SS6 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[ApRTti 24, 1897. 
Surf Running. 
FVom the Yachting World. 
A COMPARATIVELY unknown sport, except on some parts of 
the Northumberland coast, is the running of boats through 
the surf. And yet it is one of the most exciting amusements 
that can possibly be. devised. Not only is there involved con- 
siderable excitement and exhilaration as the boat rushes on, 
with the water foaming around her stern and flying from her 
bows, but a large apaount of bodily and mental exercise, for 
there is no time to stand still or hesitate. Moreover, a prac- 
tical knowledge of the handling of a boat in surf or broken 
water may at any time ])rov6 invaluable. 
Briefly, the game consists in working a boat through the 
out«r edge of the surf, and, after putting her about before 
the sea, she is made to shoot back to the shore upon a single 
wave. As regards the boat, one bnilt for the purpose is 
naturally the best. Long, narrow and fine boats, low in the 
bows and stern, and such as have curved keels, are inappro- 
Eriate; the former because they cannot be brought round 
efore a sea, the latter because they are very apt to broach to 
before a sea, owing to the insufficient grip they have on the 
water aft. The length compared to the beam should be in 
the ratio of .5 to 1, and the keel should be straight but not 
deep. The bows should be bluff to prevent the boat from 
putting her nose under too readily, or running off too 
quickly in front of a sea, and high with a sheer to throw off 
wat«r. The sides- should tumble in, so as to allow the boat 
to lie well over, and the quarters and stern should be raised 
to diminish the chance of pooping. The rudder should be 
broad and efficient, not projecting below the keel, lest it be 
torn off in beaching. It should be worked by a tiller and 
made fast to the stern by a line rove through a ringbolt, as it 
is liable to jump off. For the same reason the oars or sculls 
should work on long tholepins, not in rowlocks, and should 
also be secured by lines. No weight should be carried for- 
ward, or the boat would certainly broach to; but a little bal- 
last aft is often of advantage. 
The best beach fqr practicing is low, level and sandy. On 
such a beach the waves break far out, and die before reach- 
ing the shore. If the water be very shallow inshore, the dy- 
ing wavelets may be taken broadside on, the boat being listed 
to leeward to stave off the spray; but if there be body in the 
water, the waves must always be met directly head on. 
Further out, or in deeper water near the shore, a sharp look- 
out must be kept for any broken water. 
It is freq'uently possible to dodge the rough places and get 
out at once, but more often It is necessary to face them. If 
a coUisioii with a wave on the point of breaking is inevitable, 
and especially if the wave be large, the boat must be driven 
again.st it as rapidly as possible. On no account when a 
boat is meeting a breaking wave should she be allowed to 
quite lose way, or she will certainly be started off stern first 
and capsize, or be thrown bows over stern. On the other 
hand, when a boat is stem-on to such a wave, she should be 
eased off before it as it strikes her, and held firmly back the 
moment it has struck. 
Having gone out as far as is de-sirable, the boat should be 
brought round as rapidly as possible between the seas and 
put straight before them. When a sea approaches, three or 
four sharp strokes should be given, and the helm kept 
steady. As the stern rises the boat will start off and rush 
on in front of the wave right to the shore. If the boat be 
not kept perfectly straight before the wave — especially at 
the moment of breaking— she is very likely to broach to. 
Should she tend to twist round, the rudder maybe assisted 
by holding the boat strongly with the lee oar and by canting 
her to the weather. When, however, a broach-to before a 
breaking sea is inevitable, as much weight as possible must 
be thrown on the weather side, in order to keep the weather 
gunwale well down. The boat may then fill a little, but she 
will not— at all events if she is at ail beamy — capsize. 
The sport of surf running is, of course, only really practic- 
able where there is a stretch of level sand, and where, there- 
fore, with ordinary precautions, nothing more thau a wet- 
ting need be dreaded. 
Ltauoch of the Hiawatha II. 
Following its peculiar custom, the combined firm of C. 
L. Seabury & Co. and the Gas Engine & Power Co. launched 
the largest of their new yachts of the year at night, on Sat- 
urday, April 17. The weather was perfect — a clear night, 
with the moon at the full. The yard was brilliantly illu- 
minated and decorated in honor of the first large launch of 
the combined firms. The yacht left the ways at 10 P. M., 
being christened by Mi,s3 Winifred Kaltenbach. a young lady 
of nine, daughter of a partner of the owner. The name has 
been transferred from the first Hiawatha, designed and built 
last year by Seabury & Co., for Charles Fleischman, of Cin- 
cinnati. The first craft proved too small, and so gave place 
to the present one. a steel hull ITOft. over all, 138ft. l.w.l., 
21ft, beam a^ Sft. deep. She is schooner rigged, and her 
triple expansion engines with the Seabury boiler, built at 
the Nyack shops of the company, will give a speed of 18 
miles. She is a handsome craft, similar in appearance to the 
first boat. After the launch Mr. Fleischman provided a sup- 
per for the entire working force of the yards. 
Ellide. 
The steam yacht EUide, designed by C. D. Mosher and 
built by Samuel Ayers & Son for E, B. Warren, of Phila- 
delphia, was launched on April 17 at Nyack, where she has 
been under construction for a year. She is intended for use 
on Lake George, and a very high speed is confidently ex- 
pected. The construction is very light, and the work on the 
hull, engines and boilers has been carried out with great 
care. The dimensions are 80ft. over all, with plumb stern, 
Sf t. 4in. beam and 3ft. 6in. draft. The framework is of steel, 
with a double skin of mahogany. The engines and boilers 
were specially designed by Mr. Mosher for this boat, the 
quadruple expansion engine having cylinders 9, 13, 18 and 
24 X lOin. Immediately after launching the yacht was tried 
under steam, reaching a high speed on the first trip. 
Cruisins on the Florida West Coast. 
Big Makeq, Fla., April 9.— Editor Forest and Stream: 
Kingfisher arrived at this port this morning. All hands well, 
liut very tired,' for we have been fighting head winds for a 
week. 
We are out for a little cruise. Left Tarpon Springs three 
weeks ago. We met the main crowd of tarpon fishermen at 
Captiva Pass, Charlotte Harbor. They were having fair 
success. 
There were six yachts in all. Among them I noticed 
White Cloud, of Pittsburg, and the old Tarpon, belonging to 
M rs. Stagg. We go from here to Panther Key to see old 
John Gamey. Will write you later. Takpon. 
The Yacht Racing Union. 
A MEETING of the Council of the Yacht Racing Union was 
held at the Seawanhaka C. Y. C. house on April 12, at which 
the racing programme was completed. The Stamford Cor- 
inthian and Bridgeport clubs were admitted to membership. 
The Union desires to call the attention of yacht owners to 
the necessity for the remeasurement of yachts in the 25ft, 
classes, owing to the requirement of crew on board, under 
the new rules; also, to the regulation, which will be strictly 
enforced, that any yacht starting in a race without a meas- 
urement certificate will be disqualified. It was decided to 
accept the special regulations adopted by the Seawanhaka C, 
Y. C. for the 15ft, and 30ft. classes. 
YACHTING NEWS NOTES. 
The Royal Alfred Y, C, of Dublin, is considering the 
establishment of a one-design class similar to that which we 
described last week of the Belfast Lough fleet of the Bangor 
Corinthian Y. C. The dimensions are the same, 37ft. over 
all, 2.5ft. l.w.l , Sft. 7Xin. beam, 6ft. 6in. draft. The price 
will be about £230 to £250 ($1,150 to $1,250). 
The keel schoon,er now building at Harlan & Hollings- 
worth's from the designs of Mr. A. S. Cheesebrough, as an- 
nounced last week, is for George W. Weld, of Brookline, 
Mass., former owner of Wanderer, schooner. Mr. Weld is 
an old yachtsman, and has done a good deal of off-shore 
cruising. 
The Field is just a little mixed in its geography and topo- 
graphy, as it states that a steel steam yacht is now building 
for Archibald Watt, of the American Y. C, of Massachu- 
.«etts, at Coney Island The sandy shores of Coney Island 
are hardly adapted for the launching of large vessels. 
Fleur de Lys, .schr,, George Lord Day. has been laid up 
since last season at Southampton, England. Her new crew, 
sailed from New York on April 21 to fit her out and bring 
her to New York. Before sailing she will be docked at Fay 
& Co.'s yard for recaulking and new copper. 
Sultana, steam yacht, J. R. Drexel, arrived at New York 
on April 14 with her owner, J. R. Drexel and wife aboard, 
after a voyage of just two months to the West Indies. Sail- 
ing on Feb. 15 fronj New York the yacht called at Old Point 
Comfort for her owner and friends and then sailed for New 
Orleans, encountering very severe weather on the way. 
After a stop of a week for the Carnival the party steamed 
awajr for Kingston, Jamaica, then for Curacoa, La Guayra, 
Trinidad, Barbadoes, St. Thomas and finally Bermuda. 
The Harvard Y. C. has issued a challenge to the Yale Cor- 
inthian Y. C. for a race to be sailed off Newport at the end of 
June. The challenge is stiU under consideration by the Yale 
C. Y, C. 
At Huntington's yard, New Rochelle, a 15-footer, some- 
what similar to Paprika, has been completed, to the order of 
a Western yachtsman who will race her in the West; and a 
racing 20-footer is also under way. 
The Bay Shore Y. C. has elected the following officers: 
Com., John R. Howell; Vice-Corn., Carl E. Brewster; Rear- 
Com.; Samuel C. Hulse; Sec'y, Edwin Synn Moore, M. D.; 
Treas., Leander G. Homan; Meas., Edgar S. Reybert. Re- 
gatta Committee: Josiah Robbins, Lorenzo R. Garrett, 
Lelah T. Clock. House Committee: William A. Hulse, M. 
D. ; Ned Dominy, Isaac Schwab. Auditing Committee: 
Com. John R. Howell, Carl Brewster, Samuel C. Hulse. 
The annual meeting of the Lincoln Park Y. C. was held 
on April 13 at the Sherman House. Officers for the present 
year were elected as follows: Com., George Warrington; 
Vice-Com., Dwight Lawrence; Rear-Com., Shelley B. Ford; 
Sec'y, C. O. Andrews; Treas., W. S. Granger. E. C. Beri'i- 
man, the retiring commodore, was tendered a hearty vote of 
thanks for his eflicient administration, and especially for his 
efforts in connection with the international race. Com. 
Warrington in accepting the position expre.sssed the hope that 
before the season was closed the club would have a home of 
its own, where the members could meet, the absence of such 
accommodation being a long-felt want. Ex-Com. Berriman 
was appointed as delegate to the Lake Michigan Y'achting 
Association, which will be held at Racine on April 24. As 
the question of joining the Lake Yacht Racing Union will 
be one of the main issues, a discussion ensued as to what 
action the club should take. The general opinion appeared 
to be that as the majority of the lake clubs were in favor of 
the "midship area rule" and the "abolition of the tax on 
overhang," that the Michigan clubs should bow to the will 
of the majority and not adopt a "we won't play" attitude. 
The majority of those present favored giving the rules a 
trial, and the delegate to the Lake Michigan Yachting Asso- 
ciation was instructed accordingly. Several suggestions 
were made in regard to the Fourth of July regatta, and, 
while no definite arrangements were made, a proposal to 
hold the meeting in Milwaukee and a later one about Sep- 
tember in Chicago seemed to meet with general favor. — 
Chicago Times-Herald. 
The Crosby Yacht Building Co., of Forty-fifth street. 
South Brooklyn, has its new shops well filled with the win- 
ter crop of catboats and sloops of the modern Cape Cod type, 
for which it is noted. The first yacht launched this season 
— on April 13— is of a different type from most of those built 
by the firm, being a fin-keel cruiser. She was designed by her 
owner, George Hill, measurer of the Atlantic Y. C, owner 
of the Crosby boat Step Lively, now Dorothy, for his own 
use. She is 50ft. over all, 80ft. l.w.l., 10ft. Sin. beam and 6ft. 
draft, including a cast iron fin and bulb of 3 tons weight. 
With the aid of a high side and considerable crown to the 
cabin house, there is a full 6ft. of head room over the floor, 
which is very wide, and the yacht will be remarkably roomy. 
The rig will include a leg o'-mutton mainsail and one jib, 
about l,200sq. ft. all told. Themastisrectangularinsection, 
the long axis fore and aft, and the rigging will include a 
number of novel devices. The yacht is named Akiesta. 
Dorothy is now on the sale list. 
A special meeting of the Seawanhaka Corinthian Y, C, 
was held on April 7, at which the following amendment to 
the by-laws was adopted: "With respect to the payment of 
an entrance fee and the amount of the annual subscription, 
members shall be classified according to their age, as follows, 
namely: Class 'A' shall consist of all who are thirty years 
of age or over, and Class 'B' of all who are under thirty years 
of age. Tiie annual subscription shall be $50 for all mem- 
bers in Class 'A', and for all members in Class 'B', shall be 
$15. A member-elect in Class 'A' shall pay the sum of $50 
as an entrance fee, and a subscription for the current year 
as follows: If elected between Jan. 1 and April 1, .$50; if 
elected between April 1 and July, $37.50; if elected between 
July 1 and Oct. 1, |25; if elected between Oct. 1 and Jan. 1, 
$12.50. A member-elect in Class 'B' shall be exempt from 
the payment of an entrance fee, and shall pay a subscription 
for the current year of $15. If the payment provided for in 
this section is not made by a member-elect within thirty 
days after notification thereof, his election shall be void." 
The Brooklyn Y. C. announce the following programme 
for the season: May 31, Decoration Day, opening sail. June 
12, annual regatta, open. Saturday, June 26, first special for 
all cabin and open cats. Saturday, July 3-10, annual cruise. 
Long Island Sound. Saturday, July 24, first special for all 
sloops and cutters. ' Saturday, Aug. 14, second special for all 
cabin and open cats. Saturday, Aug. 28, second special for 
sloop and cutters. Saturday, Sept. 11, Deciding races for all 
classes, special. Mr. Louis Wunder is chairman of them 
regatta committee. 
The sport bad last season by Cohasset owners of the "one- 
design" IS-footers of the Scarecrow model, as designed by 
W. P. Stephen.'* and built by Mclntyre, promises to be more 
than duplicated the coming season. There is an increased 
intercBt in the class this year, and at least one boat will 
be added. Ralph B. Williams, well known as the 
owner of the racing catboat In It, has purchased the boat 
sailed last season by A. H. Mclntyre as the X-Ray, and has 
renamed her the Delta. She is from the same molds as the 
otherp, and will be given the same sail. The annual meetihg 
and dinner of the association of Cohasset Y. C. members, 
which control tbe racing of this class, was held last Tuesday 
evening at the United States Hotel. A schedule of races for 
the season was arranged — principally for Saturday after- 
noons — together with courses, etc. The boats of the class 
will be given new sails of a very fine quality of material, and 
are expected to be a shade faster than last je&v.— Boston 
Globe. 
The annual meeting of the Pacific Interclub Yacht Asso- 
ciation was held on March 31, the following officers being 
elected: Pres., R. R. I'Hommedieu; Vice-Pres., Alexander 
Sanson; Sec'y, Allen M. Clay; Treas., Will Brooks. Dele- 
gates to the regatta committee were chosen as follows: Alex- 
ander Swanson, Pacifies; J. H. Hopp, Corinthians; C, L. 
Tisdale. Encinals; C. P, Moore, Californias; L. Somicksen, 
South Bays. The date of the annual cruise of the Associ- 
ation will be set by the Association. Sept. 9 was chosen for 
the annual regatta. A. M. Clay, George B. Edgar, J. H. 
Hopps and L. Somicksen were appointed a committee to 
draft a set of .=ignals and code for the use of the ya^ht clubs 
in general. The Association is in favor of joining such a 
national association as may be formed in the East. 
The annual meeting of the Minnetonka Y. C. was held on 
April 6, the following officers being elected: Com., L R. 
Brooks; Vice-Corn., H. W. Commons; Directors, to serve for 
a term of three years, C. B. Eustis and T. B. Januey; for a 
term of two years, F. B. Long and W. W, Bartlett. Thefol- 
lowingnew members were admitted; H. F. Douglas, George 
H. Daggett, Fred Hubbard, J. F. Whalon. The club has a 
membership of 227. 
The Cohasset Y. C. has elected the following officers: 
Com,, Lyman D. Williams; Vice-Com., Frederick H. Pratt; 
Treas., Charles H, Cousens; Sec'y, Charles W. Gammons; 
Meas., Arthur O. Higgins; Regatta Committee: Daniel N. 
Tower, Alanson Bigelow, Jr., Arthur O. Higgins, Hugh D. 
Montgomery, Ralph B. Williams and the commodore and 
vice-commodore. 
The Royal Toronto Sailing Club has elected the following 
officers: Com., H. M. Pellatt; Vice-Com., H. Kitely; Rear- 
Corn., E. Marshall; Capt.. T. Cuff; Hon. Sec'y, R. Lovell; 
Hon. Treas., B. Saulter; Hon. Meas., R. J, Livingston; Asst. 
Meas., W. Roberts; Executive Committee: Messrs. H. Cuff, 
J. McBride, T. World, B. Webb; Sailing Committee: H. 
Fensom, H. World, E. Charters. 
At the annual meeting of the West End Y. C, of Detroit, 
April 1, the following officers were elected: Com., W. A. 
Jones, yacht Crescent; Vice-Com., Robert Guest, Ariel; 
Rear Com., S. H, Ives, Stjrprise; Fleet Captain, Col. J. H. 
Beattie, Alborak; Fleet Surgeon, Dr. W, T. Lambert; Sec'y, 
D. H. Petheric; Treas., Otto F. Barthel; Meas., Chas. Sbein- 
brecher; Historian, Geo. Guest. 
The first annual exhibition of models of the New York 
Model Y. C. was held in the club rooms. Sixty-third street 
and Central Park, West, on April 14. A prize was given by 
Com. F J. Sweeney for the finest finished model. Com. J. 
H. Lane and Treas. G. N. Townley, of the American Model 
Y. C, acted as judges, and awarded the prize to the cutter 
Inspector, Mr. Wm. Ogle, owner. The club will hold its 
first race of the season on April 18, at Flushing Bay. 
Capsizing in Canoe Races. 
The Royal G. C. has taken a radical step in the direction of 
penalizing the extreme racing machine, as told in the follow- 
ing extract from the Field. Just what the result may be it 
is impossible to foretell. It is late in the day to remedy the 
vast amount of harm that has been done to canoeing and 
canoe racing by the revolving bath tub; and even though 
this type be abolished, we doubt whether a new and more 
useful type will take its place. 
A very timely innovation has been made by the senior 
canoe club of the world in regard to frivolous, if not danger- 
ous, canoe sailing — that is, where the frivolity of one man 
endangers others and their craft. The committee of the 
Royal C. C. has decided that a penalty shall be imposed on 
those who capsize in a race. At first sight it may naturally 
be thought that a man who capsizes is himself loser enough 
by the accident, but there are other technical views to be 
taken of the monstrosity which is in the habit of capsizing. 
Such canoes generally are fitted with a very sharp-pointed 
dagger centerplate; and, apart from any burden to other 
competitors to go to the assistance of the capsized, there is 
the danger, when sailing hard in close company, especially 
when rounding the turning marks, that a canoe capsizing at 
a moment's notice often is in such position that closely fol- 
lowing canoes cannot get out of the way, and must rua over 
her sails and spars on one side, and the other canoe coming 
by to windward may be clean cut all along her bilge by the 
dagger plate of the capsized canoe. 
This sub-acrobatic nuisance has now been penalised by the 
R. C. C. in that "any canoe capsizing in a race shall be 
penalized one minute in the next race for each such capsize." 
The penalty may not of itself stop the sailing of capsizeable 
canoes, but it should have the effect of providing that better 
attention is paid to stability and more care to handling. 
Assume, for instance, that early in a race the cracJc racing 
canoe, costing some £60, and intended for the coming im- 
portant quasi-international race, before she can get clear of 
the ruck, is ripped open by the centerplate of some acrobatic 
duffer capsizing under her lee bow. The capsizer will say it 
was an unavoidable accident; possibly so with him and his 
craft. But is he to be allowed to thus mar sport, if not the 
fame of the club and of the expert who' has spent a season 
in producing a costly craft to do battle in the club's cause? 
We remember a couple of years ago seeing the Yankee sail 
on a puffy day at Teddington. She simply capsized to nearly 
every puff of wind, bu t was hove upright again by her skip- 
per standing out on her bilge and heaving her up by her 
long slide seat, used as a lever. She at these times monopo- 
lized some 19ft. or 20ft. of waterway, lying flat on the water 
with her spars to leeward and her sharp centerplate to wind- 
ward — no mean derelict danger or obstruction this to the 
crowded fleet of canoes which might have been in close com- 
pany astern had it been a race. We would put the tax a 
great deal higher, but hope that the low amount of one 
minute per capsize may act its part as a warning that true 
canoemen look down upon the aquatic acrobat as out of 
place in, and detrimental to, the sport of sailing. 
This capsizing penalty does not extend to che racing at 
Barnham at present; it certainly ought to do so, seeing that 
the hardship on the fair sailor is greater the nearer the col- 
lision is to the cup races. We do not, of course, suggest that 
it is necessary to go to the extent of making canoes abso- 
lutely uncapsizeable under sail; it can be done, and some 
owners will do it; bub such gain of stability can only be ob- 
tained by the use of a bulb or weighted keel, and there is 
certainly a racing disadvantage in the extra displacement 
thus required when the competition admits the acrobat-bal- 
ahced skimmer on even terms. The bulb keel, of course, is 
not a fixture, and can be left at home when the canoe is used 
as a cruiser. An accidental capsize, of course, may happen 
to any one, even to the tiiost expert, but the habicual cap- 
sizer is a common danger, and a very bad advertisement of 
the sport of canoe sailing. 
A. C. A. Membership. 
Applications for membership may be made to the purser 
of the division in which the applicant resides on blanks fur- 
nished by purser, the applicant becoming a member provided 
no objection be made within fourteen days after his name 
has been officially published in the Foeest and StbeAm. 
EASTEEN DmSIOK. 
Name. Bestdence. Club. 
Frederick W, King — Worcester, Mass. Lakeside Boat Club, 
Stephen Sawyer, Jr. , , .Worcester, Mass.Tataesit 0. C. 
