LABORATORY 283 



nection, is very useful for working at night. Heavy 

 nets should never be shot at night until the whole 

 crew is thoroughly well practised in the use of the 

 gear ; a man can easily lose his life by getting a turn 

 of the warp or spans round his leg. A portable 

 " electric torch " is very useful for reading the log, 

 etc., at night. 



C. — Laboratory Fitting. 



Some sort of place will have to be used as a labora- 

 tory, where the scientific log can be written, collections 

 preserved, labelled, and packed, etc. ; so that a few 

 notes may be here added on fitting it up as a laboratory. 



It is perfectly possible, by a little forethought, to 

 do solid work, and yet to keep the yacht as spick and 

 span as any owner can desire. 



The position of the laboratory and its fittings will 

 depend entirely on the rig and build of the vessel. It 

 should be amidships and on deck, if possible. It cannot 

 have too much light. A poop deck-house makes an 

 excellent laboratory. Linoleum is the best of floorings. 



A very important matter is the work table ; this can 

 be either fixed or swinging, and both have their sup- 

 porters. A stout table, of the kitchen type ; with a 

 well oiled top, and a large drawer for charts and flat 

 papers, and firmly bolted down, has this advantage over 

 the swinging pattern — that the space below can be fitted 

 up with pigeonholes of various sizes to take apparatus 

 and accessories of all kinds. As a great deal of the 

 work must be done standing, a height of 3 feet 6 inches* 

 is less back-breaking than the ordinary table height. 

 Half at least of the surface should be divided up 

 permanently, by fiddles about 3 inches high, into 



* The taller of the two writers prefers 2 feet 10 inches ! 



