April 15, 1886.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



238 



so amazing that I glanced repentedlv over the stern to be sure the 

 breeze was still howling down from ihe northward in the rear. The 

 calm belt, probably induced by the heat reflecting from the sands, 

 for the sun was shining brilliantly, and a sheer given to the breeze 

 at the surface by the curvature of the hook extended for three miles 

 to the southward. The true wind came inagnin in little puffs and 

 airs which gradually grew in strength, but he full force of the 

 original wind was not attained. These sand capes should be given a 

 wide berth in consequence. 



Below Cedar Point the shore backs in S.W. and then trends out 

 again S.E. down to Point No Point, ten miles below, forming a long 

 bight three miles deep in the center. There is no harbor of anv kind 

 along this stretch. With a leading breeze, the Coot was sent across 

 the bight so as to fall iu with »o Point. Below the same lack of 

 windgreeted the Coot which had been observed at Cedar Point, and 

 nothing but light airs slowly lifted the yacht along, past St. Jerome's 

 harbor to Point Lookout, the northern extremity of which hides the 

 broad bosom of the majestic Potomac until the lighthouse has been 

 brought abeam. The point is strikingly marked and can be made 

 out a long way off by a prominent cluster of tall trees which rise 

 from the sea before the low sands upon which they stand appear 

 above the horizon. It is the most available and favorite land mark 

 for vessels sailing tho Bay bound to or from Baltimore. It is a very 

 good point to keep at a considerable distance or to hug very, very 

 close. It is a notorious trap to catch the unwary and the crew ol the 

 Cootjbeing both guileless and unwary got caught. It is sixteen miles 

 from Cedar Point, or about twenty-one from the Coot's last anchor- 

 age under the Cove Light. I had hoped to cross the seven mile mouth 

 of the Potomac and ferret the way into Little Wicomico for the 

 nipht ; but Point Lookout clung to me like molasses to a fly. It was 

 Cedar Point over again, only worsp. The wind had picked up after 

 leaving No Point well astern. Reefs had long ago been shaken out. 

 When I had Lookout over the quarter and was settling down for a 

 nice run across the Potomac in a nice wind with boom well off, the 

 inevitable calm belt under the lee of Lookout squashed all hope of 

 shaking the big sand spit's company. For hours not a breath, not 

 the faintest air filled the canvas, though it was apparently breezing 

 lively every wheres else. As evening wore on I tried to turn up the 

 shore a piece to get into Ft. Jerome, but the ebb would not have it- 

 There was no other harbor within seven miles and no wind to get 

 anywhere at all, not even nnder Point Lookout itself. All this time 

 a nice wind was drawing close inshore round the horseshoe curve 

 of the Point, but not within my reach by two miles. The right way 

 to the Potomac is to hug the point of sand just as close as you dare 

 and catch the draft which always blows close along shore in the 

 bight called Cornfield Harbor. That will take you into the regular 

 winds ol the river higher up. I noticed that this was the maneuver of 

 all boats locally posted. They know by experience what it means to 

 get stuck under Lookout's inevitable and annoying lee. After jibing- 

 till the boom seemed tired and whistling and patience till itfell pitch 

 dark, that last hope of the forlorn boat sailer, the scull, was shipped 

 over the stern. By dint of wriggling till 11 P. M. the Coot was pro- 

 pelled at last into shoal water under Cornfield Point, a mile and 

 a half up the river. There was of course no harbor, the place being 

 open to everything except N. and N.E. It was not even a half re- 

 spectable roadstead and a very poor place for a little thing like the 

 ' Coot to spend a winter night. But nothing else could be done under 

 the circumstances. Once more I had to trust blindly to luck. Luck 

 stood by me. Slept like a log of course and woke up to find the 

 world all smi ing in the sun and exactly the same calm in the mouth 

 of the Potomac I had left. It continued to stay there, blow high or 

 low, as long as I remained in these latitudes and probably is there 

 still to catch other strangers in its net. Further down the coast, in 

 coming across smacks bound for the river, the unvarying hail was, 

 "How did you leave the Potomac, any wind?" which went to show- 

 that its treachery was a matter ol common familiarity. The harbor 

 for small boats to make in the -vicinity of Lookout is St. Jerome's, 

 which is buoyed and into which you can carry 61 1. and more. It Is 

 also the station of the TJ. S. Fish Commission and has a well stocked 

 store and post office close by. Keep out of the Potomac if you can. 

 The first harbor in the river is Smith's Creek, six miles up the 

 northern bank ; other inlets marked on the chart are now closed. 

 Heating from a colored gentleman in a canoe that there was a post 

 office a few miles inland from Smith's Creek, the Coot was sculled 

 along, till Ilgiifc land breezes lifted her up to the desired haven. The 

 entrance is zig zag between properly painted buoys. Inside there is 

 deep water, 17ft. to 10ft. clear up and in the lateral branches. On the 

 chart the creek cuts a very small figure in comparison to neighboring 

 waters, but in this part of the world creation did things on a big scale. 

 The so-called creek is three miles long, has a two mile branch and a 

 mass of coves and little stow holes with 10ft. anchorages. It is a 

 beautiful ramification for sailing small boats, and only one out of 

 hundreds of like attractions, the existence of which is unsuspected 

 by the provincial New Yorkers. Multiply N orthport harbor in Long 

 Island Sound by four and you have but this one little insignificant 



i 



indentation out of fifty connecting with one river out of fiftv flowing 

 nto the Chesapeake. Place obscure plebeian Smith's Creek in the 

 Sound and its glories and praises would be heralded lar and wide, 

 till the New Yorker actually believes that Smith's Creek is the eight h 

 wonder of the world ami the "finest yachting waters on earth, sir." 

 But of Smith's Creek afew miles away from his stock-ticker or dry- 

 goods box he wots not of. 



The Coot sailed in among oystermen tonging from canoes much to 

 their astonishment. She. brought up in a snug little round hole 

 before an expedition to the post office was set on foot. Some sus- 

 picion attached to her character. She was supposed to be a police 

 boat bent on ditching offenders of the rigorous oyster laws, and was 

 eyed somewhat askance. Gradually the conviction gained that "he 

 was a NewYorker just pleasurin' round." C. P. K. 



A HANDSOME STEAM YACHT. 



rpHE accompanying illustrations show the lines and plans (with a 

 J_ few alterations) of a small steam launch, now being built in the 

 yards of R. J. Douglass & Co., at Waukegan. Ill , for Mr. Jas. Alex- 

 ander Kirk, of Chicago, 111., for use on Pine Lake, Wis. Her length 

 is 45ft., beam, 9ft.: draft of water aft, 36io. The keel is of the finest 

 selected white oak 6x8, with; stem, sternpost ;and deadwoods of the 

 same. Her frames are of oak, sided 2in., moulded 4in. at heels, Sin. 

 at heads, with galvanized wrought iron floors on each, fastened with 

 %m. copper bolts. She is planked with clear white cedar lj^in. thick, 

 copper fastened. The garboards, sbeerstrake and keelsons urder 

 boiler and engine be'ng oak for good fastening. Her decks are laid 

 in white pine with oak covering board and partner for holy stone 

 finish, and her inside finish will all be solid mahogany. 



The oddity of her arrangements from a first observation is a little 

 puzzling, but a closer study will diselose its advantages. 



In the first instance there is a gangway to go aboard of her (some- 

 thing new in a boat of her dimensions, every person climbing in at 

 the best place they could pick out to get aboard). The gangway is 

 shown between two dog heads on the brass railing. From the gang- 

 way is a step of lOin. into the cockpit floor, where there is only one 

 seat on either side for the helmsman (never having any person sitting 

 in the passage way). From the cockpit one can pass into the accom- 

 modation proper, between two upholstered mahogany seats on either 

 side. There is comlertable seating capacity for 25 persons. Passing 

 from the after accommodation to the forward, with the extra beam 

 for a boat of her length, there is ample room to pass around tbe 

 boiler, not having a lady climbing over coal bunkers, as in the ordin- 

 ary launch of her dimensions. The canopy is suppported with carved 

 mahogany stanchions (instead of turned, as shown), ceiled on top 

 with Spanish cedar. Her finish throughout will be mahogany and 

 polished brass. The outside fender strake running around plank- 

 sheer, will be 2in. half-round brass, also a rail fore and aft on turned 

 polished standards. Bitt*, chocks, cleats, rudder head, flag staff 

 sockets, etc., will all be polished brass. A half circling fender, 30in. 

 high, with parallel sides made of 4 brass rails, and a plate glass space 

 of 24in. wilt surround the engine, giving an opportunity to see the 

 working without danger of getting the clothing soiled from oil. 

 Electric annunciators will be used throughout for signalling the en- 

 gineer. 



Under the forw ard decks there will be a galvanized iron refriger- 

 ator with an ice space of t« o feet, and three shelves below. Under 

 the stern decks is a catch-all stowage. Her scuppers and drainage 

 are perfect. 



She has a close rail (not shown in drawing) running aiound the 

 outside edge of planksheer, with mahogany cap made perfectly 

 watertight. Inside of this are 3 1J4 deck scuppers with brass caps 

 below and above, emptying through the skin below waterline. The 

 canopy also has a close rail, and is drained through the center 

 stancnions on to deck below by brass spouts. 



The engine is being built by the Hercules Iron Works, the boiler by 

 John Davis & Co., both of Chicago. They are both a credit to their 

 builders, and combined will develop 60 horse power. The wheel is a 

 42in. diameter and Sin. below keel. 



DORCHESTER Y. C.-Offlcers for 1886: Commodore, Henry W. 

 Savage; Vice-Commodore, W. D. Hodgkins; Secretary, Henry B. 

 Callender; Treasurer, Samuel G. King; Measurer, Hartford Daven- 

 port; Assistant Measurer, William L. Dearborn; Directors, W. H. L. 

 Smith, C. H. Nute. Cooiid ge Barnard ; Regatta Committee, Louis M. 

 Clark, Erastus Willard, William B. McClellan, Herberts. Carruth and 

 Frank Gray. 



THE BOSTON SCHOOL FOR YACHT DESIGN ING . — An exhibi- 

 tion of the work of the students of this class will be held in the Bird 

 school at South Boston on April 21-22. Besides yacht designs there 

 will be exhibits of freehand and mechanical drafting and clay mod- 

 elling. The school has proved very successful this year and will be 

 contnued next season, 



QTJINCY Y. C— Officers for 1886, elected April 10: Commodore, 

 C. F.Adams, 3d; Vice-Commodore, H. H. Sheen; Fleet Captain, C. 

 IT. Porter; Measurer, A. B. Lelois; Secretaiy and Treasurer, Henry M. 

 Faxon; Regatta Committee— G. W. Morton, E. W. Baxter, G. G. Sa 

 ville, W. T. Babcock. The subject of erecting a club house was 

 agitated, and the following gentlemen were appointed a committee 

 to procure plans, etc., and report in two weeks: E. W. Baxter, Geo. 

 W. Morton, G. G. Saville, C. F. Adams. 3d, H. M. Faxon. Seven new 

 members were admitted. Dates for the season's regattas will be 

 decided upon later. 



CLEVELAND YACHTING ASSOCIATION.— The annual election 

 of officere was held on April 3, the following officers being elected: 

 Commodore. Geo. W. Gardner; Vice-Commodore, Percy W. Rice: 

 Rear-Commodore, Charles W. Kelly; Spcretary, J. Geo. Downie, 88 

 Euclid avenue; Treasurer, G. W. Luetkemever; Measurer. H. Ger- 

 lach; Assistant Measurer. H. D. Moran; Surveyor, H. C. Rettger: 

 Director. Charles W. Kelly; Regatta Committer, R. E. Mix, Chair- 

 man; L. H. Ware, C. C. Goodwin. P. A. Mettling. H. Richter. Three 

 new members were admitted, and the club is in a flourishing condi- 

 tion.— J. Geo. 



TORONTO SKIFF SAILING CLUB.— On April 6 a special meeting 

 was held at which several amendments to the by-laws were made, 

 and a committee was appointed to revis" the classification. The re- 

 port of the secretary showed the club to be in a prosperous condition. 

 A meeting to elect officers will be held on April 15 at the club house. 

 An "At Home" wi'l be given in May. Races will be sailed every 

 Saturday through the season. 



COLUMBIA Y. C— At the annual meeting, April 6, 1886, the fol- 

 lowing officers for the ensuing year were elected : Commodore, R P. 

 H. Abell; Vice-Commodore, Geo. R. Stone; Secretary. C M. Arm- 

 strong; Treasurer. Joseph A. Weaver; Measurer, A. ' Fowler Gore; 

 Steward, Chas. H. Knubel; Fleet Surgeon, Henry Griswold, M. D. ; 

 Regatta Committee, A. M. Everett, Chas. Dietz, C. T. Will, L. D. Ur- 

 ban, W. J. Greacen. 



A NEAT TURNBUCKLE. — A new style of turnbuckle for yachts is 

 now made by R. Mitchell & Co., of Boston, the body being a sleeve of 

 round brass with a right hand screw in one end and a left hand in the 

 o'her. One screw is finished with an eye and the other terminates in 

 a shackle, so that the treacherous hook usually employed is dispensed 

 with. They are made in various sizes. 



SHIP AND YACHT HARDWARE. — We have received from L. W 

 Ferdinand & Co., 267 Federal St., Boston, their new catologue ©f fit 

 tings of all kinds for yachts, boats and large vessels. They deal in 

 everything required by builders and yachtsmen, including cordage 

 blocks, paints, oils, and bra=s and iron goods. 



THE CRUISE OF THE AMBASSADRESS.— The schooner Ambas- 

 sadress, Mr. Nathaniel Thayer, arrived in New York on April 7, and 

 reached Boston on the 18th, after a cruise in the West Indies, visiting 

 Bermuda, St. Kitts, Martinique, St. Thomas and Cuba. The voyage 

 was a very pleasant one, but without special incident. 



SOUTH BOSTON Y. C— Officers for 1886, elected April 7: Commo- 

 dore, Henry Hussey; Vice Commodore, W. J. Orcutt: Fleet Captain, 

 J J. Bligh; Treasurer, Thos. Christian; Secretary, John C. Merry; 

 Measurer, James Bertram; Trustees— C. McKenna, Charles Griffin, 

 F. E. Colley. 



NEVER HEARD THE "MIKADO."— The Field notes the launch of 

 a new 5 tonner on the Clyde, named Pitti Sing, "after an African 

 river." 



HULL Y. C— The club will probably offer substantial prizes in the 

 large class, 26 to 40ft., to encourage entries this season. 



PEAWANHAKA C. Y. C— The annual regatta this year will be 

 sailed on Saturday, June 19. 



PUBLISHER'S DEPARTMENT. 



A Close Shooter.— Picking up No. 445 of the Dickerman patent 

 hammerless single barrel shotguns at the works of the Strong Fire- 

 Arms Co. at New Haven the other day, a member of the Forest and 

 Stream staff aimed at a screen 32yds. away; 272 pellet marks in a 

 circle with a 6-inch radius teds the close shooting qualities of the arm. 



In our issue of April 9, 1885 we chronicled the event of the opening 

 of the New York branch of the sportings goods house of A. G. Spalding 

 & Bros., of Chicago, and at that time we predicted a successful issue 

 of the experiment on account of their well known ability and enter- 

 prise, which has made the success of their Chicago house so phe- 

 nomenal. In this issue on another page will be found their advertise- 

 ment for their spring opening for 1886, and a glance at its contents 

 will show a few of the novelties they will bring out this season, 

 During the past year they have established agencies and depots) 

 supplies in some twenty of the largest cities east and west, 



