking1 an ordinary fore-and-aft rigged yacht with the wind due north1 will head northwest on the starboard tack1 and northeast on the port tack4 ,that is1 she will head up within four points of the wind4 ,some will do better than this by a good half point4 ,the famous old sloop ,maria1 owned by ,commodore ,j4 ,c4 ,stevens1 founder of the ,new ,york ,yacht ,club1 is said to have sailed within three points and a half of the wind1 and ,i am informed that ,constitution1 in her races this year1 achieved a similar remarkable feat4 ,a square-rigger1 because the sails cannot be trimmed to form so sharp an angle to the breeze as a fore-and-aft rigged vessel1 rarely sails closer than six points of the wind4 ,consequently1 she has to make more tacks and consume a longer time in accomplishing a similar distance in the teeth of the breeze than a vessel driven by fore-and-aft canvas4 ,it is possible to make my meaning clearer by means of simple diagrams1 and to these ,i refer the reader4 ,illustration3 ,diagram ,no4 #c4 ,gybing4 ,a vessel is said to be close-hauled when the sheets are trimmed flat aft and the boat is headed as near to the wind as the sails will permit without their luffs shaking4 ,when a vessel is so trimmed1 she is said to be sailing full and bye1 which means as close to the wind as the craft will point with the sails bellying out and full of wind4 ,if a vessel is sailed so close to the wind that the sails quiver1 the pressure is diminished and speed is decreased4 ,thus the art of beating to windward successfully consists in keeping the boat's sails full1 while her head should not be permitted to fall off for an instant4 ,this requires a watchful eye and an artistic touch4 ,to become an adept1 one should have plenty of practice4 ,illustration3 ,diagram ,no4 #d4 ,close ,hauled on ,port ,tack4 ,a boat is on the starboard tack when the main boom is over the port quarter and the port jib sheet is hauled aft4 ,the wind is then on the starboard bow4 ,the conditions are reversed when the craft goes on the port tack4 ,in diagram ,no4 #a1 four conditions of sailing are shown1 the figures representing a boat sailing with the wind astern1 on the quarter1 abeam1 and close hauled4 ,it will be observed how the main boom is trimmed to meet the varied changes of wind or course4 ,illustration3 ,diagram ,no4 #e1 ,close ,hauled on ,starboard ,tack4 ,diagram ,no4 #b shows a racing yacht running before the wind with all her balloons expanded to the breeze4 ,the spinnaker set to starboard not only adds greatly to her speed1 but it also makes the steering easier1 as it counteracts the pressure of the huge mainsail and club topsail on the port side1 thus causing a nicely-adjusted balance4 ,the balloon jibtopsail catches every stray breath of air that is spilled out of the spinnaker1 and it also has considerable possibilities as a steering sail1 in addition to its splendid pulling power4 ,for a vessel1 however finely balanced and carefully steered1 owing to various conditions of breeze and sea1 has a tendency to yaw and fly up in the wind4 ,thus a strong puff or a heavy sea striking the boat may make her swerve from her course in an effort to broach to4 ,then the jibtopsail does good service as1 when it gets full of wind1 it pays the head of the boat off the wind1 and materially assists the helmsman in steadying the vessel on her course4 ,illustration3 ,diagram ,no4 #f4 ,dead ,beat to ,windward4 ,it may be remarked that steering a yacht under these conditions1 in a strong and puffy breeze with a lumpy1 following sea1 calls for the best work of the ablest helmsman4 ,a boat will generally develop an inclination to broach to1 which means to fly up in the wind4 ,sometimes1 however1 the notion may strike her to run off the wind so much as to bring the wind on the other quarter1 causing her to gybe4 ,this would mean disaster1 probably a broken boom and a topmast snapped off short like a pipe-stem1 with other incidental perils4 ,diagram ,no4 #c shows the manuvre of gybing1 which is to keep the vessel away from the wind until it comes astern1 and then on the opposite quarter to which it has been blowing4 ,fig4 #a shows a boat sailing before the wind with the main boom over to starboard4 ,fig4 #b shows the operation of luffing to get in the main sheet4 ,fig4 #c shows the boom over on the port quarter1 and the operation complete1 except trimming sail for the course to be steered4 ,it may be remarked that gybing a racing yacht all standing in a strong wind requires consummate skill and care4 ,a cool hand at the helm is the prime requisite1 but smart handling of the main sheet is of scarcely less importance4 ,the topmast preventer backstays should be attended to by live men4 ,when a vessel is not racing1 gybing in heavy weather may be accomplished without the slightest risk2 the topsail may be clewed up and the peak of the mainsail lowered1 and with ordinary attention the manuvre is easily performed4 ,diagrams ,nos4 #d and #e show the same racing yacht close hauled on the port and starboard tack4 ,the spinnaker and balloon jibtopsail are taken in4 ,a small jibtopsail takes the place of the flying kite4 ,this sail1 however1 is only carried in light winds1 as it has a tendency1 when a breeze blows1 to make a craft sag off to leeward4 ,diagram ,no4 #f shows a boat beating out of a bay with the wind dead in her teeth1 a regular nose-ender or muzzler4 ,she starts out from her anchorage on the port tack1 stands in as close to the shore as is prudent1 goes about on the starboard tack1 stands out far enough to weather the point of land1 then tacks again1 and on the port tack fetches the open sea4 ,diagram ,no4 #g illustrates a contingency frequently met with in beating to windward1 when a vessel can sail nearer her intended course on one tack than another4 ,thus suppose her course is ,east by ,south and the wind ,,se1 she would head up ,east on one tack 7the long leg7 and ,south on the other 7the short leg74 ,diagram ,no4 #h depicts the manuvre of tacking that is the method of going into stays1 or shifting from one tack to the other4 ,fig4 #a shows a boat steering full and bye on the starboard tack4 ,it becomes necessary to go about4 ,helm's a-lee6 cries the man at the tiller1 at the same time easing the helm down to leeward and causing the boat's head to fly up in the wind4 ,the jib sheet is let go at the cry ,helm's a-lee6 decreasing the pressure forward and making the boat1 if well balanced1 spin round4 ,a modern racer turns on her heel so smartly that the men have all they can do to trim the head sheets down before she is full on the other tack4 ,some of the old style craft1 however1 hang in the wind1 and it sometimes becomes necessary to pay her head off by trimming down on the port jib sheet and by shoving the main boom over on the starboard quarter 7,fig4 #c74 ,soon she fills on the port tack1 and goes dancing merrily along1 as shown in ,fig4 #d4 ,in beating to windward in a strong breeze and a heavy sea leeway must be considered4 ,leeway may be defined as the angle between the line of the vessel's apparent course and the line she actually makes good through the water4 ,in other and untechnical words1 it is the drift that the ship makes sideways through the water because of the force of the wind and the heave of the sea1 both factors causing the craft to slide bodily off to leeward4 ,this crab-like motion is due to a variety of causes1 to the shape of the craft1 to her trim1 and to the amount of sail carried1 and its quality and sit4 ,boats deficient in the element of lateral resistance1 such as a shallow craft with the centerboard hoisted1 will drift off to leeward at a surprising rate4 ,a deep boat of good design and fair sail-carrying capacity will1 on the other hand1 if her canvas is well cut and skillfully trimmed1 make little or no leeway4 ,in fact1 she may1 under favorable circumstances1 eat up into the wind and fetch as high as she points4 ,illustration3 ,diagram ,no4 #g4 ,a ,long ,leg and a ,short ,leg4 ,leeway is always a dead loss1 and to counteract it is always the aim of the practical seaman and navigator4 ,captain ,lecky1 in his admirable work1 ,wrinkles in ,practical ,navigation1 puts the case clearly1 and his advice should be followed whenever feasible4 ,he says3 ,suppose a vessel on a wind heading ,,nw by ,n1 under short canvas and looking up within three points of her port1 which1 accordingly1 bears north2 but1 owing to its blowing hard1 she is making #b-a_/b points leeway4 ,clearly this vessel is only making good a ,,nw by ,w#a_/b,w course1 which is #e-a_/b points from the direction of port4 ,let her speed under these conditions be1 say1 four knots per hour4 ,now1 if the yards are checked in a point or so1 and the vessel be kept off ,,nw by ,w1 she will slip away much faster through the water1 and probably will make not more than half a point leeway4 ,this keeps the course made good exactly the same as before1 with the advantage of increased speed4 ,therefore1 if you can possibly avoid it1 do not allow your vessel to sag to leeward by jamming her up in the wind4 ,keep your wake right astern1 unless it be found from the bearing of the port that the course made good is actually taking the vessel away from it1 in which case it is obvious that the less the speed the better4 ,this excellent counsel applies to every kind of sailing vessel1 whether square-rigger or fore-and-after1 whether used for business or pleasure4 ,it is of no avail to pinch a boat for the purpose of keeping her bowsprit pointed for her destination1 when it is obvious that she will only fetch a point several miles to leeward4 ,keep the sails clean full and the boat will make better weather of it1 as well as greater speed4 ,it may frequently be necessary to luff and shake it out of her when struck by a hard squall1 or1 by the aid of a fisherman's luff1 to clear an object without tacking1 but a good rule is to keep a sailing craft moving through the water and not permit her to pitch and rear end on to the sea4 ,illustration3 ,diagram ,no4 #h4 ,the ,manuvre of ,tacking4 ,x4 ,,combination ,,rowing ,,and ,,sailing ,,boats4 ,illustration3 ,whip purchase and traveler4 ,fig4 #a4 ,a boat intended for both rowing and sailing should be partly decked1 and have as high a coaming as possible round the cockpit4 ,a folding centerboard should be fitted as in ,fig4 #aj1 so as to avoid the awkwardness of a trunk1 which in a small craft takes up too much room4 ,outside ballast is not necessary2 a few bags of sand will do instead4 ,an open boat under sail is dangerous except in the hands of a skilled boatman4 ,in a scrub race the helmsman cracks on until the lee gunwale is almost on a level with the water4 ,he may go along like this for some time1 but if the water is rough1 ten to one a sea will sooner or later come in over the lee bow1 and the weight of water to leeward may cause the boat to capsize before the sheet can be let go and the helm put hard down to bring her head to wind4 ,this in itself is not agreeable2 and failing to right the boat one may be compelled to cling to the keel or rail until relief comes1 or till he gets too tired to hang on any longer4 ,the excellent sport of sailing in a stiff breeze is obtained at its best only in a partly decked boat4 ,the half-decked craft may also be made into a life-boat with the aid of water-tight boxes of tin or zinc4 ,the cockpit should be made as narrow as is compatible with comfort4 ,the combination rowing and sailing boat should have as little gear as possible4 ,sheets and halyards should always be kept clear for running and never be allowed to get foul4 ,if you are so unlucky or so imprudent as to meet with a capsize1 keep clear of the ropes1 for a turn of one round the leg may send you to ,davy ,jones's locker4 ,illustration3 ,jib and ,mainsail ,rig4 ,fig4 #b4 ,in writing of rigs suitable for small craft ,i shall not weary my readers with descriptions of sails that are not at all adapted for practical use in ,american waters4 ,the amateur desirous of becoming acquainted with the rig of boats suitable for ,bermuda waters1 the ,norfolk ,broads1 the ,nile1 or the inland lakes of ,timbuctoo must look elsewhere4 ,nevertheless the amateur may rest confident that ,i give practical instructions for the best possible rigs1 and he may adopt any one of them after due consideration of the comments on each variety without any fear of future regret4 ,the mast of the combination sailing and rowing boat which is shown in ,fig4 #b1 should be so stepped that it can be taken down at a moment's notice4 ,it should not be stepped into the keelson through a hole in the thwart1 but should be fitted with a strong iron clamp and pin screwed to the after part of the thwart1 so that it may be unshipped in a hurry4 ,the mast should be light and strong4 ,the sheave-hole in the head should be fitted with a galvanized-iron or yellow-metal sheave1 and should be sufficiently large for the halyards to travel freely when the rope is swollen with water4 ,a block may be fitted to the mast-head for the jib halyards4 ,the boat should be provided with a galvanized-iron horse for the lower block of the mainsheet to travel on4 ,this is a great convenience in beating to windward as the boom will go over by itself without the aid of the helmsman4 ,the sail also sets better with the aid of a horse to keep the boom down4 ,the jib sheets and all halyards should lead aft within easy reach of the helmsman so that he may be able to handle them without letting go the tiller4 ,the cushions of the stern sheets should be stuffed with cork shavings such as grapes come packed in from ,spain4 ,they should have life lines sewed to them so that in case of need they may be used as life-preservers4 ,illustration3 ,sprit ,rig4 ,fig4 #c4 ,the boat should be equipped with three oars 7as one may be broken71 a boat-hook and a baler2 and the plug in the bottom should be secured to the boat by a lanyard and screw-eye4 ,a tiller should be used for steering when sailing and not a yoke and lines4 ,remember that you must luff when the first breath of the squall strikes the boat1 for if way is lost and the boat is hove down on her beam ends1 lee helm ceases to possess its virtue and the boat may capsize4 ,this is a sound and wise axiom and one that a beginner should impress rigidly on his mind4 ,never allow skylarking in a boat4 ,never attempt to climb the mast of an open boat1 as it is an operation fraught with danger4 ,rather unstep the mast for any repairs that may be necessary4 ,never stand on the thwarts of a small boat when under way4 ,if women and children are on board never gybe the boom over4 ,many accidents have happened through the neglect of this precaution4 ,no matter how expert a boat-sailer you may be1 never take women and children out in a boat with only yourself to handle her4 ,always take care that you have with you either a skilled professional hand or an amateur who knows the ropes1 can take his trick at the tiller and does not lose his head in a squall or other emergency of sea1 lake1 sound or river4 ,in default of being able to command the services of such a man1 leave the women and children ashore and postpone the excursion heedless of the tears and entreaties of your best girl and the black looks of your prospective mother-in-law4 ,a lovers' quarrel is easily made up1 but a capsized boat may mean loss of life and agonies of regret and self-reproach4 ,i was once persuaded against my better judgment to take out a party of ladies for a sail in a jib-and-mainsail boat4 ,we put out from a dock at ,perth-,amboy in the afternoon1 with a cloudless sky and a soft1 sweet summer zephyr blowing4 ,there was one other of my sex aboard and he told me he perfectly understood the handling of a boat4 ,he wore a yachting suit and cocked his eye aloft in a knowing and nautical manner that deceived even an old stager like myself4 ,a huge black bank of clouds arose in the northwest presaging the speedy approach of a savage thunder-squall4 ,i told my nautical-looking shipmate to lower the jib1 but he did not know how to find the halyards1 and he was equally ignorant of the whereabouts of the sheet4 ,i gave the tiller to one of the girls to hold1 hauled down the jib1 made it fast1 lowered the mainsail and furled it as snugly as ,i could and then let go the anchor which1 luckily1 hadn't been left ashore4 ,all this time my nautical-looking chum was star-gazing4 ,as a matter of fact he knew no more about a boat than a bull knows of trigonometry4 ,his specialty1 ,i was afterwards informed1 was measuring off tape by the yard and ogling his customers4 ,i had to do a good deal of hustling to get the craft snug for the squall and to stow away my girl guests in the shelter of the little half-deck forward1 where they fitted as tight as sardines in a box4 ,when the squall struck us it was a hummer and no mistake4 ,i veered out all the cable there was and she rode to it quite well4 ,there came a deluge of rain with the blast1 and the boat was soon nearly half full4 ,the girls screamed and prayed4 ,the counter-jumper looked pale about the gills and being too scared to bail flopped on his marrow-bones4 ,now praying on shipboard is not to be scoffed at1 but it should be delayed until man has exhausted every possible means of saving the ship4 ,i had to do all the bailing myself and when the squall had blown itself out ,i had to set the sails and hoist the anchor without any aid from the linen-draper4 ,that is one reason why ,i don't go sailing single-handed anymore with a boatload of girls4 ,do you blame me1 shipmates8 ,they are as likely to get cranky as the boat herself1 and one female at a time is all the average man can keep on an even keel4 ,of course ,i know many girls who can give me points and beat me easily in yachting and all that appertains thereto2 but fair ones of that sort are not so plentiful as they might be4 ,it should be remembered that these small rowing and sailing boats are not intended for a spin round ,sandy ,hook lightship4 ,they are for smooth water and in their place are capable of affording their owners an immense amount of wholesome enjoyment4 ,on a pinch they will stand a hard tussle with wind and wave1 but it is never wise to tempt ,providence4 ,i once knew an ,irishman who often declared that he was so favored by fortune that he could fall off a dock into the water and not get wet1 but the average man is not built that way4 ,an ambitious amateur may well begin his career on the water with one of these interesting little toys ,i have described1 and even if he aspires to become the owner of a stouter and more seaworthy craft in which to essay adventurous cruises of great emprise1 he will learn much that is of value from her4 ,with these cautionary remarks ,i will proceed to describe the rigs which in my judgment are suitable for boats measuring from twelve to seventeen feet over all4 ,illustration3 ,leg-of-mutton ,rig4 ,fig4 #d4 ,the leg-of-mutton rig1 whether combined with a jib or not1 is the simplest and safest known1 for there is no weight aloft such as is inevitable with a gaff4 ,it is a sail exactly adapted to the requirements of a learner4 ,the most nervous mother need not be alarmed if her boy goes sailing in a boat equipped with this rig4 ,the sail is hoisted by a single halyard bent to the cringle at the head of the sail and rove through either a sheave or a block at the masthead4 ,sometimes the luff is laced to the mast1 but it is better that it should be seized to hoops1 as shown in ,fig4 #d4 ,if a boom is used a larger sail can be carried1 but it should be only a light spar and the foot of the sail should be laced to it4 ,the boom may be fitted with a topping lift and the sheet be rove as shown in the illustration4 ,in a small open boat no stays are necessary for the mast1 but the jib halyards should be belayed to a cleat on one gunwale of the boat and the main halyards on the other1 so as to afford support to the mast4 ,illustration3 ,cat ,rig4 ,fig4 #i4 ,the jib and leg-of-mutton sail is a deservedly popular rig4 ,a short bowsprit may be fitted to a boat and secured to an eyebolt in the stem by a wire bob-stay4 ,a wire forestay may be set up to the bowsprit end and a jib may be bent to iron hanks on it and hoisted by a single halyard4 ,or it may be set flying4 ,the advantages of the cat rig 7,fig4 #i7 for general handiness have been often explained4 ,i should advise that the sail be hoisted by both throat and peak halyards and not by a single halyard as is sometimes the case4 ,it is often most convenient to be able to drop the peak1 when gybing1 for instance1 or when struck by a squall4 ,a single topping lift should be fitted with an eye splice to the end of the boom and rove through a block at the masthead and belayed to a cleat on the mast4 ,the main sheet should travel on an iron horse4 ,a short boomkin1 with forestay and bob-stay1 may help to secure the mast4 ,the balance lug1 which is illustrated in ,fig4 #h1 is quite a popular rig1 and it has much in its favor4 ,the sail is laced to a yard and boom and is hoisted by a single halyard rove through a sheave-hole in the masthead and spliced to the eye of the hook of a galvanized-iron traveler1 to which a strop on the yard is hooked1 as shown in the illustration4 ,on the other end of the halyard a single block is turned in1 through which a rope is rove1 the standing part of which is made fast to an eyebolt at the foot of the mast and the hauling part rove through a block and led aft within easy reach of the helmsman4 ,the tack should be made fast to the boom and set up to the mast thwart after being passed round the mast4 ,the main sheet should work on a galvanized-iron horse4 ,this rig is quite handy and a boat so equipped is smart in stays4 ,illustration3 ,balance ,lug ,rig4 ,fig4 #h4 ,showing ,traveler and ,halyards4 ,illustration3 ,sliding ,gunter ,rig4 ,fig4 #e4 ,illustration3 ,detail of ,sliding ,gunter ,rig1 ,fig4 #f4 ,the sliding gunter rig1 which is shown in ,fig4 #e1 has this much to recommend it3 it is easily set if rigged as shown in the illustration and it can quickly be reefed4 ,it will be seen that the mast is in two pieces1 the topmast sliding up and down the lower mast on two wrought-iron rings or travelers4 ,the halyards are sometimes made fast to the lower traveler and sometimes to the upper4 ,they reeve through a sheave-hole in the lower masthead and may be set up with a single whip purchase4 ,the lower mast may be supported with a single wire shroud on each side and1 if the double headrig is carried1 with a wire stay to the stem head4 ,the sail should be laced to the topmast and secured to the lower mast by hoops or iron rings leathered4 ,these should be large enough to slide easily up and down the mast1 which should be kept well greased4 ,the topmast should be so rigged that the upper iron can be unclamped and the topmast lowered down so as to permit the sail to be stowed like a gaff-sail along the boom4 ,with the sail thus furled the boat will ride much easier in a breeze or a seaway4 ,in ,fig4 #f the working of the rig is shown3 #a is the lower mast1 #b the topmast1 #c the halyards1 #d the upper ring1 or traveler1 with a clamp and pin to permit the lowering of the topmast1 #e the lower ring or traveler1 which is fitted with a hinge at #f2 #g is the gooseneck of the boom to which the foot of the sail is laced4 ,reefing is simple4 ,lower away on the halyards1 make fast the cringle on the luff of the sail1 at whatever reef band is desired1 to the gooseneck on the boom4 ,haul out the corresponding reef earing1 make it fast1 tie your reef points and hoist up the sail again by the halyards4 ,a topping lift is necessary4 ,the spritsail is not often seen in these waters1 but it is a good sail for a small boat4 ,i warn the beginner1 however1 against its use in a craft of any pretensions to size1 for he will find the heavy sprit much more difficult to handle than a gaff4 ,a spritsail is similar in shape to the mainsail of a cutter1 with the peak higher and the foot shorter1 as in ,fig4 #c4 ,the sprit is a spar which crosses the sail diagonally from luff to peak4 ,it is thick in the middle1 and each end is tapered4 ,the upper end fits into a cringle or eye in the peak of the sail and the lower end into a snotter on the mast4 ,the sprit stretches the sail quite flat and thus a boat is able to point well to windward4 ,the snotter is a piece of stout rope having an eye in each end1 one being passed round the mast and rove through the eye in the other end1 the heel of the sprit fitting in the remaining eye4 ,if the snotter carries away1 the heel of the sprit may be forced by its own weight through the bottom of the boat2 accordingly1 as it has to stand considerable strain1 it should be made of stout stuff4 ,to set the sail1 hoist it up by the halyards1 slip the upper end of the sprit into the cringle in the peak1 push it up as high as you can and insert the heel into the snotter2 then trim the sheet4 ,in large boats the snotter is made fast to an iron traveler which is hoisted by a whip purchase as shown in ,figs4 #a and #c4 ,illustration3 ,folding ,centerboard4 ,fig4 #aj4 ,illustration3 ,turtles ,the sprit rig cannot be said to be pretty1 and when the sail is large it is difficult to reef it4 ,i should not counsel its use except in a boat intended for both rowing and sailing1 where the sail would be so small as to be easily muzzled in case of a squall4 ,the spritsail is hoisted by halyards1 rove through a block or sheave-hole at the masthead and hooked to a cringle at the throat of the sail4 ,the tack of the sail is lashed to an eyebolt in the mast4 ,in reefing the sprit must be lowered by shifting the snotter further down the mast4 ,,xi4 ,,rigging ,,and ,,sails4 ,wire has entirely superseded rope for standing rigging1 and deadeyes and lanyards are fast giving way before the advance of the turnbuckle4 ,an old sailor cannot help regretting the decline and fall of his profession and the growing popularity of the art of the blacksmith4 ,so far as the rigging of ships is concerned1 when wire rigging was first introduced it was thought that its rigidity would prove a fatal objection to its successful use4 ,science has1 however1 set its foot down firmly on such objections4 ,the decree has gone forth that rigging cannot possibly be set up too taut1 and the less it stretches the better4 ,the old argument that a yacht's standing rigging should give when the craft is caught in a squall1 which old sea dogs were so fond of advancing1 has been knocked on the head by scientific men who declare that a vessel's heeling capacity affords much more relief than the yielding quality of rigging4 ,thus all or nearly all of the modern immense steel sailing vessels in the ,east ,indian and ,australian trade have their steel masts stayed as rigidly as possible by means of turnbuckles1 and practice seems to have demonstrated the truth of the theory4 ,these ships encounter terrific seas and gales off the ,cape of ,good ,hope and ,cape ,horn1 and their masts are thus subjected to violent and sudden strains1 but ,i have been assured by the commanders of several of these great freight carriers that they have never known their sticks to be imperiled by the rigidity of the rigging1 and the tauter it can be set up the more secure the masts are supposed to be4 ,illustration3 ,,shroud1 ,,deadeye1 ,,lanyard4 ,there are1 however1 a number of old salts who condemn this theory as rank heresy1 and go in for deadeyes and lanyards of the old-fashioned kind1 and the greater the stretch between the upper and the lower deadeyes the better are they pleased4 ,there is no doubt that turnbuckles look neater than deadeyes1 and they are probably well suited for small craft4 ,the ,herreshoffs have long used them for setting up the rigging of the sloops and yawls of moderate size which they used to turn out in such numbers1 and which first laid the foundation of their fame4 ,the boat owner can please himself as to which method he may choose1 and he can rely that with either his mast will be perfectly secure4 ,both methods are shown in the accompanying cuts4 ,there is one thing in connection with wire rigging that ,i must warn the amateur against4 ,beware of shod wire rigging4 ,shoes are iron plates riveted to the ends of wire rigging to receive shackle bolts4 ,they are never reliable4 ,eye splices in wire never draw4 ,shoes often collapse without notice4 ,illustration3 ,,turnbuckle4 ,turnbuckles are very handy appliances for setting up rigging in a hurry1 whereas the same operation conducted by means of a deadeye and a lanyard takes much more time and trouble4 ,a small craft rigged as a sloop1 cutter or yawl1 requires only one shroud on each side to afford lateral support to the mast1 and a forestay--which in the case of a cutter or yawl should set up at the stem head1 but on a sloop is set up on the bowsprit4 ,a simple way to fit the rigging is to splice an eye in each shroud1 forming a collar sufficiently large to pass over the masthead1 first covering the part that is to form the eye with canvas sewn on and painted4 ,the starboard shroud goes over the masthead first1 then the port one and last the forestay4 ,in large yachts the lower rigging is often fitted in pairs1 the bight of the shrouds being passed over the masthead and secured in the form of an eye with a stout wire seizing4 ,many riggers shackle the shrouds to an iron band fitted to the hounds4 ,this plan is open to objection4 ,there may be a flaw in the iron and the band may give way suddenly1 causing the mast to snap off short like the stem of a clay pipe4 ,bands may look a little more snug than the collars1 but they are heavier aloft and not so reliable1 and for these reasons ,i am old-fashioned enough to prefer the collars4 ,illustration3 ,,topmast ,,rigging4 ,for a small sloop1 cutter or yawl1 a pole mast is preferable2 but all boats more than twenty feet on the water line should be fitted with topmasts1 the rigging of which is shown in the cut4 ,the running bowsprit is almost obsolete now-a-days1 but the device still finds favor with certain owners of cutters and yawls of large size4 ,it certainly has its advantages4 ,the length of the bowsprit is reduced as the jibs are shifted1 until when the spitfire or storm-jib is set the bowsprit is run so far inboard that it looks like a mere stump4 ,in a sea-way the benefit of this is obvious1 the weight being materially reduced forward and the pitching consequently lessened4 ,the jib also sits well and does its work1 and is far preferable to that horror of horrors the bobbed jib of a sloop1 which always makes a sailor's flesh creep when he sees it4 ,how it has managed to survive is a marvel to me4 ,it is a lubberly and slovenly device not good enough for a scow4 ,the rigging of a running bowsprit is shown in the cut4 ,illustration3 ,,rig ,,of ,,running ,,bowsprit4 ,when it becomes necessary to set the storm trysail1 lower away the mainsail and furl it as fast as possible4 ,lower the boom down into the crutch amidships1 and secure it by hauling the sheet taut and by tackles or lashings from each quarter4 ,unhook the throat and peak halyards and hook them on to the trysail gaff1 the jaws of which parral on to the mast1 allowing the gaff end to rest on the deck4 ,the topping lifts must be unhooked from the main boom and taken in to the mast or the rigging1 so as to be out of the way of the trysail4 ,lace the head of the trysail to the gaff4 ,the clew of the trysail is hauled aft by a luff-tackle which forms the sheet4 ,another tackle should be hooked to the clew and made fast to windward over the main boom and gaff1 so that in case of a shift of wind the sheet may be hauled aft on the other side without delay or the danger of getting aback4 ,then you can man the throat and peak halyards and set the sail1 trimming the sheet well down4 ,if you should have the misfortune to carry away the main boom1 and you have no trysail on board1 lower away the sail1 unlace it from the boom1 close-reef it1 and set it with a luff-tackle for a sheet4 ,when about to set the storm trysail and your vessel is yawl rigged1 set the storm mizzen4 ,it will keep her head up to the sea while the sails are being shifted4 ,in a cutter1 heave to by hauling the fore sheet to windward1 keeping the jib full4 ,shifting jibs in heavy weather in a cutter requires care4 ,the first thing to do is to get the sail up from below and stretch it along the weather side of the forward deck with the head aft4 ,haul the foresheet to windward and trim the mainsheet in flat1 tricing up the tack if the sail is loose-footed4 ,keep the boat as close to the wind as possible4 ,let go the jib outhaul1 and the sail will fly in along the bowsprit4 ,muzzle it1 man the down-haul1 let go the halyards and down with it6 ,then reef the bowsprit4 ,some cutters are fitted with a rack and pinion wheel1 with a handle like that of a winch1 for this purpose4 ,if not supplied with this handy contrivance1 reeve a heel rope1 and after slacking the bobstay fall and the falls of the shrouds and topmast stay1 heave on it until you can knock the fid out4 ,then rouse the bowsprit in by the shroud tackles to the second or third fid holes1 as desired2 ship the fid and set up the gear1 beginning with the bobstay1 the weather shroud next and the lee shroud last1 at the same time taking in the slack of the topmast stay4 ,now to set the jib4 ,first hook on the sheets and take a turn with the lee one2 next hook on the tack to the traveler and the halyards to the head4 ,man the outhaul and bowse the tack out to the bowsprit end4 ,hoist up on the halyards and sweat up with the purchase4 ,trim the sheet1 let draw the foresheet1 ease off the mainsheet and sail her along again4 ,if these instructions are carried out a storm jib may be set on a reefed bowsprit without parting a rope yarn4 ,illustration3 ,,horse ,,for ,,main ,,sheet4 ,to shake a reef out in the mainsail1 set up on the topping lift so that it may take the weight of the boom4 ,untie all the reef points4 ,cast off the lashing at the tack if the sail is laced to the boom1 or come up the tack tackle if it is loose-footed4 ,then ease off the reef earring and hoist the sail1 setting up the throat first4 ,you can then ease up the topping lift and trim sheet4 ,a convenient method of bending and unbending a storm trysail is shown in ,fig4 ,x and ,fig4 ,e4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 ,x4 ,,fig4 ,e4 ,fig4 ,x represents the shape of the mast hoops1 to each of which two iron hooks are fastened4 ,the hoops are of the ordinary size1 but about one-quarter of their length is sawn out and to the ends the iron hooks are riveted4 ,fig4 ,e shows how the thimble toggles are seized to the luff of the sail at regular intervals4 ,when it is necessary to set the trysail1 adjust the jaws of the gaff to the mast1 make fast the parral1 hook on the throat and peak halyard blocks and mouse them4 ,hoist up slowly1 slipping the thimbles over the hooks on the ends of the hoops as the sail goes up4 ,the sheet must be hauled aft before the sail is hoisted1 and should be slacked off handsomely to allow the sail to be properly set4 ,then all hands should clap on it and flatten it in4 ,if your boat is rigged as a cutter or yawl the foresail may have the tack made fast to the eyebolt to which the stay is set up4 ,the luff of the sail is seized to galvanized iron hanks that run up and down on the stay4 ,if the foresail has a reef band in it 7as it should7 a lacing is used between the reef and tack cringles4 ,don't bowse up the halyards too taut the first time you set the sail1 and don't break your back flattening in the sheet4 ,give it a chance to stretch fairly4 ,the same remark also applies to the jib1 whether set on a stay or flying on its own luff1 as it must necessarily do if your craft is equipped with a running bowsprit4 ,for the sake of lightness1 blocks are frequently made too small4 ,manilla rope1 of which both sheets and halyards should be made1 has a habit of swelling when wet4 ,it is generally rove on a dry day1 and renders through blocks quite easily when in this condition4 ,a rain squall will swell this rope to such an extent1 and halyards will jam so hard1 that sails will not come down when wanted1 and disasters happen4 ,the work of setting and taking in sail is made very laborious through small blocks and large sized halyards4 ,it should be borne in mind that halyards ought to run through blocks as freely when wet as dry4 ,blocks should always be fitted with patent sheaves4 ,the running rigging of a mainsail consists of peak and throat halyards1 topping lifts1 main sheet and peak down-haul4 ,to bend a mainsail1 shackle the throat cringle to the eyebolt under the jaws of the gaff1 stretch the head of the sail along the gaff1 reeve the peak earring through the hole in the end of the gaff and haul it out1 securing it in the manner shown in the illustration4 ,the earring is represented with the turns passed loosely in order to give the amateur a clear and distinct view of the proper method4 ,it will be seen that a a is the peak end of the gaff2 b is a cheek block for the topsail sheet2 c is a block for the peak down haul1 used also as signal halyards1 hooked to an eyebolt screwed into the end of the gaff1 the hook of the block being moused2 d is a hole in the gaff end through which the earring is passed4 ,the earring is spliced into the cringle with a long eye splice4 ,it is then passed through d round through the cringle e2 through d again and through e again2 then up over the gaff at i and k1 down the other side and through e again1 and so on up round the gaff four or five times2 at the last1 instead of going up over the gaff again1 the earring is passed between the parts round the gaff as shown at f1 round all the parts that were passed through d1 as shown at m1 and jammed by two half hitches m and h4 ,illustration ,if the sail is new from the sailmaker's loft1 only haul the head out hand taut or you will ruin it4 ,i have seen yacht skippers clap a handy billy tackle on the head of a new mainsail and haul on it till they could get no more4 ,i have seen them treat the foot in the same way1 the result being a great bag of canvas of no possible use in beating to windward4 ,a mainsail costs a good deal of money and is easily spoiled4 ,one of ,mr4 ,john ,m4 ,sawyer's splendidly cut sails can have all its utility and beauty taken out of it in half-an-hour by a lubberly sailing master4 ,after the head earring is passed1 lace the head of the sail to the gaff1 taking a half hitch at each eyelet hole4 ,next seize the luff of the sail to the mast hoops with marline4 ,the foot of the mainsail should next be made fast to the boom in the same manner as the peak1 the lacing going round a wire jackstay rove through eyebolts on the top of the boom4 ,do not sweat up either the throat or peak halyards too taut the first time you set it1 and avoid reefing a new sail4 ,lower it down altogether1 set the trysail1 or do the best you can under head sail and the mizzen if on board a yawl4 ,a mainsail should always be allowed to stretch gradually1 and the slack of the head and the foot should be taken up at intervals4 ,remember that no greater injury can be done to a new sail than to try and make it sit flat by hauling out the foot too taut before it has been properly stretched4 ,the best authorities advise that the sail should be set with the leech slack1 and the boat run before a strong wind for several hours4 ,another excellent plan is to hoist the sail up with the foot and head slack while the boat is at anchor1 and as it flaps about in the breeze the sail will stretch without injury4 ,of course when the head and foot are thoroughly stretched they can be hauled out taut as they can be got4 ,personally1 ,i prefer a mainsail with the foot laced to the boom1 but all are not of my way of thinking4 ,a loose-footed mainsail still has admirers and this is how it works4 ,the mainsail outhaul consists of an iron horse on the boom1 a shackle as traveler1 a wire outhaul made fast to the shackle and rove through a sheavehole at the boom end and set up by a purchase4 ,illustration3 ,,gear ,,for ,,hauling ,,out ,,loose-,,footed ,,mainsail4 ,if the mainsail is of the loose-footed variety it should be fitted with a tack tricing tackle and a main tack purchase4 ,the last named is handy for bowsing down the luff of the sail bar taut for racing4 ,sweating-up the throat halyards lowers the peak slightly1 and peaking the sail slackens the luff4 ,by hauling up on the main tack tricing tackle till you can get no more1 and at the same time lowering the peak1 the mainsail is scandalized and the boom can then be gybed over in a strong breeze with the least possible risk of carrying away something4 ,to prevent masthoops from jamming when the mainsail is being hoisted or lowered1 a small line is seized to the foreside of the top hoop and then to every hoop down the mast4 ,when the throat halyards are pulled on1 the foresides of the hoops feel the strain and go up parallel with the after sides4 ,the accompanying figure shows this at a glance4 ,illustration ,it is true that this method has found little favor with amateurs1 but ,i tried it with great success on my first cruising craft1 and later on in a yacht of far greater pretensions4 ,the wrinkle should by no means be despised4 ,,xii4 ,,laying ,,up ,,for ,,the ,,winter4 ,the judicious yachtsman will personally superintend the laying up of his craft4 ,if he has that inestimable blessing1 a good skipper1 he should not discharge him at the close of his summer season4 ,if he does he will bitterly regret it4 ,a yacht requires as much watchful care as a baby1 and this is especially true during the trying winter season4 ,so wise yacht-owners who have in their employ faithful captains should hold on to them like grim death to a deceased army mule4 ,good men are not too plentiful these times4 ,a few practical suggestions as to preparing the vessel for the winter are here appended4 ,in the first place1 sails should be well dried before being unbent1 and then should be carefully stopped and labeled1 and the same remark applies also to the running gear4 ,by all means secure storage ashore for sails1 gear1 cabin fitments and furniture1 carpets1 upholstery and bedding1 otherwise you may have cause to regret it in the spring4 ,in most of the buildings devoted to the storage of yacht gear proper platforms or stages are provided1 so that a free current of air may circulate1 and thus prevent damp1 mildew and decay4 ,the lower tier on the platform should consist of the warps and running gear1 on top of which the sails should be snugly coiled4 ,above these the furniture1 bedding and upholstery should go4 ,all can be covered over with an old light sail to protect them from dust4 ,this can be removed as often as necessary for airing purposes4 ,on the other side of the ,atlantic judicious owners of storage warehouses make their platforms rat-proof1 following out the same idea as the farmer does with his wheat stacks4 ,each support to the stage is capped with a metal cone1 which effectually stops the upward progress of the sail-devouring vermin4 ,well-conducted warehouses are well ventilated1 and the temperature is kept tolerably even by heat4 ,of course1 all articles of value1 such as plate and nautical instruments1 should find repository in their owner's dwelling4 ,all light spars should be sent ashore and lashed up under the beams of the warehouse4 ,the same with the rowboats1 but with attention to the fact that they should be so supported as to have their weight evenly distributed1 and thus prevent them from being pulled out of shape4 ,many expensive boats are hopelessly ruined by neglect of this precaution4 ,this is the proper method of supporting a rowboat so that straining her is impossible4 ,six eyebolts should be screwed into the under side of the beams of the warehouse at proper intervals to take the weight of the boat amidships and at the third of her length forward and aft4 ,from these eyebolts ropes of sufficient length should depend1 to which1 in the bight1 a handspike is passed1 on which1 bottom upward1 the boat is hung4 ,a yacht laid up without the greatest care deteriorates in value to an enormous extent4 ,the first process after dismantling is to clean the vessel thoroughly inside and out1 just as carefully as if she was about to be continued in commission4 ,after getting her as bright as a new pin1 all the hardwood--that which is varnished or gilded--should be covered up with canvas4 ,after the yacht has been thoroughly skinned1 as far as her internal arrangements are concerned1 the last process preliminary to paying her out of commission1 is to give her decks a coat or two of bright varnish--shunning that mixture known in the trade as pure oil1 as deleterious to all decks4 ,it is cheaper in the long run to provide a yacht with properly fitted winter hatches which entirely cover the hardwood deck fittings and secure thorough ventilation1 as then the regular skylights can be left open4 ,in small craft the sailing master will be sufficient to keep the boat in first-class condition4 ,on larger vessels1 according to size1 he should have competent assistance4 ,whether a yacht is moored alongside a quay or another vessel1 winter storms cause her to do a little rolling1 which invariably induces chafing4 ,unless a vessel is properly protected by fenders1 her planksheer and bulwarks are sure to be seriously injured1 and to repair this part of a ship is costly in the extreme1 especially in regard to the planksheer4 ,should the planksheer be shoved up by contact with the dock or the ship to which she is moored alongside1 the damage done could only be properly repaired by the removal of both bulwark and rail4 ,to guard against severe injuries of this kind unceasing vigilance is necessary4 ,if you can induce your skipper to live on board1 all the better4 ,in such a case your yacht will be kept in as dainty condition as your wife's boudoir4 ,snow is very penetrating4 ,it will find its way even through rubber boots4 ,a little leak may at first have no significance4 ,but the leak increases and rot follows1 fastenings are corroded and paintwork discolored4 ,every vessel afloat suffers more or less from sweating1 caused by the difference between the temperature of the air outside and inside the ship4 ,to obviate this a fire should be kept going2 not a furious furnace that would involve a great expenditure of coal1 but simply some heating device that gives a moderate amount of warmth all through the ship4 ,thus1 when the owner returns to his yacht in the spring1 he will find her sweet and clean1 and will never regret the few paltry dollars it has cost him to keep his floating summer home in seagoing condition4 ,the careful skipper will see that his extra help is kept busy1 so that not only a casual visitor must compliment her owner on her spick and span condition1 but a naval architect or a ,lloyd's surveyor can find no flaw or fault to peck at4 ,for1 down to her deadwood and timbers1 by the application of soap1 hot water and plenty of elbow-grease1 she is made fit for repainting right down to her keel4 ,by conservative and preservative methods such as these a yacht's life is prolonged1 and she will always fetch her value in the market1 the noisome odor of bilge water being unknown4 ,the foregoing remarks are applicable to pleasure craft that are kept afloat during the winter4 ,it is needless to expatiate on the benefit of hauling out yachts of any size or construction1 whether of wood1 composite1 iron1 steel or ,tobin bronze or aluminum4 ,the expense of hauling large boats out is considerable1 for obvious reasons1 and thus it is that yacht owners do not care to incur the cost4 ,this objection does not apply to small craft1 which should invariably be landed for the winter and efficiently protected by canvas1 or other covering1 from the destructive influence of snow and rain4 ,all that has been said above in relation to the storage of sails and gear applies as much to a one-tonner as to the largest pleasure craft afloat4 ,when we go into the question of steam yachts1 no better advice can be given than that contained above1 so far as hull and equipment are concerned4 ,it is different when the proper care of machinery is considered4 ,there it is where the services of a loyal and skillful engineer come into full play4 ,unless sufficient attention is paid to a vessel's boilers and engines during the critical time when she reposes in dock1 disastrous results1 entailing vast expenditure1 are sure to follow4 ,the complicated and ingenious mechanism which propels the modern steam yacht requires devoted regard4 ,very expensive when new1 repairs during their second season1 if in any way neglected in the winter1 call for the resources of the purse of a ,crsus4 ,in matters of this kind the old adage which relates to a stitch in time should be noted by the prudent yacht owner4 ,thus it is that an engineer and a sufficient staff should be kept on the pay roll in the winter for economic reasons alone4 ,by this means extravagant bills for unnecessary repairs will be avoided4 ,the engineer will take pride in his work and do justice to a liberal employer4 ,it is well known that engineers can only become acquainted with the true capacity of machinery by long and careful study4 ,statistics have proved that marine engines in the navy under the direction of good men have been run with less coal1 less oil and greater working power year by year when the same man has had control of the engine-room4 ,all of which means less strain on the owner's bank account4 ,lincoln's famous aphorism about the unwisdom of swapping horses when crossing a stream applies with great precision to skippers and engineers4 ,it takes time for the most masterly and adroit captain to become acquainted with the peculiar idiosyncrasies of a vessel1 for it is true that each one has her own individuality1 and it takes time to comprehend her4 ,in this they much resemble the fair sex4 ,it is a case of whip and spur on one hand1 and saddle and bridle on the other4 ,which is to wield the whip or wear the saddle is a question between captain and ship4 ,the struggle is sometimes a long one1 but in the end mind conquers matter4 ,the captain1 as in the case of ,gen4 ,paine and the ,mayflower1 eventually gets the hang of her1 brings her into a state of submission1 and compels her to become a cup winner4 ,the engineer in his own sphere accomplishes similar results4 ,his machinery runs with the regularity of a chronometer4 ,his owner's bills for coal and oil are confined within reasonable limits4 ,there are no breakdowns4 ,his firemen implicitly obey his orders1 and all goes well in engine-room and stoke-hold4 ,if these few practical suggestions and hints prove of any service to yachtsmen1 captains and engineers1 the writer will feel happy4 ,he has simply touched on the limits of a wide and fertile subject that might be expatiated upon at a large expense of paper and printer's ink4 ,,xiii4 ,,useful ,,hints ,,and ,,recipes4 ,to whiten decks1 mix oxalic acid with fresh water in the proportion of one pound to the gallon4 ,apply lightly with a mop and wash off immediately4 ,good elastic marine glue for paying seams after they are caulked1 can be made of one part of india rubber1 twelve parts of coal tar heated gently in a pitch kettle1 and twenty parts of shellac added to the mixture4 ,when about to use this preparation1 dip the caulking iron1 used to drive the oakum or cotton thread into the seams1 in naphtha1 which dissolves the glue and helps to closely cement the seams4 ,if oil is used instead of naphtha1 the glue will not adhere4 ,when melting marine glue for paying1 take care to heat it very slowly4 ,mildew on sails is almost impossible to remove1 but the stains can be rendered a little less unsightly by well scrubbing the sail on both sides with soap and fresh water1 and then leaving the sail to dry and bleach in the sun4 ,avoid the use of chloride of lime or other caustics or acids1 which1 while they might take out the mildew stains1 would certainly rot the duck4 ,sometimes sails must necessarily be stowed when damp or wet1 but they should be hoisted up to dry as soon as practicable4 ,every boat should be provided with water-proof sail covers4 ,composition paints and other mixtures for preventing the fouling of boats' bottoms are plentiful as clams4 ,each one is warranted to be a specific against weeds and barnacles4 ,but wooden or iron vessels1 however treated1 if left for any length of time at anchor anywhere on the ,atlantic or ,pacific coasts1 are sure to become encrusted with barnacles and to be covered with such a rich growth of marine grasses as would take some particularly active work with a lawn mower to remove4 ,luckily small boats can easily be hauled out and scrubbed1 but those with any pretension to size should most certainly be coppered4 ,copper in salt water will keep clean for a long time1 the exfoliation being extensive4 ,some authorities recommend that the copper be coated with one or other of the compositions prepared for that purpose1 but ,i think that to leave the copper clean will be more satisfactory in the long run4 ,a coppered cruising vessel should not require her bottom to be cleaned more than four times in the season1 but the oftener a racing yacht is hauled out to have her copper burnished the better should be the result1 so far as speed is concerned4 ,there are several capital paints in the market with which to coat a yacht or boat below the water-line4 ,but admirable though they may be1 they are by no means weed or barnacle proof4 ,in choosing a binocular marine glass1 take care not to be persuaded into buying a trashy article4 ,a good one should have a magnifying power of seven times1 as well as what is known as good definition--that is1 the quality of showing all the outlines of an object with complete distinctness and without any haziness4 ,to find out if a glass has this quality1 direct it at any object clearly outlined against the sky--a church steeple1 for instance4 ,if the outlines of the object are indistinct1 or if they are bordered with violet1 blue1 orange or red light1 reject the glass1 as it will never be worth anything4 ,the frame of the glass should be rigid1 or the tubes will become twisted and then you will see two objects in place of one4 ,the more powerful a glass is the less field it possesses4 ,while high power is desirable1 it is well that a glass should have a large field4 ,a poor glass is worse than none at all4 ,that sterling seaman1 ,capt4 ,s4 ,t4 ,s4 ,lecky1 tells a capital story about a marine glass1 which ,i commend to anybody about to purchase one4 ,in the window of a shop he noticed a binocular with a tag on it1 which asserted that the glass had rendered an object visible at the distance of ninety miles4 ,this was attested by a letter to be seen within4 ,the captain's curiosity was excited4 ,on inquiry in the shop he found out that the object was none other than the peak of the ,island of ,tristan d',acunha1 in the ,southern ocean1 which is so lofty that it can be seen in clear weather by the naked eye at a distance of one hundred miles4 ,therefore ,i say let your motto be caveat emptor when you go cruising about in search of either a cheap marine telescope or binocular among marine store dealers or pawnshops4 ,remember that clearness of definition is more to be sought than high magnifying power1 as in misty weather the glass with the last-named quality in a marked degree magnifies the haze as well as the object1 and1 of course1 makes it still more blurred and indistinct--a defect on which it is unnecessary for me to further enlarge4 ,it is hard to distinguish with a low-priced binocular on a thick or rainy night the color of a vessel's lights1 a white one sometimes appearing with a green or reddish tinge1 and a green one looking like a white one4 ,this applies also to lightships and lighthouses1 and should make you careful as to your selection of a glass4 ,captain ,lecky says the proper way to test a binocular for night use is not to stand at a shop door in broad daylight1 trying how much the glass enlarges some distant clock-face1 but to wait till nightfall and test it by looking up a dark street or passage1 and if figures before only dimly visible to the naked eye are rendered tolerably clear by the aid of the glasses1 you may rest assured you have hit on a suitable instrument4 ,it is well to go in the first place to an optician1 and not to a shoptician versed in cheap-jack methods4 ,illustration3 ,,luncheon ,,in ,,the ,,cock-,,pit ,iron ballast should be coal-tarred1 painted1 or white-washed with hot lime4 ,masts and spars should be scraped and sand-papered4 ,if there are any cracks in them1 they should be stopped with marine glue before scraping4 ,apply a coat of wood-filler1 then a coat of spar composition4 ,when hard1 give a second coat4 ,never apply varnish when there is much moisture in the atmosphere4 ,in the vicinity of ,new ,york1 wait till the wind is northwest if you wish to secure the best and most brilliant results4 ,if your boat is white1 when repainting don't forget to mix a little blue with your white lead1 raw linseed oil and dryers4 ,this cerulean dash improves the look of the paint1 and is far better than black1 which produces a ghastly tint4 ,illustration3 ,,scowing ,,an ,,anchor4 ,when for any purpose it becomes necessary or desirable to anchor a small boat on ground known1 or suspected1 to be foul1 it is advisable to scow the anchor4 ,unbend the cable from the ring2 make the end fast round the crown shank and flukes with a clove hitch1 and bring the end a back to s1 and stop it round the cable with a piece of spunyarn2 take the cable back to the shackle and stop it as at b4 ,when the cable is hauled upon by the part o1 the stop at b will part and the fluke of the anchor can be easily broken out and lifted4 ,for larger vessels a trip-line is sometimes bent to the crown and buoyed instead of scowing the anchor4 ,a capital composition for painting the bottoms of boats up to the water-line is made as follows3 ,take one pound of red lead1 four ounces of copper bronze powder1 the same weights of arsenic1 chrome yellow and paris blue1 one pint of dryers1 one pint of boiled oil and one pint of copal varnish4 ,mix thoroughly1 strain and apply4 ,if too thick add more varnish4 ,it will dry a rich copper color4 ,it is neither barnacle nor weed proof1 but is as good as some of the more expensive paints which pretend to possess both these qualities4 ,before painting1 scrub the wood well and smooth down with pumice stone4 ,let it thoroughly dry before you begin to use the brush4 ,a good black paint for the outside of boats is made thus3 ,to six pounds of best black paint add one pound of dark blue paint and half a pint of dryers4 ,mix with equal quantities of raw and boiled linseed oil until of the proper consistency4 ,stir well4 ,strain carefully1 and then add one pint of copal varnish4 ,to stop cracks in a spar3 ,when the spar is thoroughly dry run in marine glue4 ,when the glue is hard scrape some of it out and stop the crevice with putty stained the same color as the spar4 ,iron mould and other stains can be removed from a deck by a solution of one part of muriatic acid and three parts of water4 ,,the ,,lead ,,line4 ,the hand lead weighs fourteen pounds4 ,the line to which it is attached is twenty-five fathoms long1 and is marked as follows3 ,at two fathoms1 leather with two ends2 at three fathoms1 leather with three ends2 at five fathoms1 white muslin2 at seven fathoms1 red bunting2 at ten fathoms1 leather with hole in it2 at thirteen fathoms1 blue serge2 at fifteen fathoms1 white muslin2 at seventeen fathoms1 red bunting2 at twenty fathoms1 strand with two knots in it4 ,by the different feel of the materials used it is easy to distinguish the marks in the dark4 ,in sounding when the boat is in motion1 swing the lead round and heave it as far forward as you can4 ,by filling the hollow at the base of the lead with grease or tallow1 a sample of the bottom mud or sand adheres to it1 which may be useful in verifying the position of the boat by comparing it with the chart on which the nature of the bottom is indicated4 ,the first fathom of the hand lead line for use in a boat of light draught may be marked off in feet in any legible manner satisfactory to the marker4 ,the marks on the deep sea lead line commence with two knots at twenty fathoms1 another knot being added for every ten fathoms1 and a single knot at each intermediate five4 ,a hand lead for use in a small craft need not be so heavy as fourteen pounds4 ,it may not be generally known that all watches are compasses if used according to the following instructions4 ,point the hour hand to the ,sun1 and the ,south is exactly half-way between the hour and the figure ,,xii on the dial4 ,for instance1 suppose it is four o'clock2 point the hand indicating four to the ,sun1 and ,,ii on the dial is ,south4 ,suppose again it is eight o'clock2 point the hand indicating eight to the ,sun1 and the figure ,x on the dial is ,south4 ,some cranks carry a compass card in their watch case so that they may always determine without delay or trouble the direction of the wind whenever the ,sun is visible4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,photo by ,j4 ,s4 ,johnston4 ,,half ,,raters4 ,,xiv4 ,,rule ,,of ,,the ,,road ,,at ,,sea4 ,the boat sailer must possess a knowledge of the rule of the road at sea1 unless he wants his sport brought to an untimely end by collision4 ,he should become thoroughly familiar with the ,international ,steering and ,sailing ,rules1 so that if he encounters steamships1 fishing craft1 pilot boats1 etc41 he will be able so to maneuver his own vessel as to escape collision4 ,the prudent skipper of a little vessel should always give steamships and ferryboats a wide berth4 ,big steamships sometimes are slow to answer their helms1 and often will not get out of the way of small craft1 although compelled to by international law4 ,should your boat be run down by one of these monsters of the deep you1 of course1 have your remedy in a court1 but you are apt to find litigation very expensive when suing a steamship company1 and a suit often lingers for years until1 having exhausted every process1 it finds itself at last on the calendar of the ,supreme ,court of the ,united ,states4 ,it is not advisable to attempt to cross the bows of a steamer unless you have plenty of room and you are a good judge of distances4 ,steam vessels go at a faster rate than they seem to1 and the momentum of their impact is very great4 ,instead of crossing a steamer's bow go about on the other tack1 or haul your foresheet to windward till she has passed4 ,discretion is always the better part of valor4 ,not to monkey with ocean steamships or ferryboats is as valuable advice as that time-honored warning to boys not to fool with the buzz-saw4 ,do not get rattled1 whatever you do1 but keep your eyes skinned and your head clear4 ,skippers of ferryboats often try to show off their smartness by steering as close as possible to small pleasure boats and then giving them the benefit of their wash1 sometimes swamping their unfortunate victims4 ,it is fun for the fellow in the ferryboat's pilot-house1 but it is the reverse of pleasant to the man wallowing in the seething water4 ,therefore1 do not court danger by approaching too near these unwieldy marine brutes1 but if you are so luckless as to get into their wash handle your boat so that she shall not get into the trough of the waves1 but take the sea on the bluff of the bow1 where it will do the least harm4 ,navigation by daylight in fine1 clear weather is easy1 but when it is dark and foggy special precautions must be taken or collision is inevitable4 ,i do not propose to reprint in this little book the full text of the international regulations for preventing collisions at sea1 but ,i have prepared an abstract1 which will be sufficient for the practical purposes of an amateur sailor4 ,,lights4 ,between sunset and sunrise the following lights shall be carried by a steamship when under way3 ,at the foremast head a bright white light1 visible on a clear night at a distance of five miles1 showing the light ten points on either side of the ship from right ahead to two points abaft the beam4 ,on the starboard side a green light showing from right ahead to two points abaft the beam1 visible at a distance of two miles4 ,on the port side a red light similar in all respects1 except color1 to the green light4 ,to prevent these green and red lights from being seen across the bow they must be fitted with inboard screens projecting at least three feet forward from the light4 ,steamships towing other vessels shall carry two white masthead lights in addition to their side lights4 ,sailing vessels when under way or being towed shall carry only the green and red lights as provided for steamships under way4 ,small vessels that cannot carry fixed side lights in bad weather must have them on deck on their respective sides ready for instant exhibition on the approach of another vessel4 ,all vessels at anchor shall show where it can best be seen1 at a height not exceeding twenty feet above the hull1 a white light in a globular lantern of eight inches in diameter1 visible all round the horizon at a distance of at least a mile4 ,pilot vessels shall only carry a white light at the masthead1 visible all round the horizon1 and shall exhibit a flare-up light every fifteen minutes4 ,open boats are not required to carry fixed sidelights1 but must1 in default of such1 be provided with a lantern1 having a green slide on one side and a red slide on the other1 which must be properly shown in time to prevent collision1 taking care that the green light shall not be seen on the port side nor the red light on the starboard side4 ,fishing and open boats1 when at anchor or riding to their nets and stationary1 shall exhibit a bright white light1 and may1 in addition1 use a flare-up light if deemed expedient4 ,,fog ,,signals4 ,in fog1 mist1 or falling snow1 whether by day or night1 a steamship under way shall blow a prolonged blast of her steam whistle every two minutes1 or oftener4 ,a sailing vessel under way shall blow her foghorn 7which must be sounded by a bellows or other mechanical device and not by mouth power7 at intervals of not less than two minutes1 when on the starboard tack one blast1 when on the port tack two blasts in succession1 and when with the wind abaft the beam three blasts in succession4 ,vessels not under way shall ring the bell at intervals of not less than two minutes4 ,,steering ,,and ,,sailing ,,rules ,,for ,,sailing ,,vessels4 ,a ship running free shall keep out of the way of a ship closehauled4 ,a ship closehauled on the port tack shall keep out of the way of a ship closehauled on the starboard tack4 ,when both are running free with the wind on different sides1 the ship which has the wind on the port side shall keep out of the way of the other4 ,when both are running free with the wind on the same side1 the ship which is to windward shall keep out of the way of the ship to leeward4 ,a ship which has the wind aft shall keep out of the way of the other ship4 ,,for ,,steam ,,vessels4 ,if two ships under steam are meeting end on1 or nearly end on1 so as to involve risk of collision1 each shall alter her course to starboard so that each may pass on the port side of the other4 ,if two ships under steam are crossing so as to involve risk of collision1 the ship which has the other on her own starboard side shall keep out of the way of the other4 ,steamships must1 in cases where there is risk of collision1 keep out of the way of sailing vessels4 ,a vessel1 whether sail or steam1 when overtaking another1 must keep out of the way of the overtaken ship4 ,where by the above rules one of two ships is to keep out of the way1 the other shall keep her course4 ,the following rhymes should be committed to memory3 ,when both sidelights you see ahead1 ,port your helm and show your red6 ,green to green or red to red1 ,perfect safety--go ahead6 ,if on the port tack you steer1 ,it is your duty to keep clear ,of every closehauled ship ahead1 ,no matter whether green or red4 ,but when upon your port is seen ,a stranger's starboard light of green1 ,there's not so much for you to do1 ,for green to port keeps clear of you4 ,a ship which is being overtaken by another shall show from her stern to such last-mentioned ship a white light or a flare-up light4 ,this rule was only adopted in #ahhd1 but ,i saw it practically exemplified in the ship ,rajah of ,cochin in the year #ahgd4 ,the ,rajah was running down the ,southeast trades one pitch dark night in ,april1 homeward bound2 ,i was in charge of the deck4 ,we had studdingsails set on both sides1 on the mainmast and foremast4 ,suddenly out of the darkness astern there loomed up the sails on the foremast of a big ship whose jibboom seemed to be right over the ,rajah's stern4 ,she carried no side lights1 her skipper being probably of an economical turn of mind4 ,i took the lighted lamp out of the binnacle1 and jumping on the wheel gratings waved it as high as ,i could1 at the same time yelling with all my might4 ,i could hear the man on the lookout aboard the pursuing vessel roar out1 and then came a clatter and a rattle of ropes and a flapping of sails as with her helm hard to port the ship that was pursuing us luffed out across our stern4 ,she snapped off a few stunsail booms1 but that was better than running us down4 ,capt4 ,sedgwick1 who was in command of the ,rajah1 was awakened by the noise and came up from below in his pajamas4 ,he quickly realized what a close shave his ship had experienced4 ,,buoys ,,and ,,beacons4 ,in approaching channels from seaward red buoys marked with even numbers will be found on the starboard side of the channel and must be left on the starboard side in passing in4 ,black buoys with odd numbers will be found on the port side of the channel and must be left on the port hand in passing in4 ,buoys with red and black horizontal stripes will be found on obstructions with channel ways on either side of them1 and may be left on either hand4 ,buoys painted with black and white perpendicular stripes will be found in mid-channel1 and must be passed close aboard to avoid danger4 ,all other marks to buoys will be in addition to the foregoing and may be employed to mark particular spots1 a description of which will be found in the printed ,government lists4 ,perches1 with balls1 cages1 etc41 will1 when placed on buoys1 be at turning points1 the color and number indicating on what side they shall be passed4 ,,xv4 ,,the ,,compass4 ,i have no space in this volume to write an exhaustive chapter on navigation4 ,it is1 however1 an art easily acquired1 and may be wholly self-taught4 ,there are certain rudimentary rules for finding one's way at sea by dead reckoning1 that everyone starting out on a cruise should master4 ,the instruments needful are a compass1 parallel rulers1 dividers1 patent log1 lead line1 aneroid barometer1 clock1 and the necessary charts of the sea which it is proposed to navigate4 ,in a small cruiser a compass is generally carried in a portable binnacle4 ,when steering by it take care that the lubber's point is in a direct line with the keel or stem and sternpost4 ,for the benefit of the uninitiated1 ,i will explain that the lubber's point is the black vertical line in the foreside of the compass bowl1 by which the direction of the vessel's head is determined4 ,a misplaced lubber's point is sure to cause grave errors in the course actually made4 ,the compass should be as far removed as possible from ironwork of any kind4 ,a spirit compass1 as ,i have remarked elsewhere1 is the only kind suitable for small craft4 ,those with cards of hard enamel1 floating in undiluted alcohol1 which renders freezing impossible1 are the best4 ,the amateur boat sailer should become familiar with the compass1 be able to box it by both points and degrees1 and to name its back bearings4 ,illustration3 compass ,the points of the compass are thirty-two in number1 as follows3 ,north ,north by ,east ,north1 ,north-,east ,north-,east by ,n4 ,north-,east ,north-,east by ,e4 ,east1 ,north-,east ,east by ,north ,east ,east by ,south ,east1 ,south-,east ,south-,east by ,e4 ,south-,east ,south-,east by ,s4 ,south1 ,south-,e4 ,south by ,east ,south ,south by ,west ,south1 ,south-,w4 ,south-,west by ,s4 ,south-,west ,south-,west by ,w4 ,west1 ,south-,w4 ,west by ,south ,west ,west by ,north ,west1 ,north-,west ,north-,west by ,w4 ,north-,west ,north-,west by ,w4 ,north1 ,north-,w4 ,north by ,west ,north ,these points are sub-divided into quarter points1 and again into degrees4 ,the table given on pages #adb-adc shows the angles which every point and quarter point of the compass makes with the meridian3 ,,points1 ,,angles ,,and ,,back ,,bearings ,,of ,,the ,,compass4 ,opposite or ,back ,pts4 ,dgrs4 ,pts4 ,opposite or ,back ,bearings4 c4 ,bearings4 ,north4 ,south4 #j #j #j #j #j ,north4 ,south4 #j-a_/d #b #dh #de #j-a_/d ,n4 #a_/b ,s4 #a_/b #j-a_/b #e #cg #cj #j-a_/b ,n4 #a_/b ,s4 #a_/b ,e4 ,w4 ,w4 ,e4 #j-c_/d #h #bf #ae #j-c_/d ,n4 b4 ,e4 ,s4 b4 ,w4 #a #aa #ae #j #a ,n4 b4 ,w4 ,s4 b4 ,e4 #a-a_/d #ad #c #de #a-a_/d ,n4 b4 ,e4 ,s4 b4 ,w4 ,n4 b4 ,w4 ,s4 b4 ,e4 #a_/b ,e4 #a_/b ,w4 #a-a_/b #af #eb #cj #a-a_/b #a_/b ,w4 #a_/b ,e4 #a-c_/d #ai #da #ae #a-c_/d ,n4 ,n4 ,e4 ,s4 ,s4 ,w4 #b #bb #cj #j #b ,n4 ,n4 ,w4 ,s4 ,s4 ,e4 #b-a_/d #be #ah #de #b-a_/d ,n4 ,n4 ,e4 ,s4 ,s4 ,w4 ,n4 ,n4 ,w4 ,s4 ,s4 ,e4 #a_/b ,e4 #a_/b ,w4 #b-a_/b #bh #g #cj #b-a_/b #a_/b ,w4 #a_/b ,e4 #b-c_/d #cj #ef #ae ,n4 ,e4 b4 ,s4 ,w4 b4 ,n4 ,w4 b4 ,s4 ,e4 b4 ,n4 ,s4 #c #cc #de #j ,n4 ,s4 #c-a_/d #cf #cc #de ,n4 ,e4 ,s4 ,w4 #ci #bb #cj ,n4 ,w4 ,s4 ,e4 #a_/b ,n4 #a_/b ,s4 #c-a_/b #ci #bb #cj #a_/b ,n4 #a_/b ,s4 #c-c_/d #db #aa #ae ,n4 ,e4 ,s4 ,w4 #d #de #j #j ,n4 ,w4 ,s4 ,e4 #d-a_/d #dg #dh #de #d-a_/d ,n4 ,e4 ,s4 ,w4 ,n4 ,w4 ,s4 ,e4 #a_/b ,e4 #a_/b ,w4 #d-a_/b #ej #cg #cj #d-a_/b #a_/b ,w4 #a_/b ,e4 #d-c_/d #ec #bf #ae #d-c_/d ,n4 ,e4 ,s4 ,w4 ,n4 ,w4 ,s4 ,e4 b4 ,e4 b4 ,w4 #e #ef #ae #j #e b4 ,w4 b4 ,e4 #e-a_/d #ei #c #de #e-a_/d ,n4 ,e4 b4 ,s4 ,w4 b4 ,n4 ,w4 b4 ,s4 ,e4 b4 ,e4 #a_/b ,w4 #a_/b #e-a_/b #fa #eb #cj #e-a_/b ,w4 #a_/b ,e4 #a_/b ,e4 ,w4 ,w4 ,e4 #e-c_/d #fd #da #ae #e-c_/d ,e4 ,n4 ,e4 ,w4 ,s4 ,w4 #f #fg #cj #j #f ,w4 ,n4 ,w4 ,e4 ,s4 ,e4 #f-a_/d #gj #ah #de #f-a_/d ,e4 b4 ,n4 ,w4 b4 ,s4 ,w4 b4 ,n4 ,e4 b4 ,s4 #a_/b ,n4 #a_/b ,s4 #f-a_/b #gc #g #cj #f-a_/b #a_/b ,n4 #a_/b ,s4 #f-c_/d #ge #ef #ae #f-c_/d ,e4 b4 ,n4 ,w4 b4 ,s4 #g #gh #de #j #g ,w4 b4 ,n4 ,e4 b4 ,s4 #g-a_/d #ha #cc #de #g-a_/d ,e4 #a_/b ,w4 #a_/b #g-a_/b #hd #bb #cj #g-a_/b ,w4 #a_/b ,e4 #a_/b ,n4 ,s4 ,n4 ,s4 #g-c_/d #hg #aa #ae #g-c_/d ,east4 ,west4 #h #ij #j #j #h ,west4 ,east4 ,the mariner's compass does not1 however1 give the true direction of the various points of the horizon4 ,the needle points to the magnetic ,north and not to the true ,north1 the difference between them being called the variation of the compass1 which differs widely in various parts of the world1 being sometimes easterly and sometimes westerly1 and constantly changing4 ,the amount is generally marked on the charts4 ,in ,new ,york the variation for #ahid was #h #bf ,west1 or three-quarters of a point to the ,west of the true ,north4 ,thus1 to make good a true ,north course1 the vessel would have to steer ,north three-quarters ,west4 ,a rule easy to remember is that westerly variation is allowed to the left of the compass course1 or bearing1 and that easterly variation is allowed to the right of the compass course or bearing4 ,to convert true courses and bearings into compass courses and bearings with variation westerly1 allow it to the right of the true course or bearing1 and with variation easterly allow it to the left of the true course or bearing4 ,deviation is another error of the compass caused by local attraction1 such as the ironwork and iron ballast in a boat1 or the proximity of a marlinespike to the binnacle4 ,in a wooden boat1 if proper care is taken1 there should be no appreciable deviation of the compass4 ,deviation can be discovered by swinging the boat as she lies at her moorings1 having first obtained the true magnetic bearing of some distant object1 such as a lighthouse or a church steeple4 ,as the vessel's head comes to each point of the compass1 a compass bearing is taken of the object1 and the difference between that bearing and the true magnetic bearing is observed and noted1 and afterward tabulated4 ,it will often be found that the deviation differs not only in amount1 but in name1 for different directions of the ship's head1 being easterly at certain points and westerly at others4 ,the rule is to allow westerly deviation to the left to get the correct magnetic course1 and easterly deviation to the right to get the correct magnetic course4 ,to find out the error of the compass in order to steer a true course1 the sum of the deviation and the variation when both are of the same name1 and their difference when they have different names1 must be ascertained4 ,for instance1 deviation #bj ,west and variation #be ,west1 would give an error of compass #de ,west1 which should be applied to the left4 ,if the deviation was #bj ,east and the variation #aj ,west1 the difference between them would be #aj ,east1 which compass error should be applied to the right to steer a true course4 ,in order to find the compass course or course to steer1 proceed as follows1 the true course being ,north #dj ,east1 the variation being #ch ,west and the deviation #ah ,east3 ,variation1 #ch ,w41 being of contrary names1 take their difference4 ,deviation1 #ah ,e4 ------ ,correction1 #bj1 apply to the right1 being westerly4 ,true course ,n4#dj ,e4 ------ ,compass course ,n4#fj ,e4 ,another example is given where the variation and deviation are both easterly and the true course is ,s41 #ge ,west4 ,variation1 #bd ,w41 being of same name4 ,deviation1 #af ,w41 add together4 ------ ,correction1 #dj1 apply to the left1 being easterly4 ,true course1 ,s4 #ge ,w4 ------ ,compass course1 ,s4 #ce ,w4 ,a volume might be written on the mariner's compass4 ,it is a fascinating study1 but unfortunately my space is limited4 ,there is another correction to the compass that the amateur should have cognizance of4 ,it is called leeway1 and is1 in untechnical language1 the drift that the ship makes sideways through the water because of the force of the wind or the impulsive heave of the sea4 ,some craft1 because of deficiency in the element of lateral resistance1 such as in the case of a shallow1 skimming-dish sort of a boat1 with the centerboard hoisted up1 will go to leeward like a crab4 ,others of a different type1 such as the plank-on-edge variety1 with a lead line attached1 will hang on to windward in a wonderful manner4 ,it requires1 therefore1 a certain amount of judgment as well as of knowledge in this particular section of nautical lore to be able to estimate with any degree of approximate certainty the leeway a vessel may happen to make4 ,it should not be forgotten that build has much to do with this1 and that trim and draught of water are also two powerful elements in this connection4 ,for instance1 a boat with outside lead and a centerboard in a strong breeze and a lumpy sea1 so long as the wind permitted her to carry a commanding spread of sail1 might make no appreciable leeway1 but1 on the contrary1 might eat up into the wind4 ,but given the same boat without the lead and without the adventitious aid that the centerboard affords1 she would be compelled to dowse her muslin at the first puff1 and as a purely physical consequence she would retain no hold on the water and would drift off to leeward like an irresponsible she-crab4 ,thus leeway must be estimated by experience4 ,it is often a most disturbing quantity1 especially when the weather is foggy and the channel in which you are steering is perplexing on account of rocks or shoals4 ,i have already expatiated on the wisdom of anchoring in such a contingency as this whenever the elements will permit4 ,but1 of course1 one is a slave of the winds and the waves1 and bringing-up is not always possible4 ,i should1 therefore1 advise the amateur to carefully watch his boat and endeavor to find out approximately the amount of leeway she makes when the first reef is taken in by comparing the direction of the fore and aft line of the boat with that of her wake4 ,this method may also be pursued with advantage under all conditions of wind and weather1 and by this means a moderately correct and very useful table may be made4 ,the old navigators like the ,drakes and the ,frobishers had this matter arranged for them1 so when they sailed forth on voyages of great emprise and portent they were guided by certain tabulated formula that gave them full and implicit directions for the allowance of leeway4 ,thus the skipper of a ship with topgallantsails furled was told to allow one point2 when under double-reefed topsails1 one point and a half2 when under close-reefed topsails1 two points2 when the topsails are furled1 three points and a half2 when the fore-course is furled1 four points2 when under the mainsail only1 five points2 when under the balanced mizzen or mizzen staysail1 six points2 and when under bare poles1 seven points4 ,this antiquated method of computation answered very well1 for those sterling and sturdy navigators of the olden times seemed to have had a rare faculty of achieving their adventurous purpose and of gaining1 too1 both fame and fortune4 ,but the commander of a clipper ship1 with whom ,i sailed as a youngster1 undertook to demonstrate to me the absurdity of any such hard-and-fast rule4 ,we had carried away our three topgallant masts1 off ,cape ,agulhas1 while threshing hard against a westerly gale4 ,they were whipped out of us like pipe-stems4 ,it took all hands a whole day to clear away the wreck4 ,next day the weather moderated sufficiently for us to have carried every stitch of canvas could we have set it4 ,there were a number of vessels beating round the ,cape1 and all took advantage of the cessation of the gale to spread all their flying kites to the breeze4 ,our ship1 under three topsails1 inner and outer jibs1 foresail1 mainsail1 crossjack1 spanker1 foretopmast1 maintopmast and mizzentopmast staysails1 beat all the fleet4 ,when it came on to blow again we were the first to reef1 because some of our rigging had got badly strained in the squall that took our topgallantmasts away4 ,still we maintained our lead1 although jogging along comfortably while our opponents were driving at it1 hugging their topgallantsails and with lee rails under4 ,now1 said our captain1 coming on the poop after he had worked up his dead reckoning at noontime1 you see all those ships dead to leeward--well they ought to be to windward of us unless all the books on navigation are wrong4 ,i have entered in my traverse-table the courses we were supposed to have made good under the old rule1 and have thus proved its falsity4 ,the fact is the ships that were turned out in the days when these nautical axioms were first propounded were built by the mile and cut off in lengths to suit4 ,they had no shape to speak of below the water-line1 and perhaps the rule applied to each alike4 ,times are different now1 and leeway must be determined by the model of the ship4 ,the rule for reckoning leeway is as follows3 ,wind on starboard side1 allow leeway to the left4 ,wind on port side1 allow leeway to the right4 ,or you may thus define it3 ,vessel on starboard tack1 allow leeway to the left4 ,vessel on port tack1 allow leeway to the right4 ,in this connection it might be well to urge the young mariner against keeping his boat all a-shiver and bucking against a head sea1 and all the while sagging off bodily to leeward4 ,it is better far to keep the wake right astern and keep way on the vessel--unless1 of course1 the weather is too violent4 ,the direction and rate of tides and currents have also to be allowed for when correcting a compass course4 ,thus in crossing ,long ,island ,sound from ,larchmont to ,oyster ,bay in thick weather1 the magnetic course as given in the ,government chart would have to be rectified and allowance made for the condition of the tide1 whether ebb or flood1 or your boat might never reach her destination4 ,,xvi4 ,,charts4 ,there are no better charted coasts in the world than those bounded by the ,north ,atlantic and ,pacific ,oceans4 ,the ,united ,states ,navy has done and is doing magnificent hydrographic work4 ,the charts issued by the ,government are accurate1 reliable1 up-to-date and reasonable in price4 ,the top of a chart when spread out in front of you so that the reading part appears to you like the page of a book1 and you can read it from left to right1 is the ,north1 the bottom is the ,south1 the side on your right is the ,east1 and the side on your left is the ,west4 ,there are always compasses on a chart1 either true or magnetic1 by reference to which and with the aid of the parallel rulers the bearing of one point from another may easily be ascertained by the following method3 ,lay the edge of the rulers over the two places2 then slide them 7preserving the direction7 till the edge of one ruler is on the center of the nearest compass2 when this is done read off the course indicated by the direction of the ruler4 ,to measure the distance between two places on the chart spread out the dividers till their points are over them1 then apply to the graduated scale at the bottom of the chart1 which will give you the required distance4 ,this method1 it should be remembered1 is only accurate when applied to the large coasting charts4 ,when measuring distances on general charts which extend across many degrees of latitude1 the mean latitude of the two places must be measured from4 ,there are certain signs and abbreviations used on charts which are easily comprehended1 such as hrd for hard1 rky for rocky1 etc4 ,lighthouses and lightships are clearly marked1 and shoals1 rocks and other obstructions to navigation are plainly defined4 ,all the marginal notes on the charts should be made familiar by the navigator4 ,i need scarcely say that charts1 instruments and books of sailing instructions should be kept dry4 ,there are cylindrical tin boxes for charts which are quite cheap1 and these ,i recommend4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #f4 ,the position of a vessel may be ascertained simply and accurately by cross-bearings4 ,suppose you are in a ship at ,a in ,fig4 #f4 ,the point with the lighthouse on it bears correct magnetic ,n4 by ,w41 and the point with the tree on it ,e4 by ,n4 ,you lay the parallel rules over the compass on your chart at ,n4 by ,w41 and work them to the lighthouse1 preserving the direction4 ,you then draw the line from the lighthouse to a4 ,you then lay the parallel rules over the compass on your chart at ,e4 by ,n41 and work them in a similar way to the tree4 ,then draw the line from the tree to a4 ,the spot where the two lines cut was the vessel's position on the chart when the bearings were first taken4 ,the distance of the ship from both lighthouse and tree can be measured by taking in the dividers the distance between either and the ship1 and referring to the scale on the chart4 ,it should be remembered that when sailing along the land cross-bearings will always determine your position1 always allowing the proper corrections on the compass4 ,in taking cross-bearings1 try to have a difference between the two objects of as nearly ninety degrees as possible4 ,the old-fashioned log-ship and log-line for determining the distance run by a vessel need have no place in the equipment of a small yacht4 ,there are several patent self-registering logs which record the distance run1 either on the taffrail or on dials on the log itself4 ,their performance is fairly satisfactory1 but they should be kept well oiled1 and should be often examined and tested--for instance1 in a run between two objects whose distance apart is well known4 ,by careful attention to the ,lead1 the ,log and the ,look-out1 a boat may be navigated1 by dead reckoning1 with a certain amount of accuracy4 ,a nautical mile1 or knot1 is the same as a geographical mile4 ,its length is six thousand and eighty feet4 ,a statute mile in the ,united ,states measures five thousand two hundred and eighty feet4 ,illustration ,,xvii4 ,,marlinespike ,,seamanship4 ,,with ,,instructions ,,for ,,making ,,splices ,,knots ,,and ,,bends4 ,illustration3 ,,marlinespike4 ,the amateur yachtsman should be able to make all the splices and most of the knots in common use4 ,this knowledge will come in quite handy when fitting out his craft in the spring1 and will save him the expense of hiring a sailor to do the work4 ,i have spent many happy hours in rigging a fifteen-ton cutter1 doing all the work myself 7except stepping the mast7 with the aid of a boy4 ,a few fathoms of rope1 a marlinespike1 a knife1 a small pot of grease1 a ball of spun yarn1 another of marline and one of roping twine1 and you are equipped for work4 ,splicing ropes and making fancy knots may be made a quite pleasant way of spending a winter's evening4 ,it keeps one out of mischief1 and the art once learned is rarely forgotten4 ,i think if you follow my directions and take heed of the diagrams that accompany them 7which ,i have taken pains to make as clear as possible7 you will have no difficulty in becoming quite expert in the use of a marlinespike4 ,illustration ,the ends of all ropes1 whether belonging to the running or standing rigging1 must be whipped with tarred roping twine or they will unravel4 ,take the rope in your left hand and lap the twine round it very tight a dozen times1 taking care that the end lies under the first turns so as to secure it4 ,then make a loop with the twine and continue the lapping for four turns round the rope and the end of the twine1 as shown above4 ,haul taut and cut off the end4 ,illustration ,,eye ,,splice--,unlay the rope and lay the strands ,e1 ,f1 ,g at the proper distance upon the standing part1 as shown at ,a4 ,now push the strand ,h through the strand next to it1 as shown in ,b1 having first opened it with a marlinespike4 ,strand ,i is then thrust over the part through which ,h was passed4 ,strand ,k is thrust through the third on the other side4 ,repeat the process with each strand1 and then hammer the splice into shape with the butt of the marlinespike4 ,stretch and cut off the ends of the strands4 ,if particular neatness is required1 the strands1 after having been passed through the standing part the first time1 should be halved and passed again1 and then still further tapered by being quartered before being passed for the third and last time4 ,an eye splice is useful4 ,standing rigging should have eyes spliced in to go over the mast-head1 and for dead-eyes to be turned in1 etc4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #a4 ,,fig4 #b4 ,,short ,,splice--,unlay the ends of two ropes of the same size and bring their ends together1 as shown in ,fig4 #a4 ,hold the rope ,d and the strands ,a1 ,b and ,c in the left hand4 ,pass the strand ,e over ,a and under ,c of rope ,h and haul taut4 ,pass strand ,g over ,b and under ,a4 ,pass strand ,f over the strand next to it and under the second4 ,turn the rope round and treat the other side in the same way1 when the splice will be like ,fig4 #b4 ,the single tucking of the strands will not1 however1 be strong enough1 and the process should be repeated on both sides1 halving the strands for the sake of neatness4 ,this splice is used only for rope that is not required to run through a block4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #a4 ,fig4 #b4 ,,long ,,splice--,unlay the ends of the two ropes that are to be joined some two or three feet1 according to the size of the rope4 ,place the two ends together1 as shown in ,fig4 #a4 ,unlay strand ,c and lead it back to ,a2 then take ,d and lay it up in the space left by ,c4 ,do this with the strands ,e and ,f on the opposite side4 ,the rope will now look like ,fig4 #b4 ,give the two middle strands1 ,g and ,h1 a lick of tar if the rope is of hemp1 and grease if of manilla1 and knot them together with an overhand knot1 taking care that the knot is so formed as to follow the lay of the rope4 ,then halve these strands and pass them over one strand and under two4 ,treat the remaining strands in the same way1 after which stretch the rope well and cut off the ends of the strands4 ,a long splice is the neatest way there is of putting two ends of a rope together4 ,if well made it does not increase the diameter of the rope1 and therefore renders through blocks as though it did not exist4 ,if one strand of a rope is chafed through while the other two are sound1 a new strand may be put in to replace it1 and the ends may be finished off in the same way as in a long splice4 ,illustration ,,cut ,,splice--,a cut splice is made the same as an eye splice1 only with two ropes instead of one4 ,illustration ,,overhand ,,knot--,it is used at the ends of ropes to prevent them from unreeving4 ,there should always be one in the end of the mainsheet1 which is difficult to reeve again in anything like a breeze4 ,illustration ,,reef ,,knot--,it is always used to tie the reef points of a sail4 ,first make an overhand knot and then pass the ends so that they take the same lay as the crossed parts of the overhand knot4 ,if passed the other way1 the knot will form what sailors call a granny1 which will slip when it is subjected to a strain4 ,illustration ,,bowline ,,knot--,take the end 7#a7 of the rope in the right hand and the standing part 7#b7 in the left hand4 ,lay the end over the standing part and turn the left wrist so that the standing part forms a loop 7#d7 enclosing the end4 ,next lead the end back of the standing part and above the loop1 and bring the end down through the loop as shown4 ,this is a very useful knot4 ,illustration ,,running ,,bowline--,it is made by passing the end of a rope round its standing part and forming a bowline as in ,fig4 #h4 ,illustration ,,bowline ,,on ,a ,,bight--,to make it1 double the rope and take the doubled end 7#a7 in the right hand1 the standing part 7#b7 of the rope in the left hand4 ,lay the end over the standing part1 and by turning the left wrist form a loop 7#c7 having the end inside4 ,next pull up enough of the end 7#a7 to dip under the bight 7#d71 bringing the end towards the right and dipping it under the bight1 then passing it up to the left over the loop and hauling taut4 ,illustration ,,two ,,half ,,hitches--,pass the end of the rope round the standing part and bring it up through the bight4 ,this makes a half hitch4 ,repeat the process and haul taut4 ,if the knot is to bear a great strain1 seize the end back with spunyarn to the standing part4 ,illustration ,,timber ,,hitch--,pass the end of a rope round the spar1 then round the standing part b1 then several times round its own part c against the lay of the rope4 ,illustration ,,gaff ,,topsail ,,halyard ,,bend--,pass two turns round the spar1 then lead the end back round the standing part and underneath all the turns1 bringing it round to its own part and back again over the two outer turns and underneath the inner turn4 ,illustration ,,blackwall ,,hitch--,it is the simplest method known of making fast the end of a rope to the hook of a tackle4 ,the figure is self-explanatory1 the underneath part or the rope being jammed hard and fast by the strain on the hook4 ,illustration ,,common ,,bend--,make a bight with the end of one rope1 and pass the end of the other through the bight from beneath1 and round both parts with the end under its own standing part4 ,the greater the strain1 the faster will this bend jam4 ,illustration ,,magnus ,,hitch--,pass two round turns with the end of a rope over a spar1 then take it before the standing part1 pass it again under the spar and up through the bight4 ,illustration ,,selvagee ,,strop--,it is made by driving two nails into a length of plank at a distance apart equal to the desired length of the strop4 ,make fast one end of a ball of spunyarn or knotted ropeyarns to one of the nails and pass it round the other1 continuing the process until the strop is as thick as required4 ,marl it down with spunyarn and sew canvas or leather round it if intended for a block4 ,illustration ,,grommet ,,strop--,it is made of a single strand of rope4 ,to make it1 lay one end over the other at the size required1 and with the long end follow the lay round until a ring is formed with three parts of the strand all round4 ,finish by dividing the ends1 overhand knotting1 and passing them over one strand and under the other exactly as in a long splice4 ,to make a neat job1 use a strand from rope that has been some time in use and is well stretched4 ,the strand should be about a foot more than three times the length of the strop1 to allow for the knotting4 ,it may be wormed and covered with canvas or leather if intended for a block4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ai4 ,fig4 #bj4 ,fig4 #ba4 ,fig4 #bb4 ,figs4 #ai and #bj show a ,wall ,knot4 ,unlay the end of a rope and with the strand ,a in ,fig4 #ai form a bight1 hold it down at the side ,b1 pass the end of the next strand ,c1 round ,a1 the end of strand ,d round ,c and through the bight of ,a4 ,haul taut and the knot is made as in ,fig4 #bj4 ,this can be crowned by taking strand in ,fig4 #ba and laying it over the top of the knot4 ,then lay ,b over ,a1 and ,c over ,b and through the bight of ,a and haul taut4 ,fig4 #bb shows a double wall and double crown1 which is made by letting the ends follow their own parts round until all the parts appear double1 first walling and then crowning4 ,illustration ,,matthew ,,walker ,,knot--,made by unlaying the end of a rope and taking the end ,a round the rope and through its own bight1 the strand ,b underneath through the bight of ,a1 and the strand ,c underneath through the bights of strands ,a and ,b1 and hauling all the strands taut4 ,this knot is used principally for the ends of lanyards4 ,in making these knots a whipping of sailmaker's twine should be put round the rope where the knot is to be when formed4 ,illustration ,this illustration shows the process of worming a rope1 which consists of winding spunyarn of suitable size into the space between the strands with the lay of the rope1 so as to make the rope smooth for parcelling4 ,this must be done with the rope on the stretch4 ,a shows the spunyarn4 ,illustration ,this illustration shows the process of parcelling and serving4 ,after the worming is finished wrap narrow strips of canvas--tarred1 if the rope is of hemp1 and painted if it is of wire--round the rope with the lay1 secure the parcelling to the rope by marling it with twine1 the rope can then be served against the lay4 ,lay the serving mallet ,b with its groove on the rope4 ,take a turn with the spunyarn round the rope and head of the mallet1 round the side next you1 and two turns on the other side and twist it round the handle4 ,get an assistant to pass the ball ,a round the rope while you heave round the mallet4 ,the last half-dozen turns of the service must have the end of the spunyarn put through them and hauled taut to secure it4 ,illustration ,,xviii4 ,,weather ,,wrinkles ,the boat sailer or yachtsman should be able1 from close observation of the barometer and the general appearance of the sky1 to foretell the weather with a certain degree of accuracy4 ,the aneroid barometer is peculiarly sensitive to all atmospheric changes1 and is thus invaluable for meteorological forecasts4 ,a regular code of phenomena has been formulated by meteorologists1 from which ,i take the following3 ,a rapid rise indicates unsettled weather4 ,a gradual rise indicates settled weather4 ,a rise with dry air and cold increasing in summer indicates wind from the northward1 and if rain has fallen better weather may be expected4 ,a rise with moist air and a low temperature indicates a continuance of fine weather4 ,a rapid fall indicates stormy weather4 ,a rapid fall with westerly wind indicates stormy weather from northward4 ,a fall with northerly wind indicates storm with rain and hail in summer and snow in winter4 ,a fall with increased moisture in the air and increasing heat indicates southerly wind and rain4 ,a fall after very calm and warm weather indicates rain and squalls4 ,the barometer rises for a northerly wind1 including from northwest by north to the eastward1 for dry or less wet weather1 for less wind1 or for more than one of these changes1 except on a few occasions when rain1 hail or snow comes from the northward with strong wind4 ,the barometer falls for a southerly wind1 including from southeast by south to the westward1 for wet weather1 for stronger wind1 or for more than one of these changes1 except on a few occasions1 when moderate wind1 with rain or snow1 comes from the northward4 ,a fall1 with a south wind1 precedes rain4 ,a sudden and considerable fall1 with the wind due west1 presages a violent storm from the north or northwest1 during which the glass will rise to its former height4 ,a steady and considerable fall of the barometer during an east wind indicates a shift of wind to the southward1 unless a heavy fall of snow or rain immediately follows4 ,a falling barometer1 with the wind at north1 brings bad weather2 in summer rain and gales2 in spring snows and frosts4 ,if1 after a storm of wind and rain1 the barometer remains steady at the point to which it had fallen1 severe weather may follow without a change in the wind4 ,but on the rising of the barometer a change of wind may be looked for4 ,the following rhymes are familiar to most sailors3 ,when the glass falls low1 ,look out for a blow4 ,first rise after low1 ,portends a stronger blow4 ,when the glass is high1 ,let all your kites fly4 ,long foretold--long last2 ,short notice--soon past4 ,the following notes may be relied on for forecasting the weather3 ,red sky at sunset1 fine weather4 ,red sky in the morning1 wind or rain1 and often both4 ,gray sky in the morning1 fine weather4 ,hard1 oily looking clouds1 strong wind4 ,yellowish green clouds1 wind and rain4 ,bright yellow sky at sunset1 wind4 ,pale yellow sky at sunset1 rain4 ,very clear atmosphere near the horizon is a sign of more wind and often rain4 ,here follow some old sailors' jingles which ,i heard when a boy in the forecastle3 ,when rain comes before the wind1 ,sheets and halyards you must mind2 ,when wind comes before the rain1 ,hoist your topsails up again4 ,evening red and morning gray ,are sure signs of a fine day2 ,but evening gray and morning red1 ,makes a sailor shake his head4 ,amateurs while on a cruise should frequently look at the barometer and take notes of its height and enter them in the log4 ,the action of the aneroid barometer depends on the effect produced by the pressure of the atmosphere on a circular metallic chamber partially exhausted of air and hermetically sealed4 ,this kind of barometer is liable to changes on account of its mechanism getting out of order1 and it should be often compared with a mercurial barometer1 which from its cumbersomeness cannot be conveniently carried in a small craft4 ,aneroid barometers of excellent quality1 and of about the size of an ordinary watch1 are offered for sale at a reasonable price1 and a cruise should not be undertaken without one4 ,a phosphorescent sea is a certain sign of continuance of fine weather4 ,when porpoises come into shallow water and ascend the river stormy weather is near4 ,sea birds fly far out to sea in fine weather1 but if they fly inland bad weather may be expected4 ,a halo round the moon1 especially if it appears distant and yet very distinct1 indicates a gale of wind and probably rain4 ,when the wind changes it usually shifts with the sun from left to right4 ,thus an ,east wind shifts to ,west by way of ,southeast1 ,south and ,southwest1 and a ,west wind shifts to ,east by way of ,northwest1 ,north and ,northeast4 ,if the wind shifts the opposite way it is said to back1 but this it rarely does except in unsettled weather4 ,the ,united ,states ,signal ,service has a local observer stationed at each of the principal ports4 ,when the information signal1 which consists of a red pennant1 is displayed1 it indicates that information has been received from the central office of a storm covering a limited area1 dangerous only for vessels about to sail to certain points4 ,ship-masters and others interested will be supplied with the necessary information on application4 ,a cautionary signal1 which is a ,yellow ,flag with a white center1 indicates that the winds expected are not so violent that well found and seaworthy vessels cannot encounter them without great danger4 ,a cautionary flag hoisted alone signifies that the direction of the expected wind is doubtful4 ,illustration3 ,,cautionary ,,signals4 ,a dangerous storm signal1 which is a ,red ,square ,flag with black center1 is hoisted when the wind is over thirty-five miles an hour4 ,at night a ,red ,light indicates ,easterly winds1 and a ,red and ,white ,light ,westerly winds4 ,illustration3 ,,storm ,,signals4 ,following are the weather signals1 which explain themselves3 ,illustration3 ,,weather4 ,beaufort's scale is used to measure the velocity of the wind4 ,it is given below3 ,hourly ,scale4 ,state4 ,velocity in ,miles4 - #j calm4 #a #a light airs4 #b to #c #b light breezes4 #d to #g #c gentle breeze4 #i to #ae #d moderate breeze4 #ae to #ah #e fresh breeze4 #ai to #bb #f strong breeze4 #bc to #bh #g moderate gale4 #bh to #dj #h fresh gale4 #dj to #dh #i strong gale4 #dh to #ef #aj whole gale4 #eg to #hj #aa storm4 #hj to #ajj #ab hurricane4 ,,xix4 ,,sea ,,cookery ,,for ,,yachtsmen4 ,those who go a-sailing for pleasure in small craft1 frequently suffer hardships1 or at least inconvenience1 in the way of meals1 because of their lack of knowledge of the provisions to take with them1 and of simple methods of preparing wholesome and appetizing dishes4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #a4 ,a ,yachtsman's ,stove4 ,sea cooking differs materially from shore cooking1 inasmuch as the stove in a house is erected on a floor that is both stationary and stable4 ,the yachtsman who has a cosy galley with a fixed stove that burn coal or coke or charcoal1 and that draws well1 has reason to bless his fortunate stars4 ,there have now come into vogue several varieties of the blue-flame wickless cooking stove4 ,in the accompanying illustration1 ,fig4 #a1 ,i have depicted a stove which ,i have found to suit4 ,it is wickless and burns the ordinary kerosene oil4 ,to suit sea conditions the stove is slung on gimbals like a ship's compass1 so as to yield to every motion of the vessel4 ,the railing round the top prevents pots and pans from sliding to leeward4 ,fig4 #b shows the finest fry-pan ever invented for an oil stove1 on which broiling is impracticable4 ,it acts as a broiler or fryer at will4 ,the raised bars prevent the steak or cutlet from being soddened with fat1 the result being equal or nearly equal to a gridiron4 ,if frying is required put the necessary quantity of oil1 butter or fat in the pan4 ,let it come to a boil1 and then immerse in it the article1 fish1 flesh1 fowl1 reptile1 or vegetable that you wish to cook4 ,with a stove having only one lid or burner the sea-cook might often have some difficulty in keeping three utensils on the boil at once4 ,luckily ingenuity has surmounted the obstacle1 and ,fig4 #c shows three stew-pans of small size that will fit over the burner of the stove shown in ,fig4 #a4 ,they are in the market1 but it took me a long time to find out where they are for sale4 ,in one you may cook curry1 in the second rice1 while clam broth may simmer in the third4 ,in good sooth a very cerberus of stew-pans6 ,some sort of a contrivance for storing ice so as to keep it solid as long as possible is indispensable4 ,such a device is shown in ,fig4 #d4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #b4 ,the ,ideal ,fry-,pan4 ,for sea picnics buy as many of the thin wooden plates 7costing only a trifle7 as you may require4 ,these after being used may be thrown overboard4 ,take no crockery ware or china to sea in a small boat4 ,cups1 saucers1 plates and dishes can be obtained made of enameled steel4 ,these are unbreakable and cleanly4 ,stew-pans1 kettles1 pitchers1 coffee-pots and fry-pans are also made of enameled steel1 and they cannot be surpassed4 ,cooks' furnishings depend on the size of the boat and the hands she carries4 ,i suggest the following1 but leave the sizes to the discretion of the purchaser who knows about how many mouths he has to feed3 ,one kettle for boiling water for tea or coffee1 one deep fry-pan1 one iron pot with tight-fitting cover for boiling meat1 fish or cooking chowder1 one teapot1 one coffee-pot1 a soup ladle1 a long iron two-pronged fork 7known aboard ship as the cook's tormentors71 two stew-pans for cooking vegetables1 one broiler 7if the implement can be used71 one cook's knife1 one vegetable knife1 one swab for washing pots1 pans and plates1 and dish towels for drying them1 soap1 cups1 plates1 dishes1 knives1 forks1 spoons1 glasses1 quant4 suff4 ,do not forget a galvanized iron bucket for the cook1 a can opener and a corkscrew4 ,also matches in an airtight can or glass4 ,fuel in either fluid or solid shape should not be omitted4 ,when we come to the question of the food supplies to be taken aboard1 much will depend upon the individual4 ,hard tack1 salt tack1 flour1 beans1 corned beef1 salt pork1 bacon1 hams1 canned meats1 sardines1 canned fruits and vegetables1 cornmeal1 lard1 butter1 cheese1 condensed milk1 sweetened and unsweetened coffee1 tea1 cocoa1 chocolate1 pepper1 salt1 mustard1 vinegar1 poultry seasoning1 sugar and rice are some of the staple comestibles that suggest themselves1 but these may be added to or subtracted from according to circumstances4 ,a ham is one of the most easily procured comestibles4 ,pick out a small one1 not too fat4 ,if you want it tough as leather1 boil it furiously for a couple of hours1 then haul it out of the pot and eat it4 ,if you want a delicate1 tender and juicy ham soak it in a bucket of fresh water for twelve hours4 ,then scrape it well and pop it into a big pot full of cold fresh water4 ,let it come slowly to the boil4 ,as soon as the water reaches the boiling stage1 regulate the heat so that a gentle simmering1 the faintest possible ebullition is kept up for five or six hours1 according to the size of the joint4 ,then take it out of the pot and skin it4 ,the rind will come off as easily as an old shoe4 ,then return meat to the water in which it was boiled and let it remain until it is quite cold4 ,next dish it1 drain it and put it in the ice box to harden4 ,cut in very thin slices with a sharp knife1 and you will admit that cooked after this scientific formula ham is mighty fine eating4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #c4 ,a ,nest of ,stew-pans4 ,corned beef cooked after this same fashion will also be a success4 ,the secret is a simple one of chemistry4 ,hard boiling hardens the fibers and tears the meat to rags4 ,gentle simmering softens the meat while allowing it to retain its juices4 ,the navy bean at present in use1 though much may be said in its praise1 is far inferior to the lima bean4 ,this legume if substituted for the insignificant 7by comparison only7 little bean on which ,boston breakfasts every ,sabbath morn will be found so palatable that the lesser variety will never again be used4 ,procure a quart of lima beans4 ,pick out all that are shriveled or discolored4 ,soak the rest all night in plenty of cold fresh water and in the morning you will find them plump and tender4 ,wash them well and place them in a pot on the fire with a square piece of salt pork weighing three-quarters of a pound2 simmer them gently till they are tender1 but not till they reach the porridge stage4 ,on the contrary1 let each bean be separate like the soft and swelling grains of well-cooked rice4 ,strain through a colander1 saving a pint of the water in which they were boiled4 ,pack in the bean pot4 ,bury the chunk of pork in the beans4 ,season the pint of water reserved as mentioned above1 to your liking4 ,pour over the beans in the pot and put in the oven to bake4 ,the flavoring of beans depends upon the taste of the cook4 ,sirloin steaks are a good staple viand4 ,make the butcher cut them not less than two inches thick4 ,if you cannot grill them heat your fry-pan almost red-hot4 ,put no fat in the pan4 ,place your steak cut into convenient chunks into the hot pan4 ,let one side sear for a minute or so to keep in the juices4 ,then turn meat over4 ,it will be cooked sufficiently for most palates in five or six minutes4 ,place on a piping hot platter1 spread some fresh butter on the steak1 sprinkle with pepper1 and pipe to grub4 ,chops may be cooked in the same way4 ,meat may be roasted in an iron pot if the cook has no oven4 ,moderate heat1 continuous care to prevent burning1 and frequent basting are the three requisites of a successful pot roast4 ,so far as beverages are concerned1 useful hints in that direction are given in ,fig4 #e1 which shows a picturesque and shipshape vessel to carry when a-cruising4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #d4 ,ice ,tub4 ,there is no daintier dish than a fresh1 fat lobster1 generous and juicy1 just hauled from the pot in which he was caught4 ,pick out a particularly lively specimen of medium size but heavy4 ,the cock lobster may be distinguished from the hen by the narrowness of the tail1 the upper two fins of which are stiff and hard1 while the tail of the hen is broader and the fins soft4 ,the male has the higher flavor2 the flesh1 too1 is firmer and the color when boiled is a deeper red4 ,the hen is well adapted for lobster a la ,newburg1 but for eating on the half-shell a male in prime condition is far preferable4 ,the secret of cooking lobsters is to plunge them into a pot of furiously boiling sea water1 and to keep the water in a condition of fast ebullition for just twenty minutes4 ,fresh water to which salt is added will not do so well4 ,salt water fresh from the ocean is indispensable4 ,it brings out the correct flavor and imparts an indefinable zest to the lobster4 ,hard-shell crabs may be boiled in the same way1 but ten minutes will be ample time4 ,all fresh vegetables are1 in the opinion of the writer1 improved in flavor by cooking them in sea water fresh from the ocean1 not from a harbor contaminated by noxious influences from the shore4 ,all vegetables should be immersed in boiling water and cooked till done4 ,potatoes will take about half an hour to boil1 but cabbages1 carrots and turnips much longer4 ,i should not advise the cooking of the last-named three esculents aboard a small craft4 ,canned asparagus1 ,french peas and string beans take little time to prepare and are excellent if a reliable brand is purchased4 ,open the can1 drain off the liquid and throw it away4 ,wash the vegetables1 strain the water off1 place in a stew-pan with a lump of butter1 and heat thoroughly4 ,the liquid of canned vegetables is unfit for human food4 ,hard clams or quahaugs are plentiful at any port during the boating season4 ,the recuperative qualities of the small variety served ice-cold on the half shell with a dash of ,tabasco sauce and no other seasoning are beyond praise4 ,now while the little clam is excellent eating just as soon as opened from the shell1 taking care to waste none of his precious juices1 his elder brother also has inestimable gastronomic values4 ,the easiest and simplest method of preparing clam broth is to scrub the clams well and wash them in several waters4 ,put them in an iron pot1 without any water or liquid4 ,let them remain on the fire for twenty minutes4 ,then strain the juice1 into which put a little fresh butter1 a small quantity of milk1 and a dash of red pepper4 ,drink while hot4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #e4 ,a ,traveling ,companion4 ,never add water to clam broth1 and never let it boil after the milk is added1 as it will curdle nine times out of ten4 ,to make clam soup1 clean the clams as for broth4 ,place them in an iron pot on the stove4 ,as soon as they open take them out of their shells and chop very fine4 ,a hardwood bowl and a two-blade chopping knife are the best apparatus for this job4 ,strain the clam liquor1 return to the pot1 add minced onions to taste and the chopped clams2 simmer gently for one hour1 thicken to taste with cracker dust1 season with sweet herbs and pepper2 let boil fast for ten minutes1 take off the stove and add some hot milk and a lump of fresh butter4 ,serve4 ,clam chowder is an old sea dish whose popularity seems likely never to wane4 ,it is a simple dish to prepare1 although many cooks make a mystery of it4 ,cut half a pound of streaky salt pork into small cubes4 ,fry in an iron pot together with half a dozen medium-sized sliced onions until they are a light brown4 ,chop fifty hard-shell clams fine4 ,peel and slice thin a dozen large raw potatoes4 ,break up four sea biscuits and soak till soft in cold water or milk4 ,scald and peel and slice six ripe and juicy tomatoes4 ,put these ingredients into the pot in layers1 pour over them the strained juice of the clams4 ,season with red and black pepper1 sauces and herbs to taste4 ,cover an inch with hot fresh water and simmer for three hours4 ,a pint of sound ,california claret added just before serving is an improvement4 ,an old hen makes tip-top chowder cooked in the same fashion4 ,fish chowder may be prepared in a similar way4 ,cod1 haddock1 sea bass and bluefish are good made into a chowder4 ,the soft-shell clam makes a delicate stew or broth4 ,the tough parts should be rejected from the chopping bowl4 ,boiled for twenty minutes and eaten from the shell with a little butter and pepper they are also very appetizing4 ,a big potful soon disappears4 ,there is no excuse for the yachtsman neglecting to enjoy the delights of fish fresh from the sea4 ,fishing tackle should always be carried4 ,bluefish and mackerel may be caught by trolling2 and if you have fisherman's luck1 once in a blue moon a ,spanish mackerel may fall to your lot4 ,if so1 that day must be marked by a white stone1 for a ,spanish mackerel transferred in about two shakes of a lamb's tail from the fish-hook to the fry-pan1 or better still1 if your arrangements permit1 to the gridiron or broiler1 is good enough for the gods to feed on4 ,two axioms should be borne in mind1 namely1 to fry in plenty of boiling fat or to plunge into boiling water4 ,never humiliate a fish by placing him in a cold fry-pan or into a cooking pot of cold water4 ,before frying fish dip in well-beaten egg and then sprinkle with bread crumbs or cracker dust1 dip in egg again1 and then add more bread crumbs or cracker dust4 ,this is for epicures4 ,for ordinary seafarers if the fish is rolled in yellow cornmeal without the egg the result will be nearly the same4 ,cut up large fish into suitable sizes1 but fry small fish whole4 ,soft-shell crabs should be cooked in boiling fat4 ,when brown they are done4 ,ten minutes is usually enough to cook them thoroughly4 ,always when you boil fish of any kind indigenous to salt water or fresh put them in boiling water either from the sea or fresh water well salted4 ,a little vinegar added is good4 ,a two-pound fish should cook sufficiently in fifteen or at most twenty minutes4 ,fish with white flesh take longer to boil than those with dark4 ,an excellent sauce for boiled fish may be made thus3 ,put a piece of butter as big as an egg in a saucepan or a tomato can2 heat till it bubbles1 add a heaping tablespoonful of flour1 stir till quite smooth2 pour slowly into this1 stirring continually1 a pint of the water the fish was cooked in1 and add two hard-boiled eggs chopped fine4 ,this may be flavored with anchovy sauce or a few drops of ,harvey or ,worcestershire4 ,some prefer the addition of a little lemon juice or even vinegar4 ,every man to his taste6 ,when a very little boy ,i sailed in the ,derwent1 a small schooner engaged in carrying bottles from ,sunderland to ,london4 ,the bottles were taken in from the factory where they were made1 stowed in the hold of the schooner and transported to a wharf at ,wapping4 ,bottles are a clean kind of freight1 and our skipper being a very particular kind of a man the ,derwent was kept as bright as a new pin outside and inside1 alow and aloft4 ,on this dashing little vessel ,i was cook and cabin boy4 ,there was no regular galley on deck1 simply an iron cooking stove erected on the foreside of the mainmast2 and on that in storm and calm ,i boiled and baked for a crew of four for more than a year--in fact till ,i quit the coasting trade and signed away foreign4 ,my skipper took me under his special guidance4 ,the grub had to be well cooked and the deck kept spotless or ,i used to suffer4 ,skipper and mate were epicures after a fashion1 so ,i had to keep my weather eye open4 ,my experience in merchant vessels and pleasure craft has fitted me to write with some small assumption of authority on the subject of sea cooking4 ,some of my methods may seem queer and perhaps grotesque1 but condemn them not till you have tested them in the crucible of experiment4 ,,xx4 ,,nautical ,,terms ,,in ,,common ,,use4 ,aback--,a sail's condition when the sheet is to windward and it drives the vessel astern4 ,abaft--,the position toward the stern of any object or point such as abaft the mast or abaft the binnacle4 ,afore--,the contrary of abaft4 ,ahoy6--,an interjection used in hailing a vessel1 such as ,vigilant ahoy6 ,athwart--,across the keel4 ,atrip--,when the anchor is broken out of the ground4 ,avast--,stop1 discontinue4 ,as avast hauling 7stop hauling74 ,balance reef--,a diagonal reef in a fore-and-aft sail extending from throat to clew4 ,batten down--,covering hatches with tarpaulins and securing them with battens4 ,beam ends--,a vessel is said to be on her beam ends when knocked down by a squall to an angle of about #de degrees4 ,belay--,to make fast a rope or fall of a tackle4 ,below--,greenhorns call it downstairs and seamen laugh at them4 ,bight--,a loop of a rope4 ,bilge--,the round in a vessel's timbers where they turn from her sides toward the keel4 ,binnacle--,a case in which the compass is contained4 ,block and block--,when the blocks of a tackle are hauled close together4 ,bolt rope--,the rope sewn round the edges of sails4 ,it is made of the best hemp4 ,bonnet--,an extra piece of canvas laced to the foot of a jib or foresail1 taken off when it blows hard4 ,box the compass--,to call over the points of the compass in correct order4 ,break off--,when a vessel sailing close-hauled is headed by the wind and is unable to lay the course she was steering4 ,bring up--,to anchor4 ,broach to--,to come to against wind and helm4 ,capsize--,to turn over4 ,carvel built--,constructed with the planks flush edge to edge and the seams caulked and payed4 ,caulking--,driving oakum into the seams of a vessel with a mallet and a blunt chisel called a caulking iron4 ,clews--,the lower corners of square sails2 the lower after-corners of fore-and-aft sails4 ,clinch--,to fasten a rope by a half hitch and then seize the end back to the standing part4 ,close-hauled--,hauled as close to the wind as the sails will permit without shaking their luffs4 ,a cutter-rigged yacht with well-cut canvas should lie within four and a quarter points of the wind4 ,some modern racing craft have done half a point better than this4 ,square-rigged vessels cannot head better than five and a-half points of the wind4 ,collar--,an eye spliced in a shroud or stay to go over the masthead4 ,comber--,a big wave4 ,companion--,the entrance from the deck to the cabin below4 ,compass bowl--,the bowl in the binnacle that contains the compass4 ,corinthian--,a term in yachting possessing the same significance as amateur2 the opposite of professional4 ,counter--,that part of a vessel which projects abaft the sternpost4 ,covering board--,the outside deck plank fitted over the timber heads4 ,the same as planksheer4 ,cracking on--,carrying a press of sail4 ,crank--,not stiff under canvas2 easily heeled or listed4 ,cranze or ,cranse--,a metal band with eyes on it fitted to the end of a bowsprit or other spar4 ,cringle--,a metal thimble worked in the clews and leeches of sails4 ,dandy--,a cutter-rigged vessel with lug-mizzen set on a jigger-mast4 ,davits--,iron cranes on vessels to which boats are hoisted4 ,deadeye--,a circular wooden block with three holes in it without sheaves1 through which a lanyard is rove to set up standing rigging4 ,dead wood--,solid wood worked on top of the keel forward and aft4 ,depth of hold--,the height between the keelson and the deck of a single-decked vessel4 ,displacement--,the quantity of water displaced by a vessel1 which in weight is always equal to her own weight4 ,dogvane--,a light vane made of bunting or feathers to show the direction of the wind4 ,dowse--,to lower a sail suddenly4 ,down-haul--,a rope by which a sail is hauled down4 ,draught of water--,the depth of a vessel measured from the under side of the keel to the load water-line4 ,earrings--,ropes for fastening the corners of the heads of sails to yards and for reefing4 ,ease off--,to slacken a rope handsomely4 ,eyelet holes--,small holes worked in sails for lacings or lashings to be rove through4 ,eyes of the rigging--,collars spliced in the ends of shrouds to go over the masthead and also over the deadeyes4 ,fair leaders--,holes in planks1 etc41 for ropes to be rove through so that they lead fairly4 ,fair wind--,a wind that permits a vessel to steer her course without tacking4 ,fall--,the hauling part of the rope of a tackle4 ,false keel--,a timber bolted to the under side of the keel proper4 ,fathom--,a sea measure of six feet4 ,fender--,a species of buffer made of wood1 rope or other material to hang over a vessel's side to prevent her from chafing against a dock1 or another vessel4 ,fid--,an iron or wooden bar to keep bowsprits and topmasts in place2 a conical wooden instrument used by riggers and sailmakers4 ,fish1 ,to--,to strengthen a weak or repair a broken spar by lashing another spar or batten to it4 ,flare--,to project outwards2 contrary to tumbling home4 ,flat aft--,when sheets are trimmed as close as possible for effective windward work4 ,floors--,the bottom timbers of a vessel4 ,flowing sheet--,the sheet eased off to a fair wind4 ,flush decked--,having neither poop nor forecastle4 ,foot--,the lower edge of a sail4 ,forereach--,to sail faster through the water on a wind than another vessel4 ,freeboard--,that part of a ship's side above the water4 ,full and by--,to steer as close to the wind as possible1 while at the same time keeping the sails full of wind4 ,futtocks--,the timbers which join and butt above the floors1 called first1 second and third futtocks4 ,gammon iron--,an iron hoop fitted to the side of the stem1 or on top of the stem1 to receive and hold the bowsprit4 ,garboard--,the strake of plank next above the keel1 into which it is rabbeted and bolted4 ,gripe1 ,to--,a vessel gripes when she has a tendency to come up in the wind and requires much weather helm4 ,gudgeons--,metal straps with eyes secured to the stern post1 into which the pintles of the rudder are fitted4 ,gunwale--,the timber fitted over the timber heads and fastened to the top strake4 ,guys--,ropes used to steady a spar or other thing4 ,gybe--,to let a fore-and-aft sail shift from one side to the other when running before the wind4 ,to let a vessel go so much off the wind as to bring the wind on the opposite quarter4 ,half-mast high--,when a flag is hoisted halfway up as a mark of respect to a person recently dead4 ,halyards--,ropes for hoisting sails4 ,handsomely--,steadily2 carefully4 ,handy billy--,a watch tackle kept on deck for getting a pull on sheets or halyards4 ,hanks--,rings or hooks for fastening the luffs of sails to stays4 ,hard down--,the order to put the tiller a-lee4 ,hard up1 the order to put the tiller a-weather4 ,heave to--,to so trim a vessel's sails that she does not move ahead4 ,heel rope--,the rope by which a running bowsprit is hauled out or a topmast lowered4 ,hoist--,the length of the luff of a fore-and-aft sail4 ,horns--,the projections forming the jaws of gaffs or booms4 ,hounds--,the projections on a mast that support the lower cap and rigging4 ,house--,to lower a topmast down within the cap4 ,inhaul--,the rope used to haul sails inboard4 ,in irons--,the condition of a vessel head to wind and with way lost1 unable to pay off on one tack or the other4 ,irish pennants--,loose ropes flying in the breeze or dangling over the side4 ,jackstay--,a rod of iron1 a wooden cleating1 or a wire rope for sails or yards to travel on2 also a wire rope on the main boom to which the foot of the sail is laced4 ,jiggermast--,the mizzenmast of a yawl or dandy4 ,kentledge--,pig iron used as ballast4 ,lanyards--,ropes rove through deadeyes by which shrouds or stays are set up4 ,leeboard--,an old-fashioned contrivance to check leeway1 still in use on some ,dutch vessels and ,english barges4 ,load water-line--,the line of flotation when a vessel is properly ballasted or laden4 ,luff--,to come closer to the wind4 ,make fast--,to belay a rope4 ,masthead--,that part of the mast above the hounds4 ,mast hoops--,the hoops to which the luffs of fore and aft sails are seized to secure the sails to the masts4 ,miss stays1 ,to--,to fail in an attempt to tack4 ,mousing--,a yarn wound round a hook to prevent it from becoming unhooked4 ,near--,very close to the wind4 ,nip--,to nip a vessel is to sail her too close to the wind4 ,on a wind--,closehauled4 ,outhaul--,a rope or tackle by which a sail is hauled out on a spar4 ,paddy's hurricane--,a dead calm4 ,painter--,a rope spliced to a ring bolt in the bow of a boat to make fast by4 ,pay--,to pour hot pitch or marine glue into seams after they are caulked4 ,pintles--,the metal hooks by which rudders are attached to the gudgeons4 ,pole mast--,a mast without a topmast1 but with a long masthead above the hounds4 ,put about--,to tack4 ,raffee--,a square or triangular sail set flying on the foretopmasts of schooners4 ,rake--,to incline forward or aft from the vertical1 as raking mast1 a raking sternpost1 etc4 ,reef band--,a strip of canvas sewn across a sail1 in which eyelet holes for the reef points are worked4 ,reef pendant--,a strong rope with a ,matthew ,walker knot in one end4 ,it is passed up through a hole in the cleat on the boom1 and then through the reef cringle in the sail and down through the hole in the cleat on the other side of the boom4 ,reef points--,short lengths of rope in sails to tie up the part rolled up when reefing4 ,reeve--,to pass a rope through a block or a hole of any kind4 ,roach--,the curved part of the foot of a sail4 ,rockered keel--,a keel whose ends curve upward4 ,running bowsprit--,a bowsprit so fitted as to run in or out and reef4 ,serve--,to cover a rope with spunyarn4 ,shake out a reef--,to untie the reef points and set the sail4 ,sheathing--,the copper or other metal nailed on the bottom of a vessel4 ,sheave--,the grooved wheel in a block or in the sheave hole of a spar over which the rope passes4 ,sheet--,the rope by which the clew of a sail is secured4 ,snotter--,an eye strop used to support the heel of a sprit4 ,spitfire jib--,the smallest storm jib4 ,taunt--,tall1 high4 ,taut--,tight4 ,tie up--,a lubber's synonym for moor4 ,you tie up a dog4 ,you moor a vessel4 ,thimble--,a heart shaped or circular ring with a groove outside for ropes to fit in4 ,they are used for the eye splices in ropes1 the straps of blocks and for the cringles in sails4 ,thwarts--,the transverse seats in boats4 ,tumble home--,when the sides of a vessel near the deck incline inward the opposite to flaring4 ,tyers--,ropes that secure a mainsail when stowed4 ,unbend--,to cast loose a sail from stay1 gaff1 boom or yard4 ,veer--,to pay out chain4 ,wear--,to bring the wind on the other side of a vessel by turning her head from the wind4 ,the reverse of tacking4 ,weather gauge--,the condition of a vessel that is to windward of another4 ,weather helm--,a vessel is said to carry weather helm when she has a tendency to fly up in the wind4 ,weathering--,if one vessel eats to windward of another1 she is said to weather on her4 ,weathering an object is passing it on the windward side4 ,whip1 ,to--,to bind the end of a rope with twine to prevent it from unlaying4 ,yaw--,a vessel yaws when her head flies from one direction to the other2 as1 for instance1 when her helmsman is unable to keep her steady on her course4 ,yawl--,a cutter-rigged vessel with a mizzenmast stepped in her counter4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,,the ,,sloop ,,yacht4 ,names of ,spars1 ,rigging1 ,sails1 ,etc4 #a ,jib ,topsail4 #b ,club ,topsail ,sprit4 #c ,topsail ,club4 #d ,club ,topsail ,guy4 #e ,jib4 #f ,club ,topsail4 #g ,mainsail4 #h ,bowsprit4 #i ,club ,topsail ,tack ,line4 #aj ,mainsheet4 #aa ,foresail or ,forestaysail ,sheet4 #ab ,jib ,topsail ,sheet4 #ac ,topping ,lift4 #ad ,gaff ,topsail1 ,clewed ,down4 #ae ,tack of ,jib4 #af ,tack of ,jib ,topsail4 #ag ,luff of ,jib ,topsail4 #ah ,head of ,jib ,topsail4 #ai ,jib ,topsail ,halyards4 #bj ,leach of ,jib ,topsail4 #ba ,main ,gaff4 #bb ,main ,boom4 #bc ,main ,topmast4 #bd ,foot of ,jib4 #be ,leach of ,jib4 #bf ,clew of ,jib4 #bg ,reef ,points4 #bh ,tack of ,mainsail4 #bi ,clew of ,mainsail4 #cj ,peak of ,mainsail4 #ca ,throat of ,mainsail4 #cb ,main ,crosstrees4 #cc ,masthead ,runner and ,tackle4 #cd ,head of ,club ,topsail4 #ce ,clew of ,club ,topsail4 #cf ,tack of ,club ,topsail4 #cg ,topmast ,shrouds4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,cutter ,,yacht4 ,names of ,spars1 ,sails1 ,standing and ,running ,rigging1 ,etc4 ,,spars4 #a ,lowermast4 #b ,topmast4 #c ,bowsprit4 #d ,main ,boom4 #e ,gaff4 #f ,topsail ,sprit4 #g ,spinnaker ,boom4 #h ,tiller4 ,,rigging ,,and ,,ropes4 #i ,crosstrees4 #aj ,shrouds4 #aa ,topmast ,shrouds4 #ab ,topping ,lift4 #ac ,masthead ,runner and ,tackle4 #ad ,forestay4 #ae ,topmast ,stay4 #af ,bobstay4 #ag ,bobstay ,fall4 #ah ,spinnaker ,boom ,topping ,lift4 #ai ,spinnaker ,boom ,brace4 #bj ,topmast ,backstay4 #ba ,reef ,pennant4 #bb ,truck4 #bc ,ensign4 #bd ,channels4 #be ,mainsheet4 #bf ,spinnaker ,boom ,guy4 #bg ,clew of ,sprit ,topsail4 #bh ,tack of ,sprit ,topsail4 #bi ,tack ,line or ,pendant4 #cj ,sprit ,topsail ,halyards4 ,,sails4 ,a ,jib4 ,b ,sprit ,topsail4 ,c ,mainsail4 ,d ,foresail4 ,e ,jib ,topsail4 ,,addenda4 ,,recent ,,changes ,,in ,,sail ,,plan ,,and ,,rig ,,of ,,modern ,,craft4 ,since the first edition of this book was printed1 yacht designers have studied to reduce weight aloft4 ,this has not infrequently resulted in fitting ironwork blocks1 etc41 far too flimsy to endure the strain of a stiff breeze4 ,there is always a happy medium between spider-web rigging and rigging uselessly heavy and clumsy1 and my advice therefore is not to go to extremes4 ,in racing craft on the fresh-water lakes piano wire has been used for standing rigging1 and because of its enormous strength and notable lightness has answered well enough4 ,in salt water1 however1 it should be avoided because of its liability to corrosion4 ,the principal changes in rig of late years follow3 ,the substitution of turnbuckles and rigging screws for the old-fashioned dead eyes and lanyards2 the reduction of the length of the bowsprit because of the long overhang forward1 which has done away with the reefing bowsprit on all modern craft2 the invention of masthead shrouds1 bridles on gaffs1 and the throat halyard pennant4 ,by means of the three devices mentioned1 strains aloft are both minimized and equalized4 ,large vessels carry double masthead shrouds1 and every racing yacht is fitted with single ones4 ,gaff bridles and throat halyard pennants are also considered to be well-nigh indispensable4 ,illustration3 ,,sail ,,plan ,,and ,,rig ,,of ,a ,,modern ,,schooner4 ,illustration3 ,,rig ,,and ,,sail ,,plan ,,of ,a ,,modern ,,yawl4 ,in the matter of running rigging1 flexible steel wire is now much used for throat and peak halyards4 ,its advantage is that there is little or no give to it4 ,the rig of a modern #be-;foot water-line sloop with a pole mast is as follows3 ,bobstay-rod of steel #c_/d-;inch in diameter1 set up with a turnbuckle at the end of the bowsprit2 shrouds1 two each side1 #a-a_/h-;inch steel wire2 forestay set up to stem head1 #a-a_/d-;inch steel wire2 jib set flying1 hoisted with #c_/d-;inch #h-stranded flexible steel-wire halyards1 set up with a jig-purchase2 runner-shrouds of #g_/h-;inch wire canvased over2 main lifts #c_/d-;inch flexible steel wire1 parcelled1 sewed over with white codline and then covered with white canvas sewn on4 ,the throat and peak halyards are of #c_/d-;inch flexible steel wire4 ,the blocks are all strapped with grommets of flexible steel wire sewed and leathered4 ,steel wire is now also used for the leech ropes of racing sails1 and is employed largely in the lower canvas of all the big racing yachts4 ,flexible steel wire is nearly as pliable as new hemp rope of the same strength4 ,the greater the diameter of the sheaves over which it passes the longer it will last4 ,this wire cannot be belayed to a cleat4 ,therefore1 ,manila rope is spliced to the hauling end of the wire1 which insures its remaining fast after once being belayed4 ,this is a most difficult splice to make4 ,the accompanying illustrations show the sail plans and rigs of a modern schooner and a modern yawl4 ,when compared with the sloop and cutter rigs on pages #baa and #bab1 it will be easily seen that many radical changes have been made4 ,it occurred to me in revising the book for this edition1 that it might be wise to omit the directions for rigging a running bowsprit1 bending a loose-footed mainsail1 and some other devices which in the light of modern improvements might be deemed either archaic or obsolete4 ,on second thoughts1 however1 ,i decided to let them stand as written4 ,there is still a goodly fleet of old-timers1 cutters and yawls with straight stems and reefing bowsprits--craft some of them half a century old or more1 and sound as a gold dollar in spite of severe service4 ,the deadeye and the lanyard1 although being pushed hard by the turnbuckle1 die slowly1 and are yet to be found in brand new vessels of the twentieth century4 ,to equalize and minimize strains on mainbooms1 mainsheet bridles are now fitted4 ,overhangs are growing longer and longer and bowsprits shorter4 ,the ,larchmont one-design class of #aija has a length on deck of #dj feet #g inches1 with a water-line length of #be feet4 ,the sail area is #a1ajc feet1 and the out side ballast weighs #f1ajj pounds4 ,the centerboard houses entirely below the cabin floor1 the draught being #d feet #f inches1 and #h feet with the board down4 ,the aim of the designer is to combine racing and cruising qualities--a much-to-be-desired combination1 never to be completely attained1 ,i fear4 ,,the ,,end4 ,illustration ,,pommery ,,sec 7,a ,very ,dry ,wine47 ,,brut 7,no ,sweetening ,whatever47 ,the ,standard for ,champagne ,quality4 ,,champagne ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,white',s ,,yacht ,,agency ,,eugene ,,white1 ,proprietor ,,office for ,,selling1 ,,chartering and ,,purchasing ,,yachts and ,,boats ,,of ,,every ,,description ,,designs and ,,estimates ,,furnished ,terms ,moderate #aa ,,east ,,broadway 7,chatham ,square7 ,,new ,,york ------------------------------------ ,illustration ,air ,whistles ,,for ,,yachts and ,,launches ,illustration ,a powerful ,air ,whistle1 shrill and far-reaching4 ,indispensable in fog or stormy night4 ,either fixed or portable4 ,specially adapted for small yachts4 ,prices from #i #jj upward4 ,illustration ,,gleason-,,peters ,,air ,,pump ,,co41 ,houston and ,mercer ,sts41 ,,new ,,york ,,city4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,established #ahdj4 ,,geo4 ,b4 ,,carpenter ,,co4 ,illustration ,yacht ,sailmakers and dealers in every yachting requisite4 ,we have all the new fabrics for racing sails4 ,send #f;c in stamps for our up-to-date catalogue of yacht fittings and supplies1 or #d;c in stamps for catalogue of tents1 etc4 ,tents1 ,camp ,furniture and ,flags4 #bjb-bjh ,south ,water ,street1 ,,chicago4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,spar ,,coating ,illustration3 ,,preservative ,,coatings ,e4,s4 #ahbg ,,co4 ,,trade ,,mark4 ,a ,,perfect ,,finish ,,for ,,all ,,woodwork1 ,,spars ,,and ,,ironwork ,,exposed ,,to ,,excessive ,,changes ,,in ,,weather ,,and ,,temperature4 ,,edward ,,smith ,,co4 ,,varnish ,,makers ,,and ,,color ,,grinders #de ,,broadway1 ,,new ,,york ,boat ,sailing ,fair ,weather and ,foul4 ,capt4 ,a4 ,j4 ,kenealy4 ,price #ej ,cents4 ,the ,outing ,publishing ,co41 #bci-bda ,fifth ,ave41 ,new ,york4 ,,international ,,news ,,co4 ,london4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,transcriber's ,notes4 ,in the compass back bearing chart1 ,points and ,degrees have been abbreviated to ,pts41 ,dgrs41 to reduce width4 ,the original spelling and punctuation has been retained4 ,variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved4 ,italicized words and phrases in the text version are presented by surrounding the text with underscores4 ,bold words and phrases in the text version are presented by surrounding the text with equals signs4