YAWL FOR FOWLING. 333 



yachts will stand up when left dry by means of legs 

 or props on either side, but if the ground be soft 

 the legs sink, and the position is then rendered 

 unsafe. Besides which it is never pleasant to sleep 

 in the angle caused by the sides and the deck. 

 The yacht chosen should be flush-decked, without 

 booby hatch or cockpit. She will then, though of 

 moderate tonnage, carry a couple of duck-punts. 

 She should, moreover, be undersparred and yawl- 

 rigged. I prefer for choice a pole-mast : a top- 

 mast and its gear, in a small vessel, is but so 

 much lumber when she is intended for fowling. 

 As regards the much-disputed point of yawl 

 against cutter, for shooting purposes the former is 

 to be preferred without doubt. It enables her to 

 be worked with fewer hands, thus giving more 

 space on board. She will be found handier in 

 other ways, especially if a fair sailer one that will 

 go to windward with head-sails and mizen. She 

 should not be under twenty-five tons Y.M., or over 

 forty. If too small, she will not carry the punts ; 

 if too large, she will probably draw too much water 

 to get up the snug retired creeks and miniature 

 harbours, near which the best shooting will always 

 be found. The question of yawl and cutter rig 

 has been so often discussed that little is left to 

 say on the subject. All agree that a cutter will 

 thrash to windward much faster than a yawl, and 

 with adverse winds be far ahead in a week's 

 voyage. If, however, a cutter has her main- 

 boom cut off level with the taffrail, she will then 

 about equal a yawl as to her general handiness 

 and power. But we have here to consider the 



