FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Mabgh 16, 1893. 



A Vacation Voyage.— I. 



Once upon a time, when days were long and skies were blue, the 

 little Flora was fitting out for a vacation voyage. "Six in the raorn- 

 ing, sharp," the skipper said, but when finally the nag chartered by 

 the mate to bring the last of his baggage hove in sight, the anchor 

 was stowed, the cable on deck in the most fastidious of Flemish coils, 

 and our eager sails were slyly coquetting with the morning breeze, 

 ■which had already found its way up the crowded channel. And then 

 finally the reverend professor, who acted as a committee of inspec- 

 tion and approval, arrived at the little landing, the life-jackets were 

 overhauled and counted, and with a wistful look in his eyes he bade 

 us each good-bye. As we went in stays on the first stretch downriver 

 we answered his gesture of farewell and then the freight house hid 

 hini from view. 



"Belay starboard jibsheet, well squeeze past this tack. There! I 

 thought she could do it ! Lift centerboard ! Lighten up tJiat foresheet 

 while I ease away with hermainsl! No. you can't wing that foresl 

 out to port. "When I get her headed for Point Betsie the wind will 

 come over the port quarter. Yes, take the helm, Dan; there's nothing 

 to collide with, no matter how you try." 



While the skipper was easing his mind of these fragmentary remarks 

 the Flora sUpped swiftly past the pierhead and swung off before the 

 fresh southwest breeze that was already turning up the blue of old 

 Michigan. 



In our crew we numbered one cabin passenger, Vag, the. autocrat. 

 He alone of us all fearlessly broke the rule of "share and share alike." 

 He alone knew not what it was to be called on deck when the stars 

 were clouded and the dark water swirled under the weight of the 

 wind, to obey the order of "shorten sail." For him were no weari- 

 some tricks at the helm when the windhadfallen and the yaclit swung 

 and tossed on the glassy roUexs, A gentleman he who wouldn't deign 

 to pass the fathoms of cold sUmy cable, who had never scraped bot- 

 tom, thrown out bUge water, or tried to spread out a chai-t that re- 

 fused to be Inspected. And yet any one of us would have been less 

 missed than that same brown spaniel that had been the mascot of 

 every cruise. 



Our company was chosen on true mathematical lines. There was 

 one for master, one for mate, one for crew and the cabin passenger 

 just mentioned. The skipper, though no older in years than the other 

 two boys, was nevertheless of a gravity of disposition that was well 

 calculated to act as a check on the impetuosity of his less experienced 

 comrades. Bert, the first officer, was more frequently referred to as 

 the White Elephant, a name drawn from dimensions unusual in a lad 

 of his age. His sailing length was 6ft., whUe his depth of hold, as Dan, 

 the foremast hand, had more than once exclaimed, was only equalled 

 by his unapproachable carrying capacity. He possessed qualities of 

 mind well suit-ed to smallboat sailing; 'bold but cautious, always far 

 enough and never too far, he could let her go over until he washed 

 down the cabin lights, but he never flooded the cockpit. And his logic, 

 if you opposed him in argument, would be likely to blanket you com- 

 pletely and then pass you a Une for a tow. 



Out crew proper was the most genial lubber that ever snarled gas- 

 kets. Though he never caught the knack of sailing full and by, 

 though he could scarcely boil water M'ithout burning it, and always 

 "got the horse before the cart," as he himself expressed it, yet his 

 •warm Celtic disposition and ingenious excuses effectually warded olf 

 all reproof. Nothing ever suited him better than taking things as they 

 came, blow high or blow low. To him calm and fog, fair weather and 

 foul, were all the same; they never found Dan grumbling. 



Our course to Point Betsie, due north, was somewhat moi'e than 

 forty miles. With the strong, steady breeze we sped ou, turning the 

 point about the middle of the afternoon. "The shore here takes a trend 

 to the northeast, and wing and wing we pointed fair between Sleeping 

 Bear Point and South Manitou Island, the abrupt clilTs of which had 

 come full in view. When we had half covered the twenty miles that 

 lay direct before us, the sun was low in the west and the soft lake 

 breeze was hardly strong enough to keep our light sails out. When it 

 finally faded quite away, the sun sunk into the peaceful lake and we 

 were five miles from the island. Through the long, lonely twilight we 

 sat and talked, half in whispers, as though a rude word or untimely 

 jest might break the spell that held as in restful sleep the broad ex- 

 panse of water. 



To me fell the first watch, all but uninteresting on such a night. 

 Point Betsie flash hght, at steadily recurring periods, winked a friendly 

 farewell from astern, A little di.stance off our port beam was the 

 course of the lower lake steamers, and one received a forcible reminder 

 of the vast interests of Lake commerce, in noting how, as in solemn 

 procession, from the blank distance either to south or to north, a faint 

 wavering point of light would appear, then showed her side ligbts, 

 and when fairly abreast of us was heard the roar of the trampled 

 w.'iters under hex bow and the throbbing of her mighty engines. 



But later the darkness became more vivid, clouds put out the .stars 

 in the north and west, and a faint breath of air could be felt with the 

 dampened finger. Wind once foretold is not long coming on these 

 waters, and soon I had her moving briskly to the north, with aU set 

 and hauled close. Past grim Sleeping Bear, she flitted like a phantom, 

 just able so slide by without making another board off shore. 



The coast that we had passed to the south is of monotonous regu- 

 larity, all sand dunes and gravel beach; there are no reefs, no shoals 

 and no islands. But now we had reached that part of the greiit lake 

 which presents a marked contrast to our home shores Islands, alone 

 and grouped, with hidden dangers, unite to render navigation more 

 hazardous, while the hungry surf frets a ragged, shingly beach. 



Being called on deck shortly after midnight my mates were aston- 

 ished to find that we were slashing down the shore, with a capfull of 

 wind, a rising sea and a dense fog. The skipper ordered a reef in the 

 foresaU. More than once during that cold, wet dreai-y night (fid we 

 envy the lucky Vag, who lay snugly curled below deck. 



When the welcome light of day flually appeared to dispel the mist, 

 we looked forth on a tumultuous scene. Out of the distance where 

 the grim water and lowering sky seemed to merge, a long, heavy sea 

 from northwest came tunibling t'lward us. But our stauuch craft 

 made famous weather of it; there wa^ plenty of ballast, the bottom 

 was clean, and save for the spray over the weather bow, her behavior 

 showed that the long regidar waves impeded her but little. As we 

 crossed Grand Traverse Bay the fog shut down again, and caused our 

 skipper no little uneasiness as to where we were likely to find the 

 next land. But when the thick weather broke again we saw how true 

 our course was laid. With reviving siiirits we rounded Fisherman's 

 Island from the outside, shook out our reef and ran for Chailevoix. 



We still had the best of the day before us, and our first move was to 

 slip into a berth behind a tan bark wharf and make amends for the 

 abuse heaped on the "inner man." When his cravings had been 

 amply propitiated Dan crawled below for a siesta, the grave Bert 

 amused himself by tj'ing a cup to a fish line and thus teaching Vag to 

 dive, while the skipper put out to see what was doing around the boat 

 houses. 



He found them bending sails to a new cutter that had never yet 

 stuck her nose into hlnn water. The Fiasco seemed a very creditable 

 production, as the skipi^er admitted at the time. A little questioning 

 revealed the fact that she was to sail her maiden race at Harbor 

 Springs that very week. 



"Sorry I can't be there to see your latest win first honors, but it's 

 all laid out for us to put in the Fourth at Mackinac." The glance, of 

 half concealed amusement that this statement elicited from the wary 

 old builder— Caldwell, we afterward learned his name to be— seemed 

 quite a puzzle to the skipper. But he held it in mind, and it was not 

 so long a time before he understood why his abihty to reach Mackinac 

 in two days was doubted. 



To the ordinary pleasures of a yachtsman in a strange and interest- 

 ing port, we added the fun of a run mt-o Pine Lake, a lieautiful sheet 

 of water which extends from Charlevoix inland, both to the east and 

 to the south for eighteen miles. We saUed over to a piece of smooth 

 beach, and all hands, including our honorary member with the. long 

 ears, indulged in a bath. 



When the first of the morning breeze came slowly fanning in from 

 the west, the third day of the cruise, it found the Flora already '^ut of 

 port. Perhaps the old builder's incredulous look made the skipper 

 feel uneasy. All that day we held northward across the broad entrance 

 to Little Traverse Bay. Part of the time she had steerageway, but too 

 much of the day was spent with the wind right up and down the mast, 

 as Dai said. When evening came we had sailed but twenty-five miles. 

 We stul had to keep about five miles to the north before we could 

 round Waugashance Point and bear eastward to the Straits. Tins 

 point juts far out to the west and ends in a series of low rocky islets, 

 on the last of which the Government maintains a lighthouse and fog 

 station. 



All about this region, and even as far west as the Beaver Islands, 

 which had now become visible on the western horizon, the lake never 

 reaches a greater depth than 50ft., and in places the reefs fau-ly crop 

 out of water. One of these desolate rocks is marked by a light named 

 Isle Aux Galets, corrupted to Skilligalee, which we had left over the 

 port quarter. 



"You may as well take those towels down from the sails," knowingly 

 remarked the mate. "That bank of clouds in the west means that 

 we'll need om- reef points clear to-niglit." 



"Are you addressmg me or one of the subordinates?" answered Dan. 

 "The elephant is forever clawmg off a lee shore; I'm going to turn in 

 and snooze all night." 



"Better begin right off then," the skipper put in, "for I see a cats- 

 paw off our port beam now, and with a west wind at night we want to 

 keep our eyes peeled. Cast off that. weather stays'l sheet so it won't 

 draw, and curl up the halhards fore and aft. I don't quite like the 

 loojis of things, but 1 guess we can hang on till we round the Shanks, 

 and then run for Mackinac. Haul aft foresheet; that's good, belay. 

 Oh, that child will learn something before we reach the island." This 



last was addressed to the smiling crew, who sat dangUng his legs over 

 the weather side. 



The cool, fresh breeze had now increased so that the yacht laid two 

 strakes under, and she was fl.ying on toward the ruddy light in the 

 north at a clip that spoke well for her sailing qualities. 



"Haul aft maiTi=beot now and give her ail the board, thi.s \viiii is 

 chopping round more to l.lie xiortli. Oho! coming butt-end first, is it!" 

 as a gust forced her i^o^\■l\ till t>ie dark water swept the lee gangway, 

 and a lot of loose stuff .slid out of her weather lockers down below. 

 "Take the tiller, Bert; now look lively, Dan — a double reef in fores'l!" 

 And then some way in the confusion." we never quite imderstood it, 

 while v, e were laboring with the slatting canvas the flickering hght at 

 Waugashance disappeared, the blackness of night closed in fiboiit us, 

 and file gale with its bewildering rom" smote our straining craft from 

 nearly dead ahead. 



In an instant the sea was aroused to anger; as far as our sight could 

 pierce the darkness the great lowering, hurtliDg ranges of water boil- 

 ing from crest to crest, raced toward lis in undistinguishable confusion. 

 The mate braced himself in the stexnsheets, and with exquisite skill 

 held her to it, everything whipping and rattling in the fierce tumult, 

 but not so close as to slat her hght sails to pieces. 



To hold on, even could she lie to on such a night, meant to be 

 crowded down on the cruel rocks under our lee beam. There was but 

 one expedient, and that the skipper unhesitatingly seized. In a trice 

 the staysail was hauled down, and then, w;itehing his chance, he 

 gathered headway and luffed for stays. When the attempt appeared 

 successful and she was falling off on the starboard tack the center- 

 board was smartly raised, the mainsail halliards slipped and the sail 

 hauled down. With only her foresail drawing and her helm hard up 

 she spun round on her keel without shipping a single drop and started 

 before the gale like a "scart dog." In a moment she had her main- 

 sail roughly furled and had accbmpUshed the risky work of securing 

 the staysail before it was whipped to pieces. Double-reefed foresail 

 made the best canvas possible, and we didn't much regret that ours 

 was a schooner rig as we drove before the gale that night. 



With the first squall past the wind became less jerky, thus assuring 

 to us the use of our foremast, which at first it seemed would surely 

 leave her. But the sea was becoming more formidable, and after 

 passing Skilligalee the mate, by watching his chance, actually gybed 

 the little foresail while it was Becalmed between two waves. This en- 

 abled us to edge off more easterly, following the north shore of little 

 Traverse Bay. 



Bert made everything as secure as possible and led the foresheet 

 aft so that he could be out of reach of the boom and keep within 

 shouting chstanr-e of the skipper, who was getting no small amount of 

 exercise out of his trick at the helm. 



Meanwhile Dan, with the implicit confidence of the tyro, had 

 escaped to the cuddy to keep Vag from being lonesome. It is to be 

 presumed that he succeeded, for nothing more was heard from either 

 of theiu that night. 



As little by little we turned into the bay the wind, following the 

 curves of the shore, still held fair astern. The electric lights at 

 Petoskey furnished a mark for our course until we sped past the 

 last angle of shore line and the welcome beacon on Harbor Point 

 shone in full view. There is no cosier haven on the whole lake than 

 this, formed as it is by a long sand sjjit that protects from every wind 

 that blows. When finally the hook was down and the foresail 

 stovyed we hung out the cheerful riding light and stripped oil our 

 glistening oilskins with a feeling of sincere thankfulness. 

 ""Hullo! Hullo! Pii-acy and mutiny ! Fourth of July !" 



In some unaccountable way the foremast hand had waked up first 

 in the morning and was endeavoring to arou.se his superiors at the 

 I'isk of committing a breach of the peace. Every word was empha- 

 sized \)y a deafening thud on deck just over the other's heads. 



"Why don't you animated mummies come out? I want some fire- 

 crackers and some red lemonade. Say, here's that new cutter right 

 alongside, the same we saw in Caldwell's yard at Chnrlevoi-t yester- 

 day, and they blew the topmast clean out last night." 



"Mate, will you take your feet down from the carlines before you 

 have jammed'that fog horn breathless, and chmb out and quell the 

 mutiny? We've got to give the crew a watch at night after this, just 

 in self" defense." 



When finally the racket o verb cad became intolerable two heads 

 were cautiously projected rliron_;li the hatch and withdrawn just too 

 late to escape a douse of water from the mischievous Dan. "Less 

 order! Less order!" roared the dripping master, with all the dignity 

 he could assume. Then both besieged the crew at bowsprit end, 

 where he had fled for shelter. A little water forced him to capitulate 

 uncouditionully and, by a plurality of one, judgment was imposed of 

 washing dishes twice out of turn. 



"Yes, that light we saw when we turned in was the Fiasco, sure 

 enough," remarked the Elci)ha.nt, "and there's her sailing master in 

 the crosstrees trying to i-it: a straj) for jib halhord block." 



"How awful jolly,'' brolce in \>tui. "that we came in here instead 

 of going to Macl'dnac. We'd luive missed the regatta entirely." 



"How a wful jolly," grimly answered the mate, "that we didn't have 

 to swim for it." 



"We would have headed here in the first place if we had owned a 



barometer," was all the skipper said. 



When we had worked up the harbor about a mile to the town of 

 Harbor Springs, we found the natives celebrating in true Ijackwoods 

 style. We derived no little amusement from watching the antics of a 

 few score of dusky aborigines, who, filled with enthusiasm and fire- 

 water, had taken "possession of the town. 



"Just size up that buck over by the fountain," said Dan. "Look at 

 the patent leathers and starched vest. Say, that diamond is as big as 

 3'our fist." 



"Oh, but the barefoot one coming this way with the black and yel- 

 low tennis blazer. Come away before I go up in smoke." With that 

 we sauntered down to the wharf to learn what we could of Che race 

 that was set down for the afternoon 



The only yacht that seemed to us likely to crowd tlie Fiasco for first 

 place was the Nugget, owned by a builder named Frank who kept a 

 boathouse at Petoskey across the ba.y. The Fias'-o was of 35ft. water- 

 line and of recent design; the Nugget was some .3ft. shorter, being a 

 shoal centerboard witli schooner i-ig. Butto offset this difference the 

 cutter was obliged to keep a single reef in maiu.sail because her pole 

 mast had snapped off jnst below the peak haUiard blocks. Of course 

 the read jr must imdersfand that such a thing as time allowance for 

 size or rig was something wholly unheard of in this neck of the woods. 

 The wind, though not nearly what it had been the night before, was 

 stiU blowing so that excursio'n steamers were obliged to keep in har- 

 bor. 



AVe were enjoying a quiet siesta after lunch when the prehmiuary 

 gun rang out. "in an instant all were on the t/ui i?/?'*?. Down the har- 

 bor we could see the snowy sails bunched as we sprung on deck to slip 

 cable and follow the fleet out. Herbert L. HAHUiY. 



[TO BE OONTINTJED.] 



The liondon S. C. Model Competition. 



The London Sailing Club competitive sailing exhibition of designs 

 and models of l-raiefs has proved even more successful than that of 

 last year. The exhibits are more numerous and their excellence is of 

 a more level character. Indeed, taking the models by themselves, it 

 would be almost impossible to say that any one was very much supe- 

 rior in form to another. Judging the'i- merits was, however, gi-eatly 

 facilitated by all being to one scale (lin, to Che foot), and by the fact 

 that the model, in each histance, wns accompanied by the design. 

 These designs were really the clue to the merits of the models, and in 

 most cases showed the designer not only to have great technical sldll 

 as draftsman, but also a sound knowledge of the science of naval 

 architecture. This skill and knowledKe were apparent, in a relative 

 tiegree,asmuchin the work of the amateur as that of the professional; 

 in fact, some of the "expositions" which accompanied the designs are 

 quite treatises on yacht designing, and show a wonderful knowledge 

 of the subject. Such a wealth of ability in yacht designing was quite 

 an unexpected treat, and shows wltat great strides have been made in 

 the scientific part of the aubjeet during the last few years; and it is 

 hardly too much lo say that a large number of yacht owners and 

 young draftsman have a sounder and more extended knowledge of 

 naval architecture than a.ny naval architect had fifty years ago. The 

 design.s were judged bv Mr- Vixon Kemp, and the exhibition has been 

 as ic was last year, under the management of Mr. G. Terrell and Mr. 

 H. G. Rouse, iiifmbei's of the L<jndoti SaUing Club. 



Tha designs wei e di\ ided iuto two classes — ^A, centerplate class, 

 suitable for racin;:' m sheltered \\ aters; and B class, for racing in open 

 water. It was stiptduted tliat all the models should be lin, to the foot 

 scale, and that the design sliould consist of sheer plan, body plan and 

 half- breadth plan, 'flie following elements of each design were also 

 to be stated; displaeem.Mii, \vei^lit of ballast inside and on keel, and 

 longitudinal position ol center of buoyancy. The designer's name in 

 each case was iuclo.sed in a sealed envelope, and not opened until after 

 the awards had been made. 



In the A class the lirst prize was awarded to Mr. H. Mead, of 

 Hayle. Cornwall, This design shows a beautifnlly balanced form, and 

 is I'Sft, llin, on the water Hue, with a displacement of 0,7 ton. The 

 second prize was given to a design of more displacement, exhibited by 

 Mr, J. E. Odgers. of Barnsbury. London, The design is 19ft, 3in, ou 

 the water line, v.'ith a beam of 5ft. aiu., and .85 ton di.^p.lacement. This 

 would make a N^erypowerfia boat, :md would no dr.ubt do well in fresh 

 breezes. The third prize was awarded to a design by iVlr, Walter 

 Stewart, iSft, ou the water line, with d dj-stJacetucnt of M.S ton. This 

 proved to be the desi.gu of the up-river crack Nancy. Mr, H, W, Rids- 

 dale. the designer for the firm of Forresti: Co., Wivenhoe. was 

 awarded a certiflcate of merit for a ibft. desi.icn. with a displacement 

 of 0.8 ton; as was also Mr. David Weir for .i beautifully finished draw- 



ing and model of a 30ft. boat of a, Uttle over 1 ton displacement. Mr. 



H. Mead was similarly rewarded for a bulb plate craft, 18ft. llin. onload 

 line, and 0.65 ton displacement. Another beautiful model, 18ft. Gin. on 

 the load line, with a bulb center plate, by Jlr. S. B. Barnett. was also 

 awarded a certificate of merit ; but the emplacement was. perhaps, a 

 little too much for (Muqieting v.-ith the lighter craft. An JSft. model, 

 by Messrs. J. a.nd H. M. Patterson, was also given a certificate of merit. 

 This craft has a total overhang of 10ft., and the displacement is close 

 upon 1 ton. 



One of the most striking of the drawings and models was that of 

 Mr. G. P. Clayton, of Hythe, Southampton, asft. on the waterline, and 



I. 4 ton displacement. This design ought really to have been in the B 

 class, as. although of great excellence, it was considered of too great 

 waterline, length and weight for the A class. A really clever design, 

 with a dead fiat floor, tumble home sides, and 1.3 ton displacement, 

 was the work of Mr. Treleaven Reade, of Blimdellsands, Liverpool; 

 and an equaUy clever design by Mr, James Stow, of Shoreham, Sussex, 

 can be easfly distinguished by being constructed on the vertical-longi- 

 tudinal lines ("bow and buttock linesj. Another striking design and 

 model is by Mr. H. Stow, of Shoreham, and is conspicuoiis by the long 

 overhang aft, the total overhang being apparently about 13ft. Mr. R. 

 M. Lengerke's bulb centerplate inodel appears to be a well-t hought-out 

 design, and the same might be saitl of the designs of ^Ir. W'dfrid Barry 

 and Mr. F. H. Alexander (North Shields t. .\ very symmetrical model 

 and design is exhibited by Mr, II, G. A. Kmise, of New Inn, and. if 

 built from, should make a very powerful boat, as the length is 18ft., 

 beam 7ft. (5in., and displacement 0.9 ton. The centerplate weighs 

 Si^cwt., and w-orks through a lead keel of 7cwt. Another erpially pow- 

 erful model is exhibited b-*' Mr, F, Shepherd, of Southampton; and an- 

 other by Jlr. G, Mallet. Norwich, while Jfr. G. F. Fleramich's 18ft. 

 model, although of only 5ft. 6in. beam, looks Uke acraft that would be 

 a good all-roimd performer. 



The B class models arc intended for open water sailing and on the 

 whole form a more attractive feature m the exhibitioii than the A 

 class, on account of their necessarily greater bodies. The first prize 

 was given to a very beautiful model by 3Ir. Alfred Mylue, of Wood- 

 land road, Glasgow. This model has a lead keel whicli "bulbs" at the 

 bottom. The second prize was awarded to Mr. David Weir, of 

 Dowanhill, Particle, Glasgow. This model shows a steel plate with 

 a lead bulb. The third prize was taken by Mr. ,T. R, Barnett, of 

 Lilly Bank, .Johnston, Renfrewshire, The model has no bulb, but 

 is fitted with a lead fin. Each of these models, apart from its 

 merits of form, is quite a work of art and tin.ged witli the flue color- 

 ing of what is now known as the "Glasgow School of Art." Of the 

 drawings we cannot speak, as they were for the judge's eye only, 

 and neither the dimensions nor the displacement was divulged. The 

 displacement of the three West of Scotland boats is. however, 

 apparentlj' a good deal under two tons, which is the displacement of 

 some of the designs which were awarded certificates of merit. 

 This certificate of merit was awarded to Mr. H. Stow, Shore- 

 ham, for a likely looking craft with a very long overhang aft; 

 and a very "racing" looldng craft by Mr. G. F. Plenmiich. 20ft. 

 on the load line, with a displacement of one ton, was similarly 

 honored. A bulb keel craft, by Messrs. White, j'acht builders, of 

 Itchen Ferry, attracted considerable attention and was awarded 

 the certificate of merit. This distinction was also won by Mr. F. 

 Shepherd, of Milton road, Southampton, and Mr, G, R. Garthwsite, 

 Stockton-on-Tees, the latter being of 3 tons displacement, or nearly 

 double that of the Southampton craft, Nice looking models hy Mr. 

 Linton Hope and Mr, .lames .Stow were spoilt by eigar-sliaped ' iiulbs" 

 extending some distance fore and aft beyond the steel jtlate to whicJi 

 they were attached. Such projectitms would certainly sooner or later 

 bring the craft to grief, Mr. H. G. Rouse's --lOt't. design, Gft. beam and 

 1.2 ton displacement has a very shapely form; and "the nice imder- 

 water body of the center-plate design by Lieut, ( diver, R N,, is some- 

 what marred by the peculiar overhang forward; no doubt, however, 

 that it would make a fast and powerful boat, although the displace- 

 ment is only 1.1 ton. 



Of the heavy displacement craft the best looking are the Cyma. of 

 Mr. Treleaven Reade ( Blundellsandsl, 2,1 tons; Messrs, J, 'and M. 

 Paterson's (Greenock) ;Mft.v Gft, model, 1.8 tons; Mr. Wilfred Barry's 

 ( Charlton) 20ft. X 6ft, ,2 tons; and Mr. R, E, Blanchard's I'Peckham 

 Bye) 20ft. center-plate craft, of l.S ton displacement— but the beam of 

 the latter is only 5ft. Of the fighter craft of excellent design may be 

 mentioned Mr. H, F, Alexander's (North Shields) 2I-footer, Avith 5ffc. 

 Gin. beam and 1.4 ton displacement; Mr. J. Parpie's 30-footer, with 6ft. 

 Sin. beam and 1.3 ton displacement; Mr, James Stow's 21 -footer. An 

 extremely light craft is exhibited by Mr, E, B, Cole, of Plaiumei'smith; 

 she is 20ft. on the waterline, with" Gft, .lin, beam and displacement 

 0-7 ton.— Fieldi Ffb. i«. 



Biscayne Bay Y. C. Annual Kegat^a. 



BISCAYNE HAT, FLA, 



The sixth anniuil regatta of the Biscayne Bay A", C, held on Wed- 

 nesday, Feb. 22. was the raiist successful and enjoyable ev ent of the " 

 kind ever witnt ssed in these waters. The euti ies were ci:>n lined to 

 yachts of recognized (dubs instead of being open to all comer.s, as in • 

 former yeai's. This restriction, while hmiting the number of contest- 

 ants, produced such an improvement in their character that the ten 

 starters found a better fleet of first-class yachts than could be gath- 

 ered elsewhere on the Atlantic coa.st .south of Philadelphia. 



The breeze was a ■■norther'' that attained tlie force of a gale on the 

 outer or off-shore le.i: t)f tlie triangular conr.sc Prom a stakeboat 

 anchored in deep \v atci' off the club house, tlie first stretch was on the 

 wind to a flag buoy olf Bear Gut. The second was a run to the Cape 

 Florida inner channel buoy, and the third was a beat in the teeth of 

 the brisk breeze and rising sea. This made a 10-mile course, which, 

 being sailed twice over, gave a 20-inile race. 



The judges were Messrs, Artlmr Merriam, of the Marblehead Ctorin- 

 thian Y, C; Alfred ."Vlunroe, and Win Albury, while Mr. Walter 

 Browne, of the regatta committee, acted as time-keeper. 



The starters in the first class were the auxihary steam yawd Susie B,, 

 of the New Haven Y, C, ; the Atuerican yawl Nethla, schooner sharpie 

 Markat, and yawl Lounger, of the Biscayne Bay Y. C. Of these the 

 Susie B., although able to disconnect her prapefler, could not unship 

 it, and so was sadly handicapped by its drag. The Nethia, after being 

 out of commission and completel.y dismantled for a year, had been 

 purchased from Vice-Commodore Hine, by Mr, W, W, 'Kenyon, of the 

 Atlantic Y, C, only three days before the race, during which her new 

 owner sailed her for the first time. Both Markat and Lounger, repre- 

 senting extreme types, had just cruised down the coast from New 

 York, and both sailed their maiden races in this regatta. The former 

 is owned and sailed by Mr. Albert CaiUet, a French yachtsman, whose 

 sea training was acquired in a long-legged .Por1;smouth lugger on the 

 troubled waters of the English Channel; while, the latter ' represents 

 the first attempt at yacht designing of her owner, Mr. Jas. B. Ham- 

 mond of typewriter fame. No two of these boats have ever met be- 

 fore, and as they were accompanied over the entire course by the 

 crack sloop Gypsy, for whom no class competitor could be found, de- 

 signed, owned and sailed by Mandarin Thos, J, Falls, the assemblage 

 was one of decided interest. 



Nor were the thi'ee boats of the second class less worthy of atten- 

 tion. Largest and ablest of them was Wabiiu, Com. Mtmroe's latest 

 design, a light draft 10ft,, (3!oriana, with batttn.:d sails, which htid alto 

 just completed the cruise from .Statevi Island to Biscayne, and was 

 now entered for her maiden race. The others tif ihi^ class were those 

 bitter rivals and good friends. Allapatta, Mr. Kirk '\Iimroe, and 

 Nicketti, M. Jean de Hcdon\ i!le, each with tw) victoi^ieK over the other 

 to her credit, and now intcnsi.'iv di/sirous of taking the odrl fi^ick. 



The third class was reprcscnrt-d by W. E. NicLcds's little sharpie 

 yawl Egret and Richard Carney'^ sharpie cat Floi'eiice W. Susie B., 

 Wabun and Egret allowed in their respect! vi> classes. 



Over the first leg the tli.'Ct iv a:s l nmched to the mark and presented 

 as pretty a marine picture as one would wish to see. After that they 

 paired off, the big auxiJiary and Nethla maneuvering for place and 

 hotly contesting every inch, with the final result in favor of the latter, 

 Markat and Lounger watching each other like cats, Allapatta and 

 Nicketti dashing along ,side by side and stririn.i: f'M- advantage by 

 every device known to their skifipers. Wabundarring through the fleet 

 like a witch, not only distancing her class and tackling the big fellows, 

 but outpointing all of the.se and outfooting alt but Susie and Nethla! 

 Her windward work was so marvelous as to excite the unbounded en- 

 thusiasm of afl beholders, and when at the end of the second round 

 she fluished only two minutes of actual sailing time behind the wixmer 

 of the class above hers, she was accorded aU the honors that can be 

 bestowed upon a successful debutante. Her owner modestlj^ claims 

 that Wabun's signal triumph was due to the gale, and that she is slug- 

 gish in a light air, but this is doubted by those who have studied her 

 model and the set of her saUs. 



Markat withtkew at the conclusion of the first round, being too 

 short-handed to handle her canvas, and at the end of the second Nethla 

 came, in an easy winner of her class cup and pennant. 



In the second dass Allapatta and ?\'ickei ti, dista_nced by Wabun, paid 

 no attention to her, but fotit;bt for erery inch until the turn of the 

 second mark and the Iwgiuuiug of the iirsl windward leg. Here Nick- 

 etti received knock down ai't-r kuc"?!;. d^wn. until she was forced to 

 reef her foresail, after wUicli. bc-n; Vo-rs, .j.uiiooted and oufpiointed by 

 her rival, she fell so hopelessly asieru tiiat at the finish Allapatta eas- 

 ily held the odd trick and lionors. 



"in the third class Et;i-ef , to avoid too disastrous a defeat by hei" nim- 

 ble competitor, withdrew at the end of the first round, leaving a cup 

 and pennant to Ije leisurely gathei-ed in by Florence W. 



There never was a re.gatta which in its results gave more satisfac- 

 tion, Nethla Is satisfied at halving won in her class on what was 

 practically a trial Crip, .^^usie B, found to her own satisfaction tha 



