BOATS FOR SPORl-lNG USES. 627 



The Mackinaw Boat. — These are probably the best small 

 boats made for heavy weather. A Mackinaw boat only twenty- 

 Swo feet in length has been known to ride into the severest storms 

 of Lake Michigan. As surf boats they are unequalled, for with 

 proper handling they may be beached at any time without serious 

 danger. They have a good deal of sheer, with greatest beam for- 

 ward of amidships, and sharp at the stern, which prevents the 

 shipping of water aft while running with the sea. These and the 

 square sterned dories are in general use by the fishermen. 



The Chesapeake Canoe. — The hull is constructed from three 

 pine logs in most cases, which are brought into shape by the axe 

 and adze, with the assistance of the plane and other tools, the said 

 logs being reduced to a thickness of about three inches on the 

 bottom of the canoe, thinning out to an inch and a half at the gun- 

 wale. The three sections forming the boat are put together with 

 treenails. The boats are of various lengths, v.irying from twenty 

 up to forty-five feet, but boats of from twenty-five up to thirty-one 

 feet long are in most common use, those of the latter length hav- 

 ing about six feet beam, being, as you perceive, very long for their 

 beam. Their lines, of course, from being so narrow, are beauti- 

 fully fine, and the boats being sharp at both ends, causes them to 

 leave the water as easily as they enter it. The rapidity with which 

 they sail with " sheets lifted " is wonderful, and they are also very 

 good on a wind, especially those with centre-boards. (They are 

 built both centre-board and keel, but the centre-board, as with 

 small craft of all descriptions, has the advantage.) As to rig, they 

 carry two sharp, or " goose wing " sails, with a jib. The larger 

 sail of the two is the foresail. The sails are bent on the masts and 

 set by means of spreets, reaching from mast to clew of sail. For 

 racing they carry in addition to the above sails a large balloon jib 

 and a stay sail, or else have an extra step between the fore and 

 mainmasts and set an extra "goose wing" there, this of course 

 being only used with wind abeam. Off the wind, large water sails 

 aic set under the fore and main sails. Now, to shorten sail you 

 cast the becket rope off the spreet of your mainsail, rolling the 

 spreet up in the sail, which is furled round it, and the becket rope 

 makes a gasket to lash it in place to the mast ; then take the 

 " chock block " out of the upper step of your foremast, which step 



