464 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Dec. 30, 1886. 



CANOES vs. SAILING BOATS. 

 »pHE cpntroTei-py raised by Mr. Clapham's description of his boat 

 J- and tier performance has excited much interest among boating 

 men, and the discussion lias gone so far hevond rt.-i original limits 

 that we had chang-ed its title before the receipt of the following 

 leti,er, which brings up several impoi-tant points. That the small 

 sailing boat ot various models has its good points is conceded bv 

 ail canijLosts. and also that for certain purposes various boats are 

 superior to The cavioe: but INir. Clapliam and the otliers who con- 

 demn CHUoes as unsafe, and advise canoeists to adopt various 

 otiier cratt, all overlook the important fact that the narroiv canoe 

 and its few friends have built up a larne and powerful pleasure 

 navy, have establislied the sport of canoeing on a naliouiil basis, 

 nave forced a recognition for it cverywJiere. Rowbnats and sail- 

 tioats have existed for years before the narrow canue was thought 

 of: but wiiat have they done to-day that will compare with tlie 

 progress of canoeing since LSri: and what condition would bont- 

 mg. camping and sailing, on a -cale that is witlun the reacli of all, 

 have oeen without ^icWregor iu a :.'riin. boat and Baden-Powell in 

 one only ?in. wider. We, the cauoeisis of the United States, Can- 

 ada and Great Britain, have given an impetus to real Corinthian 

 mailing, to camping, to outdoor sports of the water and of the field, 

 as well as to tlie collection and diffusion of facts relating to geo- 

 graphical research, and to the laws which govern the design and 



know what we want, tiiat if v\ e are capable of designing, biiiiding, 

 racnig and using successfnUy a certain kind of bout, we are also 

 capable of judi/irc ■ ! I tiiir or no it is the best possible boat for 

 om-, not your, i 

 Eclitor Forest 



I ani a very iir _ ader otthe canoe department of vour 



paper. Iliave h<.-vi ■;u.:,-:-e:5tcd lately in the discussions of "Wide 

 vs. Harrow Canoes." Xovr I think that these discussions are all 

 i-ight and should Ije encouraged, but it is my humble opinion that 

 this .suojoct should De headed "Sailboat \t3. Canoe," instead of tlie 

 title it nD\v bears; not that there are no ^vlde and narrow canoes, 

 but taat a canoe is a canoe and a small sailboat of over 3ijiii.beam 

 has no r.ght to be called a canoe. I consider, and I think others 



out ot his craft witli tOin. beam as another does out of his canoe 

 of oOm. beam, pro^riding the sailing is done on a lake or wide river; 

 but the inaii with the narrow canoe can navigate a narrow, rapid 

 stream, ^vith much more ease and comfort than the other w ith the 

 wider craft. And no^w I would like to ask wliac a canoe is for if it 

 is not to carry its owner over rapids, do\ra narrow, swift rivers, 

 as well as on the broad rivers and small lakes! But I suppose 1 

 have said enough to rouse ttiese "wide" canoemen alreadv, and so 

 I will leave the subject. I am surprised that in the discussions of 

 canoes more lias not been said of the merits of the canva-- canoe, 

 for I believe it possesses many. I think that manv who woald 

 like to own good canoes are prevented from doing so on account 

 of the cost, and that most of them, if they \vent about it in a 

 proper manner, could construct good serviceable canoes that 

 would give them as much pleasure, if not more, than their more 

 wealthy neighbor with his $loO canoe; nor r eel these canoes be 

 much, if any inferior to his, if they are proTerXv made. I would 

 much prefer a good canvas canoe to any good cedar canoe I ha e 

 seen. I know a can%-as boat will not last as long as a cedar canoe, 

 but if the frame is strong and well formed, the only extra cost 

 need be for new canvas with which to replace the old. L. H. K 

 EvANSTON. lU.. Dec. 20. 



Editor Fiyreft and Stream: 



I have been much interested in the controversv between the ad- 

 vocates of wide and narrow canoes. Mr. Clapham seems to be 

 holding up his end pretty well, not ordy with his pen, but what is 

 more important, %Aith safe, comfortable light boats. A light boat 

 tiiat one man can handle in and out of the boat house and on the 

 water is a desideratum. If she shows speed she is a jewel and is 

 not to be .sneered at. That Mr. Clapham's Red Jacket possesses 

 these good qualities and more of the same sort has not yet been 

 disputed. As to the ability of a narrow canoe to sail awaj- from a 

 Philadelpbia ducker, the matter has been verv ably discussed by 

 IVIr. Work. 1 have sailed in company mth thi-ee or four of these 

 boats all of last season and I considered it a streak of rare good 

 luck if I ever got to windward of them. Two canoes, owned and 

 sailed here, would lose about a quarter of a mile in every mile of 

 windward work. I do not claim that those canoes were first-class 

 racers. They did not carry ballast. Neither did I when the 

 canoes were out vnth. sail sei. I used a BOlb. open rowboat, minus 

 the oars. 



JNlr. Schamp, in your issue of Dec. 16. asks about a good form of 

 centerboard. What is the matter with the weather grip? I have 

 probably used this form of board during the past season quite as 

 much as any one else, and there may be those who would like to 

 know how it works. My boat is a lapstreak rowboat, built exclu- 

 sively for rowing and hasn't a suspicion of decking from stem to 

 stem. Wlien I built her, two years ago, I had no more idea of 

 ever stepping a mast in it tlian 1 had of putting wheels under it 

 and using it for a street car. It is 12ft. long, 34in. beam, 12in. deep 

 amidships, and SCiin. at bow and stern, sharp at both ends. 



Last spring I conceived the brilliant idea of trying to sail. 1 

 rigged her with a lateen sail of S8ft. Tliis did very nicely for a 

 couple of weeks, tmtil 1 began to learn a little about saiKng. 1 

 then added a leg-of-mutton mizzen of 10ft. About this time I 

 hegan to keep company with the rest of the boys, ezcepting dead 

 to windward. 1 had a lin. keel and no centerboard. 1 could not 

 go to windward with any degree of certainty in short tacks. I 

 then put on two leeboards, one on either beam. In a fre.sh wind 

 the water would pile up between the board and the boat, and 

 finally pour into the boat. This would happen about the time the 

 boat was heeling at the proper angle to sail fast. Tlie next more 

 was to set the boards out lin. from the side of tlie boat. Tliis %vas 

 an improvement, but the water would still pile up and occa;^ion- 

 ally slop over into the boat. The next improvement was tlie 

 "weather grip," rigged out 3ft. from the boat, one on eacli side. 

 The first time I went out with the weather grips on it seemed as 

 though I had taken aboard about 501 bs. of ballast. The wind 

 seemed to have lo.st its power to heel her over. She went to 

 windward nicely, and stood up to her work when tJie duekers and 

 tucknps had in one reef. 1 then increased the size of both sails, 

 giving a total area of 5i)ft.. and wdili this rig I sailed about five or 

 six times a week throughout r]ic season. Was out sailing about 

 100 times. Carried balla^i lo Cie extent of tOlbs. on five dift'erent 

 occasions, and 1.51bs. twice, ^^'as single-reefed t^ice and douiile- 

 reefed once, on which occasion shipped about 3 gallons of A\-ater in 

 a 2-mile run before the wind. Th^t was the only occasion on 

 which i took in more water than the sponge would take up after 

 applying the weather grips. For any ordinarv weather my sails 

 were too small. Tliat was the universal opinion of those who 

 sailed the other boats. I will increase rny sail area considerably 

 next season. Those who have used ordinary centerboards in such 

 small boats as mine can judge about how much sail 1 could carry 

 without the weather grin, on sucli a treacberous river as the 

 Schuylkill, ^vhere Uie wind is liable to blow from every point of 

 the compass wthin t\vo minutes. It is a standing remark among 

 those who know something about sailing elsewhere, that "any 

 one who can sail on the Schuylkill can sail anywhere." 



NOKRISTOWN, Pa., Dec. 33. E. A. LEOPOLD. 



Editor Forest and Stre^iw 



I have just finished reading Mr. C. L. Work's article on wide 

 canoes. Mr. Work tliinks that the past -easnn was my lirst. 

 Pirst at what? Sailing or canoeing? 1 wa,s sailing on the Dela- 

 ware in duekers, skifl's, etc., foi' about three years before I ever 

 owned a canoe. Tliis kind of sport never did agree witli me. You 

 would al->\ays get a crew that liad a liking to the keg, which would 

 he' stowed high and dry some^vhere in tlie boat under the pretense 

 of "ballasi;," but poor ballast it makes on the return trip. You 

 will generally find a liilarious and noisy crowd when homeward 

 bound, which sometimes winds up with a fight or a case of drown- 

 ing. His speak ing i a such a confident manner leads me to suppose 

 that lie ^viis present at tlie time, when he says that the duekers 1 

 beat were open boats. The only one that was open carried l(j,\ ds. 

 and had a centerboard. The three 1 met in midstream informed 

 me that they came from the Kensington slip; of the other t^\ o 1 

 did not inquire their locality. In my article of Dec. 2 1 adinittr d 

 that a wide boat could outsail a narrow one, but I wanted to con- 

 vince Mr. Clapham that a narrow boat can get the lead and 

 keep it. 



Does he think it orJy a little credit when a canoe can beat a 

 semi-profeasional racer? It would be little credit if the ducker 

 had a green hand at the helm; but ha\'ing the hand of a good sailoi- 

 at the stick, and beating him, is something worth crowing over. 



I have been sailing canoes for the past three years, and think I 

 can sail one ;n its native element better than on paper. 



In my article I have not enumerated how many duekers beat 

 aiy canoe. Ten chances to one a ducker can heat a canoe on 

 account of her beam and superior sailing qualities. 



Mr. Work saye that canoeing has not met with favor on the 



Delaware. If canoemg has not met with favor how could the 

 canoe clubs here keep up theii- organization ? We have now three 

 canoe clubs here, \vith something like •«) or 45 canoes, also a num- 

 ber of unattached canoeists. Is not this a fair sho-ning for the 

 cauoeists on the Delaware? The Q. C. 0. C. wiU probably in- 

 augurate a scheme which will prove an immense lever to canoeing 

 interests of this city, namely, a canoe meet on this river, which 

 will place canoes on an equal footing -with the larger and wider 

 Doats. it there should be a meet I would be pleased to trv con- 

 clusions wath a ducker, especially the one that can go two feet to 

 my one. 



, Then he says, "The oumers are boys (they look like bovs in their 

 Knickerbockers; or gentlemen who know little of boating." Now, 

 1 \vould like to be informed how manv of them know little or 

 nothirig of boating 'r Also how many of tliem liave alreadv grad- 

 uated into larger and better boats ? Of ail the canoeists that I am 



acquainted M itii ('numbering about t 

 moment of owning a ducke.r. Tf + !■ 

 canoe they prefer the canoe va . ! - 

 ot the canoeists have sailed wide ;.. 

 catboats. Of the tv.-cnty about l^^ e i 

 they owned a canoe. 



Tuckups and duekers generalli,' meet at the same place. But 

 why is any other type of boat out of place ? Mr. Work speaks as 

 though the boats he mentions are the only ones that travel in 

 fleets. Do not canoes travel in the same manner ? 



. not one thinks for a 

 r a rj\ thing larger than a 

 acht. As a rule most 

 ' nil schooners down to 

 sailed any boat before 



Editor Farcst and Stream: 



A stranger ivading Mr. Schamp's letter ot Dec. 6 might infer 

 tnat there are no sailing skiffs owned in this -sdcinity which are 

 nt tor an>thiMg but fire wood. If he desires to meet foemen 

 wortiiy ot his steel he might drop down tlie river to Black Rock 

 Harbor any fine Sunday afternoon next summer. His boat is 

 indeed a marvel if she can get awav from some of our crack boats 

 onthenyer. Very few good saihng boats are found on the lake 

 here, and he probably hail little dilliculty in beating the ordinarv 

 keelless andunder-iigged tub let Ijy the various lake boat houses, 

 whic' 1 • . ' • . ■ - - - 



flVi 



(Al . _ _ „ 



Arrow ^vhich was erematecl by the yacht cfub as utterly worthless 

 after drowning several men, her last caper being an upset in a 

 summer pulf , when her crew had the pleasure of drifting around 

 on her bottom lor sev eral days, deri\ang sustenance and amuse- 

 ment from friutless endeavors to iict her mast out and right her. 

 They were finally rescued by an expedition sent out bv the yacht 

 club. A stranger might also infer that Mr. S.'s boat could stand 

 as much wind as the i',tt. cutter Vera, renowned for her weatherly 

 qualities, and able to drown out the ma.iority of the yachts here. 

 It may interest Mr. S. to learn that the cutter could have carried 

 all her kites with ease on Nov. ,'?]. The reason she was triple- reefed 

 '?9| double-reefed) is this. On her way to Buffalo an unexpected 

 shift of wind caused lier to jibe, carrying awav her mainboom, and 

 in order to return to Port Dover with the shortened .stick, the 

 Vera's crew triple-reefed the mainsail. A gale is her delight, and 

 she fi-equently goes out for fun when our large three-and-afters 

 are compelled to scud under close-reefed foresail with peak settled, 

 which is a good time for small open boats to be in the house. 

 BiiPFALO, N. Y\ Perch. 



TORONTO C. C— Tlie annual meeting of the Toronto C. C. was 

 held in the club house Dec. 15 inst. The secretary-treasurer's 

 report showed the increase of membership fi-om 17 to 33 active 

 members and also a good balance to their credit in the bank, and 

 it was the general opinion that the goose hung high witli the 

 T. C. C. just now. A heated debate took place ^on the proposed 

 clause to appoint the regatta committee to look after dub cruises, 

 i. e., to appoint tlie days, etc., instead of having tlie first Saturdav 

 in every month for cruising Saturda>', and on which vnu cannot 

 have club races. This has been found to work ver\ nnsatisfae- 

 toril.v, as there were several Saturdaj's during the season entirely 

 wasted. The club knew they were not going to cruise, and yet 

 were debarred from racing by the rule. A few of the members 

 who do not race, but cruise whenever thev can, were afraid that a 

 regatta committee would take up every Saturday with races, but 

 on counting noses it \\'a8 found that every one of the racers was 

 in favor of more ci-uislng: and more cruising we must have, for 

 while only three or four have a chance for a place in the races 

 every one is on a par while cruising, and the youngest or oldest 

 member can go on a cruise and feel that he is having a good time, 

 while if he entei-s a race and takes onlv tenth place he feels that 

 he hasn't a show vrith those other felloMTS, and will consequently 

 lose interest in the club if there is not something else that he can 

 take a hand in to keep up his spirit. The question was left over. 

 Ballot papers were then distributed and the election of officers 

 proceeded %\ith, with the followdngresult: Commodore,'Hugh NeU- 

 son, re-elected; Vice-Cam., W. B. Raymond; Secretar\% W. G. Mc- 

 Kendrick, who could not accept and retired in faVor of J. B. 

 McLean, who was unanimously elected; members of the Executive 



the handsome display of cups, prize flags, etc. (among which there 

 were 31 won at A. C. A. meets) vnth which the room was deco- 

 rated, and he hoped that in the future as in the past the club 

 would keep up their record as paddlers, as sailors and as cruisers, 

 to which we all said ameni and with a good song broke up for the 

 evening.— Mac. 



ROCHE,STER C. C.-On Dec. 14, tlie Rochester C. C. held its 

 fi^fth annual election. A new constitution and by-laws \verc 

 adopted. The election of officers resulted as follows: Captain, H. 

 L. Ward; Mate, W. B. WUliams; Purser, Geo. H. Harris; INIeasurer, 

 Angus E. Huther; Executive Couimiftee, Samuel C. Eaton, H. J. 

 Wilson. C. F. Welters; Regatta Committee, F. F. Andrews, H. M. 

 Stewart, Geo. W. Gray. Tlierc are now t weuty-tive active mem- 

 bers and two proposals for uiemhershij). i-our \ears ago the 

 Rochester C. C. was organized with only four members. It now 

 occupies two spacious club houses at Irondequoit Bay, but they 

 are not large enough. The Executive Committee has in charge 

 several important improvements, the principal of which is the en- 

 larging of the canoe room and the sleeping apartments. The club 

 held seven regattas last season, and are all well pleased with the 

 .satisfactory results attained. The memhersliip ot the club is lim- 

 ited to fifty members. After the business of tlie evening liad been 

 transacted, the members adjourned to Elmore l<' Carmody's Cafe, 

 where an elaborate collation had been prepared. In tie center of 

 the long table there was placed a handsome floral design in the 

 form of a miniature canoe laden with fruit, and emblematical of 

 the prosperity of the club. The following toasts were responded 

 to. Matt .J. Angle acting as toast master: "Our club as it was, as 

 it is, and as it will be," George H. Harris. "Tlie retiring board of 

 officers," C.H.Moody. "The new board of oIHcers," W. B. AVU- 

 liams. "Our racing fleet," F. F.Andrews. "Our cruising fleet," 

 H. J. Wilson. The newly-eleeied captain, H. L. Ward, was not 

 present, being in Mexico in ciiarge of a government vessel, but 

 he wll return in time to open up the season.— B. 



THE DELANEY BILL TO THE A. C. A.-Brockvdlle, Dec. 15.- 



Editor FijreM and Stream: M/ atteution has just been drawn to 

 your report of the meeting ot rhc Kxecntive Committee of the 

 A. C. A. and the Delaney bill against the Association. Tliere is 

 one item for a load of ■^tumps, ir'-ift^K which might, from the way it 

 is put, be misleading, as it looks now as if the Brockville C". C. 

 got a load of stumps for its members without paying for them. 

 The members of the B. C. C. neither collectively nor individually 

 ordered or recei\ ed any wood from Delaney. There was a camp- 

 fire held one nigh t back some distance from the Brockville camp, 

 I think on the da \ Delaney makes this charge, and possibly this 

 item may be for t he fuel for that, hut the stumps were cei-tainly 

 not got by or for our club. By giving this an Insertion in your 

 valuable columns you will oblige Jajiks Moorb, Commodore 

 Brockville Canoe Cluh. 



QUAKER CITY C. C.-The Quaker City C. C. held a .special 

 meeting on Dec. 7, to consider the subject of aclubdinner. >Iessrs. 

 Jackson, Munchen and Barten were gipointed on the committee. 

 ^Ir. Jackson resigned in favor of JNlr. Leary. The committee will 

 also consider the offer of a boat house, and if favorable, the house 

 will be built in spring. A new member was elected, and the dates 

 for the meetings were changedtothefii'stTuesday of every month. 

 The regular meeting for the election of officers will take i>lace on 

 Dec. 30.— J. A. B. 



THE SITE OF THE A- C. A. MEET.-Bow-Arrow Point, the 

 probable camp ground for 1887, is the most Boutheidy extremity of 

 North Hero Island, extending into the Gut, between North and 

 South Hero islands. It is about twenty miles distant from Platts- 

 burg, N. Y. The locality is shown in detail on Government chart 

 No. 1 of Lake Champlain. 



CLUB DINNERS AJTO CAMP-FTRES.-The New York C. C, 

 in place of their annual dinner, hold a Christmas camp-fire to- 

 night at Clark's, 22 West Twenty-third street, at 8 P. M., to which 

 alltheir friends, ladies included, are iuvited. We have received 

 invitations from the Washington C. C, to a cam_p-fire oa Jan. 3, 

 and from the Bondont C. C, to one oh Dec. 31, ' ' " " " 



Address all cfmmunicalions to the Forest and Stream Ptib. Co. 

 CRUISE OF THE COOT. 



XXXI. 



(Concluded.) 



'T^HE Sth oi: June saw the Coot homeward bound. With jMt- 

 J- Lewis, wno aitends to the wants of shipping at Beaufort, for 

 pilot, the msnore sle\v ^vas attempted, leading to "the narrows" 

 lorming the lo^r. r i-nt ranee of Core Sound proper. After some 

 light bumping. The boat got clear of the oyster reefs and .shoals 

 and sailed through the winding channel between Harkcr's Island 

 anrt the n.ainlaiid u-ithout trouble, as the government stakes are 

 ffi^'/' ' iiere IS r, to 6ft. in the channel of Core Sound. 

 ' ; r: *-'Ublo sjiould be experienced in getting through. 



" - miles long and makes quite pretty sailing. 

 J,J^'- -"'1? harbors for small craft, and several settle- 



J?1t1" i 'V " .I'lfii.ii stores can be pr(,cured. The Sound, with 

 ine banks sheltering 1 1 from the sea. has bceome the last and chief 

 refuge ot the rluek during winter. Geese are also plentiful and 

 wild swan not uncommon. As yet there is but little shooting done, 

 the ground Ijemg almost virgin, omnu; to its iiiaccesibilitv. With 

 the influx ot sporismen from the North, certain to come in the 

 near future, propeUcrs vsill be put on from Norfolk and the value 

 or stands will increase euormouslv. it is to be hoped that re- 

 sponsible clubs will secure the riglits of the shores before the 

 rnlliless pot-Uunters and city cockneys ruin the sport bv reckless 

 and illegal slaughter, as tlicy iiave done elsewhere. Mr. Pike, of 

 New York, at one time owner of the schooner sharpie Elsie, has 

 become the owner of Harbor Island at the northern entrance to 

 the Sound, a little lump of sand, purchased for a nominal sum, 

 which some day will bring thousands for hotel or club purpo.ses. 

 There are three other islands close bv which will nodotibthe 

 picked up for their prospective enhancement. At present thev 

 can be had tor a few hundreds. Core Sound is of the same 

 character as Curntuck, but larger, and according to all aecounts 

 allords. even better sport. The sharpie has been introduced in 

 Beautort waters through the instrumentalitv of Mr. Ivins, and is 

 unquestionably the type of craft best adapted to purely local pur- 

 poses, the shoals are very extensive with 2 to 3ft. of water, and 

 only tlie shar)jie can be navigated all over. Round bottoms would 

 have to confine themselves to the channels and are for that reason 

 of limited sei-vice ra Core Sound, ttiuugh much better fitted to 

 cope with the roagh waters of Pamlico and Albemarle. From 

 wnat 1 saw or these inlandseas 1 should not care to be cauglit out in 

 auy fiat bottom. The Coot was bad enough, but a sharpie in the 

 hojlow seas 01 Pamlico would quickly come to grief without a 

 harbor handy to run for. In Core Sound it seldom makes up eg 

 bad but wliat a small sharpie can be sailed. It is three to four 

 miles acro-s, and unlc=s it blows hard up and down the Sound, the 

 sea is ot wi iswax consequence. On the chart a thoroughfare is 

 marked leaaing into Cedar Bay, connecting with Nense River at 

 the mouth. 1 tried mis passage but found less than 2ft., and had 

 to give up the idea of skirting the shore back to Stumpy Point 

 Bay. So Harbor Island was made for the night preparatory to 

 crossing Pamlico. Ne.\t morning I got out earl v and was fortunate 

 m striking a light day. The distance across to Bluff Point is 2.5 

 miles. From the low deck of the Coot no land wa.s in sight during 

 part of tfie passage. Royal Shoal Light is about half-way across. 

 Tliis mark was passed during the forenoon, and then I shaped a 

 course for tiic Long Shoal, edging over tir.sl to catch sight of some 

 land mark . The i ce-house at the East Blull served for this purpose. 

 More wind came from the southward and the Coot bowled along 

 with a streak of foam ta her wake. The regulation squall made 

 up for liie afternoon, but passed over in luilf an hour with a deluge 

 ot cold rain. The Coot wallowed along under bare poles while it 

 lasted. 



All the afternoon there was a fine breeze, not strong enough to 

 raise much sea. At the Long Shoal it camo dovm pretty hard and 

 the sail was close reefed. Then the sea rose fast, but 1 hugged the 

 shore when round the shoals and got something of a lee, so that 

 Stumpy Point was made at dark, alter a grand dav"s run of sixty 

 miles in fom-teen hours. There 1 redeemed my skiff, which had 

 been picked up by some of the fishei-men, who preserved her in 

 expectation of my return. Next day 1 got as far as Peter Mashew's 

 Creek, at Croatau Light, and put in for the night. The fishing 

 season had closed, but I gathered some inreresLmg facts from a 

 native eonceniing the largest fishery in the country. I'he plant is 

 valued at $10,000, and consists of buildings, nets, steam engines, 

 steam launches and boats. Tlie concern cleared S8,000 above all 

 expenses this year, which may be considered good business. The 

 net is 2,000 yards long, with nine coils of rope attached at each end. 

 It stretc hes clear across Croatan Sound from Peter Mashew's 

 Creek to Roanoke Island. .Shad and herring constitute the catch. 

 Tlie season lasts thi-ee months, and seventy-five hands are em- 

 ployed, unc-third of the net is renewed every year, the twiue 

 coming from Boston. 



Anotlieriine run of .5.5 miles took me jicrcss Albemarle Sound, 

 up North River, through the cut-ofl: into Currituck, up that Sound 

 and into Blackwater River fcr the night. Hitched on to a timber 

 raft through the Albemarle Canal and reached the locK at Eliza- 

 beth River at 1 A. I\I., sailing down to Norfolk next forenoon. 

 Met nothing but light and contrary winds up tlie Chesapeake and 

 Delaware, with many days of absolute cairn. Philadelphia was 

 reached in thirteen actual sailing days from Norfolk. At the 

 Quaker City I was very kindl.v received by your correspondent, 

 Capt. R. G. Wilkins, at Cooper's Point, who placed a buoy at my 

 di.sposal and looked after the yacht when I was away! Many 

 friends welcomed me home, and I was sorry to lea\ e for the last 

 stage of the voyage. At Boj'dentown, Mr. Ferry, of the smart 

 .sloop Nahma, of Trenton, met me with his buggy. The Coot'aline 

 was hitched to the after axletree, and away we siiuu up to Tren- 

 ton, passing through the lock.s -svithout ditficulty, thanks to the 

 aid of the gentlemen who came to my assistance. Without wish- 

 ing to underrate the intelligence of. the avemge canal mule, it 

 must be confessed that Mr. Ferry's mode of towing was a decided 

 improvement upon the customary practice. Some pleasant days 

 were spent at Mr, Ferry's liouse on the banks of the Delaware, and 

 I had a chance to inspect the Nahma. This sloop has won many 

 prizes in good shape from the Delaware fleet of racers since .she 

 was modernized by the addition of a long overhang and an iron 

 keel. Her centerboard is entirely below the cabin floor. Mr. Ferry 

 has also introduced an automatic topmast fid, which works to a 

 charm antl does away with sending a man aloft. 



The rest of the canal was then passed through with two very 

 narrow escapes from being crushed between loaded boats, owing 

 to the stupidity of the driver. I was glad when the last lock 

 closed upon me and the boat dropped down to the level of the 

 Raritaii once more. 



A day later the Coot was riding to her moorings off West 

 Brighton, and the fi£teen-hundred-mile cruise, .singlehanded, had 

 been lirought to a successful termination. 



I had li ved aboa rd for nearly eight months, had slept in a shore 

 bunk two nights only, and taken but three meals on dry land 

 until my return to Philadelphia; had not one hour's sickness; 

 gained abotit twenty pounds in weight; enjoyed the voyage hugely, 

 and regretted that all good things must come to an end. 



It is not adAdsable to try a similar cruise in a boat like the Coot. 

 Safety shotdd be the first consideration. A keel boat with enough 

 outside ballast to make her uncapsizable is the onl/ tool fit for 

 such work. A draft of 3 to 4ft. will never be an objection, and 5 to 

 6ft. could be carried anywhere but into Stumpy Point Bay. The 

 (Joot did "smell the bottom" occasiDnally, as this log has set forth, 

 but this was the consequence of her model, which compelled me 

 to sku-t the shore and lay by many a day when an abler craft in a 

 sea and a safe boat would have permitted culting off corners. 



As to rig, the cat is unfit for open water. Head sail of some kind 

 is far preterable. With the mast stepped some distance aft, as in 

 sloop or cutter, you need not resort, to acrobatics in handling the 

 sail. Any man who is not an adept gymnast would have oeen 

 tossed out of the Coot upon several critical occasions lean remem- 

 ber. In general, tlie cat rig, for many reasons, is a lubberly con- 

 trivance for real work. Its very simplicity is its chief fault, for 

 the rig is incapable of suflicient adaptability to the requirements 

 of open water cruising. Next time 1 sail it will be in a loaded keel 

 with a jib. 



One word as to stoves. A kerosene stove is rank poison in a 

 cabin closed tight. It impoverishes the air and 1 rings on vertigo 

 and palpitation of the lieart. For heating the cabin, make use of 

 a light .sheet iron cylinder with a funnel to carry ofE the gases 

 through the cabin top. Burn only coke, which is clean andT can 

 be carried in a gunny sack in the cockpit locker. C. P. K. 



AN OPEN OCEAN RACE.-Next year being Ute fiftieth of 

 Queen Victoria's reign, will he generally celebrated in England. 

 The yaclitsmen liave already taken their part in hand, and the 

 Royal Thames Y. C. have decided, at a meeting on Dec. 2*2, to offer 

 a prize of 1 ,000 guineas for an ocean yacht race, to be open tu the 

 vachts of the world. The details wiH not be decided on imtil the 

 January meeting, and It is not yet known what the cou^ wUl be.. 



