Apkil 30, l««5.j 



FOREST aMD stream. 



349 



And then as you dispose your knees beneath the cabin table and en- 

 joyably begin to assuage the pangs of your ravenous appetite, your 

 memory may perhaps revert to manj' a nolly, even if uncomfortable, 

 ineal "underway" in your bygone j'achting days. Assuredly as you 

 contrast the now with the then, your infinite content with the present 

 will not be diminished, and later, with a little choice Margeaux to 

 moisten the post- prandial Havana, you will lay comfortably back in 

 your pasy chair, or loll on the transom cushions while your eyes wan- 

 der with lazy content over j'our surroundings. There is ample roomi- 

 ness iu your cabin, but that does not in the least detract from its air 

 ofcoziness; and there are vases scattered about and filled with fra- 

 grant buds, while living ferns and flowers are growing in the hanging 

 baskets and filling with perfume the ozone-laden air which enters 

 through the cabin windows. And the last benison of the expiring day, 

 the flood of sunshine which comes slantingly through the skylight, 

 kindles the rugs on the floor with more vivid colors, lights up the open 

 piano, gilds the fireplace, flaslies from the mirror, glorifies the pictures 

 which are hung upon the wall, and laughs its approval of the orna- 

 ments on the mantelpiece, the knick-knacks scattered around, and the 

 thousand and one accessories to comfort and enjoyment which, how-, 

 ever out of place and impracticable on board a yacht, are in place, 



to give a promenade and lounging place all the way round. From the 

 roof at each end boat davits should extend to allow the tenders to be 

 hoisted up for the night, which will prevent their getting alongside 

 and making night hideous by bumping. Note — An ark is a sort of big 

 bass drum and the shghtest contact produces a sound in the stillness 

 of the night "fit to wake the dead." 



Under the eaves there should be a tauk to hold water for the culi- 

 nary department and another for the washstand, or one tank can 

 easUy be made to serve for both. These are filled by bringing a barrel 

 of water alongside and pumping the water up into the taalis. On 

 rivers and lakes of course this would be unnecessary. It is only on 

 salt water that the barrel is requisite as an intermediary. The interior 

 may be fitted up as elaborately or as plainly as fancy (or the purse) 

 dictates. A good general plan is, a large living, dining and smoking 

 room. From this a passage leads to the after gangway, having on one 

 side the kitchen and pantry, and on the other a small room for a ser- 

 vant if one is kept. In some of our arks the "Jap" (all the ark servants 

 are Japanese) goes ashore after the dishes are washed, and is seen no 

 more until the next morning in time to get breakfast. While the "ark- 

 onauts" are away, swimming or boating, or only loafing, the Jap puts 

 things to ria:'ir«. making beds, sweeping out. etc. These beds usually 



architecture, but no two of them alike. In the evening the air is voca 

 with the twang of the mandolin, or the plunk of the more plebian 

 banjo, while the summer girl and her temporarily best fellow tune 

 their voices in (more or less) melodious concord. Big hanging lamps 

 throw their light through stained glass windows, and are reflected in 

 the phosphorecsent ripples as we row by on our way to visit a friend 

 or sit on the verandas idly blowing the after-dinner cloud. 



When one grows sleepy, the tender is hoisted up at the davits, the 

 lights put out, we tumble into our bunks, and, lulled by the scarcely 

 perceptible rocking of the ark, and the gentle lapping of the wavelets 

 alongside, sleep as if that were our manifest destiny. 



The accompanying plans show the sizes of the Cahfornia ark, and 

 may be useful to intending house-boaters in other locahties. 



I have not attempted to go very deeply into details of construction, 

 as that is a matter upon which any local shipwright or even house car- 

 penter can furnish all desired information. 



The smaller of these arks is calculated to accommodate two with 

 some degree of comfort. The float is 8xl6ft., the house 8x8, the quar- 

 ter-deck, where smoaking is allowed, 6x8. 



If built of inch stuff 1ft. wide with the seams covered with ornamen- 

 tal battens 3in. wide, the house wUl require only three roof timbers 





1 1 



















lU \ 

















AT MOORINGS. 



CABIN PLAN. - 



A, Saloon, 12x17, with piano, sideboard and transom sofas. B, Guests' stateroom, 8x12, with berth, sofa, 2 wardrobes and washstand. C, Family chamber, 10x17, with double bed, 2 sofas, 2 wardrob^^ 

 bureau and washstand. D, Reception room, 6}4x8!^, with sofa. E, Stairs to entryport. F, Bathroom, 5MX8M. with w. c, washstand and bathtub. G, Store closets under entryport. H, corridors. I, Stateroom 

 7X113^, with 2 berths, washstand, wardrobe and sofa. M, Galley or kitchen, 83^x9}-^. N, Entry to galley. O, Servants' quarters, 4 berths. P, W. c. Q, After hatch. R, Icehouse. S, After deck. T, Forward deck 



DECK PLAN. 



rt B Cockpit C Steps to deck. D. Deck, 17ft. wide, 70ft. long. E, Monitor tops to skylights. F, Steps down to forward deck. G, Whaleback over hatch. H. Galley entryport, 

 ' ^S, After deck (stores imder). T, Forward deck (stores under). 



THE WESTON HOUSE-BOAT. 



practicable and eminently satisfactory, on board your well-appointed 

 house-boat. 



Just at the time when }his article was first suggested, we received 

 the following letter and the accompanying sketches and photos from 

 an old and valued correspondent, a San Francisco yachtsman and a 

 member of the house-boat colony of that city, his tiny craft being the 

 second one from the right in the picture, with a yawl-rigged boat, the 

 Sluggamma Chuddee, beside it. The same small house-boat is shown 

 in another view, with her owner and family and aforesaid Muggamma 

 Chuddee on the beach. The letter: 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



While the Forest akd Stream has turned its attention to almost 

 everything within its province with great impartiaUty— barring of 

 course a weakness for cutters— there is one class of vessel that I 

 t hink lias not received all the notice its merits entitle it to. The merits 

 and demerits, advantages and faults of the "hundred tonner" and 

 "half rater," the canoe and the "sneak box" and the punt have all 

 been discussed at length in the columns of Forbst and Stream, but as 

 far as my knowledge extends the gentle, retiring and unobtrusive 

 "ark" or "house-boat" has been singularly neglected. Being one of 

 those who go down to the seaside in arks, it occurs to me to put in a 

 small wee plea for this kind of aquatic property. 



Some sort of description of the "house-boat" will, I suppose, be the 

 proper thing at this juncture. Firstly, it consists of a float or flat- 

 boat from 16 to 60ft. long (this and all other dimensions and details of 

 this craft are governed by the length of the proprietor's purse) and 

 from 8 to 40ft. wide, and from 17in. to 4ft. in depth. This is built en- 

 tirely with an eye to strength and durability, and with no pretensions 

 lo model; the sides straight, the ends sloping at an angle and the deck 

 perfectly flush and level. Upon this floating foundation is erected a 

 structure about 8ft. high at the eaves, and from 6in. to a foot higher 

 in the center. There should be no ridge, but the roof should extend 

 in an easy curve from side to side and oe covered wath painted canvas 

 like a steamer's deck. This will shed water like a duck's back in the 

 heaviest rain storms. The eaves may be carried out over the sides 

 and ends for shelter if desired, and the deck should be so carried out 



consist of a couple of bunks In each corner of the main room as wide 

 as an ordinarj^ double bed, with spring mattrasses and all the modern 

 improvements, curtained off and affording accommodations for eight 

 sleepers if necessary. 



As to the cost of this affair, it, like the dimensions, is a matter to be 

 regulated by the financial ability of the projector. I know one that 

 cost complete, considerablv less than $200. and another whose owner 

 didn't get ofE much under .'$3,000. One of the best we have was built by 

 the owner and his friends (clerks in stores) in their spare time. It 

 took a good while to do it, and I'm not at all sure her owner ever will 

 stop work on it, but he and his friends have been Uving in it all this 

 season. An ark can be just as simple and plain, and just as elaborate 

 and as ornate as you please, so long as the "boat" part is well built, 

 tight, and strong all is well: that is the sine qua non, there must be no 

 skimping of material there, the spikes must be long enough to hold 

 the planks, and the planks thick enough to hold the spikes and the 

 caulking. 



Now as to the uses of the ark, they are diverse, but governed, of 

 course, largely by the environment: one may be towed up some quiet 

 stream where' the fishing is good, or where milk and eggs are within 

 call, and left in charge of madam and the young ones, who can amuse 

 themselves rowing, swimming, or doing nothing, while paterfamilias 

 hies him to the neighboring raflway station on his way to the city and 

 slavery. As the headquarters of a hunting party the ark may be 

 moored in some quiet bay or creek, or on some lake far enough from 

 shore t'l avoid the blood-thirsty mosquito, but near enough to allow 

 one to place himself in touch with civilization through the medium of 

 the telesr-eph and raflway whenever it becomes necessarj-. 



My own ark is moored in a beautiful landlocked cove about five miles 

 from the city, half a mUe from the ferry, and a quarter of a mfie or so 

 from the yacht club house, and under the shelter of a high promon- 

 tory which effectually protects us from the trade winds, and the 

 summer fogs, which roll in like a dense curtain through the Golden 

 Gate, almost every afternoon. This protecting bluff is covered on its 

 lee side with a dense growth of "tejon" and scrub oak. from amidst 

 which peep out dozens of more or less pretentious vfilas; anchored 

 about me in aU directions are some twenty arlis of vai'ious styles of 



and a frame of 2x3 scantling at deck and eaves to naU the top and bot- 

 tom of the siding to, and a piece tying the corner posts together to 

 prevent the roof over th" quarter-deck from springing; the roof cov- 

 ered with light canvas and well painted will not leak in a deluge. This 

 thing can be sculled at a respectable speed if it becomes necessary to 

 move to avoid paying "ground rent" or taxes, or meeting your cred- 

 itors. 



The other structure is intended for the use of any number up to 

 eight, being double the length and width of the first. Her strength 

 would have to be proportionately increased, while the finish, appoint- 

 ments and cost may be carried to any extreme prompted by your 

 purse or experience. Her framing would have to be much more elab- 

 orate than in the case of the smaUer one, being, in fact, not unlike that 

 of a small house. 



I wUl not attempt to give any estimate of cost, as figures based upon 

 the market here would be of Uttle or no value to the majority of your 

 readers. W. B. 



San Francisco, Cal. 



The following letter takes us from San Francisco to Florida: 

 Editor Forest and Stream; 



I inclose sketch of a boat or scow that I used on Indian River a few 

 winters since. Of course it is quite different from the house-boat seen 

 on the Thames, about Kingston and Richmond, but then the cost was 

 no comparison. 



On reaching Das'tona, Fla., I at first thought of buying or charter- 

 ing some cabin boat and living on her through the winter, but I re- 

 membered the sleepless nights and contracted quarters on such craft 

 when in Florida years before, and concluded to try a new plan. 



Securing the services of a good house-carpenter (boat-builders want 

 their own way) I selected some well seasoned hard pine at the local 

 saw mill, agd in a week's time we had a scow 24x8, all caulked and 

 bottom covered with tar, and a house high enough for head room 

 7ft., of thin stuff plowed and matched, roof slightly crowned, covered 

 wdth drUUng and two good coats of paint, making it weather proof; 

 windows and doors I bought ready made at a small cost. I then pur- 



