766 FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. [122] 



Rudder fixtures — Continued. 



tached) in the grooved plate from the top just far enough to 

 get it steady, and then let it down, when it will go to its place 

 without further care. Hence arises the first great advantage 

 which this hanger possesses over the old way, viz: the ease 

 and dispatch with which the rudder can be shipped under all 

 circumstances." 



CENTER-BOARDS. 

 ATWOOD'S CENTER-BOARD. 



Working model of Atwood's patent center-board for boats and ca- 

 noes. Atwood Brothers, Clayton, N. Y. 



boat-detaching apparatus. 



Wood's boat attaching and detaching apparatus. 



This is a non-automatic apparatus, being detached by one of the 

 boat's crew. Invented and exhibited by Lieut. William M. 

 Wood, U. S. K 



" When the crew, coxswain, and officer, if one is going, are in the boat, 

 and after one of the stroke oarsmen has cast loose the lanyard, 

 and handed it to the officer in charge, or the coxswain, the offi- 

 cer of the deck gives the order to ' lower away.' As soon as the 

 boat is near enough the water, say about 2 feet, the person hold- 

 ing the end of the lanyard gives a quick jerk, and thus freeing 

 the ends of the chain, they slack and allow the links to rise and 

 the toggles to escape simultaneously. In case the ship is roll- 

 ing heavily very little lowering will be necessary, as the boat 

 can be detached as she rolls toward the water, and will be 

 clear of the ship before the return roll. As soon as the boat is 

 clear of the ship one of the stroke oarsmen brings the ends of 

 the chain together, refastens the slip-hook and hitches the 

 lanyard forward as a securing. The boat is then ready for 

 'hooking on' when she returns to the ship, after having com- 

 pleted her trip. When she comes alongside, the man in the 

 bow gets the forward fall and sticks the toggle into the large 

 part of the link and pushes it up beyond the tumbler. The 

 man in the stern does the same, and as the falls are set taut on 

 deck, they slue the turns out of the falls, the toggles acting as 

 swivels. In fitting this apparatus in the boats of ships of war, 

 it is deemed advisable to replace the two upper wood-screws 

 by through-bolts. Also, in the bows of these boats, having the 

 deep wooden breast-hook in the eyes, it will be better to bolt a 

 piece of wood on to the apron of the stem, to set the link A out 

 far enough to play up clear of the breast-hook. In boats with 

 metallic breast-hooks this will not be necessary. 



