622 SPORTING BOATS AND CANOES. 



They are not so strong and are much more easily strained. If 

 they once begin to leak it is almost impossible to stop them. 

 They can be built over so much cheaper than the others, and al- 

 ways sell a good deal lower, but they are growing more unpopular 

 every day, and there are not many of them built except small 

 ones. So long as a boat's hull is in good condition, the state of 

 the rigging and spars is of minor importance, as the expense of 

 putting these in shape is not very great. 



All the running gear of a yacht should be composed of three 

 sizes only of cordage, as it can then be all utilized, and as the 

 blocks will also be of only three sizes, the halliards, sheets, etc., 

 will be certain to render easily. Four stranded rope is the best, 

 as it is neater to the eye, renders better through the blocks, and is 

 pleasanter to handle than ordinary three strand rope is. Always 

 keep the end neatly whipped. 



To Whiteti Decks. — Dilute muriatic acid with four times its 

 bulk of water and wash the deck with the solution. Swill well 

 afterward with clean water. 



To Waterproof Paper Boats. — Take sixteen pounds orange 

 shellac, and four and one-half gallons alcohol. Let the shellac 

 dissolve in the alcohol and apply with a brush. 



Calking Boats. — After calking with cotton prepared for the 

 purpose, and sold by ship chandlers, /?///y the seams of your 

 boat. When first put in the water the swelling of the planks will 

 force some of the putty from the seams ; haul your boat out and 

 rub smooth with sand paper. 



Rules for Sailing. — The following admirable rules were origi- 

 nally published in Forest and Stream, a leading New York 

 sportsmen's journal, but have since been copied and passed to 

 the credit of other journals in both England and America : — A 

 close observance of them will prevent accident and add much to 

 the comfort of sailing. 



1. Know, before you leave your anchorage, or wharf, that everything is in 

 order, especially your tack and pennant for reefing. 



2. Always carry a compass. A whaleboat's compass answers nicely in a 

 small sailboat. 



3. Boats of any considerable draft — one and a half feet and more — should carry 

 a lead line, the first fathom marked off legibly in feet. This will prove to be very 

 valuable in finding channels in the night, ami fogs. 



4. Never make your halliards nor sheets fast by hitching or knotting. They 



