416 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Dec. 11, 1885. 



BOAT STOVES, DORIES AND YAWL RIG. 



Editor Fores^ and Stream : 



I see by an inquiry in last number Ibat the old question as to the 

 best stove for a small boat will not rest. In the hope that it ma.T 

 help some solitary cruiser, I send the folio-wing description of a stove 

 t\'hic-h 1 used for eight years in cruising and itehincr with the greatest 

 satisfaction. It was nothing more than a tinsmith's stove for heating 

 his iron.'-', modified but littie, I had it built of strong galvanized Iron 

 9iD. high ; diameter, I think, about tiin.. but wide enough to allow a 

 one quart tin kettle to enter the top easily. Two inches from the 

 bottsm was the draft hole, and Sin. from "bottom I had 3 brackets 

 elicched on. upon which rested a perforated piece of strong sheet 

 iron of the same diame(pr as the stove. The stove had a heavy ritn 

 on the top and a bail also clinched. The bottom had a flat rim with 

 which the stove was run into two iron slides fastened upon a heavy 

 piece of maple plank Tiijin. square, and w hich was further protected 

 by a piece of polishing felt as a non-conductor. The bottom of the 

 stove rested directly on the felt. The fire was made with a piece of 

 paper, a little driftwood for kindling, and charcoal, and in a few 

 minutes I had a good cooking Are and heat enough to warm hands 

 and feet .vith in cold weather. Of course, I could cook but one course 

 of a not over elaborate dinner at once, but I have managed to have 

 clam chowder, chicken fricassee, beef a la mode, potatoes and coffee 

 from the same fire at one meal, and all smoldng hot. The advantages 

 of Jsuch a contrivance are, that you can get a fire in a heavy blow 

 without fear of spilling kerosene, which may ignite; vou may set 

 your stove on any part of the boat where you are not bothered with 

 the smoke or smell, and after the charcoal is burning well it gives 

 forth a tremendous heat for stich a little fireplace. Put the stove in the 

 bottom of your boat and in a short time your feet and the lower part 

 of your body will be comfortably warm, while you can lay your rod 

 hji and w'arm your hands also. Fishing for striped bass in 

 November and December such a little stove is a great boon. The 

 charcoal may be kept in a rubber or leather bag, and will never make 

 a dirty boat. To put out the fire I poured water over it and picked 

 out the coal not consumed, which is good for further use. According 

 to use, especially on salt water, you may have to get a new stove 

 every three or four years, but as you c-an have one made by any tin- 

 smith for about $1, the expense is slight. 



I>ate!y there has been a good deal of discussion going on in regard 

 to small boats of all kinds, and the sneakbox has received a good 

 deal of merited attention. There is another style of boat which after 

 all seems to me to be the boat for talring all Innds of weather without 

 being too much for one man to handle. I refer to the Gloucester 

 dorj^ The Little Western, 16]pt. over all, went to London in 49 days and 

 returned in ?5 days, having on the return voyage exceedingly heavy 

 weather of almost continued head winds. After inspecting the boat 

 closely, 1 bad a long talk with Fred Norman as to her sea-going qual- 

 ities and he could not praise her highly enough. Of course she was 

 decked all over, and there was just enough room in the cockpit for 

 one man to sit and steer, but Noiman ventured the assertion that 

 she was so tuovant and lively that a half deck with a slide for the 

 other h.ilf would have been all sufflcitnt, even in their worst gales, 

 and in quieter water infinitely more comfortable. The little boat had 

 a jib, staysail and mainsail, ].3)^ft. keel, SJ^ft. deep, 6ft. Sin. beam. 

 She made on her way out an average of 63 miles per day. Her best 

 run was 103 miles. The Little Western was the third Gloucesttr built 

 dory to cross the Atlantic. Alfred Johnson crossed alone in the Cen 

 tennial in 1S;6, and Andrews and Boos in the Nautilus in 1878. The 

 rigs of the two last beats I do not know. It would be of great inter- 

 est to many readers to have the merits and probable shortcomings ot 

 this class of boats discussed. While I am about it 1 would like to say 

 a gcod word fcr tie yawl lig. 1 had a;2£ft. cabin boat, 10ft. te; m 

 ij^ft. deep, built for'ciuisirg pu) poses and fitted it with ayawl rig— 

 dciible hf adjailf , cr rather staysails and jib with cuthaul ard set on 

 its own hoist. nroiEsai]. mizzf n and clubicpEail. 6he W£s an t scced- 

 ingly heavy built boat, hut she would maneuver with eiiherjib and 

 miiziD, staysail 8Kd tcainsail or tmtler m8in^ail alone. With this 

 rig I sailed ner singleharded. The halliards all lead to ti e cockpit 

 and I did not need to leave the tiller to let the mainsail ccme down 

 on tcp of the cabin where the tocm vas fastened without furling the 

 the tail. This dev. n it never blew hard tncufih to get her Ice rail 

 within 2in. of ihe wattr. Kcwwiih askcpcr cutter rig this sailing 

 wcuJd have b£<n an utter impossibjlily locneiran. For ciuislng 

 vnijcfesiltie is to rig which is as ccmtcriable and safe as the yawl 



rig, PlEOATOK. 



OPEN BOATS AT SEA. 



ACCOTjNTS of adventures of landsmen in beats are evidently held 

 in high eslimalien by their biethem ashore, to judge by the 

 prominence given in the daily press to evejylittle journey performed 

 by amateur boatmen. Only the other day the whole civihzed world 

 was made aware that an OxEord eighthadperformed the by no means 

 diificuli tas-k of rowing in a calm the short distance from Dover to 

 Calais. A little time afteiward there appeared the adventures of 

 other individuals who endeavored to follow their example, and finally 

 for the want of an actual journey to lecord, there was a paragraph 

 to the effect that a gentleman and his daughter proposed to cross the 

 Channel in a small steam launch. 



Very different is the matter-of-course manner in which are received 

 the accounts of tasks performed in boats by seamen compelled to 

 abandon their vessel. If by chance the vessel has passengers a little 

 more interest may be displayed, and survivors may possibly be inter- 

 viewed, and a tbrilhng account of the affair pubb'shed, but in the case 

 of the crew of a humble cargo vessel that little interest vanishes. 

 The following shoit accounts of the adventures which befel the crews 

 of three British vessels in the Arabian Sea m June last, are given, not 

 with the view to show that the tasks performed were in any way out 

 of the common for sailors to perform, but to prove by comparison 

 how insignificant were the doings of those individuals to which so 

 much attention has been directed of late. 



The first abandonment, in order of date, was that of the Copeland 

 Isle She was a wooden baik of 681 tons, and sailed from Rangoon 

 on April 1, 1885, for Bombay, with a cargo of rice. She was com- 

 nianaed by Captain James Ferguson, and had two European ofQcers, 

 but the remainder of her crew of twenty -six were Lascars. On June 

 6, during tead weather, she commenced to leak, and four days later, 

 in spite of incessant pumping, the water had so increased that it 

 became imperative to abandon her. One of her boats bad been so 

 injured as to be useless, another was smashed while being launched, 

 but the third, a boat of 2'Jft. in length by 5ft, 6in. in breadth, was suc- 

 cessfully floated, and at 5 P. M. of ,Iune 10 the crew got into her. 

 There were no provisions in the boat except two pounds of flour, as 

 the rest had to be throwTJ overboard to lighten the weights as much 

 as possible; and they had no fresh water, as they could not get to the 

 tanks on aceotmc of the quantity of water on the ship's deck. Canvas 

 was nailed round the gunwale of the boat to keep the sea from break- 

 ing on board. The captain states they proceeded toward the Malabar 

 coast, which was 9S miles distant, keeping the boat before the wind 

 and sea, and on Jimo 18, after suffering great privations, they arrived 

 at Kumta. 



The second case was that of the Seraglio. She was a steamship of 

 1,105 tons, and sailed from Cardiff on the 10th of May last, under the 

 command of Captain Wilson, and manned by a crew of twenty-four 

 bands, bound for Bombay, with a cargo of coal. On June 9 she 

 encountered a cvclone, and commenced to leak. The following night 

 the water had so gained on the pumps that all the fires were drowned 

 out, and bailing had to be resorted to, but in spite of the exeiiions of 

 the crew, by the morning of June 18 it became evident that thevessel 

 was on the point of foundering. At noon, therefore, the only boat 

 which had not been rendered utterly useless during the storm was 

 launched, and the crew embarked in her, and a course was set for 

 Bombay, which was 350 miles distant. The boat was S7ft. long, 8ft. 

 broad and 4ft. deep, and was fitted with a mast and sail, but the 

 former proving too heavy for boisterous weather, it was thrown 

 overboard, and an oar used as a jury mast. Six cork life jackets 

 were fastened to the sides of the boat and canvas nailed over; and in 

 order to lighten her as much as possible, the crew were only 

 {illowed to retain their shirts and tiousers. After being three days 

 thirteen tiours in the boat they reached Bombay at 1 A. M. of June 17, 

 having nearly exhausted their scanty stote of provisions. 



The third abandonment was that of the Slieve More. She was an 

 iron ship of 1,667 tons, and sailed from the Tyne on March 30, bound 

 lor E( mbay, with a cargo of coal. Her comroander was Captain H. 

 B Couby and her crew consisted of thirty two hands all told. When 

 neaily three months out and in the Indian Ocean, lat. 3" 38' S.. long. 

 63'- 40' E., she was found to be on fire. All attempts to extinguish it 

 proving useless, it became apparent to the master that he would be 

 compelled to abandon hie vessel. The two lifeboats, the cutter and 

 the gig were got overboard and provisioned, and at 6 A. M. Tuesday 

 moming, June 16, the crew took to their boats. They lay by the 

 burning ship until the following morning, when the mast having all 

 fallen, but the hull still burning fiercely, they left her and made sail 

 for the Seychelles, which was 500 miles distant. It was soon found 

 that theie was too much sea to sail tbe gig with safety, and she was 

 consequently abandoned. On Thursday, June 18, the wind freshen- 

 ing and the sea getting up, the people in the cutter were transferred 

 to the lifeboats, and she was also left behind. At night a light was 

 hoisted on each boat, by wnich means they kept together. On Fri- 

 elay. June 59- a heavy gale was encountejred, but the boats, much to 

 the a.stonishment of their inmates, succeeded in riding it out to a sea 

 anchor made out of the oars and saUs. Oil was poiued overboard 

 with the view to smooth the sea. During this night, however, the 

 boats parted conBpany. On June 21 the master's boat was picked up 



by a ccunti v brig, which landed its occupants in tbe Seychelles five 

 ^ays later. 'On June S5 the boat in charge of the mate, Mr. William 



Alfred, reached the SeycheUeg, the crew being none the worse for 

 their nine days' exposure. 



It wiU have been observed how closely the misfortunes which 

 befell the crews of these vessels, boimd to the same port, followed 

 each other, and to show the coincidence more clearly the dates are 

 repeated. 



Copeland Isle abandoned June 10, crew in boat till June 13. 

 Seraglio " June 13, " June 17. 



Slieve More " June 17, " June 25. 



The release of the one crew from their confinement was thus the 

 signal for the others to commence their labors.— iVaufica/ Magazine. 



MORE LEAD ON THE KEEL.- Last week the schooner Norse- 

 man, that has been lately refitting at Poillon's, hanled out on the 

 screw dock and had her wood keel partly cut away and ten tons of 

 lead taken from inside and substituted iu the keel. 



GENESTA AND HER OWNER.-Ifcis rumored that Genesta will 

 fit out for the B Class nest year. The schooner Elmina, Sir Richard 

 Sutton, has completed her fitting out and will leave at once for the 

 Mediterranean. 



LLOYD'S YACHT REGISTER.— We have received the second 

 .supplement for 1885 of this useful list. Galatea is listed at 80 tons: 

 90.5ft. stem toaternpost on deck; beam, J5.1ft.; depth, 13.3ft. ; rating 

 100 Al. 



NICE REGATTA.— The dates for the spring regattas in the Medit- 

 erranean are as follows: Mentone, March 81, April 1; Nice, April 7, 8; 

 Cannes, April 15, 16; Toulon, April S5, 26; Marseilles, May 2, 3. 



A NEW STEAM LAUNCH.-Mr. Samuel Ayei-s. of 37 Peck Slip, 

 New York, is now building in stock a handsome little launch 'int. 

 long. 7ft. beam, and 32in. draft. 



MIRANDA.— It is reported in Le Yacht that Miranda has been pur- 

 chased by an American. 



maemg. 



ings will vanish. But all the racers would have to alter, and reduce 

 their beautiful spars and sails. And why not? The same canoes will 

 sail well with less sail, and te more eiuiseable and generally popular, 

 as good for both racing and cruising, when their spars, sails and bal- 

 last are lightened to reasonable amounts. The existing racers num- 

 ber some six or seven (who compete), may there not be a dozen or 

 more who would come m and compete if they knew that model and 

 handling would be put to the test rather than sail spread and lead 

 ballast? 



"Existing canoes in the first class are nearly all of a size; those 

 that are fitted with deck daps (four eanoes) would, if they had to 

 screw them up, be placed merely on a level footing with those (many 

 in number) built with fixed side decks; where is the injustice? What 

 is the number of canoes with center-plates over CO pounds ui weight? 

 Four, or perhaps five. Put a stop to it in good time. 



'■Who carry sail over 100 sq. ft. iu the working sa^ls? About fonr. 

 Who are they? The invariable winners of the sailkig races, 130 to ISO 

 sq. ft. being often set. Cut them down to a liberal idea for racing 

 first class, and a snug proportion as "cruising area." The A. C. A. 

 cruising aUowanee was, last year. 75 sq. ft.; then, taking that for 

 "cruising area," add one-third and put the "racing" at 100ft. In each 

 case the mainsail should not exceed tv\o-thirds of the area. Spm- 

 nafcers can well be left imfettered, and give the expert a chance of 

 exhibiting his ingenuity. 



"But those who wisli to see healthy reform must remember that it 

 •win not come of itself, that it needs substantial support at the meet- 

 ing, for it is almost too much to expect that the vested interest 

 holders will stay away from the meeting or abstain from opposing 

 measures which effect them so directly, and, in theirl opinion, so 

 adversely. "If cruisers, and those desirous of fair play to average 

 canoes will attend on Tuesday and carry the propo,sed reforms, I have 

 no doubt but a healthy impetus will be eiven to canoeing. 



"The new Nautilus, 'which is tow built, is ready to take either the 

 large sails, long spar.s, and heavy ballast of the present, or the small 

 sails, snug spars, and light taliast of ihe refoim; I should prefer the 

 latter, and I certainly do not wish to disfigure her decks by cutting 

 and fitting those racing dodges, side deck flaps. Na-otilxib. 



Address all covimiinications to the Forest and Stream Publish- 

 ing Co. 



NEW YORK CANOE CLUB ANNUAL DINNER. 



WHETHER aflcat or ashcre, it is 1he tmbilion of each and every 

 man cf the New York Carce Club to do evoylhing in a "ship- 

 scape and Bristol fashion;" and their annual dinners are no excep- 

 tion to the rule. No greater contrast to the free open life of the 

 camp and woods can be found than the ccnventional dinner, with its 

 sombre and fotmal dress suit, but as usual the canoeists managed to 

 outrage the proprieties and set at naught all conventional rules, to 

 the astonishment and dismay of the waiters of the Hotel Hungaria. 

 The soup was not secreted, the venison did rot smell of smoke, there 

 were no weed ashes in the dessert, tut still there was a marked nau 

 tical flavor, tosay rolhing cf an " aneient and fish-like smell" to all 

 the surroundings, that went far to compensate for the fact that they 

 had to eat off a table with a cloth cn, they had different spoons for 

 soup and dessert, and there were do such delicacies as canned corn 

 beef, Biunswick soup, eggs or canned beans on the bill of fare. The 

 committee of anangtments, Messrs. Burchard and Rogers, had 

 racked their brains and sacked several other junk shops with as- 

 tounding results in inteiior decoration. The long upper room was 

 hung with silk and bunting, from the large club banner to numerous 

 smaller prize flags, numbering the club's victories at Lake George, 

 Newbm-gh, Grindstone and other places. Above the entire length of 

 the table hung a string of fifteen small Chinese lanterns, each with 

 a date from 1871 to 1875. From one chandelier was hung a native 

 model of a double kayak with two occupants, fi-om another hung a 

 model of an Alaska canoe, and from a tbird a birch. No epergnes 

 were visible, but their places were taken by a large yacht's binnacle 

 at one end and a foghorn four feet long gracefully supported by a 

 7in. double blcck, and both were fified with flowers. Besides these, 

 a ship's bell at the head of the table and a collection of marhn 

 spikes, helaying pins and other articles of vertu lent an au' of home 

 comfort to the repast. 



The menu cards, designed by Mr. Rogers, were really artistic, and 

 to each was added a little red and white burgee, a coniribution from 

 a lady member. Over the for'ard mantel was a large ship's wheel, 

 flanked by a pair of side lights and some blocks; on the after one 

 were another pair of lights, a sextant, and a design (the lowest bid) 

 for the Challenge Cup. The main features of the design were a tm 

 plate and a tomato can, the latter gracefully supported on a tripod 

 of forks and pipes. On ihe piano rested a coil of old rcpe, crowned 

 with a red globe lantern, and abcut the walls were paddles, savage 

 and civihzed, and seme models of canoes. Before the rOinner a meet- 

 ing was held, at •which Messrs. C. K. Munroe and W P. Stephens, 

 commodore and vice-ccmmodore, weie re-elected, and Mr. C. J. 

 Stevens was chosen secretary. Messrs. H. O. Eailey and B. F. Curtis 

 weie elected as executive committee. After seme routine business 

 the meeting adjourned and ihe seiious business of the evening was 

 Begun by a blast from a large patent fog horn, in the capable hands 

 of Mr. Burchard. The Mohican C. C. was represented among the 

 guests by Mr. P. M. Wackeihagcn, and the Knickerbocker C. C. by 

 Ccm. Greenleaf and Messrs. Arthur Brentano and Seavey, the total 

 number at the table being S8. The first proceeding was to drink, not 

 in ice water or shcrbert, the health of the hostess of last year's 



WIDE OR NARROW CANOES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: m 



On the whole I must heartily regret not having long since frataai- 

 iz ed with my boating lioihers of the paddle, for a high spirited and 

 plucky crew ai-e they. , 

 Last month, in fear and trembling, I asked through your canoe col- 

 umns afew simple questions, and now — well, my queries seem to be 



J „ „„'. ;„ « „s Tin,. Ill All ^;crVit "niAKR 



in receipt of a nvmber ot canoeists' letters indorsing my suggestions 

 as to the advisabihty of maklug a new class for canoes 36in. in w idth, 

 because very narrow canoes are "cranky, tmcomfortableand danger- 

 ous for sailirg purposes on waters wider than a trout brook." Bless 

 vour honest, pugnacious hearts. I have no deshe to abolish your nice 

 little hght-weight boats. They are very pretty and, as you say, just 

 the thing to "tiavel with on railroad cars," hold over your head tcr 

 imbrellas. "hike cut to windward on, with half your nether anato- 

 mies hanging overboard every time it breezes, and to yank out of the 

 water on to the top of a 5ft. high deck whh a fish line. Yet, n y 

 friends, ere ycu ciush me ccmpletely, let me whisper: I did not do it. 

 It was another fellow. He said his f2in. concevias too narrow for 

 open water sailing, and he v anted a wider boat, one Ibatvould go 

 faster end did notdisgir.ee her ancestors, the kyak scd tbeblich, 

 by canyirg kf.d under bene make her stsnd tphke a euller. you 

 knew, aVid that would flc at without aiitanks that scmetnnes liJltd 

 with water when he capsized, and he wanted an bcnest lotmy little 

 ciuiser which wculd cany even her lacirg spars ard sails all srAgly 

 Stowed under htr deck. In short, he wculd hke, if you would lit 

 him, to 1 fcve a carce that will not cspsize at all, under cidinory cir- 

 cumstances, and which le can icwlfister trd fuither than ycnr 

 ninety-pcurder can paddle. 



Now go for that other fellow. He's right among you, a good many 

 of him, and he is "tabin' notes." Let me say to "Clasa B" that my 

 prcposfd canoe will "go to windward in a sea without ballast, ' at 

 the same time being far etiffer, diyer and faster than any existing 



To "A. C. A." I would remark that she will cost ccmplete $125 or 

 more, and will weigh not far from ICO pounds, A very small boy can 

 handle her nicely. She will never miss stays; and that the rest of 

 his conundrums "are too much for me. 



To "Surge" I will w hisper that it is my intention to get among the 

 canoeists nextst.nimer, ard show themthecapabihtiesof a ccnamon- 

 sense cance, just as I have already shown that a 15ft. sharpie can 

 cover nearly two feet to the one ot a narrow saihng canoe in a race. 



Would "Surge" hke to help me win $25 more for the N. Y. C. C. 

 challenge cup? If so I will be glad to thus christen the "Coirni»on- 

 t'ense Canoe," and will give her an extra inch of beam to emphaeize 



My desire is to improve the open-water sailing cance, not to force 

 canoeists out of their favorite craft intb square-ended sailboats, and 

 I hereby ask all those in favor of keeping canoeists in their canoes to 

 express their views. Thomas Clapham. 



RosLVN, L. I., Dec, 13;_ 



Editor Forest and Stream: , ^ ^ .i.^. , ■ *u <■ 



The defenders of the canoe ac'mit that some other kinds of boat are 

 equal, or superior, to the regulation canoe in some respects; but 

 chng to the statement that she is unequalled for ease of paddluig, and 

 of carrying by one man on shore. Now, it seems to me they forget 

 the large number of boats known as "guide boats" or "Adirondack 

 boats that are being rowed or paddled (single blade), rapidly and 

 easily, all through the Adirondack region, and at the carries mounted 

 unon the shoulder of one man and carried as easily for miles; a boat 



vice-ccHmodore. 'At 11:30 the departure of the Staten Island con- 

 tingent was the signal for a general leave taking. 



REFORMS IN BRITISH CANOEING. 



IN THE last issue of the Fiild. Mr. W. Baden Powell writes as fol- 

 lows in favor of tbe pre posed changes in the lules cf the Royal 

 Canoe Club. The results of the meeting of Dec. 8 have not yet ccme 



'^^'^In^lhe pleasant little world of canoeing there is, in the R. C. C, 

 just now a pitched battle going on of cruisirg interests vs. the anti- 

 cruising existing state of things. Many letters to the meZd on this 

 subject have appeared duiing the past two months, and, with hut one 

 exception, they ha^e loudly proclaimed on the cruising side, the 

 one exception being, as the letter says, 'an earnest entreaty agamst 



fill cllElD^'GS ' 



"The autumn meeting of the Royal C. 0. stands adjoiirned till Tues- 

 day next, the 8th, when the fate of canoeing reform will again be put 

 in the balance, and therefore a word or two in the Field before that 

 event wUl be worth pages on pages after it. . 



"The point I desire to lay clearly before your canoeing readers, is 

 that ctuising and racing are not, and ought not to be independent ot 

 one another. They hold equal interest in the rules, especially those 



°*''lf will'^be°conceded that the majority of new canoes are built for 

 competition in the races, and that a vast number of canoes pass 

 through racing hands into cruising hands. It is therefore of the first 

 iaiDortance, from a cruising point of view, that the type of craft best 

 suited for general cruising should also be mostlargel.y patronized for 

 racing, the result bemg a constantly flowing supply, of cruisable craft 

 of the best design, build, material and fittings. , . . ^ , ^ ^, 



"Let cruisers see this clearly; let them see that this is to be to the 

 interest nf cruising to keep the racer within the dimensions, weights, 

 areas, etc., best suited for cruising; le^^em come to the meeting and 



support reform in that direction, and they wiU find that they have 



not only benefited thejuselves, but promoted canoeing. 

 "Anart from the one or two members who raise their objection to 



all or any changes, there are those who are prejudiced m favor of 



things as they exist not from any real belief that peifection of rules 



has been arrived at, but that in reform they sniff a lowermg of 



of the specialist to the level of common competition ; a taking away 



the refinement of his art, and causing him to compete on an equal 



footing as regard implements, with the ordinary cruiser. , , 



"Is t%is notso? Tike the cluestion of the aboUtion of side decl. 



flatis The majority of opinion on the crmsing side is that deck flaps 



are utterly out of place m a cruising canoe-that is, if she is to be 



used for rfther work than merely sailuig on sea or lake. Even at sea 



they are dangerous; a flap brofcen off and lost when a mile or two 



from land in rough water, Vould very possibly end fatally, unless the 



hfeboat arrangements within the conoe are of a first;Class nature. 

 "Then why retain or allow a form of structure which weakens the 



canoe where she most needs strength, which is a. standing danger to 



her at sea, and a constant annoyance m admitting water freely be- 

 low, simply because, in racing, the side flap enables the crew to sit 



riglJtout to windward, where the cruising canoes crew can't get, 



and so to carry extra large sails? w „ 



''Take the question of Umiting the weight of center p ates to t,0 



pounds (about as much as one man can conveniently handle mto ancl 



out of his canoej, why is there opposition to this measure of reform / 



Well because there are some tW or tour existing m racmg craft 



whicib are heavier (mine among them) and if you reduce the weight, 



^^"Burthe greatest'hardship of all-to the race^^ "rTiRcovered that he naa immeutseiy xuu.^ y.^..^. 



limft saUalea. But, to ^*'idv''^n'«'^i'v,tf.l^iJ,?^Ums^^^^^ ► ileSng In her atid he promptly entered the sa.hngracee, witto 

 evil ; limit the sail area, and most of the antl-CTuiamg foririB ana nx r 



witn tne ODjeci or accuiuinouuiuJK uui l'ud uitiu a^^-^ .ue&^fc,^. 

 with a kindly eye upon the canoe, but want for my use a craft that 

 will cany three or four persons and at the same time can be rowed 

 easily for a long distance, or paddled satisfactorily under proper 

 conditions or sailed with a fair wind, and at the same time built so 

 lightly that I can take it from the water and carry it around dams, 

 etc with ease. I am having a boat built this winter about t4f t long, 

 43in wide and 17in. deep amidsbip, with considerable sheer both tore 

 and aft. The boats made by her builder are modeled somewhat after 

 the birch canoe, in that they are .sharp at both ends and have the 

 same sheer appearance, but are superior, in that they are stronger, 

 tighter and lighter, and the lines are truer and more perfect; conse- 

 quently will paddle easier and have the advantage ot rowing or sail- 

 ine It seems to me I shall have about aU the advantages claimed tor 

 the paddhng-sailhig canoe, and some others that the canoe lacks. 



Boston Dec 11 Lichen. 



iThe excellent Qualities of these boats are generally admitted, but 

 they are really an outgrowth of the canoe, enlarged and widened a 

 little, and are no more than large open canoes, m which oars and 

 thwarts are added. For work in the woods they are exceUent, but 

 to suit the purpose of the ordinary canoeist, decks, mast tubes, keel 

 or board etc., must be added, and then they would be identical, ex- 

 cept in size, with the modem canoe.] 



NOA'ICES AS R&CESiB.-Editor Forest and _ Stream: "Sp&^B" 

 letter of a few weeks ago aroused in me the desire to rush into print, 

 btft the moment passid and was about ^r^f ^'^^^ J".^ 

 communication reminded me; so this present P f^^'',^*?^ 



fn his account He says it takes years of experience and constant 

 oracticrtrfaVry the spread of canvas upon a o^anoe no.v comrnon 

 Kng racer^and my thoughts turned to two fellows who went to 

 Grindftone lshmd last summer with little experience and leas prac- 

 ^ee and yet were foolish enough to enter the ,^adlagrf es there - a^^^ 



Tv^n-or^Xv th^^^^^ returned, and, lifter afew 



more trial, with s?mewhat!arger sails, entered the club regatta and 

 Jf.n[?a first and second prize. Then the cold weather carae along, so 

 hp mil his oinoe in the Barn and ordered a larger pair of saUs for the 

 nPxi sea4n lii February, 1885, he wentloff to Florida and elsewhere 

 ?nrt nevu^ieach^d home ^nlil July, when he shipped his canoe 

 and his halfSed sails to the meet, which he reached himself on 

 Wpdnesdav of die first week; his canoe not havmg been wet since 

 n P efrlv part of the preoedmg October. Yet, this infatuated mortal 

 werir to ?ilging and monkeying, and when the first race day came 

 «vo^mrl he wis on hand with a piece of board Jashed across his eoam- 

 f> ^for a deck seat Now for our other friend, Mr. B, He began his 

 cafeeTas a canoeist eariy in 1883, but his ardor was danipeneS by an 

 imset the first time he ventured to carry sail. He pbed, and the end 



