[5] THE SCHOONER GRAMPUS. 441 



B.— CONSTRUCTION OF THE GRAMPUS. 



1. SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE GRAMPUS. 



The U. S.Fish Commission schooner Grampus is a wooden, two-masted, 

 schooner-rigged, keel vessel. In general she resembles the typical fish- 

 ing schooner of New England, from which she differs, however, in the 

 following particulars : 



First. She is about 2 feet deeper than the average schooner of the 

 same length as usually built. 



Second. Instead of having a raking stem and a long projecting head 

 her stem is nearly straight and almost perpendicular above water, and 

 below load-line curves away at an easy slope to join the keel. 



Third. The stern is not so wide, and has much more rake. 



Fourth. Instead of the run being excessively hollowed out, leaving the 

 quarters and counters very flat, with abruptly curved horizontal lines, 

 the after section of the Grampus approximates more closely to a V-shape 

 in cross-section, and has much easier lines than the typical clipper 

 schooner previously in use.* 



Fifth. In having wire standing rigging fore and aft. 



Sixth. In having the mainmast considerably longer than the fore- 

 mast. 



Seventh. In having a fore staysail and small jib instead of a large jib 

 like that ordinarily carried by fishing vessels. 



Eighth. In having the chain plates outside, and let into the wales so 

 as to be nearly flush with the plank. 



There are other minor points of difference, and some special arrange- 

 ments, the latter having been adopted for the purpose of making the 

 vessel adapted to the work she had to do, and which it is not necessary 

 to specify in speaking of the points of difference between her and the 

 clipper fishing schooner. The most noticeable of these peculiarities is 

 the well, which is of the type ordinarily termed " box- well." 



2. PARTIES WHO BUILT AND EQUIPPED THE VESSEL. 



The hull (including the spars) was built at Noank, Connecticut, by 

 Robert Palmer & Sous; the sails, rigging, blocks, and ground tackle 

 were furnished by E. L. Rowe & Son, of Gloucester, Massachusetts ; 



particular, the schooner A. D. Story, of Gloucester, was begun some weeks after the 

 contract had been made for the Grampus, was completed, made a voyage to Newfound- 

 laud and back, and was about ready to start on a trip to Iceland for halibut when the 

 Grampus was launched. 



* The object in designing this form of hull was to obtain the maximum of sea- 

 worthiness, a considerable amount of carrying capacity, and as much speed as could 

 be secured with a large midship section. In other words, to produce a safe, econom- 

 ical, all-around fishing vessel. 



