328 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[APRit 13, 1893. 







• 





1 





AUXILIARY HOUSE-BOAT CAIMAN, Designed by Gustavk Hillma>-n. By Permission op "Music akd Drama." 



steam power to tow lier, but later, after selling my small steam 

 launch, I put a mast in her and sloop-rigged her, put the old-fashioned 

 leeboards on the sides, and with a fair wind it took a very smart craft 

 to catch her. She would scud away before it in a manner most sur- 

 prising to the bay boats that we encountered. She was not much on 

 the wind of course, except when having the tide with her, then she 

 would work to windward fast and we could always get somewhere 

 with her. It was, of course, grotesque yachting, but there was a deal 

 of fun and lots of comfort in it, for no matter where we brought up 

 we were at home. 



If it looked like bad weather we could run under the lee of an island 

 or into a creek, as she drew but 20in. of water we could run up any 

 slough or on to a mud bank into the tules Cour name for a tall species 

 of cat-tails or rushes) and there we were. Let it blow high or low, we 

 were as snug as bugs, and what jolly days we had and cheerful 

 pleasant evenings. 



frequently cruised 200 miles or more on a trip up the San Joaquin 

 and Sacramento rivers and Suisun Bay and tributaries, and never 

 came to grief in blow or calm. She was always reliable, and while a 

 rum one to look at, had more comforts than any $30,000 yacht could 

 boast. 



Whenever the yacht fleet had a Saturday afternoon "meet" and a 

 short cruise to some picnic ground, it was the Mud Hen that had the 

 prettiest girls, for she was the supply craft, the tender and general 

 rendezvous. We ran her nose up on the beach, put out a plank, and 

 he girls could run aboard and consult the mirror, arrange touseled 

 hair, and generally the table was set on board, and such crab salad as 

 was evolved from her pantry: She was a necessary adjunct to the 

 fleet. 



On one occasion the cruise was extended over Sunday, the objective 

 point a shallow bay. It was a flood tide and we had no difficulty in 

 reaching the spot just at evening. After dinner the guests on board 

 the several yachts came on board the Mud Hen for a frolic. Guitars, 

 violins and flutes helped to eke out the entertainment. A dance being 

 proposed, the chairs and table banished, and for two hours the girls 

 and boys had a good time, until some properly-minded matron sug- 

 gested that it was nearmg Sunday, and ordered the festivities closed. 

 Then came the return to their respective yachts. They had come in 

 boats from each, which were made fast to the Mud Hen, all around 

 her, reminding one of a country church meeting 

 and the horses all tied around the house. It was 

 a beautiful moonlight night, hot a cloud. 



The girls, after the usual flurry of putting on 

 wraps and hoods, and giggling and laughing went 

 on deck, and a scream from all called attention 

 to the fact that it being spring tides every drop of 

 water had run out of the bay and every yacht 

 was standing bolt upright in a sea of mud. Some 

 were a quarter of a mile distant. The question 

 was how to get those girls home. A plan was at 

 last devised. We had several small hght flat- 

 bottomed ducking boats. AU the long riibher 

 boots were utilized and the girls put into the 

 boats by twos, one of us behind to shove the boat 

 over the slippery mud to its destination. It was 

 of course soft and it would not do to let go one's 

 hold on the boat, or down you would sink. Tou 

 rested the weight on the boat and pushed -with 

 the feet. It was an odd sight that beautiful night 

 to see a half dozen boats scooting aci'oss the 

 mud, the girls screaming and shouting, calling 

 across the mud to know how they were enjoying 

 the sleigh ride. They were aU safely put aboard 



their respective yachts, and so what was seemed at first a dire 

 catastrophe was converted into a frolic. 



Whatever became of the Mud Hen? Well! she got to be so 

 popular that the shooting side of my friends declared that it was 

 simply on imposition on me, and insisted on making it into a 

 club, so a party of twenty, called the Tule Shooting Club, fell 

 heir to her, and she continued to do business at the old stand for 

 several years, untU finally the club came to be a very swell one, 

 and an expensive club house was built and the poor old craft 

 was relegated to a position on four legs above tide water and 

 became the dog parlor for the club's dogs. 



I cannot conceive a more sensible method of spending a winter 

 South than to have a craft after the style and pattern of the 

 Mud Hen, built right here or at Jacksonville, where lumber is 

 cheap, and made a floating home. I should, however, for these 

 waters rig her as a schooner and have a ceuterboard, or if the 

 case is objectionable, put two centerboards, otherwise leeboards, 

 one on each side outside of the main planking and inclosed by 

 an outside casing or planking, running to nothing, to hide the 

 cases. Easily done and perfectly efi'ective, getting rid of the 

 centerboard in the cabin entirely. A craft so built and rigged 

 can run down the coast with perfect safety, run into this place, 

 go on down to Key Biscayne, into Indian Kiver, and for that 

 matter around the cape and along the west coast and into every 

 port. She need not necessarily be sharpened forward. She will 

 pound more in a seaway probably than if sharpened, but you 

 are outside but a small part of the time, and as for safety I 

 should not hesitate to go anywhere with such a craft. 



In San Francisco Bay all the grain carriers are of this pattern, 

 perfectly flat on the bottom, a little sheer at ends, and drawn in. 

 narrowed at bow and stern somewhat, but stiU square. A long 

 rake from bottom to deck. These craft go outside and beat u\i 

 about as rough a coast as you can find the world over, U> 

 Oregon, and bring down heavy lumber cargoes, thus refuting by 

 actual demonstration the idea of their unseaworthiness. Wh 

 don't, of course, advocate them as the perfection of sea boats, 

 nothing so perfectly flat can be, but for use in shallow waters 

 they are simply (lerfertinn. being fast sailers, roomj^ cheap and 

 ooinfoi-table. ' - » 



What crew would be required? You would 

 want a good steady man that knows the waters, 

 as a sort of sailing master, if not competent 

 yourself. A saUor cook is a man who under- 

 stands lending a hand to get up sails and anchor, 

 presuming, of course, that your sailing master is 

 not a fancy fellow but a practical 'sailor, two all 

 told, no more. You pay your cook .f30. your 

 mate $40, a steward or waiter $30, or say $100 a 

 month wages. Your t-able, according to your 

 purse and taste, S5 a day should supply it for all, 

 that makes $250'a month for the expense of a 

 moderate sized family and crew, as cheaply as if 

 you staid at home, and compare that with" hotel 

 bills, without crediting health andj the enjoy- 

 ment. 



New Jersey Y, C. 



The annual meeting of the New Jersey Y. C. 

 was held at its club house, foot of Tenth sti'eet, 

 Hoboken, on March 30, and brought out a large 

 attendance of members. The treasurer siSb- 

 mitted his annual report, which set forth at 

 length the receipts and disbursements for the 

 past year, showing the club to have a balance 

 of $500 and over. The trustees, in whom the 

 property of the club is vested, through ex-Com. 

 E. W. Ketcham, their chairman, submitted an 

 exhaustive report of the doings of the club for 

 the past year, telling of the alterations and im- 

 provements that had been made in and about the 

 premises, and making some valuable suggestions 

 for the guidance of the club. 



The measurer reported a fleet of forty-one 

 safiing yachts, from the large sloop to the small 

 catboat, of seven steam yaclits ranging from 105 

 to 35ft. in length, of two catamarans, making a 

 total of fifty vessels. 



At a previous meeting of the club certain reso- 

 lutions were adopted concerning the death of 

 one of the original members of the club, Mr. E. 

 Dumartheray. At the meeting last Thursday a 

 handsome memorial brochure was presented to 

 all the members by his widow. 



The date of the twenty-second annual regatta 

 was fixed for Saturday, June 10, and will be 

 saUed over the usual courses of the club in the 

 Upper and Lower bays. The regatta committee 

 was instructed to make all necessary arrange- 

 ments, including the chartering of a suitable 

 steamer for the regatta. It is probable that a 

 steamer wUl also be procured for the America's 

 Cup races. 



The following officers were elected: Com., F. 

 S. Ketcham, sloop Charm; Vice-Com., Alfred 

 Wenzel, sloop Wanderer ; Recording-Sec'y, Frank 

 H. Benjamin; Treas., E. W. Ketcham; Fmancial- 

 Sec'y, B. A. Deetjen: Corresponding Sec'y, Louis 

 Wunder; Meas., H. L. Schneider. Regatta Com- 

 mittee, E. W. Ketcham, Louis Wunder and J. 

 E. Clark. Trustees, E. W. Ketcham, E. A. 

 Stevens, T. Butts, John Ortlieb and Alfred 

 Wenzel. Delegates to Yacht Racing Associa- 

 tion, G. E. Gartland, Louis Wunder, F. H. Ben- 

 jamin. The club starts so early with every 

 prospect of having a brilliant and successful 

 season. 



Southern Y. C. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



At the regular annual meeting of the Southern 

 Y. 0. (the second oldest yachting organization in 

 the United States) the foUowiug officers were 

 elected: Thos. Sully, Com., steam yacht Helen; 

 Alex Brewster, Vice-Corn., sloop Mephisto; L. 

 O'DonneU, Rear-Com., sloop Florence; H. W. 

 Brown, Treas. ; F. M. HaU, Sec. Governing Com- 

 mittee, James Rea, Wm. Lynd, N. E. Baumgar- 

 den, C. T. Yenui, H. O. Benedict. Membership 

 Com., C. R. Van Wickle, E. L. Tmac, L. R. Garcia, 

 J. M. Huger, Jr., M. J. Farrell. The date of the 

 annual regatta was changed from the first Tues- 

 day in .June to the second Saturday in May. The 

 club is in a very prospcroiis condition, and the 

 coming season bids fair to be the most hotly con- 

 tested one since the days of Lady Emma-SUence 

 $1,500 prize regatta. The club owns many fine 

 modern yachts, the work of Burgess, Stewart & 

 Binney, McGiehan, and other noted designers, 

 also one of the fastest 22-f ooters anywhere, the 

 Nyanza. This fleet little sloop has, according to 

 time calculations of races here and all over the 

 North, the fastest time to her credit of anj' yacht 

 of her class. There is talk among the club mem- 

 bers of sending Nyanza to Minneapolis with a full 

 Southern crew, to represent the South at the 

 summer carnival. Yachting here is on a boom; 

 everything looks very bright for a most interest- 

 ing season. The Forest aki> Stream is al way s on 

 file at the club house and is considered great 

 authority with the members. Tally Ho. 



New Orleans, La. 



ELAN OF CLAY & TORBENSEN'S AUXILIARY TWIN SUKEW HOUSE-BOAT. 



