Aug. 20, 1898.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
185 
THE CANOE CAMP AT STAVE ISLAND. 
paddling- and sailing courses from the point near head- 
quarters, though at a greater distance than at Grindstone. 
The paddling course is marked by flags at quarter-mile 
intervals, running up the river with a finish off the point 
by the wharf. The sailing triangle is laid off out in the 
channel, where the wind should be truer than inside Ell 
Bay. 
The camp is but four miles from Gananoque, easily 
reached by the little pioneer steamer Valeria, or by 
canoe. It is six or seven miles from Clayton, however, 
and more difficult of access, the only regular means being 
by the same steamer, making two trips per day, the 
early trip necessitating a wait of four hours after landing 
from the New York express. This was the only ar- 
rangement possible, however, and though the service is 
decidedly inferior to that of the A. C. A. launch of last 
year, it has the advantage of costing the Association 
■nothing, as the steamer is a regular boat, and not under 
private charter by the Association. All the preliminary 
work of the committees has been well done this year, and 
every reasonable provision has been made for the com- 
fort of members. 
The camp opened on Friday, Aug. 5, Com. Dunnell, 
Secretary-Treasurer Schuyler, Mrs. Schuyler and quite a 
party coming up together. The weather for the first 
week was very fine, hot through the day, but with none 
of the humidity felt in New York, and very pleasant at 
night, the only rain being on one night. The Buffalo 
C. C. brought a good delegation, with its war canoe 
Quid Pro Quo, headed by Capt. Thorn. The New York 
C. C. has a party of eighteen in camp, including the 
wives of several members. Among the old members 
present are two from the first meet of 1880, Walter L. 
Palmer and W. P. Stephens; E. B. Edwards, the Seaveys, 
F C Moore, Com. Dunnell. Secretary-Treasurer Schuy- 
ler, H. C. Morse, P. F. Hogan, C. E. Archbold, H. H. 
Smythe, j. E. Plummer, Dr. Upham, L. B. Palmer, C. 
N. Towne, R. N. Cutler, J. N. MacKendrick. One of the 
many absentees is Thomas Hale, Jr., vice-commodore of 
the Atlantic Division, who resigned this spring, and is 
now in the naval militia, a quartermaster on the yacht 
Enquirer. The Mohican C. C. has but one representa- 
tive, the Springfield and Vesper clubs, in fact nearly all 
the Eastern Division clubs are unrepresented, though 
Paul Butler and Mr. Appollonio are expected. 
Mr. Archbold has Mab at camp for the main sailing 
races, but he will enter the record and other races in an 
open canoe. The New. York C. C. has half a dozen of 
the old canoes, Toreador, Pioneer and others, with a 
new sailing canoe by Fry, of Clayton. These make up 
the bulk of the decked canoes. 
The one prominent feature of this year's racing is the 
open canoe class, established by the revision of the 
rules last fall. While the racing machine has continued 
to ruin canoeing at a more rapid rate each year by the 
production of more extreme craft for the decked class 
and the trophy paddling, the number of open Canadian 
or •'Peterborough" canoes has increased rapidly, many 
old canoeists from the States, who began their canoeing 
in the decked canoe with the double blade, finally settling 
down to the contented ownership of a true Canadian 
canoe, with a single blade as well as a double, even if 
not relying entirely on the former. For some time past 
there has been a growing inclination to race these service 
canoes, and last year, in addition to the paddling races, 
long open to them, a sailing race took place, the canoes 
carrying the conventional Canadian outfit, a single small 
sail and a pair of leeboards, with no rudder. 
The Canadian canoe is one of the most useful boats 
ever known in America, an admirable instance of suc- 
cessful evolution. As built of recent years, she is strong, 
buoyant, seaworthy, easily propelled by a paddle, light 
enough for easy shore handling and portage, capable of 
carrying a crew of two or three with their duffle through 
a stiff rapid. With her proper sail and leeboards, and in 
skilful hands, she is fast under sail. The standard dimen- 
sions arrived at after long trials are about 16ft. over all, 
30 to .nin. beam, i2in. least depth, 55lbs. weight, with 
%in. planking, or even a little thicker. 
The object of including the open canoe in the racing 
rules was nominally to encourage the racing of legitimate 
service canoes such as were found at every meet, but 
unfortunately it was carried out in the almost universal 
manner. It was proposed to place the official limits of 
the rules at the points indicated by actual practice and 
existing boats, but when the amendment came up for 
action this proved to be impossible. In the important 
matter of weight the limit was cut from 55lbs., the stand- 
ard of good practice in producing a serviceable and dur- 
able boat, to 5olbs., a low figure, and then a further fight 
was made successfully by the racing interests until it was 
provided that a deficiency of weight to an amount not 
exceeding Slbs. might be made up by ballast. This in 
practice substituted a 451b. machine for a 55U). canoe. 
In the same way the proposed minimum limit of depth, 
I2in., was opposed and killed after a long fight in the 
interest of the racing machine. A minimum depth of 
I2in., or even the nin. offered as a compromise, means 
that the boat can carry a large load at times, and a 
reasonable load under all conditions in safety; while with 
ioin. side an open canoe must be far from safe. The 
latter limit, however, was more to the liking of the few 
who prefer racing to all-round work, and had to be ac- 
cepted at the meeting. The limit of sail is a special pro- 
vision relating to open canoes outside the general rules 
of the Association, which apply to decked and open 
canoes together. It was placed at a rather low figure, 
40ft., as the ordinary Canadian canoe will easily carry 
Sosq.ft. 
The result of the new rules is seen in the new canoes 
specially built to them and brought to the meet in 
goodly number, the English Canoe Company having 
had thirty orders this year for this model. The dimen- 
sions are 16ft. over all and aa^in. beam; the 
minimum, including J^in. margin each way from 
the standard beam of 3oin., is allowed for slight 
variation from exact size. The paddling qualities are 
first considered, so the conventional Canadian model, 
with rockered keel, rounded ends below water, grace- 
ful sweep of bow and stern, and flat floor amidships, has 
been entirely abandoned. In the new canoes the keel is 
practically straight from end to end, with the least pos- 
sible rocker and a full right angle and square corner 
where the keel joins the straight and vertical stem and 
stern. Such a canoe is fit only for a straightaway race 
course, and would be worse than useless in a rapid. 
The iottom shows considerable deadrise, a very poor 
section for real use, but the thing for paddling, and at 
t lie same time all that is needed to carry but 40sq.ft. of 
sail. The freeboard has been cut down about to the 
ioin. limit, and the construction has been cut to 45lbs., 
at the expense of necessary strength. 
In August, r88r, we watched from the camp on Lorna 
Island a fleet of three open canoes, each with two men, 
as they came up Lake George through a heavy -sea, 
loaded with the duffle necessary for the long cruise 
through the Richelieu and Lake Champalin. After help- 
ing them to land, and with Bishop, Longworth and 
other of the then going A. C. A. men, we had the pleas- 
ure of meeting for the first time the representatives of 
Canada, E. B. Edwards and George Roger, J. L. and H. 
C. Rogers, and Mr. Beck and a friend, all of Peter- 
borough. The canoes then came in for their share of 
attention, being radically different from the decked Rob 
Roys and larger models then used in the States. Messrs. 
Edwards and Roger had a typical Canadian canoe, built 
on the transverse rib system invented by Stephenson, she 
was named Verena and was then one year old. This 
canoe has since been seen at many meets, and she is 
now on the beach at Stave Island with the new racing 
machines. She has been in regular use ever since, for 
paddling, cruising, hunting and fishing, and she shows 
marks of both hard service and good care, as every 
canoe should. To all appearances, in spite of small re- 
pairs here and there, she is as good as ever, and quite 
fit for another eighteen years. Her planking is almost 
5-i6in., and she weighs about sslbs. 
The new canoes will probably last a couple of seasons, 
With good care,^and before they are worn out they will be 
outbuilt by some new evasion of the letter as well as 
the spirit of the rules. As for the honest service canoes 
at the present camp, the chances are that they will 
have but a small show for the prizes. For the present at 
least, however, the new class will tend to revive the 
racing, though no permanent good can result from it. 
The regatta committee decided this year to hold the 
less important races during the first week, and on Wed- 
nesday afternoon Event No. 23, ladies' tandem paddling, 
was called at 2:30, with two canoes, one manned by Miss 
Montizembert and Miss Wattles, the other by Mrs. 
Plummer and Miss Sands. The former won by about 
three lengths. Following this came a ladies' single race, 
Miss Montizembert defeating Mrs. Plummer. In the 
evening a dance was given in the mess tent, the music 
provided by a band from Gananoque. The camp turned 
out in full numbers, and the evening passed very 
pleasantly. An illumination of the fleet was planned for 
Thursday night, and a review for Saturday afternoon; 
while the circus was set for Monday night. The loca- 
tion offers every temptation for short cruises, and the 
attempt will be made to hold several. On Wednesday 
one was announced under the leadership of Mr. Edwards, 
but few responded. The annual meeting of the Atlantic 
Division was set for Saturday night, as well as the meet- 
ing of the executive committee. 
W. P. Stephens. 
The Forest and Stream is put to press each week on Tuesday. 
Correspondence intended for publication should reach us at the 
latest by Monday, and as much earlier as practicable. 
THE CANOE CAMP AT STAVE ISLAND. 
