Nov. 19, 1885.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



Q33 



Address an communicattonB to the Forest fivd ■ft'/itVmn. J^fibUsh- 

 iiiff Co. ^ 



A CANOE YAWL IN SWEDEN. 



THE cauoi^ raw! ( !a«sy. in which the following cruise was niiide, 

 was illnstnited in the'FoREsT and Stream of Nov. 6, 1884, She is 

 a large canoe, 14-ft. by 3ft. 4in., decked and fitted with a oenterboard 

 and riesjed with a hatten hiK main about 60sq.ft , with no reef uear ur 

 topDius liftP; sprit mizzeu about l.'5f?C|.ft. ; spinnaker hft. bui. hoist. 

 7ft. on boom, both leaches saiiie leuprth, kept on deck. A stormsail, 

 •\vhich has never been used, came in now and then as a dishcloth, fvo 

 liallast— except cenrerplale. TOlbs.— was used. Sculls are 8ft. lon^, 

 with .straight blades 6m. wide. , , 



As there was to be a public holiday in Hull on the 16th of July I 

 thought I couldn't do better than spend the day m sailing the Cassy 

 round to Hull, instead of taking her there by rail. Accordingly, at a 

 few minutes to 5 A M„ A. woke me by throwing pebbles at my win- 

 dow, and I jumped up hastily and slipped into my clotaes. Together 

 -we ran the boat down to the beach on her wheels and were afloat 

 before 5:30 on the North Sea. The wind was light from the west, 

 and for the first few miles we were accompanied by another canoe 

 yawl. Every now and then the wind fell so light that we had to help 

 the Cassy along with the sculls. When we arrived at Spurn Point, 

 a low saiidv headland at the southeast extremity of Yorkshire, we 

 found the tide so low that the sandbanks were almost all dry and wo 

 had to get out and pull the boat over in the deepest channel we 

 could find— only three or four inches. Arrived in the Hum ber, w.' 

 waitsd ashore some time until the tide seemed almost done, and 

 watched the vessels jjoiug out to sea and the big black clouds form- 

 ing up. We expected a b ggcr storm than usual— we had had lots of 

 rain coming along the canal— but fortunately our oilskins were not 

 requu-ed again for rain, althouKh they were useful for keeping out 

 the spray. Presentlv a small sail of peculiar shape hove m sight. 

 We la.iiiiched and beat out to meet her, and soon wore chatting with 

 the two occupants of the cauoe yawl ^-Egir, which had beaten the 

 Alice (a sister boat to the Cassy) in the run down from Hull. Shortly 



line and start/edfor a scratch race of twenty miles up to Hull. 



.<Egir(t4ft.x4ft., the Captain's craft), with a larger sail than either 

 Alice or Cassy, went ahead of them. The wind was very light and 

 the boats cloVehauled, and although the sky was overcast dropped 

 gradually lighter and lighter until there was a flat calm. 



After some time in the doldrums JEgir was seen to have a little 

 breeze dead ahead. By the time it reached the mates' two craft, she 

 had considerably increased her lead. However, the wind freshened 

 until at last the Captain had to reef his big sail; mean\vhile the other 

 two, wi'h tiieir smaUer cruisin; sails were doing good w-ork. Alice 

 preferred working along the Yorkshire shore and made a long board 

 in that direcion. almost out of sight of the other two, Cassy decided 

 to stick to iEgir and try to pass her. and all canoeists understand the 

 excitement of the race\vhen her skipper first made out he was gain- 

 ing, The Humber is an estuary which is favored with a very rapid 

 tide and wnen the wind meets the same it can get very rough, the 

 waves being very short and steep. The skipper of the Cassy, at any 

 rate, was very glad to have on his oilskin coat, as he sat on the weather 

 deck with the deck tiller in one hand and the mainsheet iu the other, 

 while he laid his weight out as far to windward as possible. At last 

 he was fully repaid, as his boat rushed past the JEgir and at the same 

 time parsed buoy No.— .well I don't remember the number, but I have 

 a pretty vivid re'eollectio i of the way the water was boiling around 

 it It was in vain that the Captain shook out his reef and staggered 

 aiong under full sail, and the boats arrived at Hull in the following 

 oruer: Cassy, .^Egir, Alice. 1 J or 15 minutes separating the compet- 

 itors. It was growing dark when we arrived, having traveled about 

 .^5 miles. The Cassy was hoisted on board the Orlando by the steam 



HOISTING ON BOARD. 



er's crane— fastened on to her own sling, a piece of stout rope some 

 18f. long, which is always carried in cruising tor that purpose You 

 may be sure that the three skippers didn't lack appeiiie when they 

 sat down to supper together, and I know one of ihem, at any rate, 

 who slept without dreaming. 



On Saturday morniDg, July 18. the Orlando steamed out of the 

 Humber, and on Monday morning I was landed in Gothenburg (Gote- 

 borg) in a pouring rain that "looked like lasting." Canoei-is don't 

 generally carry umbrellas with them when cruising, and I was no 

 exception to the rule. So the good people of the city were treated to 

 a sight of my Ion j yellow oilskin. The provisions for the cruise had 

 to be passed through the customs, and about 5s. was paid in -'duty." 

 Then an ad.iournment was made to a friend's house, and the voy- 

 ager was comforted (?) by being told that it w^as the "Ladies' week,"' 

 and that it was sure to rain every day during that week. Rather 

 cheering, wasn't it? It certainly did rain that dav, but I fancy it 

 spent itself, as it was the worst day I had in Sweden. Gothenburg is 

 a fine, clean looking city, but as I don't intend to describe it, I would 

 refer any one of an inquiring mind to Baedeker. 



On Tuesday after a short cruise on the river, the Cassy with all 

 stores on board washoisted on to the upper deck of the Matalastrom 

 steamship, and at lu P.M. the sUipper and a friend went on board 

 and steamed up the Gota Riv^er. We were on deck next morning by 

 3:30 a, M., and while the steamer passed through the eleven locks 

 and canal at Trollhattau we walked round by the I'iver, through the 

 woods, and had splendid views of the rapids and falls. We met the 

 steamer above the falls opposite the Trolihiittan Hotel and went on 

 about 6 A. M. Before leaving the steam 

 er at Wenersborg we went over the course 

 oil the charts with the mate, and got our 

 compass bearings marked ou. We had 

 breakfast at the large rambling hotel 

 opposite the gi-ass-growu market square, 

 then pulled out past the bre ikwaters 

 on to Lake Wenern. I was rather amused 

 at first by the tiny light houses on the 

 lakes, only some 7 or f ft. high apparently. 

 We had a head wind and not very much 

 of it, so our progress was only slow. 

 When at last the wind went round a little 

 and allowed us to lay on our course, it 

 soon died out and left us lifting gently 

 on the glossy surface; so before com- 

 mening to row we cooked a meal. The 

 first and only mi.sfortune of the cruise, 

 the loss of the coffee-pot lid overboard, 

 happened then. However, as the coffee 

 pot w-as one of those two-storied arrange- 

 ments, its usefulness was not seriously 

 impaired. If any brother canoeist is 

 troubled — as I used to he — with grounds in his coifee, I should 

 strongly recommend ihe investment of two shillings in one of these 

 coffee-pots, as thev are vei-j' good. 



We rowed in half-hour spells to a point called Wenersuas. where we 

 landed and bathed. That part of the lake is by no means pleasant, 

 heing full of large reefs of rock, some of which ,iust about come up to 

 the surface. In rough weather it would be well to give it a wide 

 berth. A consultation of the chart here revealed the fact that sixteen 

 or eighteen miles was the distance to the nearest good sheltered har- 

 bor. As it was after 4 o'clock, a dead calm and very hot. this evi- 

 dently meant work. So we settled down to thescidls in the old half- 

 hour spells and steered partly by compass and partly by the land we 

 were leaving, until we gradually raised the long, low headland, which 

 we had to round Before we could steer for our destination. 



About sundown, as we were rounding the reef, a light breey^e sprung 

 up from the south and soon we were running along with spinnaker set 

 and all sail drawing. As we went on the breeze fi'eshened, and rather 

 before 10 o'clock we got "on the marks" (a long white pole in the lake 

 and a white rock ashore) and succeeded in running into the inlet— 

 Marna Stang— without touching any of the unpleasant "grunds" on 



THAT COFFEE POT. 



CANOE YAWL CA5SY (Humber Yawl Club). 



which the seas were now beginning to break. Immediately after 

 passing the white mark we were in smooth water, and, as the moon 

 rose over the dark firs and shone on the placid waters and on our 

 gently drifting boat, the picture was one of such oeaceful beauty as 

 will not soon fade from our metnory. FTow^ever, it was late and the 

 unsentimental part of our nature called for soraethiog substantial, 

 So my friend went ashore and by the help of his native language, 

 Swedish, succeeded in getting eleven eggs and some milk from an 

 honest farmer near by, who. not expecting visitors at that hour, was 

 already fast asleep. Five of these, with other provisions and the 

 never-failing coffee, made our supper, after which I parted with my 

 companion, who, after a twelve or fourteen mile walk, took the early 

 morning train from Linkoping to Gothenburg. The skipper of the 

 Cassy hauled out his groimd sheet and blanket bag. spread them on 

 the lioor of his boat, and m a short time was fast asleep. Trulv, 

 hunger is the best sauce and hard work makes one sleep better than 

 a feather bed. 



It was about 11 o'clock next morning before the crew turned out. 

 An hour and a half saw breakfast dispatched, bedding rolled up and 

 boat tent struck and stowed, and we started gaily along with a nice 

 httle breeze fairly well aft. A small trading vessel was loading wood 

 opposite my night's halting place, and I called out to them to know 

 if I was on the right course. Of course they didn't understand me, 

 and I sailed past, thinlcing I should be sure to find my way through 



LAKE SCHOONER. 



the Inlet to the other side of KollandsO all right. After sailing on for 

 a mile or two I came to the end of the lake, and instead of finding a 

 passage through as I expected, was confronted with a wall of rocks. 

 So I had to retrace my— steps, I was going to say— and it was after 2 

 o'clock before I again left the Trading vessel, with a man in a boat, 

 a curious built crank craft with high ends, to row ahead and show 

 me the way. If only I had been able to speak Swedish I shouldn't 

 have wasted— no, not wasted, surely, for it was a beautiful little lake 

 —I shouldn't have spent all that time in finding the channel, which 

 was quite at the beginning of the lake, hidden behind a bank of 

 reeds. An omluous flap of the mainsail here warned me that my fair 

 wind was at an end, and for the remaining six miles or so of lovely 

 little lakes and streams its jDlace was taken by one of equal strength 

 dead ahead. I felt lazy and tacked a good part of the way, making 

 on'y slow progress. When I arrived at the open like again, at Hller- 

 sund, I found my friend, the dead calm, waiting fur me. So I made 

 some soup and otherwise refreshed the inner man, then had a couple 

 of hours pulling until at sunset the sea breeze sprung up and carried 

 me along satisfactorily until at 11 P. M. I cast anchor off Arnii?. 



Next morning when I looked out of my tent I wondered bow on 

 earth 1 ever found my way in there between the reefs, ou to which a 

 heavy surf, impelled by a strong breeze, was breaking. As I felt 

 lazy again— I notice I'm generally more lazy about cooking breakfast 

 than about making my own dinner-I landed in the primitive little 

 village and was duly stared at by about half the population. I had 

 no Swedish aud could not make them understand that I wansed to 

 breakfast at a hotel. 1 don'c believe there is one in the place. How- 

 ever, I was told I should find some one who spoke English at a house 

 which was pointed out to me. So. as there wasn't a door bell or a 

 knocker. I opened the door and went in. After stating my case I was 

 told if I woiUd wait a short time, breakfast would be brou?ht. Such 

 is Swedish hospitaUty. After breakfast the Cassy followed a local 

 boat along an inside channel and then set off with two reefs down for 

 a I ough sail across the lake. The wind was well ahead, in fact 1 had 

 a good deal of tacking before I was to windward of Mariestad. Just 

 as I got the town under my lee a tremendous squafl came on and I 

 was very glad to run into the place under bate poles aud take up a 

 snug anchorage inside the river which falls into the lake there 



Next day, Saturday, being rough and rainy, I spent at Mariestad; 

 also the Sunday, The Saturday's market in the town, which is the 

 capital of the district, is well attended, and the counti-y people come 

 from the neighboring villages in carts, on foot, and in boats. I was 

 especially interested in the latter class, and watched the embarkation 

 of many boat loads, much admiring the sturd.y way in which the 

 women pulled, while the men steered or did nothing. Ou Sunday I 

 went into the church, which is a largebuilding with high clock tower, 

 from which there is a fine view. Here, as at other places, I was very 

 well received, and the fact that I was a stranger and an Englishman 

 unable to speak Swedish, seemed to be a point in my favor rather 

 than the reverse. 



On Monday I rowed most of the ten miles or so to Sjotorp, where 

 IJef r Lake AVenern and entered ou the West Gfita Kanal The canal 

 dues, which freed lue through all the locks to the Baltic came to nine 

 kroner, e., ten shUUngs, That da.v I went through niaeteen locks, 

 all upward. After three or four miles of sailing I bad to take to tbe 

 sculls for the remaintng distance to ToreboJa, where I spent the 

 night, moored head and stern. The canal water is very thick and 

 dirty in consequence of the churuiug of the steamers' screws. The 

 banks ai'e low and stony; when you stand up in the boat you have 

 occasionally a very good view, as the canal is sometimes high above 

 the surrounding country. On Tuesday, July 28, 1 left about 10:30 with 

 a fair wind and a companion on board. The gentleman in question 

 was a schoolmaster, and seemed to appreciate the opportunity of air- 



ing his English, and 1 was very glad to have some oae to talk to. At 

 Wassbacken. where he left me. I had to have my "papers" engrossed 

 "Pass Wasshiicken, 28th July, 1 E. M. (efter middag)." The three or 

 four miles from this place to Tatorp, where you pass through the last 

 lockup to Lake Tiken. are about the prettiest part of the canal. 1 

 folded in my port outrigger, sat on the after deck and paddled or 

 pushed along wirh one scuU, admiring and enjoying the trees and the 

 fenis, etc., on the bank-'. 



For tbe first four miles on SjOn Yikeu I had a flat calm, , and the 

 blue spectacles and white helmet were very useful m the p.larin'r .sun- 

 light. I had a fair wind after passing the. bend in the Jak". -iini set 

 spinnaker. The clear water, rippled into wavelets by a nice l u e- ze 

 well aft, was a pleasant change from the fiat, dead water in the 

 canal and I fully appreciated the beauty of wooded islets and blue 

 hills as I threaded my way down the lower end of the lake. Accord- 

 ing to my custom I haileci a Koster boat which i had overhauled and 

 was rather surprised to get an answer in English from her owner, an 

 old American sailor, who was seUing his cargo of salt fish at the 

 various villages along his course. The wi d became lighter and 

 lighter as i drifted down the narrows, making my coffee and eating 

 my provisians. At the southern end there are one or two very nar- 

 row artificial passages, cut out of the solid rock. I was thankful not 

 to meet a steamer in them, as I don't know how I should have passed 

 her. When I arrived at the flrst lock of the descent at Forssvik. I 

 was delayed some time in finding the inspector and having my papei's 

 signed, but at last I passed through and by 10 o'clock I had found a 

 nice sheltered little island with fairly deep water alongside, to which 

 I tied up for the night. I don't think camping out on land would be 

 very good fun, in that part of Sweden at least, not if other places 

 have even half as many ants as that place was provided with. I 

 suppose they must have been asleep when I tied the boat up at night, 

 but I'm sure that they weren't when I landed in the morning to east 

 oft", for I had to beat a hasty retreat from the swarm. 



On Wednesday (July 29) I was under way by 8: J0 (earliest start ou 

 record) and had my breakfast under way. I had to ro^v the last mile 

 or two to Lake Vettern (in a calm ), but shortly after getting on to the 

 open lake w-as favored with a ni e little southwest breeze, which 

 lasted right across. It is fifteen miles from land to land, and took 

 me about four hours. There is a small island about midway, with a 

 lighthouse and two or three houses upon it. I sailed up the bay to 

 Motala. a prettv, clean-looking town, whose red roofs and green trees 

 look well when seen acoss the clear blue waters of the" lake. The 

 water here is wonderfully clear; I could clearly distinguish every 

 stone at the bottom in, I should say. about fifteen feet of w^ater, and 

 could observe the boitt)m of the sluice gates as I was penned thi ough 

 the lock. I was glad to stretch my legs in the town and get my let- 

 ters at the post-ofBce; also something to eat at a restaurant. The wild 

 strawberries (smultr5n) which you get in many parts of Sweden are 

 excellent, and those I got at Motala, with frozen cream, were no ex- 

 ception to the rule. Pretty little residences aud flue trees line the 

 banks of the canal, and as I had my tea with a hospitable family by 

 the canalside, I had no further trouble about cooking for that day. 



Afi er tea I passed through a string of five locks on to Lake Boren. 

 iind spent the night at anchor under the lee of a point rather less 

 than halfway down the lake. 



Next morning, Tbur-^day, July 30. after breakfast and a swim in 

 the h vely clear water, I left my anchorage with a fine breeze abeam. 

 At Husbyfyl. where I had to pass another lock, i met the Motalastrfim, 

 the steamer in which I went from Gothenburg to Wenersborg, and 

 was glad to shake hands with the eaptam and mate and have a short 

 chat. There were lots of small bridges along the stretch of canal 

 which followed, and although they were often open, I frequently 

 found, when they were closed, that my lowering mast enabled me to 

 pass them with less delay, than by waiting for them to be opened. 

 It was 7 P. M. before I came out of the last lock of the sixteen, by 

 which the descent is made to Lake Roxen. The last mile or so of 

 the canal is quite on the top of a hill, and the sensation of sailing or 

 rowing along up there while you overlook the broad waters o( Ro:^ eu 

 below, is rather peculiar. As the wind was abeam I sailed about half 

 way to Noi-sholm, at the outlet to the lake, before dropping my mud 

 hook at 9:30. The sun set 8:15, but for an hour afterward it w-as fairly 

 light. The changes iu color among the clouds at and after sunset 

 quite baffle description, and I was specially struck by the lovely tints 

 which played upon a rain squall which worked down upon me shortly 

 before I stopped for the night. Oh, those moonlight evenings. The 

 charm of them is with me yet, and again, iu fancy. I recline in the 

 boat idly looking out from my tent door, while the smoke from the 

 evening pipe slowly circles round. 



Friday morning was dull and I didn't wake until late, so my start 

 w^as delayed until noon. The wind came in hardish puffs oVei- the 

 hills, but as it was abeam I had a fail ly pleasant sail to Norsholm, 

 where 1 re-entered the canal and had again to take to i:lie sculls, as the 

 high land and trees drew the "-ind all ahead. Lake Asplargen is a 

 small sheet of water surrounded by hills clad w ith the usual pine 

 woods. Crossing It, it was a case of holding the mainsheet in hand 

 and being ready to hop on to the weather deck, as the putTs came 

 down veiT? smartly. When by dint of hard rowing alOBg the canal 

 which followed, I reacheil the iirst lock of a long series. I was some- 

 what surprised to have to wait about half an hour until a steamer 

 which had been signalled came up and passed through. This was the 

 tnore unpleasant because it began to rain in a most persistent man- 

 ner. After going through seven locks, which, naturally slow in their 

 action, seemed none the quicker ou account of the rain', I was glad to 

 find a snug corner and jmt up the tent. After a good hoi joruai of 

 soup and a cup of cocoa, I turned in and slept securely, liiUed by the 

 pattering rain drops ou my tightly stretched tent, 



The Scotch mist which greeted my view on Saturday, Aug. 1, was 

 not reassuring, nor was the bad cup of cocoa, made from the dirty 

 water of the canal, with which I had to content mvselt. Hoiverer. 

 1 rowed on to Soderkoping, and w-hile I w-aitsd for an upward-bound 

 steamer to pass the lock, 1 had a good cup of coffee at a restaurant 

 hard by and also flded niy keg with clear water, .Fee dug depressed 

 by the damp weather and lack of wind, 1 tied up astern of a vessel 

 which was being to .ved by a yoke oC oxen, and cooked a meal on 

 board as I traveled the rema'iniug three or four miles to Mem. 

 where the descent is made to an arm of the i^altic. After a 

 short sail on the sea I hauled the boat out, and, as I Nvished for a few- 

 days in Stockholm, put her on board a steamer at about 7 P. M. The 

 passage among the i-lands showed me that I should have had my 

 work cut out to find my w^ay had 1 sailed in the Cassy. 



After a 12 hour passage I was put overboard at Stockholm and 



