Nov. SI, 1896. 
FOREST AND STREAM^ 
418 
A FIRST ATTEMPT AT YACHT 
BUILDING. 
BY B. P. MORRIS. 
(^Concluded from page SOB.) 
TiMK of launching approached. Those fears which no 
doubt many a builder of boats has felt beset me by day and 
by night. By day there was the horrible dread that a mis- 
take in addition might have misplaced the ballast or that 
some radical defect in the plan would turn my work into 
ignominious failure. By night I dreamed of her, and 1 rose 
feverish one morning after having seen a vision of her in the 
water turning slowly over, lifting her ton of iron lightly into 
the air and fairly waggling it in my face before collapsing 
into a mass of splinters. It is, I think, just here that the 
amateur designer wishes for -a kind of information which 
the books do not, perhaps cannot, give. He would like to 
know that a boat whose lines and sail plan are before him 
on a certain day, with a wind of twenty-five miles an hour, 
went to windward under jib and single-reefed mainsail and 
heeled down to within 3in. of her deck; or that another boat, 
also fully described, was found to roll her boom nnder in 
running before a heavy sea. In other words, if to the im- 
mense service which the designers have already done us 
they could add the further service of more precise data as to 
the performance of boats it would be a great relief to the 
anxious beginner. My relief came, however, when we got 
the boat into the water and she actually floated ; and when I 
heard a friendly shout from the shore, "Her waterline's all 
right," I was triumphant. 
She was tried for a few days around Pemaquid, and about 
oOOlbs. of ballast put inside to bring her fu]iy down to her 
designed lines, but she was really an unknown boat when we 
had full sail. In general, though, she is not tender, I think 
I shall need to reef somewhat sooner than others. But this 
slight disadvantage is inseparable from the other good qual- 
ities of a low powered boat. 
Speed is a relative thing, and in putting it into the list of 
desired qualities I meant only that I did not want to be at 
the tail of the procession which moves down the harbor 
every pleasant afternoon. Speed in comparison with a racing 
fin-keel was of course impossible. The tests to which we 
were able to put the boat in cruising from Maine to New 
Haven were necessarily accidental and inconclusive, but 
they showed in a general way that she would not be left be- 
hind even by much larger craft of the kind one meets in an 
afternoon's sailing. In one harbor, where we lay for some 
days, we tried conclusions with two larger boats, about 24 to 
38ft. waterline, and easily beat them in going to windward, 
Before the wind they beat us, but very little. 
On Sept. 4 Ave ran from Portland Harbor to York, forty 
nautical miles, between 5:35 A. M. and 3:05 P, M., a little 
over four knots an hour, part of the time with light wind. 
We left Provincetown a,t 3 :40 and passed Nausett Beacons at 
10:10, twenty-six miles in 6h. 30m., part of it to windward. 
We got up anchor iu Newport Harbor close to the small 
stone beacon at ;35, reached down to Point Judith and 
sailed close-hauled to the red buoy off Watch Hill, twenty- 
eight and one-half miles, at 12-10, having made three short 
tacks inshore. We made seven runs of thirty- eight to forty 
and one half miles, nautical, anchoring always before dark 
and only once being more than twelve hours under way. 
Four knots an hour looks small to people who do not 
measure distances on a chart, but for an average of a day's 
sailing in an 18ft. boat I think it satisfactory, though cer- 
tainly not remarkable. T have no doubt that some of the 
fast catboats in New Haven Harbor will beat me very 
nicely, but I feel suie also that my little boat will not be at 
the tail of the procession. 
The cruise from the Maine coast to the Sound has been 
LAPWING. Desigked and Built bt E. P. Morris, 1895-6. 
started, on the morning of Sept. 2, from Pemaquid bound 
for New Haven. 
_ Safety, comfort and speed, in that order, were the quali- 
ties I had aimed at. I wish I could give such accurate data 
as I have just been calling upon the writers of books to fur- 
nish, but ©ur tests were made in actual sailing, not as experi- 
ments under known conditions. I ought to say, also, that 
we were towing a 14ft, dory, which I wanted to bring to 
New Haven. My companion, M. B., was a fisherman of 
twenty years' experience on the Maine coast and the best 
boat sailor I ever saw. As to safety, I think the boat could 
not be capsized, though this is rather an inference than a 
matter of direct knowledge. Just out of Portland Harbor 
and off the Highlands of Cape Cod, she took some heavy 
puffs without becoming in the slightest degree unmanage- 
able. We crossed from Scituate to Provincetown on Sept. 
8, as the easterly gale of Sept. 9-10 was beginning, sailing 
■with sheets a little off, under two-reefed mainsail and jib or 
staysail. The sea was heavy, the heaviest I have ever seen, 
and, what is more to the purpose, the heaviest M. had ever 
met in a small boat. She took this sea very easily, shipping 
not more than a pailful of water and keeping under perfect 
control. As the sea rose we thought of running for Ply- 
mouth. I am quite sure that she would have rolled her 
boom under in the heavy sea, but M. .felt sure that she would 
ship no water if we ran under staysail alone. 
As we drew under the shelter of the cape the sea decreased 
to a surface chop, but the wind seemed to rise, making a 
very high note in the wire rigging and blowing off the heads 
of the waves, as it does in a fierce puff, I have not had ex. 
perience enough to estimate the velocity, but the boat car- 
ried staysail and two-reefed mainsail— about SlOjq. ft. — 
without heeling down to the deck. 
On the evening of Sept. 19, just after the second squall, 
we worked her to windward under staysail alone. Her 
motion in a sea is very buoyant and easy, a fact which 1 at- 
tribute to th.e freeboard and the easy body lines. On the 
coast between New York and Maine, where one is never 
more than fifteen miles from a port except in rounding Cape 
Cod, I do not think a sea could rise high enough to over- 
power her hefore she could make a harbor. As to safety, 
therefore, I feel well satisfied. 
On the other hand, as might be expected, she heels more 
than a wider and shoaler boat. We were not at any time in 
the company of boats as small as ours, so that comparisons 
were somewhat to our disadvantage. Twice we were under 
two reefs when other boats of 25 to 30ft. were carrying a 
mgh re§f , Ooce we had a eiogle reef wUeu a boat near us 
made so often that it is not worth while to copy the log of 
one who was making it for the first time. We started on 
Sept. 2 and reached New Haven on Sept. 30, eleven days 
under way. In some respects the weather could hardly have 
been worse. It rained in seven of the ten harbors ; but, hap- 
pily, not once while we were under sail. We were held at 
Provincetown Sept. 9 to 14 by the heavy gale and the thick 
weather which followed it. It was during this time that the 
Itahan bark came ashore on Peaked Hill Bar and the captain 
and two sailors, with a despair which is almost incompre- 
hensible to Anglo-Saxons, killed themselves in preference to 
taking the slender chance of rescue. When we passed 
inside the bar a few days later only a few ribs were left, and 
the beach was still strewn with wreckage. 
My companion, M. B., knew the coast as far as Province- 
town, and I knew something of the Sound; and with a full 
set of charts we found no difficulty in getting along. Our 
only mishap was a slight one, though it had an unpleasant 
look at the time. We were running for the breakwater at 
Duck Island on the afternoon of Sept. 19, hoping to get in 
before the squall which was threatening in the west should 
come down. By my careless reading of the chart, we ran 
aground on the gravel spit which puts out from the N.E. 
end of the island. The tide was running fast, fortunately 
the flood, and it was evident that less tban half an hour 
would float us free. But it was also evident that less than 
half an hour would bring the squall, and in fact we were 
still hard and fast, broadside to the wind, when the storm 
broke upon us. Those who were out in that squall, which 
did much damage along the southern New England coast, 
will know that our position was disagi-eeable. But all things 
come to an end. ■ During the first dash of wind and rain we 
floated off, but the tide still held us broadside on through 
the second and larger edition of the squall, Before the third 
puff, however, we sailed her up under staysail to a comfort- 
able berth behind the breakwater. 
One must indeed be dull to the beauty and pleasure of life 
if he does not retain from such a cruise pictures and memo- 
ries which become a permanent possession. We got up one 
morning in Provincetown Harbor long Tbefore daylight, hop- 
ing for a westerly; wind to carry us around the cape. We 
had a dead calm instead and the disappointment was great, 
for I was obliged to be in New Haven before Sept. 23; but I 
sat on deck from 3 o'clock to 5 watching a sunrise, which 
seemed to me the most splendid spectacle I had ever seen. 
It was well worth, the two days of waiting which the calm 
cost us. 
Otir sail across the bay from Scituate was a lonely one, 
with not a vessel in sight. The boat had never been tried in 
such a sea, and I was at first nervous about her behavior, 
while M. was afraid that I had laid out a wrong course, 
which would carry us to leeward up the bay. We were both, 
keeping a somewhat anxious lookout for the end of the 
cape, and we sighted first the stand-pipe of the Provincetown 
water works. Neither of us knew it, and my picture for that 
day is of that town on the horizon, looking very far away 
over heavy seas against a dark gray background. 
At Grlouccster we got in juat before a hard squall, and 
went into the small basin called the Cowyard. As we lay 
there the big fishing schooners, as fine in their models as 
yachts and with an air of power which few yachts have, 
came rushing into the harbor under reefed sails or mainsail 
and jib. One of them came into the basin where we lay 
and put out warps to stop her way. Somehow one of the 
men, who was handling a warp, was dragged overboard, and 
I can still hear the sharp, quick orders and see the almost 
furious haste with which the men launched a dory and 
pulled around to the stern. It was a fine exhibition of skill 
and experience, working at high pressure, and I could 
watch it the more calmly because I could see the man hang- 
ing on to the bight of the warp that had dragged him over- 
board, perfectly serene all the time. 
Even our Duck Island squall is pleasant in the retrospect. 
A tug had come in with some barges and perhaps had seen 
us aground; at any rate, they steamed slowly over toward 
us after the barges were anchored, and I am glad to believe 
that it was with the kindly instinct to offer help which one 
meets so constantly among sailors. With every sharp flash 
of lightning the tug stood out like a black silhouette against 
the grayish white water, while the waves in the momentary 
flash seemed scarcely to be in motion at all, and over to the 
west the barges were huddled together as if in terror. When 
the flash was over nothing could be seen but the red and 
green lights of the tug, near enough to look down into our 
little cabin. 
It is perhaps too optimistic to Consider a cruise of 375 
miles in an 18ft. boat an easy and simple matter. A wider 
experience may lead me to regard it with other feelings, but 
with my present light I should say to any one who was dis- 
posed to try it under like conditions— that is, with a safe 
boat and a good boatman — that it was an easy cruise. A 
delightful one it certainly is, and I am hoping to go back 
next summer with my wife as my only companion. 
A One-Design Class. 
Thk following regulations for a one-design class have recently been 
adopted by some yachtsmen at Bembridge, Eng., the first home of 
the half-rater class. Special classes of this kind are admirably adapt- 
ed to many localities in this country. 
RULES. 
I. A one-design small boat class has been established in the Solent, 
with the object of affording class racing that is not expensive, and 
giving the owner of a boat an opportunity of exercising his skill in 
designing her sails and rig. Sail area is limited to 200sq. ft., actual 
measurement of sails only. No spinakers are allowed in class racing 
as separate sails, but jibs may be boomed out. ' 
8. Each owner will be provided with the sheer plan of the boat, 
with the 0. L< R. marked. 
3. Each ownpr will have to pay £1 a year to defray necessary ex- 
penses, any balance being devoted to the prize fund. There will be 
an entrance fee of iJl after twelve boats are ordered, which will also 
go to the prize fund. Applications for boats and for membership are 
to be addressed to the hon. secretary, and the names of applicants 
will be submitted to the members of the class for election. In such 
elections one black ball in five to exclude; five owners of boats to form 
a quorum, one vote one boat. 
4. In all cases of voting there shall only be one vote per boat, except 
in committee, and no alterations or additions to these rules shall be 
made without a two-tbirds majority. 
5. A captain of the class shall be elected annually, who shall under- 
take the duties of hon. secretary. 
6. The committee of management shall consist of seven owners or 
joint owners of boats; two to retire annually, who shall not be eligi- 
ble for election for one year. They shall be responsible for the entire 
management of the class, and their decisions shall be final and binding 
on all owners. Two shall form a quorum to decide minor questions 
■which may arise, and all vacancies shall be filled by general meeting. 
7. There shall be no limit to the number of persons on board, but no 
paid hands are allowed in class racing. 
8. The committee shall be responsible for the measurement of sails, 
and also that the sails are made of uniform material, which has been 
selected by the committee and is of red cotton; the hon, secretary vpil 
give information as to where it may be obtained. 
9. No boat is allowed to have any alteration made to her hull or baj 
last, and any alteration rendered necessary by change of rig must be 
notified to the captain of the class. 
10. No boat shall be allowed to start unless her sail area is certified 
by the committee. 
II. Each boat shall carry when racing an anchor weighing 201bs 
and not less than twenty fathoms of Sin. grass rope cable and suffi- 
cient life-saving apparatus for her crew. 
13. The following form the committee: Col. Moreton, Mr. F Hard- 
castle, Capt. du Boulay, Mr. Gerald Fitzgerald, Mr. G. H. Harrison 
Mr. H. C. Sutton. Mr. B. O. Cochrane, captain and hon. secretarv' 
"Oakleigh," St. John's Park, Hyde. ' 
13. The ownership of boats will be decided by lot. 
SPEOIFICATION OF BOATS. 
Planking, yellow pine, Jgin. full when finished. 
Keel, English elm, 4in. tnick, about Sin. wide. 
Stem, English oak, 4J^in. moulded, Bin. sided. 
Stern timber, English oak, Sin. moulded, 4in. sided. 
Bent timbers, American ^Im, %\n. moulded, %m, sided. 
Clamp yellow pine, 3i,^in. moulded, IJ^in. sided. 
Beams, white pine. Sj^in. moulded, IJ/^in. sided. 
Cockpit carlines, 2>4in. moulded, ?in. sided. 
Coamings, English elm, 4in. above deck, fitted with outside capping 
Stern finishing chock, pitch pine. Covering boards, teak, J^in. thick.' 
Deck, white pine, J^in. thick, painted, and covered with unbleached 
calico painted two coats. 
Six wrought iron galvanized floors. 
Twelve oak beam knees, mast partner 3ft. long, and all timbers in 
this length to be lin.xlM'°M to lake chainplates where required. One 
knee to be fitted where required for chainplates. 
Rudder, English elm. blade with wrought iron straps and siem 
working in iron tube. Galvanized tiller fitted to head of rudder stem 
with nut and screw. ' 
Cast iron keel, lOcwt , fitted with lin. and %m. through bolts, with 
nuts inside. Topsides and inside to be painted three coats, and bot- 
tom black varnished. All fastenings of copper. 
White pine platform to be fitted where required. 
Eyebolts each end of keel for hoisting out. 
Boats to be delivered afloat in Portsmouth Harbor. 
Length overall aSft. lin., length I.w.l. 16ft., beam 5ft. 51n., draft Sft 
llin. Price £45. ' 
The Society of Naval Architects and Marine 
Engineers. 
The fourth annual meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and 
Marine Engineers was held, as per programme, on Nov. 12-13 at the 
house of I he American Society of Mechanical Engineers, in New York 
President Qriscom occupied the chair, and a number of members and 
associates were present from various parts of the country. The pro- 
ceedings began with the annual meeting of the Society, President 
Griscom being re-elected for the fifth term, and Naval Constructor 
Francis T. Bowles being re-elected sec'y treas. The reports showed a 
very satisfactory condition of membership and finances, and a num- 
ber of new members and associates were added to the roll. 
The papers and their order were as follows: 
THURSDAY, NOV. 12. 
1. Test of an Experunental Turret of the U. S. Battle-ship Massa- 
chusetts, by Com. W. T. Sampson, V. S. N., Chief of Bureau of Ord- 
nance, Navy Department, Washington, D. C. 
2. Steel Canal Boats, by Lewis Nixon, Mgr. Cresent Shipyard, Eliz- 
3. Trial Performance of the Grand Duchess, by 8. N. Smith, Mgr. 
Newport News Sbip-Buildmg and Dry Dock Co., Newport News Va 
J H ffltfd* U ^ N ^^'^ ^^^^'^ Blveting, by Naval Oonstructor 
