Mat 19, 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



THE RACING AND CRUISING CANOE NOTUS. 



WHILE the results of last season's many and important races 

 were not as exact and conclusive as it was hoped they would 

 be, there was at least one point on which each individual canoeist 

 was fully resolved— that his own special craft was not so good and 

 perfect that she could not he improved. The result of this has 

 beeu much alteration and building during the past winter, the old 

 boats being altered and a number of new ones being built. Among 

 those who had new boats last year was Vice-Commodore Gibson, 

 whose old Snake gave place to a new racer and cruiser, the Vesper, 

 a boat whose performance in no way discredited her designer, but 

 which, nevertheless, did not fully satisfy him. Late last season 

 Mr. Gibson set to work on a new design from which the canoe 

 shown herewith has been built in the winter, her trial trip being 

 made last month. The Notus, as she is named, is a 16x80 canoe, 

 much like the Vesper, her 6in. waterline being the same: but she is 

 cut away more under water forward, giving a slightly hollow en- 

 trance, to improve her performance in rough water. The same 

 long, fine bow and full stern already tested by Mr. Gibson has been 

 retained, but the extremely broad and long floor is modified, Notus 

 having about lOin. flat and an elliptical form of midship section, 

 leading into the turn of the bilge, which gives remarkable strength. 

 The stability is not perceptibly diminished by this slight round- 

 ing, and it probably assists turning, which Notus does with the 

 greatest ease. The canoe was built in Albany under Mr. Gibson s 

 personal supervision, and is a remarkably fine piece of work, bne 

 is a smoothskin, with only three planks to a side, the ribs spaced 

 6in. and fastened with brass screws from the inside. A few screws 

 were required from the outside, but they are 13m. apart, leaving 

 the bottom absolutely smooth. The planking and decks are of 

 white pine, and the trimmings of maple and mahogany, two nar- 

 row beads along each side. The board is of sheet brass, 30X13X 

 l-16in., dropping through a low trunk. There are four bulkheads, 

 with a low hatch in the fore deck. 

 The dimensions of the Notus are: 



Length over all ; 16ft. 



Beam win. 



Depth 10m. 



Sheer at bow 8m. 



at stern 6m. 



The distances from fore side of stem are: 



To Bulkheads 2ft. Cm., 5ft., 10ft. 6in., 13ft. Gin. 



Mainmast 9in. 



Mizen mast lift, 10m. 



Board, fore end 5ft. 8in. 



after end 8ft. 2in. 



Coaming, fore end 4ft. 3in. 



after end lift. 6in. 



The table of offsets is as follows: 





Heights. 





Half-Breadths. 





1 



















o 



@ 



Rabbet 



Deck. 



Deck. 



8in. 



6in. 



4in. 



3in. 



Keel 







18 



15 fi 



l 



3? 



1 

 3 s 











1.. 



1 



3 



I 3 



0» 



2 





3 



14 3 



V 



5 3 



4 3 



3 2 



V ' 



0* 





2 



13 7 



9 7 



8 a 



7 



[ \ 



3 2 



O 7 



4.. 







ll 6 



ll 7 



10 5 



9 3 



7« 





l 1 



5.. 







10 7 



13* 



13 6 



ll 5 



9 7 



7 2 



1* 



6.. 







10 3 



143 



13* 



13 1 



n« 



9 2 



l 4 









10 



14« 



146 



142 



131 



10 7 



l 4 



8.. 







10 



14 7 



W 



14° 



13' 



13 



l 4 



£3 







10 



15 



15 



14 7 



14 1 



12 3 



l 4 



10. 







10 1 



14 7 



W 



146 



13 7 



12 1 



l 4 



11.. 







10 2 



u* 



H 3 



14 1 



13' 



ll 3 



l 4 



13.. 







10" 



13* 



13 2 



12 8 



ll 5 



9 4 



l 3 



13.. 



1 



ll 4 



11* 



ll 1 



10 4 



9 3 



7 



l l 



14.. 



2 



13 s 



8 3 



V 



73 



6 2 



4 2 



» 1 



15.. 



s 



w 



4 3 



4 



3 6 



2« 



I s 



O 4 



16 





16 



1 



1 



1 



0' 



1 



1 



A NOVEMBER CRUISE IN RHODE ISLAND. 



EXTREMELY cold was the night of Nov. 8, when the Scribe 

 and his companion launched their canoe in the early morn- 

 ing in the waters of the little brook which runs nigh unto the 

 home Of the boat, and the cruise commenced. As we passed from 

 the brook into the iake, the surface of the lake at its upper end 

 was entirely covered with ice, which boded no good to the bottom 

 of the canoe, if we attempted a passage. We decided, as the ice 

 was very thin, to push on, breaking it within reach aud trust to 

 luck for the rest. Success attended our efforts, and we passed 

 through to the open waters of the bike without damage. A half 

 mile of paddling brought us to the first, and as it proved, the 

 longest carry of the trip. 



The Scribe adjusted the yoke and shouldered the canoe, while 

 his companion tramped along under the fifty-pound pack contain- 

 ing the tent, blankets and other duffle. This carry we thought to 

 be about four miles. We were told afterward that it was a mile 

 and a half. We accomplished it, nevertheless, and launched in 

 the dead waters at the head of what is known as Sherman's Pond. 

 Here we agreed that our voyage proper commenced, and the Scribe 

 took the stern seat, while Jink, his companion, grasped his 

 Parker and seated himself forward. 



The dead water stretches away for nearly a mile before entering 

 the pond. The current is hardly perceptible. It is said to be a 

 proper spot and feeding ground for woodduck and black duck. 

 Accordingly the skipper, as silently and cautiously as his ability 

 allowed, paddled along, while the Nimrod prepared himself to 

 perforate the first thing of life which, s'irred in front, Silently 

 the boat glided on, not a word being spoken, the dip from the pad- 

 dle as it left the water the only noise to be heai-d. On we speed, 

 carefully watching the rush-grown surface of the water as we 

 round the constantly recurring turns and bends of the creek. Dead 

 trees on the swampy banks seem silently to pass us by, their skele- 

 ton arms outstretched as if to point our way or direct our vision 

 to hidden game in the sedgy grass at the water's edge. Indeed if 

 such was their mission they did not belie their office, for even as 

 the thought passed through the mind, out from the half hidden 

 waters on our right arose two black ducks, straight away at first, 

 then quartering slightly to the right they flew. Bang! sounded the 

 Nimrod's gun, with the only effect the skipper could see of ac- 

 celerati >ig the speed of the flying birds. Once more before reach- 

 in * the lake we started the affrighted pair, but too far away for an 



At the lake a strong northwest wind met us, rendeungthe efforts 

 of the skipper to lay the course of the canoe in a proper direction 

 anything but play, so the gun was laid aside aud the second paddle 

 took its place. For a mile or more we put in some strong paddling, 

 which carried 11s across the lake and into a good lee near the out- 

 let, which we presently entered, and were no more troubled by the 

 wind. 



A small lake of perhaps fifteen acres which has not been honored 

 on the maps with a name, but which is locally known as the lower 

 Sherman's came next. At its outlet commences the Chepuxet 

 River, which, as it leaves the pond, and for perhaps half a mile on 

 to where the Kingston road crosses, is quite deep; the current 

 slight, but its line we thought very crooked; it afforded us, how- 

 ever, easy work with the paddle, and there were no obstructions, 

 if I except one foot bridge, which would have saved us some 

 trouble had it been a little higher. Below the Kingston road the 

 river changes its appearance and condition entirely. It splits 

 into narrow and shallow channels, almost precluding the passage 

 of even so light and narrow a craft as our canoe (30in. being its 

 greatest beam). The crew was obliged to disembark and assist 

 the skipper from the shore by shoving and lifting and by finding 

 the best channel. This condition of things continues for some- 

 thing like half a mile, when the river seems to gather together 

 some of its strayed channels, enabling us to proceed more at our 

 ease. »xr 



It seemed like a lost and forsaken land through which we were 

 passing. The bed of what I conclude would be the river in time of 

 freshet, all choked and grown full of the various sedges and 



