Dec. 14, 1895.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



823 



New York Y. C. Prizes. 



Thk list of winners in the 1895 cruise of the New York T. 0. is as 

 follows: 



There were six squadron runs during the cruise, and prizes were 

 given in each class of schooners and cutters: 



SCHOONBRS. 



First, Second. Value. 



Constellation 5 1 $1,000 



Ariel .5 5 1,000 



Ne»ra 4 9 800 



Lasca 3 1 700 



Alcroa 3 2 600 



Ramona 1 3 500 



Volunteer , 1 200 



Shamrock , , 1 300 



Fortuna 1 100 



Dauntless 1 100 



Atlantic , 1 100 



Emerald 1 100 



Mayflower 1 100 



Dagmar.... 1 100 



GUTTERS. 



Queen Mab 5 1,000 



Wasp 4 1 900 



Huron 3 3 800 



Katrina 3 1 700 



Vigilant 2 400 



Eclipse 2 400 



Harpoon 1 200 



Jessica 1 200 



Hildegarde 1 200 



Mariqulta 1 200 



Uvira 2 200 



Total j $11,100 



Practically Non-Capsizable? 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Some time since I had occasion in the columns of the Rudder to 

 hold a friendly dispute with Mr. Clapham concerning the merits of the 

 cutter type of yacht as against the shallow centerboard boat, which he 

 advocates and uses. Ia your issue of Nov. 30 is an article contributed 

 by Mr. Clapham on the one particular point of argument between us 

 at that time— the ability of the shallow boat to avoid capsize. 



In bis article in the Rudder, if my recollection serves me, he claimed 

 that his boats were practically non-capsizable. He now claims abso- 

 lute safety on that score. 



It is not my intention to quibble over words, but to learn, if possi- 

 ble, exactly what is meant when the word absolute is used. For in- 

 stance, a cutter may be laid flat on the water by a sudden squall, but 

 she will right herself immediately she is relieved of the pressure of the 



RAGAMUFFIN II. 



wind; in other words, she is, I consider, absolutely safe from capsize, 

 and all owing to her form and the disposition of her ballast, peculiar 

 to the cutter or deep keel type of yacht. 



Not many years ago a catboat capsized in Newport Harbor, drown- 

 ing a lady passenger. The boat, it was stated at the time, was in the 

 hands of an experienced boatman, and, like most Eastern cats, was 

 considered an able and practically safe boat; but she capsized. 



The schooner Sarah Craig, a typical centerboard coastiag schooner, 

 was capsized in New York Bay and a party of ladies lost. 



A properly designed and ballasted cutter cannot be capsized by the 

 motion of wind or wave. Can Mr. Clapham claim as much for his 

 boat? If so, how does he do it? W. D. Stryker. 



The Boston Knockabouts. 



The following rule for measuring sail has just been adopted by the 

 Knockabout Association, of Boston: 



"The actual sail area shall be not over 500sq. ft., 400sq. ft. of which 

 shall be in the mainsail. Tbe inspector shall be provided with a cor- 

 rect sail plan of any boat to be measured, and previous to measure- 

 ment the owner shall cause distinguishing marks satisfactory to the 

 inspector to he placed on the spars, as follows: 



"On the mast at the tack and at the throat of the mainsail, on the 

 boom at the clew of the mainsail, on the gaff at the peak of the main- 

 sail. No part of the mainsail shall be allowed to extend beyond these 

 marks. 



"The marks shall be black bands painted around the spars in a man- 

 ner satisfactory to the inspector. The lower and inner edges of the 

 bands shall be the limits of the sail (mainsail). The area of the jib 

 shall be considered to be the area of the forward triangle, viz., tbe 

 product of one-half the distance from the attachment of the tack on 

 the stem or stay to the forward side of mast, multiplied by the dis- 

 tanee from the deck to the throat mark. 



"Knockabout boats already launched, and whose sail plans comply 

 with the old rule, shall not be obliged to change their sail plans to con- 

 form to the new rule." 



This rule apparently removes the cause of complaint noted by a cor- 

 respondent in the Forest and Stream of July 20, and is much more 

 equitable than the old. The Association will henceforth admit as 

 members owners of knockabouts which do not conform to the rule. 



American Model Y. C. 



At the regular meeting of the American Model Y. C, held Dec. 6 at 

 237 Fulton St., Brooklyn, considerable important business was trans- 

 acted, Com. J. H. Lane presiding. 



The prizes won by Lizzie, schooner, Katie S., first-class sloop, and 

 Dolphin, third-class sloop, in the races of Nov. 5, were presented to 

 their respective owners. 



■ The fact that the club will have a permanent salt-water station next 



I season, and the building of a model house, has proved a factor in aug- 

 |! menting. the membership. No less than nine applicants were admit- 



II ted at the previous meeting in November and three at this meeting, 

 I including one honorary member, making a membership to date of 



I sixty-one, all told, with sixty -two model yachts on the list. 



| Yacht designer A, Cary Smith was proposed by Frank Nichols and 

 H seconded by the Commodore, and was elected unanimously an honor- 



II ary member amid great enthusiasm. 



I Mr. Smith is a believer in model yachting on a scientific basis and 

 I has always upheld the sport, a fact whieh has been duty appreciated 

 H by all model yachtsmen. 



■ Mr. Geo. W. Townley was instructed by the club to complete tbe 

 I plans and specifications for the new house at the salt-water station at 

 I once. 



I The opening of next season will mark an era in the history of the 



"One Design" 15-Footers. 



From the Boston Qloibe. 



Interesting racing is promised in the half-rater or 15ft. sailing 

 length class in and around Boston next season. The Cohasset Club's 

 lead in building a dozen boats for the class haa stirred up several 

 oth^r clubs, and the Winthropis already in line for a number of boats 

 on the same general plan as that adopted by the South Shore Club. 

 The boats will be built from one deBign, and will be selected by lot 

 when completed, so that no owner will have any advantage at the 

 start oyer another. The Winthrop members who have agreed to build 

 are: Com. George T. Leighton, ex-Com. E. A. Cook, ex-Com. Charles 

 A. Hovey, W. H. Stimpson, W. A. Mirick and A. W. Chesterton, 

 Other members are expected to join them, and they are also hoping 

 that other clubs will follow in the same line. 



Although tho boats are small ones they hold possibilities of skill in 

 handling and excitement in sailing which many a larger class fails to 

 present, and as they are comparatively inexpensive to build, a yachts- 

 man can have one without disposing of a boat which he may have on 

 hand, In fact, the Cohasset Club members going into the class will 

 rfitain all their present boats, but will do their racing in the new ones. 

 The present boats in the club are of such different types and sizes as 

 to make racing decidedly uninteresting, and the new class has been 

 adopted mainly to secure sport which would otherwise be lacking. If 

 the "one design" idea proves a success it may be that a larger class 

 will follow it in a season or two. 



If enough boats are built in several clur>s to give promise of general 

 sport in the class the Massachusetts Yacht Racing Association will 

 undoubtedly take the matter in hand and add a special class to its 

 present list, so that a uniform measurement may be had. The rule 

 under which the boats are "half-raters" is the English rule of multi- 

 plying the waterline by the sail area and dividing the product by 6,000. 

 With 15ft. waterline and 200sq.ft. of sail the result is .5, or half of one 

 of the "sail tons," in which the measurement or rating of the largeT 

 boats is expressed. 



The Cohasset boats are from a design by W. P. Stephens, and are 

 15ft. 4in. waterline, 21ft. 4in. overall, 4ft. 9in. beam and 8ft. draft of 

 hull. They will have a "dagger" centerboard 5ft. long and 21in. wide, 

 which can be dropped perpendicularly, so as to utilize practically all 

 its length. The board will be a galvanized steel plate, one-quarter of 

 an inch thick and weighing about HOlbs. It can be easily and quickly 

 raised by a tackle leading from its forward upper corner to just abaft 

 the mast, and back Into the cockpit, while the rounding off of the 

 after upper corner gives more room in the cockpit itself. 



The cockpit is watertight, with solid bulkheads fore and aft, and a 

 floor Sin. above the waterline. The top of the centerboard box is flush 

 with floor of the cockpit, so that water which may be shipped will read- 

 ily drain off through the slot. With watertight compartments fore and 

 aft, the boats are practically non-sinkable, and may be easily righted 

 if capsized. Only about 3501bs. of inside ballast will be carried. 



The Bail area will be 2003q. ft., of which 160ft. will be in the mainsail 

 and 40 in the jib. It was originally intended to use a "lesr-of-inutton" 

 sail, but because of difficulties in balance and reefing the ordinary 

 gaffsail has finally been adopted. The sail will be 15ft. on the boom 

 and 9 on the head, and will have 10ft. hoist. The jib will be 6^ft. on 

 the foot 



A balanced metal rudder without a "skag" will be used and the 

 steering will be so easy that only a short tiller is required. 



Strength and lightness will be combined in the construction, as 

 special study in this direction has been made by the designer. The 

 keel and keelson are of oak, and the frames are of the same wood, 

 MX%in., except at the mast partners, where they are MxlM The 

 planking is %\n. cedar and the deck is of pine of the same thickness, 

 finished bright. The covering boards are of bard pine and the wash- 

 boards of oak. Brass screws are used for most of the fastenings. 



The cockpit is 6ft. long between the bulkheads, but the washboards 

 extend forward and aft on the deck to a total length of 8J^ft., and this 

 giveB a chance for small hatches to both the forward and afc com- 

 partments inside the washboards. 



James Mclntyre is building the boats in his new shop in Neponset, 

 and has adopted a method which insures absolute uniformity. Each 

 boat is built bottom upward on a form, with moulds fixed firmly 

 to the shop floor. The bulkheads and a couple of frames forward 

 and aft preserve the shape when the boat is taken from the form, and 

 the remaining frames are then put in place, the fastening completed 

 and the deck and cockpit fittings put on. 



A saving of time and labor is effected by this method of building, 

 and two dozen boats can be turned out just as readily as one. One of 

 the boats is already off the form and is being framed, while the bulk- 

 heads and keel of a second one are in place. 



In model the boats show a round yet easy bilge, with some dead rise 

 in the floor and very easy lines in both the bow and run. The bow 

 frames are rr ore on the V than the U shape, and give a fine entrancn 

 and an even sweep aft to the body. The bow is suggestive of that of 

 the Pilgrim, which was confessedly a handsome and useful one in 

 spite of the non-success of the design as a whole. 



The boats will be sailed without time allowance, and can carry a 

 crew of two men. 



These boats are building from the designs and specifications of the 

 "Scarecrow," as published in the Forest and Stream. 



YACHTING NEWS NOTES. 



To those who, now that the sailing season is over, wish to renew 

 their memories of past cruises as they sit beside a cheery fire, we can 

 recommend a little book entitled "By Ocean, Firth and Channel," 

 published by The Yachtsman, London. The author, Diagonal White, 

 tells in a pleasing vein of various cruises in a 21 ft. (afterward length- 

 ened to 23ft.) cutter on the Scotch and Irish coasts. Beside the story 

 of the cruises, which is in itself very interesting, the writer discusses 

 many points relating to small yachts, their fittings, and single-hand 

 or two-man sailing. The book is well illustrated with numerous pho- 

 to-gravures and engravings. In one of the photos is shown the cat- 

 boat Una (not Truant), built in 1852 by Capt. Bob Fish, at Pamrapo, 

 N. J., and taken to England in the following year by the late Lord 

 Couyngham. The boat is still afloat at Lord de Ros's country seat, 

 Strangford Lough, Ireland. 



"Boat Sailing in Fair Weather and Foul," is the title of a neat little 

 volume by Capt. A. J. Kenealy, published by the Outing Pub. Co., 

 New York. The book is largely a compilation from larger works, 

 and we recognize many old acquaintances among the illustrations, 

 but it is well written and likely to be of considerable service to the 

 young boat sailor. It is thoroghly practical, and the advice which it 

 gives is good. 



The large steam yacht designed by Lewis Nixon for P. A. Widener, 

 of Philadelphia, is now well advanced at the Crescent Shipyard, Eliza- 

 bethport, the frames being all up except at the fore end, the stem not 

 being ready, while about half of the plating is on. The yacht will be 

 225ft. over all. 183ft. l.w.l., 28ft. beam, 16ft. depth of hold and lift. 61n. 

 draft. She will have a single screw, with engines by John Sullivan, of 

 New York, cylinders 18, 28 and 42 by 28in. There will be a house 

 137ft. long, from the foremast aft. She will be schooner-rigged. The 

 keel has been laid on the adjoining ways for a large double-deck ferry 

 boat for tbe Pennsylvania R. R.. and the keel blocks are in place for 

 the gunboat which Mr. Nixon will build for the Government. 



The Racine Boat Co., of Racine, Wis., is now at work on a steam 

 yacht of novel design for F. W. Morgan, of Chicago. She will be 

 130ft. over all, 140ft. l.w.l., 18ft. Sin. beam at deck, 17ft. 41n. beam at 

 waterline. As the dimensions indicate, she will have a ram bow and 

 a stern like a torpedo boat; in fact, she is designed, in model and con- 

 struction, so as to be convertible in a very little time into a war vessel. 

 Her engines will be 13, 19, 20 and 20 by 15in., with a wheel 5ft. Bin. in 

 diameter, and a speed of 18 miles. The firm has lately secured the 

 services of T. S. Poekel, for some years head draftsman for the Her- 

 reshoff Mfg. Co. 



White Ladye, steam yacht has been re-chartered for the winter by 

 Ogden Goelet, and is in dock at White's yard, Cowes, for a half time 

 survey. She and Queen Mab, J. F. Lord, will visit the Mediterranean. 



Mr. Charles Francis Adams, 2d, owner, with his brother, of Pappoose, 

 Baboon, Gossoon, Harpoon and Rooster, has just been elected Mayor 

 of Quincy, Mass. Messrs. Adams will sail next year a 15-footer de 

 signed by Arthur Binney. 



Capt, Irving R. Titus, in the employ of H. M. Flagler, left New York 

 on Oct. 30 with the naphtha launch Wake and the catboat Madeline, 

 reaching St. Augustine on Nov, 27, and off the port was caught in a 

 N. E. storm, the catboat losing her mast and going ashore ou North 

 Beaeh, whence she was finally hauled, with little damage. The 

 naphtha launch was anchored outside the breakers, the captain and 

 crew swimming ashore, but during the night the launch was swamped 

 and wrecked. 



Alice, yawl, has been sold by Conyers C. Converse to W. M. Wilson, 

 of New York, who will spend the winter on her in Florida with his 

 family. 



Coronet, schr., has lately been completely overhauled and has sailed 

 from New York to San Francisco, where she will take on board a 

 party and proceed to the Island of Yezo, Japan, the purpose being to 

 observe the total eclipse of the sun on Aug. 9, 1896. Capt. Crosby is 

 atill in command. 



OuDec. 1 Mr. W. E. Elsworth and his two companions were com- 

 pelled to abandon the yawl Mary at sea, 27 miles southeast of George- 

 town, S. C , being taken off by the coasting schooner Nellie W. Howett, 

 Capt. Steelman, from Charleston for Norfolk, and landed at the latter 

 port. 



The Limit of Drop to the Centerboard. 



We were in hopes that the letter of Cimex, in the Forest And Stream 

 of Nov. 30, might bring out some expression of opinion, pro or con, 

 from the many canoeists who are presumably interested in all impor- 

 tant changes of the rules; but thus far we have heard nothing. In our 

 opinion the proposed change is an excellent one, and should have been 

 made long ago. That it is proposed now is not so much in the hopes 

 that it will revive an interest in racing as in that it will remove an 

 obvious incongruity from the rules and permit canoeists to use a 

 form of centerboard that is peculiarly applicable to the canoe. 



The limit of 18in. drop is the sole survivor of several wholesome re- 

 strictions on the centerboard devised many years ago by the Royal C. 

 C. with the idea of preserving living and sleeping room within the 

 canoe for her crew, and a shipshape and sailorlike arrangement of fit- 

 tings. Under these limits the centerboard was made to house above the 

 keel and below the deck; it was of not over 601b3. weight and it dropped 

 but 18in. below the keel. These restrictions were used as the basis of the 

 racing rules of the American Canoe Association in 1881, their framera 

 having the same old-fashioned and— as has since been proved— entirely 

 erroneous ideas of what a canoe should be. 



At first the centerboard restrictions were selected by all canoeists, 

 but as racing became keener and men gave up the general use of their 

 canoes for canoeing, the centerboard was moved to the middle of the 

 well, leaving no room for sleeping or even for sitting below in pad- 

 dling, and then the "circular saw" centerboard, projecting 1ft. or 

 more above the coaming when raised, was introduced about 1888. 

 Next came the very long centerboard, caused by the retention of the 

 limit of drop, with the trunk occupying and cutting through the 

 whole middle portion of the canoe, as in the present craft 



As soon as the centerboard was adowed to extend above the deck 

 when raised, so far in some cases that the boom would not swing over 

 it, the necessity for the limit of drop disappeared, and this restriction 

 might well have been dropped from the rules in 1890. As long as the 

 centerboard was allowed to dominate the entire design, to monopolize 

 all the useful space in the canoe, to be heavy, unwieldy to handle and 

 transport, and of expensive construction, as has long been the ease, 

 it might with perfect propriety have been allowed, when racing in 

 deep water, to drop to its full extent. 



The policy of the American Canoe Association has for many years 

 been to let bad enough alone in order to see how much worse it may 

 become, by which time "vested interests" are too strong to admit of a 

 change. Even yet this policy in a measure prevails, as instanced in 

 the proposal to limit sail within placing some minimum limit on the 

 hull. It requires no special keenness of discernment to understand 

 that the natural result of limiting sail alone on the present canoes 

 will be to produce a new class of "Pecowsic," of still smaller body, 

 and quite as cranky and uncomfortable to sail with 130ft... still a large 

 limit, as the present Vesper canoes, of big body, with 180ft. It is un- 

 likely, in the present state of canoe racing, that any new canoes will 

 be built for the reduced sail plan, but if they are, they will probably 

 be so cut away as to be no better suited for the novice and non- 

 athlete than the old craft with 180ft. 



We have for many years advocated a complete revision of the por- 

 tion of the rules relating to the centerboard, with a view to keeping 

 the trunk in a position where it would still leave some room In the 

 well; and of limiting it to a reasonable size and weight, both for con- 

 venience of transportation and to keep the canoe what we believe It 

 should be — a wholesome and shipshape craft, with the hoard com- 

 pletely housed when not in use, Had canoeists been willing to accept 

 such restrictions and to develop the canoe on these lines, the racer, with 

 its bucket well and long slide, would still have kept close company 

 with the ail-round canoe instead of being of a totally different type; 

 ana the great gulf that now separates the two would never have ex- 

 isted. It is quite possible that the forward position of the board and 

 the form of rig which it would have called for would have resulted in 

 a small loss of absolute speed; but the total separation of racing 

 canoes and cruising or all-round canoes, and of racing men and gen- 

 eral canoeists, would never have taken place. We believe that there 

 is ample ingenuity and invention among canoeists to produce a cen- 

 terboard that shall leave a good part of the well unobstructed and 

 shall house completely within the trunk, and yet be effective to wind- 

 ward. The problem, important as it was to the healthy growth of 

 canoeing, was deliberately shirked by canoeists, who preferred the 

 easier way of placing a big centerboard directly in the center of the 

 well. Such abominations as a centerboard that could not be raised 

 after the sliding saat was once fastened in place, thus making it vir- 

 tually a fixed keel, should long ago have been suppressed by regatta 

 oommittes or by alteration of the rules. 



The arguments of our correspondent are hardly convincing. For 

 years racing men, whether they wished or not, have been compelled 

 to go to fresh expense each year for larger sails, larger boards, longer 

 deck seats, and various complicated and expensive fittings; and yet 

 no objection has been made to this course of more than doubtful im- 

 provement that has killed canoe racing. The expense Involved by the 

 removal of the limit of drop is by no means heavy; in many cases the 

 old centerboards can be used, the gear being slightly changed to 

 allow them to drop deeper; in fact, cases have been known under the 

 rule where boards were fitted to drop far beyond the limit and were 

 used so except in races under A. C. A. rules. An entirely new center- 

 board of Tobin bronze, the' favorite material, is a matter of $10 to $15 

 at most, and it is more than likely that the effectiveness of the canoes 

 to windward will be greatly increased. There are certain limitations, 

 for instance, to length, breadth and weight, which might with advan- 

 tage be placed upon the centerboard when the limit of drop is finally 

 removed, as we hope it will be; but we have little expectation that 

 the matter will be considered, as it should be, by all who are interested 

 in canoeing; or that it will be handled as deliberately and intelligently 

 as it deserves. 



CANOEING NEWS NOTES. 



The year book of the Humber Yawl Club for 1895 is rather larger 

 than the preceding numbers, and quite as liberally illustrated. Among 

 the designs is one for a genuine centerboard canoe-yawl, designed by 

 Albert Strange for Henry Hayes, and built by James Frank, of Sear- 

 borough. She is 19ft. 3in. over all, 18ft. 6:n. l.w.l., 5ft. 9in. beam, 1ft. 

 7in. draft without board, iron keel 675Ibs., iron centerboard 901bs., 

 mainsail 185sq. ft., mizen 35sq. ft. The centerboard is well forward 

 and there is a wide sliding hatch, forming a small cabin or cuddy. 

 The boat has a very nice form, by no means as tubby as many canoe- 

 yawls. We notice with regret that even this club of cruisers is waver- 

 ing in the faith, as shown in the design of a steam launch, which cer- 

 tainly cannot be called a canoe-yawl; and also of Arline, a racing non- 

 descript by H. C. Smith, builder of Spruce IV., a racing craft that has 

 nothing in common with such yawls as Cherub The club has now a 

 membership of fifty-four and a fleet of fifty-six canoe-yawls, canoes 

 and other small craft. 



The New York C. C. has nominated the following officers for 1896 

 the election being on Dec. 12: Pres., C. Bowyer Vaux; Sec 1 } , John O 

 Mowbray; Purser, Woolsey Carmalt; Captain, H. C. Ward; Mate, John 

 E. Plummer; Trustees, Louis L. Coudert, Frank C. Moore, L, J. 

 Boury. The club is now discussing a one-design class of 15ft. racing 

 length, the boats to be of inexpensive construction, somewhat after 

 the skipjack model. IC arrangements can be made to build at a mod- 

 erate price some ten or a dozen boats will be ordered in the club. The 

 past season has been a very successful one in that the club has found 

 satisfactory quarters and kept its members together ; and it starts 

 the new year with good prospects of permanent recovery from the 

 serious losses incurred by the damage to its floating house. 



Chas. H. Wilbur, formerly with the St. Lawren ce River S. C. & S L. 

 Co., and in charge of their repair shop at Croton Point meet, has 

 started a shop at Clayton, and will build canoes and boats. 



\ifle §£mge mid ^ttthrg. 



Zettler Rifle Club Elects its Officers. 



New York, Dec. 3.— The Zettler Rifle Club held its annual meeting 

 to-night at headquarters, 219 Bowery. The foliowiog officers were 

 elected for the ensuing twelve months: President, Bernbard Walthers- 

 Vice-President, Henry D. Miller; Treasurer, Charles G. Zettler; Finan- 

 cial Secretary, Max B. Engen; Corresponding Secretary, Fred C, Ross- 

 Shooting Master. Bernard Zettler. 



The following are the scores made at the weekly shoot held at the 

 same time as the annual meeting: ' 



R Busse 241 237 246 240 243 A Kronsberg. . ,230 233 232 245 233 



Dr J A Boyken.243 241 243 247 244 H B Muller 230 241 243 238 239 



S Buzzini 231 232 241 237 237 H Muentz 229 219 233 237 242 



G W Downs.... 221 223 232 235 234 F C Ross 244 243 244 245 246 



M B Engel 239 230 210 240 240 C G Zettler 233 242 242 245 246 



L Fiach 245 243 242 241 247 B Zettler 238 242 241 237 243 



S'lSlg^ffi MS 1 218 S17 221 227 216 



