450 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[June 1, 1895. 
VENDETTA Cabin Plan. 
Vendetta. 
THE SEMI-FIN TPYE. 
Speed being the sole consideration, and the Herfeshoff fin-keels hav- 
ng been uniformly successful over other types in all the smaller classes 
n which they have been tried, there would seem to be good grounds 
for the adoption of the extreme fin-keel type in the new Cup defender 
building at the Bristol works. Of the experiments of other designers 
n large yachts of this type, Jubilee, so far as she goes, is an argument 
for the fin; and the unsuccessful Pilgrim is but a negative argument 
against it. While trying the fin type this year in a larger class than 
before— in two important boats, the 20-raters Niagara and Isolde; in 
the most important of all, the boat which is to be hi3 masterpiece and 
which is to once more retain the America's Cup — Mr. Herreshoff has 
stopped short of the extreme bulb fin, and has taken up instead tbe 
ntermediate and partially developed type which may be termed the 
semi-fin-keel. 
Contrary to a common idea, the extreme bulb fin-keel is by no means 
an isolated and independent invention, but tbe legitimate result of a 
regular course of evolution extending over some seven or eight years. 
At one particular point of this evolution, however, the change is so 
rapid as to mislead those who have not given close attention to the 
subject. In the search for higher speed in racing, all the designers of 
late years have worked together in certain definite directions— the re- 
duction of displacement and wetted surface, the expansion of the 
dimensions, especially beam and draft; the lightening of the hull and 
the increasing of the proportionate amount of ballast to displacement, 
with a very great increase of the length of lever on which the ballast 
acts. Starting from the moderate type of cutter found on both sides 
of the Atlantic about 1888, such as Minerva, Vreda, Dragon and the 
American 40 and 80-footers, each successive year has shown a more 
rapid cutting away of deadwood, both forward and aft, and a much 
more pronounced hollow to the floor. 
The building of Gloriana, in 1891, marked a most important and in- 
teresting stage of development; this yacht, while still closely allied to 
the normal cutler, possessed a number of novel and extreme features; 
but, at the same time, her extraordinary model by no means prepared 
yachtsmen for what was soon to follow, in the bulb-fin-keel Dilemma, 
VENDETTA, 
built late in the same year. The motives which led Mr. Herreshoff fc o 
take the wide step from Gloriana to Dilemma in the course of a fe w 
months, and in thus doing to pass completely over one very interestin g 
stage of development, have never been known ; it is worth noting, how- 
ever, that after four years' experience and with remarkable success, 
n the fin type, he has gone back in the new Cup defender to the im, 
mediate type of semi-fin, which fills the gap between Gloriana and 
Dilemma. 
The.cutting away process to which we have alluded as one of the 
most striking characteristics of modern designing, not only bad its 
origin on the other side of the Atlantic, but, owing to the greatly in- 
reased amount of building and racing which prevails there, the pro- 
gress has been more regular each year, and not intermittent as on this 
side. Instead of a phenomenal boat a Volunteer, a Gloriana or a Vigi- 
ant at irregular intervals of three or four years, each season in 
British waters shows a certain improvement in the new boats over the 
old. making it much easier to trace the progress of design as influenced 
by many complicated causes. The changes from such cutters as 
Thistle and Minerva to yachts of very much hollower section and ex- 
treme dimensions, but still of the same construction: and from the 
atter to the extreme fin-keel, may be studied in their regular sequence 
n the work of the British designers since 18 s 7-8. 
We areMndebted to the designer. Mr. Arthur E. Payne, of the firm of 
Summers & Payne, Southampton, for the permission to publish the 1 ines 
of one of the first large yachts of the semi-fin type, the cutter Ven- 
detta, a racing ^O-rater. With a wide and comparatively shallow hull, 
and a deep and thin keel with bulbed lead that may almost be classed 
as a distinct appendage, she forms a connecting link between other 
Payne cutters, such as Decima (1889) and Corsair (1892), and the plate 
fin type, and at the same time she possesses many of those extreme 
features which characterize Mr Herreshoff s Vigilant, the wide beam, 
the flaring top«ides, the very full waterline, the long overhangs, tbe 
great hollow to the floor, the deep, thin keel, and the loDg, easy 
diagonals. The forward overhang is shorter, there being more of a 
"Roman nose," but the angles of stem and horn timber with the 
wate.- are probably quite as small as in Vigilant. While the methods 
of tne two designers are widely different, there is a remarkable agree- 
in nit in the selection of so many identical points of advantage. 
In 1892 Mr. Payne designed and built the 40-rater Corsair for Admiral 
th-s Hon. Victor Montague, who raced her through the season, winning 
13 first prizes, 8 second and one other for 42 starts, with £695 in money, 
taking the Queen's Cup of the Royal Yacht Squadron from Mrteor 
(Thistle) and Mohawk. Late in the fail Admiral Montague ordered a 
new 40 from Messrs. Summers & Payne, and the design was made by 
Mr. Payne in December, 1892, the yacht being ready early nejst sea- 
son, v endetta is a fine example of semi-composite construction, steel 
frames and deck beams amidships, and mahogany planking She 
came out originally with the after edge of the deadwood very nruch 
hollowed out and a balance rudder of the "spade" form, with which 
she steered very badiy. The other forms of detached rudders were 
tried with no better results, and then tbe hollow in the deadwood was 
filled in by a straight sternpost, as shown, and a rudder of the con- 
ventional form added, after which there was no trouble in the steer- 
ing. Her record for the season was 33 starts, with 11 first and 7 other 
prizes, amounting to £490. She is the longest of the 40 raters, being 
60ft. 6in. J.w.l., or nearly a foot above the average, and with propor- 
tionately less sail; and. like some other yachts built under the Y R A 
rule, she undoubtedly had a little too much body for the sail, a serious 
matter in such a season of light winds as 1893 proved to be. It is quite 
probaole that the real merits of the design would have bein bet'er 
tested had the length been kept to about 59ft. l.w.l. with a proportion- 
ate reduction of the other dimensions and something over 4,000 sq ft 
of sail. Vendetta's dimensions are: 
Length over all 84ft. 3in. 
Overhang, bow , , 8ft. lOin. 
stern 15ft. 
Length l.w.l 60ft. Sin. 
Beam, extreme 17ft. 
l.w.l 16ft. 3in. 
Least freeboard, top of rail , 3ft. 3in. 
D raft, extreme 1 1 ft. 9in. 
Sail area, sq. ft 3.963 
Rating, Y. R. A. rule 40 
Her accomodations are excellent, a long forecastle, good pantry and 
captain's room, fine saloon with owner's cabin adjoining; the usual 
ladies' cabin aft, and a sofa and bed berth abreast the steerage, with 
an ample sail locker in the run. There is good headroom, and also 
stowage place below the floor; though intended for racing, the yacht 
is fully and comfortably fitted and furnished, and in no sense a mere 
shell. 
For a British yacht, Vendetta is exceptionally wide, and one cannot 
fail to admire the manner in which this extreme beam is handled, in 
fact the whole form of the boat bears testimony to the Bkill and to the 
artistic perceptions of the designer. With a very full waterline and 
an extremely holl iw section, every curve is fair and natural, and the 
design shows no attempts at that forcing of the lines which is becom- 
ing more and more a feature of fin de siecle designing. 
The co-effioient of the midship section is very small indeed, but 
thirty per cent, of the circumscribing parallelogram; and, taken 
throughout, the design represents the extreme limit of the normal 
cutter type, just short of the fin-keel. 
So far as match sailing goes, the difference in speed in favor of the 
full fin as compared to the semi-fin type is decisively in favor of the 
former; but by too small a margin to justify tbe encouragement of 
the former in other than the very small classes. Such a midship sec- 
tion as that of Vendetta makes is not naturally a t trong boat, the long 
lft. more draft, and much the same rake of sternpost, the heel of the 
keel being carried deeper and the fore end cut away, giving a curve 
instead of a straight lineto the lower part of the keel. 
Naphtha Launch Licenses. 
The bills introduced into the New York Legislature to require"* 
license for operating naphtha launches did not pas*. The proposition 
was a ridiculous one, and we shall probably hear no more of it. 
YACHTING NEWS NOTES. 
Thomas Clapham is now building, or has just finished, two racing 
catboats, 20ft, in length, for H. McK. Thombly, for use on Saranac 
Lake. One of them is built of cedar, with oak timbers. The other is 
entirely of mahogany, with oak timbers. Two /acing and cruising 
yawl rig boats, about 20ft. in length by 7ft. beam, sharp at both ends. 
One of these is for H. Musgrave, Chicago. The other for F. B. De 
Graw. Amboy, N. J. He is also at work on plans and model of a 45 t. 
sharpie yacht for a South American (Buenos Ayres) gentleman ; and 
i? making models and plans ordered by parties in Tasmania, Austra- 
lia, for two 21 footers, 33ft. over all, to race against the two boats of 
that class, Ventura and Fairlie. One of the latter is by Mr. Watson, 
the other by Mr. Fife. 
Steam Launches. 
Marine Ikon Works, Cuicago, have just issued their 1895 catalogue 
mailed free. — Adv. 
VENDETTA 40-Rater, Designed m Arthur E. Payne for Admiral Montague— 1892. 
From a Photo by Sweet & Kenloch. 
frames with their two sharp curves and the flat floor between cannot 
compare with the more compact form of such a cutter as Minerva, and 
calls for careful bracing; but still such bracing is easily possible. 
Even in such an extreme form as in Vendetta, however, there is an 
immense excess of strength over such a construction of hull and fin 
as was illustrated in our issue of May 11. in the fin-keel 20-raters. Tt 
is quite possible that if the occassion arises the problem of construct- 
ing a 90ft. fin-keel in which the fin shall not only be amply strong and 
rigid in itself but in its attachment to the hull as well, may be satis- 
factorily solved; but it is easily seen that the semi-fin form is far 
better adapted to secure both strength and lightness. 
A great deal has been said in praise of the large fin-keel on the 
score of accommodation, and it is claimed that such a hull as Jubilee 
gives excellent living space. So far as the actual living and sleeping 
apartments are concerned, this is no doubt the case; meagre as the 
room is in a fin-keel of 5 to 6ft. depth of hull, when we come to such 
a length as will give a depth of say 7ft., the accommodation is very 
satisfactory. The long, sausage-like hull will have clear headroom 
for about three-fourths of the waterline length, which would cut up 
into wide square rooms, to which would be added a long and large 
forecastle, though with limited headroom and a similar space for sails 
and gear in the run. At the same time this is by no means all that is 
required in a large yact if the owner would liive aboard ; there must 
be stowage space for anchors, chains, ice. coal, stores and sundries; 
in fact, in a cruising craft about one-third of the total internal capa- 
city is profitably utilized in this way. Those who have been in the 
hold of Genesta or Galatea, the extreme narrow cutters, will remem- 
ber the surprising amount of space out of sight below the cabin floors, 
and every inch utilized to good purpose. Without this hidden space 
even the elegant and comfortable rooms above « ould not have made 
possible such continued and comfortable life afloat as the owners of 
thess yachts enjoyed, whether cruising or racing. 
It is in this respect, of necessary stowage room, that the big fin-keels 
are lacking as habitable yachts, the living space proper is worked 
clear out to the skin of the boat, much as in the old centerboard sloop, 
and neither below the floor nor at the sides under the deck is there any 
amount of stowage room. Where there is nothing in view but a 
few special raoes, the crew being berthed and fed on other vessels, 
this is a small matter, but where all-around use In yachting is con- 
cerned, the fin keel is sadly at a disadvantage. 
The semi-fin type shows up far better in this respect, what with 
steel or light composite construction, and the ballast largely bulbed 
ouiside tbe hull proper, there is a large amount of useful space 
beneath the floor. Even in such craft as Vigilant and Vendetta there 
is enough space to make a material addition to the main accomodation 
of the boat. 
An interesting point about the design of Vondetta is that, if the 
waterline be assumed as 90 ft. instead of its true length, the propor- 
tionate dimensions will be:— over alt 123ft. L w. 1. 90ft, beam 25ft. 6 
in., draft 17ft 6 in. With possibly a few inches more draft, these 
would be excellent dimensions. From all accounts, the new Cup de- 
fender will be of the same general type, but with about 2ft. less beam, 
jtnoqmg* 
FIXTURES.. 
JUNE. 
15. Red Dragon spring regatta, Delaware River-.. 
15. New York spring regatta, Bensonhurst. 
New York chal. cup, first trial race. 
New York chal. cup, second trial race. 
Marine and Field club annual, Bath Beaeh. 
22 
29 
89. 
AMERICAN CANOE ASSOCIATION, 1895. 
Commodore, Walter C. Witherbee, Port Henry, N Y. 
Sec'y-Treas., Chas. E. Cragg, Port Henry, New York. 
Librarian, W. P. Stephens, Bayonne, N. J. 
PURSERS. 
Atlantic Division, Thomas Hale, Jr., Yonkers. N. Y 
Central Division, W. S. Hackett, Albany, N. Y. 
Eastern Division, R. W. Cutler, Winchester, Mass. 
Northern Division, E. F. Burritt, Ottawa, Canada. 
Annual dues, §1; initiation fee. $1. Applications tor- membership., 
must be made to the Purser of applicant's divisioa, from whom 
blanks for the purpose may be obtained. 
A SUMMER CRUISE ALONG THE 
CHESAPEAKE. 
BY ABEL BOWEN NORMS. 
[Concluded from page U00\ . 
There are two lighthouses at Smith's Point, a lofty, old- 
fashioned tower on the mainland, and a very pretty 
modern structure on iron piles at the outer edge of the 
bar, fully two miles from shore; otherwise the place is. 
bleak, barren and dangerous. I crossed just inside the 
outer lighthouse, and hauled closer to the wind, south by 
west, for the mouth of Great Wicomico River, intending 
if the breeze died out to make harbor there for the night. 
The breeze held good, however, and at noon Great Wi- 
comico was abeam. I determined to keep on and reach a, 
