A SALT-WATER YACHT IN FRESH WATER. 



G. H. WINANS. 



I wish everyone who buys a yacht "sight 

 unseen" could be as perfectly satisfied as I 

 am with my venture in the purchase of the 

 Vayu. Having never owned a real down 

 East boat, as destructive in its architecture 

 as a Parisian gown, I was caught by a 

 natty advertisement; and after negotiations 

 the Vayu was delivered to me at Buffalo 

 the first of July, 1903. I depended entirely 

 on the representations of her owners as to 

 her condition etc., and every statement 



grown and looked it ; regular Reubens, like 

 nearly all the lake-sailing yachts, strong, 

 but homely, honest but freckle-faced. 

 Vayu, the dear little ship, is without a 

 check or a spot or a misfit joint; built to 

 wear a lifetime and as good today as when 

 she first slid into the sea at her Boston 

 home. Every line and everything about 

 her, inside and outside, was what I wanted ; 

 a yacht built for sea work, not for fair 

 weather sailing; so I was happy. 



VMATEUR PHOTO BY GEO 



RACE ON THE ST. CLAIR RIVER. 



made was more than substantiated in 

 her appearance and condition. She came 

 through the canal I knew she was in Buf- 

 falo, but although I made diligent inquiry 

 at the canal tugboat office, no one had seen 

 her. Late in the day, I found a tugboat 

 captain who had seen a strange yacht be- 

 hind a big lumber dock right up in town 

 where I had passed numerous times look- 

 ing for her. He kindly took me over and 

 I shall never forget my first impression of 

 my Boston beauty. She is not young, in 

 fact, she is a kind of bachelor maid; but 

 like many of the latter, she does not show 

 her years and looks like the sweet Miss she 

 really is. 



My former yachts, of which I have had 

 several in the last 20 years, were home 



Her genial sailing master, whom the for- 

 mer owner sent with her from Philadel- 

 phia, had instructions to see that I was per- 

 fectly satisfied, and he did see it. I was 

 only sorry he could not go with me to Lake 

 Michigan, but he had to be back in Phila- 

 delphia. I parted regretfully with so com- 

 petent and gentlemanly a sailor and looked 

 around for a hand at Buffalo. I soon found 

 2, Jack aiid Pete, of fair ability as yachts- 

 men and great ability at whiskey and gin. 

 Pete became a regular tank. Still, with 

 good charts I was at home aboard such a 

 ship, the safest in the middle of the lake. 



After putting provisions aboard and 

 stretching lines and canvas a little, 2 a. m. 

 July 4th found us working out of the Buf- 

 falo Yacht Club basin for the West. When 



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