FOREST PAND [STREAM. 
April 6, 1895. 
placed Sin. below the water, there being no opportunity to intro- 
duce a self-bailing well without serious disadvantages. The 
breadth of the well, 20in., allo ws an 8in. side deck. 
The centerplate trunk is built with l-2in. headledges, leaving 
sufficient width in the trunk for the lifting handle of the center- 
plate. The slot through the keel, however, is just wide enough 
for the 3-16-in. plate to pass freely. The handle is a separate cast- 
ing, slotted out to span the upper corner of the plate, and secured 
to it by rivets. The after ends of the handle on each side of plate 
are not tapered down, but left full thickness, 5-32 in, and when 
the plate is fully down they rest in the keel and prevent it falling 
ower. A knot may also be tried in the lifting pendant, just out- 
side the check block, for the same purpose. The pin is of 3-Sin. 
brass, firmly fastened in the plate, the ends projecting 5-82. On 
the inside of tVie trunk at the fore lower corner, just above the 
keel, are two brass' castings of a V shape, one fastened to each 
side of the trunk. When the plate is shipped, it is dropped down 
the trunk until the ends of the pins or stud rest in the two V 
plates. 
HsThere is a deck hatch forward and another aft. giving access to 
the two compartments. The coaming is pointed and flaring. The 
sliding seat, droprudder and deck tiller are of the usual canoe 
type. The total sail area was limited by the owners to llOsq. ft., 
the cut of the sails selected by the owners being the very servicea- 
ble one so well tested by long use. In proportioning the sail, every- 
thing was governed by the positions of the masts, the mainmast 
being stepped as far forward as the construction would admit, 
6in. forward of the l.W.l.; and the mizzenmast close against the 
sliding seat. Even then the absence of a scag promised too strong 
a weather helm unless the mizzen was kept down in size, the fig- 
ures finally selected being 75sq. ft. for the mainsail and 35 for the 
mizzen, or 110 in all. - 
The specifications presented by tne St. Lawrence River bkiff. 
Canoe and Steam Launch Company in tendering for the order, as 
given below, call for the highest quality of work. Two methods 
of construction were shown by sections of canoes, in one the 
planks being ship lapped, and in the other the seams being 
caulked by a thread laid in grooves in the adjoining edges of each 
plank: the grooves being cut, and the thread laid in one plank by 
a special tool. " 
Specifications for three sailing canoes (new type, as designed by 
Mr W. P. Srephens) for Messrs. Elliot, Schieft'elin & Stewart. 
Each canoe as follows: Length over all 15ft , length l.w.l. about 
12ft. fiin., beam extreme 36in., other dimensions as per drawings, 
oak keel, stem and sternpost hackmatack natural crook, floor tim- 
bers, oak; frames, oak or rock elm: planKing, Spanish cedar top- 
streak: rest, white cedar; 5-ltiin. before smoothing down; con- 
struction, new blind doable caulked method, copper riveted and 
"watertight bulkheads fore and aft (guaranteed tight), of two 
thicknesses 3-lbin. or l-4in.; white cedar and Spanish cedar or 
mahogany (latter showing inside of cockpit), each bulkhead in- 
closing thickness of canvas, lapped under bulkhead, and whole 
fitted between special bulkhead frame. 
Deck beams, cedar; cockpit coaming, mahogany or quartered 
sycamore; decks, mahogany or Spanish cedar; caps, mahogany or 
quartered sycamore; deck hatches fore and aft, raised above 
decks and set over; centerboard trunk, oak or cedar, capped with 
same kind of wood as used in decks. 
Plate brass centerboard not to exceed 501bs.; polished brass droD 
rudder: polished brass Baker or Butler lock thwartship deck 
steering gear, complete with chain, turnbuckles, etc.; main and 
mizzen travelers, polished brass (attached or sent separate, as 
preferred); polished brass jam cleats, "Blanche" cleats and "alli- 
gator" cleats, and boxwood deadeyes, not to he affixed, but to be 
supplied, with screws, etc., for same; wire rope tackle and check 
block for centerboard hoisting gear. 
Sliding deck seat 36in. over all. Suit sails llOsq. ft. area, or area 
as per design. Two hollow spruce masts made two pieces in 
length, shells 5-16in. or 1-iin. cemented, then tightly wound di- 
agonally with elastic duck, glued as wound, then painted spruce 
color, rubbed down, varnished and rubbed down again and again 
till smooth surface; two hollow spruce booms, same as masts, ex- 
cept in size, and instead of being canvas wound and glued and 
painted, to be varnished natural color and served at intervals of 
18in. or2Jin, Sail material, imported Union Silk, close bighted, 
edged with non-elastic web: one reef (quick reefing line gear) to 
©3jCll S3.il ■ 
Aluminum head gear to masts; two boxwood deadeyes lashed to 
each yard; double halliards to each sail, mainsail halliards to lead 
through double block at stemhead; sail fittings complete; cordage 
to be the kind known as the English canoe cordage, or of best 
braided linen cord obtainable. 
Two mast tubes and brass mast plates, 2 3-4in. diameter at deck; 
two movable water plugs in keel; one ventilation water plug In 
each bulkhead; removable floor boards to cockpit; brass stem 
band; all fastenings brass or copper; woodwork under decks (that 
is, inside) to have one coat of oil and one coat of spar composition; 
outside to be highly finished natural color in navalite two coats; 
all material to be selected and workmanship first-class through- 
out. 
Yankee's Races This Year. 
It'may be taken to go without debate or call that from 1886 up to 
1892'the American sailing canoe, for racing purposes, went ahead 
in bounds and leaps toward the fastest racing machine under the 
rules of that country. With the unlimited Hnil area and un- 
limited sliding deck seat allowed in America, it was yearly more 
hopeless for the English canoe, bred under narrow limits, to hope 
to compete with success against the "unlimited" canoe in her own 
waters. But, after all, what was it beyond a practical demon- 
stration that superior driving power, permissibly applied to equal 
hulls without taxation, was bound to win the trick in every race, 
bar accidents. Superior driving power, of course, here includes 
sail area and length of sliding seat; — that is, ability to forcibly 
carry the largest sail area on the smallest hull. 
With the very large fleets of racing canoes in America this 
game might have been, and doubtless was, expected to last well 
on for many years; but it has gone down in the same rapid and 
unsatisfactory manner that it has in England, and now, on all 
hands, they are on the same lookout for something more sensible, 
more useful, and more marketable, as we were a couple of years 
ago. The 30-in. hike-balanced gossamer is in the States passing 
into the fossilized state of extinct species; but, even in its decline, 
we are, here in England, again threatened with a challenge by 
one of the declining machines— the Yankee, a 16ft. by 30in. water- 
tight cylinder, with a sail plan and sliding man superimposed. 
The Yankee was raced here all last season, and was thoroughly 
beaten as to winning, but we venture to say that in straight-away 
speed in a steady breeze, in which she could keep- her bottom in 
the water, we doubt if there was a canoe with us that could hold 
her; but then, of course, races are not won by mere straight-on- 
end speed. Yankee was poor to windward, hopeless in short 
tacking, and, we might venture to add, very doubtful as to a per- 
former in really rough water. But when she comes back from 
America, where she is said to be undergoing considerable altera- 
tions, her keel rockered at each end, probably her rig changed, 
possibly a bulb-keel fitted, what may we, or ought we not to ex- 
pect? All depends on the course to be sailed, and the wind and 
sea that may prevail, a beating or a solemn event. 
As to the racing for sailing canoes, the programme of the Royal 
Canoe Club is not yet settled as to locality or time; but with the 
certainty of more than one outside challenge for the £50 cup this 
year, it is highly desirable that the racing should be conducted at 
one place, and be spread over sufficient t ; me for tuning-up to 
racing form and for mending after possible accident; also in such 
manner only as following out the programme over one course can 
the niceties of tidal set. shoal water, and wind vagaries be fairly 
grasped by competitors before the important international race. 
Whatever the ultimate choice of locality may be, one thing the 
club is pledged to is that it shall be on open or tidal water, a vast- 
ly different kind of racing to the placid Bourne End Reach, high 
up the Thames inland; and where soe'er it be we must not hold 
our American visitor in her altered state as of the same racing 
form as she exhibited last year; and. further, the Royal Canoe 
Club has to look to the fact that competitors of undoubted "go" 
are coming from other districts to fight for the Thames trophy. 
Possibly in such circumstances the old club will see the advisa- 
bility of organizing more than one cup defender, especially as the 
Dragon, the only one we hear of, of up to date form, is scarcely 
all that might be suggested for heavy open water, though excel- 
lent, no doubt, for moderately smooth water.— The Field. 
TYankee is now in New York, where she recently arrived by 
steamer, on her way to Clayton for alterations 
A. C- A. Membership. 
Eastern Division: Edward H. Kendrick, William N. Stark, 
Louis'W. Southgate and Richard C. Cleveland, Worcester, Mass.; 
E. B. Huston and W. D. Huston, Auburndale, Mass, 
