Feb. 1G, 1895. 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
131 
hcliting. 
Apropos of tlie editorial on our first page, the Sun of Feb. 8 re- 
printed entire, without a word of acknowledgment, the interest- 
ing biographical sketch of the members of the Royal Yacht 
Squadron, which first appeared in the Forest and Stream of last 
week. _ . 
The Ratseys & Lapthorne Sail. 
Messrs. Ratsevs & Lapthorne, of Cowes and Gosport. England, 
have obtained, tinder date of March 27, 1894, an American patent 
for the peculiar cut of sail seeu here in Valkyrie's topsails and. 
headsails two years since, and shown in the accompanying illus- 
tration. In all sails the cloths are so run as to bring the heaviest 
strains in the line of the lengtii or the breadth of the canvas, and. 
as little as possible on a diagonal line, where the stretch would 
naturally be greatest. The makers claim that sails thus cut will 
stand much better during rainy or damp weather than those ot 
the usual cut; and also that they will tit the spars when new, and 
never stretch through use. The method has been tried with 
success for two seasons on a large number of British yachts, the 
remarkably fine topsails and headsails of Valkyrie and Britannia 
being cut in this way. The importance of perfect sails was never 
more thoroughly realized in America than at the present time; 
and the new method is well worth trying by American yachtsmen. 
Model Making in Plaster, Paper and Papier Mache 
Editor of Forest and Stream: It may appear strange to you that 
I should address you on the subject of model yacht building, as my 
confessed hobby is a love of dogs; but I have been greatly in- 
terested in the articles on this subjeot appearing in your valuable 
paper, and they have served to reawaken an old love for the little 
boats. 1 therefore beg a small space in quest of some information 
respecting the following method of construction. 
I did at one time attempt to build some of these yachts on tho 
"block" and "bread-and-butter" plans, but thorugh a lack in the 
skillful use of and the proper kind of tools, it did not result m the 
brilliant success, of course, anticipated. The idea occurred to me 
that some simpler method must be possible, and one in which the 
novice's mistakes would not necessitate his beginning all over 
again. This is my idea in the rough, and for the completion ot 
which Isolicit suggestionslfroni some of your readers who are 
more familiar with the materials and methods used: 
Make first an exact solid model of the hull in sculptor's clay. 
This should be simple, as the clay is very easy to shape. 1 hen 
take a plaster of Paris mould from it, and allow it to dry thor- 
oughly for several days at a moderate temperature. When the 
plaster mould is made, make an accurate cover for it of the same 
material, on the inner side of which would be a curved surface 
equal to the air space of the inter or of the hull. When both parts 
are completed and thoroughly dry, putting them together we 
should have a mould of the yacht's hull, interior and exterior, 
which, of course, would require smoothing and finishing to enable 
us to take a perfect cast from it. 
Now, having gone thus far, it remains for us to select some suit- 
able material with which to mould our yacht, and which will be 
of similar weight a ad appearance to wood. This, I think, could 
be done with paper pulp as many useful articles, such as basms, 
buckets, etc., are now manufacturen from this substance. This is 
the idea as I have it at the present moment, and to perfect or bet- 
ter it is what I wish to ask advice and suggestions about from 
your readers. 
As paper pulp is somewhat lighter than wood, bulk.for bulk, we 
might make the thickness of the sides slightly greater. When I 
mention paper pulp, I mean a composition of u that material with 
glue and resin, usually known as papier-mache. 1 have also read 
of wood fiber being used for articles previously mentioned, but 
know little of the method of preparation. The paper pulp would, 
of course, be used in a moist condition, and a method adopted to 
make the plaster mould unaffected by the action of the water ex- 
pelled by the pressure. That can be applied by the aid of an old 
letter-press or other similar screw contrivance; and also it would 
probably be necessary to box and metal-strap the parts of the 
mould to avoid any fracture during the operation of moulding. 
Should it prove difficult to take a plaster mould from the clay 
model, owing to the affinity existing between the two substances, 
the model could at a small cost be sent to a potter and fired, thus 
giving it a polished surface which could, as an additional precau- 
tion, be dusted with talcom or plumbago powder. 
Once we have a paper hull, thoroughly dried and smoothed off, 
it could be treated with a waterproof enamel paint externally and 
thus made impervious to moisture. Within the hull a number of 
coats of some similar paint or varnish could be applied, and then 
the usual method of stiffening the null might be also gone through; 
i. e., gluing in strips of linen, cut bias; the whole finished with 
more waterproof paint. Some suggestion respecting a method for 
this finishing which would obviate any tendency to warp or crack 
from the usual exposure the yacht would sustain, would be thank- 
fully received. The decking and usual metal keel, attached to 
which is the lead fin or false keel, could, with a little care, be fast- 
ened on in the usual manner. A gelatine composition might also 
be used to mould the hull, provided a simple method could be found 
which would render this material unaffected by heat. 
I hope that my crude ideas will meet with some small attention 
from other of your readers who would gladly avail themselves of 
the pleasures derived .from miniature yacht racing, if a simple 
plan could be presented whereby the construction would be ren- 
dered easier and more exact for one inexperienced in the present 
method of building. Should ;my rough plan be .sufficiently and 
properly improved upon, one could readily make two or three 
exactlv similar hulls, and thus be able to test the advantage of one 
style of rigging over another; and thus also test his own ideas and 
be able to compare them with others, choosing the one best 
adapted to his model. A. M. YOUNG. 
Our correspondent's plan would call for some method of produc- 
ing two sides precisely similar for the clay mould; there would 
also be some difiiculty, after the first plaster mould was cast, of 
making the inner mould, or core, not an exact counterpart, but 
smaller all over by the thickness of the pulp or pa per. We have 
had no experience in working pulp or papier mache, and while 
such materials can be made to give a strong and light hull, wo 
doubt whether the method of working is within the reach of the 
amateur, very strong moulds and heavy presses being required. 
From what we have seen of linenoid, made by Crane Bros., of 
Westfield, Mass., it would be an admirable material for a model 
yacht hull, but we do not know whether it is used as a pulp or in 
sheets in applying to the moulds. We'copy the following, bearing 
ou the same subject, from the Yachtsman, of Jan. 17-24. As nearly 
all models are built from designs, tne method of reproducing by 
the wooden sections and plaster has advantages over moulding in 
clay. 
The following may interest some of our readers who are fond of 
designing, and may enable them to turn out a highly finished 
model for some of the exhibitions which have become so numerous 
of late. Lay the sections oil on thin strips of wood, cut them out, 
and mount them by gluing, as in making an ordinary skeleton 
model." Be careful to space them without allowance for the thick- 
ness of the wood; namely, if the sections are 1 1-2 ins. apart, see 
that the space between each piece is 1 1-2 ins. Then get some plas- 
ter of Paris and mix it with water, fill up the spaces with this, 
and smooth it over roughly with a knife before the plaster is quite 
dry. It will cut easily for about twenty minutes, and by this time 
you will have faired it off to reach the wood of each section, the 
edges of .which should be cut square and not bevelled. 
Let the plaster harden, and then smooth it fair with sandpaper, 
taking care not to injure the edges of the wood sections. After 
this, insert an ordinary table-knife between the plaster and the 
board, and each piece of the plaster will come off clean from be- 
tween the sections. Fasten these pieces together with thin plaster 
and again smooth the whole with sandpaper; the model will then, 
be completed. To give it a perfectly smooth surface, as smooth 
as china, coat it with a mixture of size and whiting, finishing off 
with line sandpaper. This is a very speedy and accurate way of 
making a model, and if the knife or chisel goes too deep at any 
place, all that is necessary is to mix a little plaster and fill up the 
defect. 
To "manifold" a model, or make fac-similes from one, unmount 
the model and put it on a plain board, giving the whole a coat of 
1 i useed oil. Get a box large enough to take the model and fill it 
with dissolved gelatine; place the model in the gelatine and leave 
it to harden to a thick jelly;; lift the model out, it will come away 
easily, and pour thin plaster of Paris into the mould left. Then, 
when this has hardened, take it out and smooth as before, with 
fine sandpaper and size and whiting. The plaster sets very rapidly, 
and care must be taken not to mix too much at a time, else it may 
harden in the can before the operator has time to use the half of 
it Once wet. it will not work up again. 
The following appeared a week later in the same paper: 
"In page 224 of last week's issue, directions were given for mod- 
elling yachts in plaster of Paris. As it may be desirable to make 
an exact copy for sailing from this model, it can be done by the 
following method: Having perfected your plaster model as di- 
rected, saturate it thoroughly with boiled oil, allowing time for it 
to dry in. Now provide a solution, half glue and half flour paste; 
keep hot in an ordinary glue kettle while using. Proceed to paste 
coarse porous brown paper in pieces about four inches square over 
your plaster model, beginning at the starboard bow and working 
regularly round to the port Rub the glue solution well on the 
surface of the paper Upon this again put layer upon layer of the 
paper, working regularly round from bow to bow until you have a 
1-4-in. thickness; rubbing well down all the time. 
"Let it stand on. the mould three or four days, until thoroughly 
hard. It will now easily leave the plaster-model, which is not in 
the least damaged, and you will then find a strong paper boat, very- 
light, and harder than wood When thoroughly dry and hard, put 
it on the mould again, and with coarse sandpaper rub it well down, 
until you have a perfectly smooth surface. To make it impervious 
to moisture, saturate well inside and out with boiled oil. Two 
coats are enough to make it perfectly water-tight. When this is 
quite dry, varnish inside with shellac varnish. The lead ballast 
can now be put inside the keel, which is nollow to receive it, but, 
if preferable, fit a piece of wood into the holiow keel, fixing the 
lead on the outside by driving screws through into the wood. At 
this stage a socket had better be made for the foot of the mast. 
"If the boat is about 40 in. long, you may put four beams across, 
screwing them to the sides by short, large-headed screws. Be- 
tween each beam screw on the inside short pieces of wood. 
"Having cut your wooden deck roughly, and made the mast 
hole, put it on the top of the boat, and put screws through into the 
beams and the intermediate pieces of wood. The joining between 
the deck and the sides is next to be filled with marine glue. Warm 
the marine glue before the fire until you can pull it out into long 
strings. Lay these on the joining, and run in with a hot iron. 
Trim the edges of the deck, and paint. Give the deck a coat of 
shellac varnish. When finished, it is impossible for anyone to tell , 
either by feeling or appearance, what material it is made of, and 
with < omparatively little labor the result is a strong, water-tight 
model yacht." 
most of them, and not forget to foot also; this I attribute to having 
rather more lateral surface for her size than most boats, and to the 
sa ls, which on account of the battens are very flat. The jib has a 
sprit from stay to clew like a Cape cat." 
The table offsets for the original boat is as follows: 
CD 
o 
Heights above e.w.t. 
Hat.f-BkeA.dths. 
S 
to 

Keel. 
Chine, 
Deck. 
Chine. 
Deck. 
Stem 
1 8 1 
1 
11" 
i 
1 
11" 
1 5 
1 11 
2 
*!i B 
u» 
li 
.&« ' 
i % Hi-' ' 
1 ! 3 
o 
*l 
4 
■ v 
or 
2 5 T 
1 
2 5* 
4 
*1 3 
l 
p 
3 0 1 
:.! + 
5 
*1 I 4 
1 
Si 2 
a 
& 
*r 
* $ 
4' 
I 3 
2 M 
4 1 
7 
2" 
2. 
■•§5 i 
3 p 
2 ll) 3 
8 
1 2 
1 
1 
z if 
8 2 B 
Tr 
1 
1 a 
Z * Depths below 1. w. 1. 
The stations are 3 ft. Hpait, No. 5, amidship being 9 ft. 11 m. irom 
fore end of 1. w. 1. The transom takes 6 in. The forward end ot 
the centerboard slot is 2 ft. 11 1-2 in. from forward end of 1. w. 1. 
The length of slot is 7 ft. 1 1-4 in. 
It will suggest itself to the reader that after making the half 
model of, say, the starboard s : de from the wooden moulds and 
plaster filling, the same moulds may be set up reversed, on the 
other side of the mould board, to give the port side, both sides 
when completed, being joined by thin plaster to make a complete 
model. The matrix could be cast from this model; after which 
the model could be reduced all over to allow for the proposed 
thickness of the pulp. This could be done by making a simple cut- 
ter, a block of wood with a steel blade projecting the required 
Tarpon Springs Y. €• 
Tarpon Springs, Fla., Feb. 3.— We do not have any 89ft. Cup de- 
fenders on the Gulf , Coast, but after all of your readers get 
through discussing the "new deed of gift," they may find time to 
read about how we enjoy yacht racing during tho winter months 
in ' 1 the Land of Flowers." On Saturday. Jan. 19, five of the boats 
of the Tarpon Spring Y. 0. sailed around the Spring Bayou, with 
a light westerly breeze, ready to start the first weekly regatta 
when the two o'clock whistle sounded. We start at two o clock 
1 HE BAUSLYS & LAllEORNE SAIL. 
distance, say, 1-4 in. With this, grooves of uniform depth could 
be cut on the model in various directions, the material between 
the grooves being then removed with a rasp, and the whole sur- 
face refinished with sandpaper. As we understand the second 
method given above, the finished model of paper must be larger 
than the plaster model from which it is made. We shall be glad 
to hear from any of our readers who may have had experience 
with either plaster, paper or pulp. 
The Skipjack Myra. 
Mr. W. F. Nason, the designer and builder of the modern skip- 
jack illustrated in the Forest and Stream of Nov. 3, 1894, writes as 
follows, in answer to many inquiries received from our readers. 
From the additional inquiries which we have received, it is evi- 
dent that the little boat has attracted much attention and she cer- 
tainly has much to recommend her both in actual merit and low 
cost. 
"The cost of material was about seventv-five dollars; this in- 
cludes rigging and cloth for sailing, my brother and myself doing 
all the work, including making the sails. 
"The sails are made of heavy drill, and have three battens of 
hard pine 7-8 in. in diameter^ running through pockets at the rows 
of reef points. Without the battens, perhaps heavier cloth would 
be needed, say, 6 oz. duck. 
"The centerboard is of wood. A metal board would be better, 
perhaps, but would add to the cost. 
"The cabin gives good room for two persons to sleep in, one on 
each side of centerboard trunk. Four have slept there, and seven 
took refuge there during a thunder-shower. How they stowed 
themselves, I do not know, for I was not there. The height is scant, 
hardly enough to sit upright on the floor under the companion 
slide. I think the house could be made 6 in. higher at after end 
without hurting the sailing qualities much. 
''I had the top of the house arranged so that by unscrewing the 
bolts with which it was fastened it could be lifted up to give as 
much height as needed; but I never raised it, as with the tent over 
the cockpit I had room enough, and found no occasion to take the 
extra trouble. The cockpit is covered with canvas on sides and 
bottom, and painted, and is drained by holes into centerboard 
trunk. Some persons object to the bottom being planked ath wart- 
ships, saying that it increases the resistance, and doubting the 
strength of such a construction; but I think the difference in re- 
sistance is but little, and as for strength I have sailed her in a 
strong wind with seven persons aboard and sailed with all the cloth 
she could lug with four men to windward, and I cannot see that 
she has been strained in the least. In sailing with other boats to 
windward I find that she can lay about half a point closer than 
sharp, and allow five minutes to cross the line. Dr. Reed, of At- 
lantic City, N. J., was out for his first race in his new boat, Mica'h- 
opy; this boat was modeled by the Reed family and built at Atlan- 
tic City, to show that they could compete successfully with South 
Boston in building racers, and also have them able to stand the 
rough storms of the Gulf around Trouble Creek. Dr. Reed showed 
his usual good judgment in sending to Wilson & Silsby for his sail, 
for the firm do know how to make a handsome sail and one that 
will fit. 
Capt. Noblits was out for the first time in the Lucie B, since he 
had a new and larger suit of sails. Noblits had his coat off, which 
is a sure sign he was "out for ulood." Capt. Clemson is sailing his 
old Ifavorite, Topsy; his first race since he bent his new sail, also 
made by Wilson & Silsby. It is a perfect sail, and will push the 
Topsy to the front every time there is a good smart sailing breeze. 
Mr* Disston is sailing his boat, built in Philadelphia last year, 
and means to warm the boys before the winter is over. 
Topsy was the first to cross the starting line, closely followed 
by Silver King— a boat designed and built by the celebrated firm 
of Geo. F. Lawley & Father, of South Boston, and the old salts 
say the lines was taken from the well-known "Boston Bean Pot." 
It was whispered around the yard that George and ^Ad. put up 
a job on the owner, and gave him one reef more sail than they 
thought he could stagger under; but those two boys often get left 
with their jokes, for the Silver King wins every time, blow high or 
blow low, and stands ready to sail any boat in the Gulf of Mexico 
for money or marbles, first down, next come on. 
The water was very low in the Bayou, which made it very diffi- 
cult to beat out the narrow channel. We heard, many a prayer, 
which went to prove that some boat had touched bottom, and the 
owner didn't like it. Horace stopped a second to kill some of his 
favorite sand-flies, and let Topsy's centerboard touch bottom, 
which put her into second place. 
Sh'wdy the fleet sailed around the course, the Silver King in the 
lead and Topsy a good second, the balance of the fleet having a 
close fight in the rear. Noblits strained every nerve and did his 
level best, but his favorite favorable puff never came, so he had 
to be contented to tie Dennis in timo. Dr. Reed brought up the 
rear, but will do much better when he gets a longer mast and sails 
his new boat a bit. 
A large number of ladies and gentlemen witnessed the race from 
the plank walk, and the Lovers' Retreat. After the race was over 
the old salts clustered around the spring, talked over the race, and 
proved to their satisfaction that it was no trick worth doing to win 
on the club's inside course, and told with a merry twinkle in their 
eyes how they would do up the Commodore's Silver King -when 
they cotehed him out on the Gulf. 
This racing of small yach ts may seem boy's play to some, but 
