Feb. 11, 1888.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



us. With us all is of the plainest, and rough shags y pilot coats and 

 shocking bad hats ar« the fashionable wear. 



We srenerally sail double, and many a pleasant cruise has this sea- 

 son added to my log. The week has dragged on its weary course and 

 Saturday dawns, and with it the prospect of a respite. Toward mid- 

 day ledgers and account books are closed with a sigh of relief, and 

 my first lieutenant, who, enjoying more leisure, has to look to the 

 fitting out. comes up beaming with smiles to report all ready for sea. 

 So down to the harbor. Yes. there she lies, the little J&gir, as neat a 

 little craft as ever bearded old Neptune. 



'Ts all ready?" "Aye, Aye." from the shore. "Then cast off," and 

 we pull down to the harhor's mouth, let go centerboard, up mainsail, 

 and away flies the little craft, lying down nicely to her canvas. 

 Mainsail is sheeted home, mizzen set, ropes coiled away, all made 

 sduec, and now for a pipe. 



There is something grand about the Humber. No innocent looking 

 f • esh water river reflecting on its breast the peaceful country side, 

 but a broad expanse sparkling in the sun, its low banks receding 

 in the distance. Full of life too, the noble animation of peaceful 

 commerce. There comes a mighty four -masted Atlantic liner, and 

 great steamers from India and many another distant land lie at 

 anchor, and the tall masts of the graceful clipper ships lift high in air 

 the delicate tracery of their rigging. 



F issv tugs dart hither and thither and are the frequent cause of 

 anxiety and bad language on hoard the M gir. as her steersman ha* to 

 solve in one brief moment a problem in which the strength of the wind, 

 the set of the tide and the speed of the advancing tug, are at once 

 important and conflicting elements. Result, one of those narrow 

 shaves which set the heart be iting and confirm the idea that the 

 canoeist, like the cat, is blessed with nine lives. 



A yacht or two flit by with a cheery greeting from their owners 

 and the red sails of a Ashing fleet give warmth and color to the set ne, 

 but wind and tide bear us out of the crowded roadstead and its busy 

 life blends with the background of smoky Hull. 



The evening sunlight casts a glow over the broad surface, broken 

 h^re and there by buoy, of the river. Silently the low banks glide 

 by. It is a scene almost Dutch in character, the very river craft 

 carrying out the idea with their blunt bows and great square sails. 



The noble tower of Hedon church shows above the bank, rising 

 from its surrounding elms, and sets us thinking of the old time when 

 the ships of Hedon came and went and helped to build up the wealth 

 of many a merchant prince, or swelled the fleets when the Edwards 

 and Henrys of the middle aares called on their subjects for help in 

 their endless wars. It has looked down upon a harbor crowded witn 

 shipping and its chimes have sounded sweetly through the hum of 

 the busy l'fe on its quavs, the creak of co-dage and the sailors' chorus. 

 It has entered into the everyday life of the men of Hedon, seen 

 them as children plaving beneath the surrounding elms, or gazing 

 open eyed upon the shipping and listening to the fabulous tales of 

 mariners, fresh from Ormm and far Cathay. It has witnessed their 

 marriages and watched them take the;r places as mere ant adven- 

 turers, rising to places of honor and renown, and its bells have tolled 

 for their departure. 



Where are they no%v, these men of a long past age? At rest in the 

 quiet church yard, heedless of the passing centuries and no longer 

 concerned for the fall of ttieir laden argosies or jealous of the in- 

 creasing rivalry of their youthful neighbor Kingston upon -Hull. 



What matter to them that the glory of Hedon has gone forever, 

 that her harbor has sunk into an insignificant stream, up which a few 

 river sloops painfully make their way, that the voice of commerce is 

 forever hushed and that Hull has left their old town far behind while 

 the great stream of commerce rolls by all unheeding and forgetful 

 and kno«"S Hedon no more save as a passing landmark. 



But time has dealt less harshly with her than with Ravennpurn and 

 other sea ports whose very sites are a subject for antiquarians to 

 wrangle over, and she retains the noblest of her many churches 

 though her once busy streets have grown into grass grown country 

 lanes. But her decay has more of the sadness of ruin about it. It is 

 rather the peaceful evening of a once vigorous life. 



But wind and tide bear us onward and we are running past dear old 

 Paull. Though only a little fishing village itis quaint and picturesque, 

 with its one sf-agaling street of tumble down houses, with the sea- 

 weed clinging to the piles which fence it from the encroachment of 

 the h umber, and the setting sun lights up the r^d toots wWi a ruddy 

 glow and brightens the gray church tower standing on the slope amid 

 its encircliag trees. 

 Paull is the one spot in the neighborhood where the hand of pro- 



gress has not been busy. No pretentious villa residences dot its 

 breezy slopes, and as yet no one has thought of improving it into that 

 abomination — a modern seaside resort. 



At one time the Dock Company threatened its peace of mind and 

 spoke of fish docks, etc. , and the lovers of the quiet old world spot 

 trembled. But. the peril passed and the docks went west instead of 

 ea»t and Paull was left to slumber in peace once more. 



But evening draws on, and the banks grow dim and objects become 

 mysterious and vague in the twilight. It is time to come to anchor 

 somewhere for the night. The merits of various adjaceut creeks are 

 discussed as we run along the Lincolnshire coast. In the darkness it 

 is difficult to detect the entrance of the desired creek and a sharp 

 lookout is kept ahea i. The mate's eves are the sharpest. "Here we 

 are at the Skitter- Haven. Luff up!" and obedient to her helm the 

 little boat glides into the haven whose quiet waters are a strange con 

 trast to the choppy waters outside, which we can hear chafing and 

 roaring outside the spit, "Let go mainsail, up centerboard 1" and 

 after answering as far as possible the question "-How shall we lie at 

 low water?" "How shall we get out to morrow morning?" "How 

 much cable does she want?" the anchor is let go, a shore line is run 

 out and sails made snug for the night. Then up goes the tent over 

 the well, and the riding light shows what is, if a limited, at least a 

 snug interior. 



Soon the stove is burning brightly and coffee bubbling, while the 

 Mate is laying the table for supper. We have grown fastidious in 

 these latter days and must needs have a table cloth, and from deep 

 recesses are produced various necessities and not a few of the luxur- 

 ies of life. 



Supper over, the bed clothes are brought out, and with many an 

 acrobatic contortion we shake down into our blanket bags. This is 

 the pleasantest half hour of all, as we repose side by side, each with 

 his little pannikin of grog on the little shelf by his side (we are great 

 at shelves), and pipe in mouth, we discuss the events of the day and 

 the plans of the morrow. Then lights out and good night. 



The last awake perhaps feels the boat ground on the soft mud as 

 the tide leaves the creek, and knows that all is right, and sleep comes 

 with the noise of the Humber coming with softened sound to the 

 drowsy senses. 



OAKLAND C. C -On Jan. 23 the Oakland C. C, of California, 

 effected an entire re-organization, starting anew with fifteen mem- 

 bers and ten canoes, the latter as follows: 

 Length Beam, 



Name. Ftf 



Columbia 13.6 



Water Lily 34.6 



Flirt 16 



Undine 15 



Falcon 14 



ZoeMou 15 



Black Dwarf 13 



Zephyr 14 



Mystic 15 



In, Build. Owner. 



28 Racine F. Gonzalez. 



32 Carvel W. Morrow. 



82 Lapstreak Milton Jones. 



35 Racine A. D. Harrison. 



30 Carvel E. R. Coopsr. 



33 Lapstreak R. Engelhrecht. 



33 Racine H. Darneal. 



28 Shell R. Emrelbrecht. 



23 Lapstreak W. w. Blow. 



Racine W. W. Blow. 



The new officers are: Com., W. W. Blow; Vice-Corn.. A. D. Harri- 

 son; Sec.E. R. Cooper; Treas.. Harvey Darneal. The club is col- 

 lecting the addresses of California canoeists, and has in view a State 

 meet on Oakland Creek, with paddling and sailing races. The club 

 is now well housed in the old quarters of the Mystic Boat Club on Oak- 

 land Creek, where they have a boat room 18x40ft., a meeting room 

 and dressing room each 18ft. square, and a workshop. Races are 

 held through the season and the club promises to be the nucleus of a 

 large eanoe fleet m California 



INSURING CANOES.— While there is comparatively little danger 

 of a canoe being destroyed by fire, many of the canoeists about New 

 York and Albany have their boats insured. Those of the New York 

 C. C.were insured by Messrs Wemple & Hutchinson, 32 Liberty street, 

 New York, the policy reading, "For insuring from loss or damage 

 by fire the property hereinafter described not exceeding the sum 

 specified on each article, viz. : dollars on his eanoe in- 

 cluding her furniture and apparel while in any of the waters of the 

 States of New York, New Jersey or Connecticut or in any boat house 

 in said States or in transit by rail or boat, and while at builder's at 

 Staten Islandfor repairs. Other insurance permitted " The rate is 

 one per cent., and the term 3 years, only costing 83>£ cents a year, 

 no policy being issued for less than $2. 



SAIL PLAN OF CANOE LASSIE. 



THE balance lug sail was first introduced to America in 1879 by a 

 member of the New York C. C who rigged one from the 

 drawings published in England, In 1880 the canoes of the New York 

 C. C. were nearly all rigged with leg of mutton sails. Elfin. Clochette, 

 Psyche and many others having this rig, while the only lug sails 

 were a balance lug on the Rosalind, a standing lug on the Dot and a 

 diminutive sail of the same rig on the Star, an old Rob Roy. In this 

 year Mr. W. P. Stephens fitted two large balance lugs to the Queen 

 Mab and also to several other new canoes, and by the time of the 

 fall regatta the strong prejudice against the lug as compared with 

 the leg-of-mutton had disappeared, and all the leading racers came 

 out with large balance lues. Since 1880 the growth of canoeing has 

 set hundreds at work On the problem of rigging a canoe to the best 

 advantage, and 6rom the many plans and suggestions several 

 excellent rigs have been evolved, but after thorough trial none has 

 proved so well suited for use about New York as the balance lug. 

 Its details have been modified and improved, but the main points of 

 the sail are the same 



Foremost among American canoeists as an authority on sails and 

 sailing, is Mr, C. B. Vaux, of the New York C. C, a canoeist widely 

 and favorably known not only as a most successful racer and skillful 

 sailor but as the author of many contributions to canoe literature, 

 foremost among which is his valuable and instructive book on "Canoe 

 Handling," the wide-spread popularity of which has carried it in little 

 over half a year to a second edition, now in preparation. Mr. Vaux's 

 first experience, ten years since, was with the primitive and useless 

 rig furnished by the builder of his first canoe, a sliding gunter with 

 a jib and a sprit mizzen, very soon discarded for a more effective if 

 small sail plan. In 1878 the Dot, Mr. Vaux's first and most famous 

 canoe, was fitted by her owner with a standing lug of about 45ft., and 

 a mizzen of similar shape, with which rig she sailed in the race cf the 

 New York C. C. in 1S79, the first date in the revival of canoeing which 

 has since extended to all pares of America. Th? excellent qualities 

 of the lug were shown even in its crude form as then rigged, but the 

 absence of keel and board prevented the Dot Irom covering the course 

 in a strong tide. Next season she entered, with the same rig but with 

 a keel added, and succeeded in defeating the leg-of-mutton rigs. In 

 the fall of the same year, 1850, a suit of balance lug sails were made 

 for her, being fitted with bamboo spars, and battens in the regular 

 style. With this rig the Dot raced until 1882, when she was fitted with 

 the sail described in the Forest and Stream of May 31. 1SS3, which 

 she carried until sold ia 1884. 



The present sail-, shown in the accompanying cut, were planned 

 by Mr. Vaux for the Sunbeam canoe Sea B-e, Class B, and have 

 since been used by him on the new cano? Lassie, Class A, illustrated 

 last week. The principal points in a balance lug sail are to make it 

 sit absolutely flat and to Jkeep the luff taut, for which purposes it is 

 essential that too much of the sail shall not be set forward of the 

 mast In the present rig the forward portion is very small, and the 

 yard is also set up by a powerful tackle, devised by Mr. Vaux. A 

 special feature also is the proportion of the sail, the boom, yard and 

 two battens all being o f the same length. The sail as now hung is 

 almost a standing lug, the tack coming to the foot of the mast, but 

 the battens are retained as in the old balance lug. The halliard is 

 rigged as follows: A single block is lashed to the yard forward of 

 its center; the parrel is made fast to the heel of the yard, leads 

 through this block, and at its end a second single block is spliced in 

 At the masthead are two single blocks, each fitted with a strap over 

 the masthead, or a hole may be bo»ed through tne latter, as shown, 

 and a short line passed through, a block being spliced in each end of 

 the line. The halliard, which is longer than usual, is made fast to 

 the yard near the Deak, leads through one block at the masthead, 

 thence through the block on the end of the parrel, thence through 

 the second masthead block and to a blocK at deck, thus setting up 

 both peak and throat. 



The sails are made of fine muslin with bights 6in. apart, the latter 

 running parallel with the leach in each portion of the sail. In bight- 

 ing the canvas, that for thelo *er portion, belowthe sscond batten is 

 first bighted, then the widths of the bights in the upper part are so laid 

 off that when cut on the required angle they will correspond with the 

 widths of the oihers, which are. of course, cut nearly at right angles. 

 The two parts of the sail are tnen stitched together along the line of 

 the second reef. The peculiar shape of the sail is designed to give 

 as large an area as possible with the shortest spars, the cutting away 

 of the lower after corner reducing the length of boom and batten 

 much more than it does the corresponding area. The sails shown 



