FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES IN 1885. 27 



of the post and the other 4 to 5 feet aft of it. The board whieh forms 

 the rudder is from 10 inches to a foot in width perpendicularly, and 5 

 to 7 feet long." 



The object of this contrivance is to obtain as much force as possible 

 with the small immersion which the rudder has. The pound-boat has 

 a large center-board; there are two thwarts, one of which is placed at 

 each end of the center-board, and two bulk-heads, one under the for- 

 ward thwart and one about 2h to 3 feet aft of the after thwart. Between, 

 these is the fish-room, into which the catch is thrown when taken from 

 the pound-nets. 



It is necessary to have a wide boat in order to secure the stabil- 

 ity which is required for lifting the cribs or pockets of the pounds 

 and it is also desirable to have a boat for this work which will carry 

 a large load of fish on a very small draught of water. These boats 

 are roomy and well adapted to transporting fish from the nets to the 

 packing and freezing houses, and it is also claimed that they are fast 

 sailers, particularly when running before the wind. Of course, one 

 familiar with boats would readily understand that they could not sail 

 very rapidly close-hauled by the wind, especially if there was any sea 

 on. Their flat bottom and light draught cause them to pound so heav- 

 ily in rough water that they can not work to windward against a high 

 sea with any success. 



The pound-boat has two tall, tapering masts. The foremast is 

 stepped close to the stem, while the mainmast is placed at the after 

 thwart, which, in a 40-foot boat, would be 10 or 17 feet forward of the 

 stern. Two sails are carried. The foresail and mainsail are both pro- 

 vided with a boom, as a rule. The peculiarity of the rig of the pound- 

 boat is that the sails are made to insert between a double gaff, so that 

 when hoisted up by a single halyard to the masthead either of the two 

 sails has the appearance of being divided into two parts, the upper be- 

 ing triangular and resembling a gaff-topsail. 



The relative proportions of a pound-boat, such as are used at the 

 western end of Lake Erie, are as follows : 



Ft. In. 



Length, over all 24 9 



Beam, extreme 9 6 



Width of stern 7 



Width of bottom, amidships 7 4£ 



Depth, amidships 3 



Depth of stern 2 3 



Depth of bow, with rake of stem 3 7£ 



Length of center-board case 5 1 



Foremast, above gunwale 23 



Mainmast, above thwart 21 6 



Fore-boom 12 



Fore-gaff 8 6 



Main-boom 1 11 



Main-gaff 7 



