Feb. 27, 1890. 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



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also with the owner's reputation as a yachtsman and a sailor man. 

 Brass work, a sad necessity, must be kept clean and the decks 

 white. Wood work will look all the better for an occasional coat 

 of varnish, first reducing it with a little turpentine. When under 

 way sails should be properly hoisted, as nothing looks so slovenly 

 as sails hanging in bights. The necessity of this is patent to any 

 one who looks over a number of vacht photos. 



Yacht Cruising.— This portion'of the subject is of such scope 

 that to give an interesting and instructive talk in regard to it 

 within the time at our disposal presents some difficulties. I 

 think, however, that a few words on the following details will 

 prove most interesting and instructive. They are the equipment 

 below, the disposition of the room, ventilation, etc., internal 

 economy, the crew and its discipline, and lastly a few words on 

 cruising. 



Internal Equipment— This must be as complete as possible, fox- 

 lam assuming that the cruising yachtsman regards his boat as 

 ms floating home, and wishes as far as possible to surround his 

 friends and guests with all the comforts that the size of his boat 

 and the length of his purse will permit. The comforts of the 

 Inner man take precedence, and we immediately find a batterle de 



cuisine to be a stern necessity. The galley should be as complete 

 as it possibly can be, as it facilitates the work of the steward to a 

 great degree. An agate ware is made which is inexpensive, easily 

 cleaned and stylish. The American is such an adept at stove 

 making that one can hardly go astray. For large vessels the 

 modern wrought iron range is in general use and is the best. For 

 smaller boats, however, 1 recommend a good cast iron stove of the 

 Baltimore pattern and as large as the galley will permit. It has 

 the advantage of heating up quickly and of cooling off with the 

 same rapidity, which is a matter of great importance to the com- 

 fort of the crew m a small vessel. In this connection I remem- 

 ber many years ago having an English stove sent me at great 

 expense all the way from Cowes, which was very heavy, difficult 

 to start going, and naturally extremely hot even after the fire was 

 put out, in other words totally unfitted to our climate and re- 

 quirements. 



On small yachts naphtha stoves are coming into fashion, al- 

 though it is the experience of the insurance companies that they 

 are dangerous implements. Many yachtsmen like them very 

 much, from the fact that they cool off so quickly after being used. 

 Nothing so adds to the charms of the cabin as a proper display 



of silver well kept. Good beds for all, both forward and aft, pay 

 m the end, and should always bo well aired and kept in the best 

 prder. A large supply of linen is useful, as it is not always possi- 

 ble to get laundry work done properly and cheaply when away 

 from home. The ventilation of beds is an important matter, and 

 one otten neglected on board yachts; there is nothing untidy in 

 the appearance of beds on deck, any more than the appearance of 

 the weekly wash behind a swell country villa; on the contrary, it 

 indicates cleanliness and order. I have found lining the lockers 

 on the sides of wooden vessels with zinc to be of very great bene- 

 fit. It prevents the dampness from getting through, and keeps 

 linen and. shoes from becoming mildewed for quite long periods. 

 Deck lights, if used, should not be made to open, as they always 

 will leak, bkylights should be made sufficiently large for ventil- 

 ating purposes. The cabin stove in single-stickers gives a great 

 deal of trouble, and m many instances shows itself to be entirely 

 unmanageable. Carpets should be made amply large, as they 

 snrinK wnen wet. I would advise the white trousers and jumpers 

 now m use as the only proper clothing for crews. It is inexpen- 

 sive, easily replaced and of so small value that the men are not 

 inclined to hide them. Our Swedish crews are decent and re- 

 spectable men, but .untidy, and very apt to secrete their clothing 

 £01 use on shore after they have been discharged. Several linen 

 ^^hi ,epU1 ' cl l aSed 1 f01 : Price of one flannel suit; and, by 

 nessis secured ervals to tne men ' more tidiness and cleanli- 

 ,iSfe~?W ventilation can only be had by a careful 

 ' I , it w/i 10 bll ? es V Thls can - be done properly in wooden ves- 

 AiH n y 7 h i en ot 60mn >Msion and the yacht is out of water. 

 tliJi ? ast s 1 n . (mld *>e removed, planking scraped clean, and just 

 before laiinchmg, when the vessel is as dry as possible, she should 

 be painted with red lead and bright varnish or with asphalt paint, 

 1 his prevents the dirty water accumulating in the bottom from 

 soaking into the wood, causing the disagreeable smell found in 

 many yachts. 



Dteposttion of Boom, etc.— One can here say "many men, many 

 minds. The arrangement of room is a matter of taste, but it 

 takes an expert to do so to the best advantage: as a rule, in 

 American yachts, crews are not given space enough, and the. 

 officers even are often neglected. For small cruisers the keel 

 vessel Is the best, as the absence of the centerboard trunk leaves 

 the intervening space free from obstruction, thus giving .more 

 scope to any individual arrangement. In large centerboard ves- 

 sels, where the beam is sufficient to admit of a passage on each 

 side of the trunk, as in the Sea Fox, this objection is overcome, as 

 lVmakes it possible to reach each stateroom separately. It is a 

 mistake to use the cabin for sleeping purposes; it adds much to 

 cpmtoi-t and privacy to have staterooms for every guest. 

 Sufficient light and ventilation can be obtained only through 

 large skylights, deck and side lights. At sea we are confronted 

 with the difficulty of keeping them water tight, and I know of no 

 plan as yet devised that will absolutely prevent this. Light and 

 cheerful decorations add much to the apparent size and bright- 

 ness of cabin and stateroom. Pictures, photographs, and, if pos- 

 sible, bric-a-brac and books go far to give a homelike and cosy look 

 to the rooms. Too much hard wood gives a gloomy effect, and it 

 should be used sparingly and only as high as the wainscoting in 

 ordinary houses. The laws which govern good taste in other 

 things, govern on board a yacht as well, and no decoration or 

 furniture that is unsuited from its perishability or its richness, 

 s ?j a i ri( ?' h Pi ush cushions and heavy hangings, etc., can be con- 

 sidered suitable, as they soil quickly and readily get a stuff y odor. 



Internal Economy. -In no part of yachting experience or know- 

 ledge can one go so far astray as here, The figures given by differ- 

 ent owners as to the cost of running a yacht vary SO much, that a 

 deduction becomes very difficult; in other words the honesty or 

 capability of servants is an unknown and variable quantity. I 

 am constrained therefore to confine myself strictly to personal 

 experience. 



There are two persons on a yacht of real importance; the sail- 

 ing master m one department and the steward in the other' Good 

 wages, permanent yearly position, and good conduct money, are 

 the only means I know of to obtain honest and capable service. 



livery one connected with yacht purveying is, seemingly, un- 

 scrupulous, and only too ready to aid one's servants in useless 

 and extravagant expenditures. My way of keeping expenses 

 within bounds is by making, at the end of each season, a daily 

 average of the year; and if the steward goes beyond a sum, known 

 from previous experience, I can only conclude that he is dis- 

 honest or incapable. Fifty cents per capita per diem, in forecastle 

 and one dollar per capita in cabin is a very liberal allowance, in- 

 cluding the moderate entertaining of the average yachtsman- 

 and any excess must be viewed with suspicion. Frequent ex- 

 amination of books and payment of all large bills personally when 

 possible, help to keep expenses within bounds. 

 _ Crew and Discipline.— As above stated, the two principal persons 

 in the crew are the skipper or sailing master and steward. Eac h 

 of them should be held responsible for everything in his dermrt- 

 ment, making him hire every one under liim; and frequent in- 

 spections of quarters, galley, etc., will go far toward maintaining 

 proper discipline and order on the vessel. The whole comfort of 

 owner and g nests depends upon the honesty and capacity of these 

 two Head men, and ,if the laborer is worthy of his hire ood 

 wages are m these cases true economy. 



Frequent inspection of the vessel by the owner is very usef ul 

 even it he be not an expert, and no punishment is equal to the 

 forfeiture or good conduct money. At present , yacht owners are 

 in the hands of, many incompetent and dishonest servants, and 

 thus tar no remedy exists for this condition of affairs. The mat- 

 ter has been broached m the New York Y. C, and one of its mem- 

 bers has given the matter much thought and attention, and has 

 devised a, plan which we will hope to see in working order in the 

 vfSJ'^S^' Es P?r ie uce shows that discipline is more easily 

 kept on those yachts where the after end of the ship leads a de- 

 cent and clean life. One can hardly expect the untutored men 

 m the forecastle to play angels, while their superiors in the other 

 end of the ship are playing the devil. We can accept as an 

 axiom, Respect yourself, and the crew will respect you " 



Cruising can be indulged in to its fullest extent only by men of 

 leisure, fond ot nature and of the sea for its own self. 



the business man whose time is limited to a day or two can 

 successfully indulge in racing, as a race occupies but a day; and 

 while he is back attending to the serious occupations of lite, the 

 skipper and crew can be hard at work getting the spars, sails etc 

 m shape again for the next contest. 1 

 v,.^^£ the pleasures of cruising, if not its greatest, consists in 

 handling and navigating the vessel oneself; entering unknown 

 harbors by the aid of the lead and compass, with the pleasurable 

 excitement of a possible encounter with an unknown rock. The 

 cruising owner is therefore not necessarily unoccupied, as the 

 above duties, together with inspection and care of the vessel, give 

 him considerable employment. 



Cruising in company where the vessels really keep togethpr i e 

 side by side, is delightful; and only those who have tried it can 

 tell its pieasures % In foreign cruising the utmost care must be 

 taken m provisioning the vessel, as short commons or scarcity of 

 water far from port is a serious disaster. 



A sea letter should always be obtained from the Treasury De- 

 partment; this entitles the bearer to certain valuable privileges 

 m foreigu ports, and exempts the vessel from many petty annoy- 

 ances, harbor dues, etc. Yachtsmen neglect the customary cour- 

 tesies to our representatives when, they visit foreign ports: they 

 should be assisted, and if possible, the officials of the country also 

 should not be neglected. _ It is not necessary to go into lavish en- 

 tertainment, but an official visit is often highly appreciated, as it 

 makes a change m the dull routine of their daily lives, especially 

 m out of the way places. 



At the request of the committee I have written this resume 

 endeavoring to reproduce from memory the most salient 

 features and such portions that, I deem much interesting and in- 

 structive to yachtsmen of my somewhat rambling talk, which I 

 dare not dignify with the name of a lecture. 



NEW YACHTS ON LAKE ONTARIO. 



THE new classification on Lake Ontario promises to give 

 plenty of racing and some important additions to the fleet 

 this year. The new Fife boat for the Lake will o« ,vmer] h>- Mr 

 Allan Ames, of Oswego, former owner of the Burgos centerbo<mi 

 Merle, and one of the best sailors on the Lake. She will be in the 

 new 40tt. corrected length class, the same as Merle, the fatter 

 measuring o8.o„'tt. Merle is now owned by Messrs. McMurchy 

 and Mickie, of Toronto, being enrolled in the Roval Caiiadi'au 

 Y. C, and the old and new boats will meet on the Like rntmii in 

 August. It is needless to say that the new Ames va<-,ht will be a 

 keel craft and by no means the extreme narrow cutter which has 

 been used to scare yachtsmen away from the new classification 

 As White Wings has finally been sold, her owner Mi- J a >-vis of 

 Hamilton, will build a cutter from his own design for the 3bft 

 corrected length class. She will be a keel boat, 27ft, fiin l.w 1 

 8ft. 6m. beam and 6ft, draft Mr. Jarvis has also designed this 

 winter a second Ohaperone for the owner of the first yacht of 

 that name. Our readers will remember a little controvorsy with 

 the Boston Giobe last December over some statements concerning 

 the new rule on Lake Ontario. The sequel is rather amusing the 

 yachtsman who was quoted by the Globe as being prevented from 



