00 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Dec. 17, 1S98. I 
again, in landing parties, the men and equipments make 
a heavy load to carry, possibly through surf, to the 
shore, and with the banging upon the shore require good, 
solid construction to stand the strain. 
It is impossible to make the boats, in all their details, 
satisfactory to every one, but it isjaelieved that the present 
types, which have been adopted as the standard of the 
navy, more nearly fulfill all requirements and are more 
satisfactory to the majority of naval officers than any 
previous designs. These standard boats are not of an im- 
mediate growth, but are the result of experience of many 
years of actual service, and much time and thought by 
many men. 
An order was issued by tlie department April 1, 1870, 
relative to establishing uniformity in the size of boats. 
The vessels were classified, and a table prepared by Mr. 
John Lenthall, then Chief Constructor of the Navy, giv- 
ing the size of boats that should be carried by each vessel, 
and also establishing the proportion of breadth and depth 
to the length, ranging -from .282 of the length for breadth, 
and .4 of breadth for depth in launches, to .21 of the 
length for breadth and .39 of breadth for depth in whale- 
boats. 
While this classified the boats as far as principal dimen- 
sions were concerned, there was no limit to the form of 
the boats, and in many cases the desire of the command- 
ing officers, to have their boats faster than the boats of 
some other vessel, led to the construction of some tender 
boats entirely unfitted for naval use. 
When it was determined by the present chief con- 
structor to standardize the boats, the best boats in use 
were selected as the basis of the designs; the boats were 
studied for improvements, and the opinion of many 
officers afloat was sought. 
One point upon which all were united was, that the boats 
should have more carrying capacity. The principal differ- 
ence of opinion was on the question of rig; about 75 per 
cent, of the officers were in favor of the sliding gunter; 
the remainder in favor of the standing lug. 
In the compilation of the standard designs, the classes 
were first determined. The classes and principal dimen- 
sions are shown in the accompanying table : 
PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT OF STANDARD BOATS OF THR 
UNITED STATES NAVY. 
, Principal Dimensions. , , Weight. , 
Depth* from 
top of gunwale Total 
Length Breadth to lower edge including 
Type of Boat, extreme. extreme. of rabbet. Hull. outfit. 
Ft. In. Ft. In. Ft. In. Lbs. Lbs. 
Steam cutters.. 41). 00 9.00 8,U64 1^,(H2 
30.00 8. (ft 4.00 7,148 15.T19 
33.00 8.07 4.05 5,120 12,768 
80.00 8.00 4.02 4,763 10,631 
28.00 7.08 4.0ll# 3,692 S,8S9 
Launches 88.00 9.03 3.08 4,359 6,733 
30.00 S.60 3.05 2,705 4,769 
27,00 7.05 2.08 2,150 3,471 
Cutters 30.00 8.00 2.10 2,219 3,384 
28.00 T.05 2.08 1,S72 2,b03 
26.00 6.11 2.06 1,585 2,460 
24.00 6.06 2.06 1,100 1,919 
Barge 80.00 6.11 2.08 1,712 2,76T 
Whale-boats... 30. 00 6.10 2.05 1,670 2,537 
29.00 0.08 2.05 1,468 2,474 
28.00 6.06 2.05 I,8s8 2,344 
24.00 5.11& 2.02^ 1,050 1,781 
Gig whale boats 80. 00 6.02- 2.05 1,375 2,23S 
28.00 6.00 2.05 1,123 2,014 
Dinghies 20.00 5.06 2.02 700 1,134 
18.00 5.04 2.01 516 950 
16.00 4.06 1.10 291 617 
14.00 4.01 1.08 286 537 
* Note. — In case of Steam Cutters this heading should read — Depth 
from top of deck to lower edge of rabbet. 
The essential qualities of a design for naval boats should 
be classed as follows: ist, safety; 2d, weight; 3d, com- 
fort; 4th, speed. 
In order to secure the first element, safety, the boat 
must be of such form as to give stability, both under 
oars and sail. It must have strength to stand the strains 
o,f heavy weather, the rough usage which they sometimes 
receive when being hoisted and lowered, and must be able 
to stand considerable banging against the vessel, the 
wharf, or a float, and the shock of grounding on a beach 
when landing with an expedition. The boats should 
have capacity to carry, in addition to their regular crew 
and stores, as large a number of men as possible, and they 
must have the form and a sufficient freeboard to be 
weatherly under sail in rough water, and to be able to 
carry as dry as possible her crew, the additional num- 
ber of men allotted to the boat in abandoning ship, and 
provisions and water for her complement. The capacity 
in men, weight of provision and water, and the freeboard 
of the standard boats, is as follows: 
Maximum Freeboard 
T n of Roat number of men Weight of with maximum 
" boat will provisions number of men 
carry. and water. and provisions. 
Ft. In. Lbs. Ft. In. 
Steam cutfers 40.00 60 600' l.Oy^ 
36.00 53 530 1.0S»J4 
83.00 48 480 1.09# 
30. 90 40 400 1.08J4 
28.00 85 350 1.07J4 
Launches 83.00 64 640 1.10J< 
30.00 50 500 1.09# 
28.00 40 400 l.OljJ 
Cutters 30.00 45 450 • 1.04 
28.00 40 400 1MV 
26.00 80 300 1.00 
24.00 28 280 1.03 
Barge 30.00 8S 3S0 1.00J4 ' 
Whale-boats 30.00 28 280 1.0134 
29.00 _25 250 1.00% 
28,00 22 220 1.01% 
24.00 IS ISO 
Gig whale-boats.. 80. 00 20 200 IMU 
28.00 16 160 1.02K 
Dinghies 20.00 12 120 1.0'K 
18.00 10' 100 1.0l)}£ 
As the boats must be strong, and scantlings made as 
light as possible, careful workmanship is insisted upon, in 
order that all the parts of the boat may be properly joined 
together. 
While it is not intended to encourage extravagance, it is 
insisted that every appointment shall be strong, neat, and 
symmetrical without regard to expense. 
The practice is to have all frames made of white oak, 
steamed and bent. In many cases where these frames 
have been made from flitches, or the natural crook, they 
have not stood the strain of a sudden shock, have broken 
from the blast of a gun, or the swinging of the boat 
against the vessel or wharf. 
The keels, stem, sternposts, keelsons, frames, risings, 
footlings and wash strakes are built of white oak, the 
plank of white cedar, the thwarts of white ash, and the 
boats are copper-fastened throughout. The hanging bolts 
are of galanized iron, and are strongly riveted over 
washers or plates in the stem, keel, or stern-post. All 
metal fittings of the boats are of brass. 
A change has recently been made in the stern benches, 
slatted seats being used in place of the flat bench, thus giv- 
ing an easy shaped seat, similar to park benches, upon 
which a person can more easily sit when the boat is in 
motion, and also insure a comparatively dry seat at all 
times; it is also intended to replace the cumbersome 
cushions. 
The barges and gigs are always finished in mahogany, 
the back board being curved and carved with an ap- 
propriate design. 
The whale-boats and gig whale-boats are fittfcu with 
copper tanks under the bow and stern sheets, and at the 
sides under the thwarts, to make them better lifeboats. 
The 30ft. whaleboat has a tank capacity of 14 cubic feet. 
The steam cutters are also fitted with copper tanks; the 
40ft. steam cutter has, including a water-tight compart- 
ment at the bow, 62.3 cubic feet. 
Of the fittings of the boats, the greatest difficulty has 
been with the detaching apparatus of lifeboats. Many 
kinds have been used, and failures to work at the proper 
time have been noted. The automatic releasing hook is 
now being largely used in the navy. By this appliance, the 
boat is under control from the deck, and is rapidly low- 
ered, and automatically released as soon as the boat 
touches the water. 
The second element of the designs is that ever present 
question demanding the constant attention of the naval 
architect — weight. 
As previously stated, the scantling is reduced as much 
as is consistent with the necessary strength. The designs 
have been studied from three points of view — safety, 
strength, and weight, and wherever it seemed possible to 
cut the weight it was done. . 
In the systematic arrangement of the thwarts, the bow 
oarsman is located far enough aft not to be cramped in 
his movements, and also to give a large fore sheet for all 
necessary purposes. 
The bows have a considerable flare to make them dry, 
and the lines are made as sharp as possible, keeping in 
view the capacity required. 
Under the third element of the boat designs — comfort- 
might be specified the slatted seats in the stern sheets of 
all boats except launches and dinghies. It has been the 
aim in the standard designs to give the crew of the boat 
ample room for pulling, and the thwarts have been ar- 
ranged both vertically and horizontally to that end. 
The element last to be considered in the navy boats is 
speed, and as the speed of a steam cutter is closely as- 
sociated with space and weight, any attempt at anything 
but moderate speed could not be considered in a navy 
boat. 
In rough waters, where the usual service of the boats 
would be performed, the speed ranges from eight knots 
in the 40ft. steam cutters to six knots in the 28ft. 
cutters. 
Many of the crews of the old navy took a great deal of 
pride in their racing cutter, but in the new navy, where 
everything has to be well considered from many points of 
view, the racing cutter seems out of place. As the boats 
are standardized, and those of all vessels are alike, size 
for size, a boat race would become a question of strength 
and endurance, and be much more interesting than a 
race between two boats of unequal form. 
Under sail, the boats will not be speedy, as the sail 
power has been purposely kept low to keep down the 
size of spars, and the weight of sails and spars. 
In the steam cutters, the sail area is 1.75 times the area 
of the load waterline ; in the launches, 3 times ; in the cut- 
ters, whale-boats, and gig whale-boats, 2^2 times; and in 
the dinghies, 2% times. 
The sail area of each boat is given in the following 
table : 
Center of 
Area of 
eflort from 
Center of 
1. adv. ater 
center cf 
effort 
Type of Boat. 
Sail area. 
Ft. In. 
Hue. 
length. 
above base. 
Ft. 
Steam cutters.. . 
.40.00 
372.04 
212.08 
on sa 
14.: 8 
86.00 
318. 5S 
182.00 
.127 aft. 
13.5 
33.00 
301.09 
172.05 
.046 
13.46 
80.00 
283. 75 
145.00 
.27 " 
12.64 
28.00 
218.82 
125.00 
.207 " 
11.77 
505.05 
168.05 
on !8 
15.04 
30.00 
458.25 
152.75 
.298 aft. 
13.9 
28.00 
290.00 
.696 " 
11.845 
30.00 
815.00 
126,00 
.773 " 
12.0 
28.00 
290.00 
114.75 
,696 " 
11.345 
26.00 
240.00 
94.05 
.685 " 
10.647 
24.00 
209.00 
on g| 
9.79 
30.00 
293.75 
117.05 
.41 aft. 
10,7 
Whale-boats. . . 
80.00 
287.75 
111.05 
.59 " 
10.37 
29.00 
260.00 
101.00 
.52 " 
10.29 
2S.00 
240.00 
96.00 
.58 " 
10.08 
24.00 
173.63. 
.198 " 
9.55 
Gig whale-boats 
.80.00 
236.08 ' 
94,75 
.449 11 
9.87 
28.00 
212.05 
' 85.00 
,238 " 
9,48 
.20.00 
184.04 
59.07 
on g) 
9.625 
18.00 
126. S2 
56.14 
.354 aft. 
9.67 
The life of the navy boats is comparatively short, prob- 
ably averaging ten years. 
One hundred boats have been built during the past 
year, and there are now in use in the navy about 1,000 
boats of all classes. 
A number of designs have been selected to illustrate 
the type of each class, and are shown on plates 1 to 21, in- 
clusive. 
Gilberts Bat Y. C 
Waveland, Fla." Dec. 4. — The usual monthly meeting 
of the Gilberts Bar Y. C. was held on Dec. 3. The race 
was sailed over the usual course, with a variable west 
wind, the result being as follows : 
First Class. 
Elapsed. Corrected. 
Albatross ... 1 32 44 1 32 44 
Britannia 1 34 54 1 33 29 
Fenguin ... 1 33 23 1 32 33 
Omega m 1 33 51 1 33 51 
H. E. Sewall, Com., Sewall's Point, Fla.; C. B. B. 
Harrison, Sec'y, Waveland, Fla. 
Yacht Designing. 
IN spite of the favor with which the series of articles o»| 
practical designing was received by our readers, the pres-j 
sure of much other work has prevented their resumption! 
during the past year, as was "originally intended. Wot 
take pleasure now in announcing that they will begin* 
again in the first issue of 1899, and will continue as regu-1 
larly as the work will permit. It is the intention to issue;! 
them in book form after completion in the paper. The! 
portion of the subject which will be first taken up re-[ 
lates to drafting instruments, their practical use, and thel 
elements of marine drafting. 
YACHTING NEWS NOTES. 
Barracouta, steam yacht, Edward Kelly, arrived at New 
York on Dec. 6, after a cruise to Porto Rico and other 
West Indian islands. She sailed from New York on Oct. 
22, reaching San Juan on Oct. 28. The return trip began 
011 Nov. 29, and on Dec. 4 a violent gale was encountered. 
The coal supply gave out before Sandy Hook was reached 
and the aid of a tug was required to reach the upper bay.; 
The Mianus Electric Co., of Mianus, Conn., is now, in 
addition to electrical supplies, building the Palmer gas 
and gasoline engines in various sizes for land and marine 
use. In connection with the hull department, the com- 
pany building the complete yachts as well as the engines; 
it is now prepared to furnish frames for those who wish 
to build for themselves. The stem, stern-post, keel, tim- 
bers and floors are finished, fitted and marked, so that they 
may be readily set up after shipment. This will prove a' 
great aid to those who wish to build, but have not thei 
facilities for steaming, etc. 
The Western Cance Association and the A. C. A* 
Great interest among Western canoeists is evinced^ 
over the proposed absorption of the Western Canoe As- 
sociation by the larger and older body, the A. C. A. The 
history of the W. C. A. for the past couple of years would 
indicate that it is not in an active and healthy condition. 
This is probably due more to the oppressively hard times 
of the past few years than to any other cause, but what- 
ever be the cause the result is unavoidable and not grati-! 
fying. It must be admitted with regret that the prospect! 
of improvement in the W. C. A. is but remote, and there 
seems to be quite a sentiment in favor of merging the 1 
Western organization in the older body. The following 
circular letter, issued by Secretary Huntington, of the: 
W. C. A., covers these points fully. The vote is now in 
progress, and by the end of next month the future of the 
W. C. A, will be determined, one way or the other. The 
letter is dated at Milwaukee, Nov. 19: 
A special meeting of the exeeutive committee of the Western 
Canoe Association was held at the Great Northern Hotel, Chicago, 
Nov. 16, for the purpose of stimulating interest in canoeing and 
endeavoring to revive, if possible, the Western Canoe Association.- 
Commodore F. S. Thome, of the American Canoe Association,! 
and H. C. Morse, of the executive committee, and also vice-commo- 1 
dore of the Central Division of that Association, were present 
and made a proposition to have the members of the Western As- 
sociation join _ the American Canoe Association in a body, the 
same to constitute the Western Division of the American Canoe 
Association. 
Your committee have looked at this matter in all its phases, 
and it is their deliberate judgment that the best interests of the 
W. C. A. will be served by all its members joining the A. C. A. 
in a body, to be designated the Western Division of the A. C. A. 
This will give us all the advantages to be derived from connection 
with the A. C. A., while our present membership and affiliations 
will remain practically the same. 
We ask you therefore to vote on the following propositions: 
1. Are you in favor of joining the A. C. A. as a member of their 
Western Division and turning over to that division all our Associa- 
tion property, such as records, cups, cannon, flags, treasury balance, 
etc., said property to belong to said proposed Western Division 
only? 
2. If not, nave you s.-y- suggestion to offer looking to the 
revival of the W. C. A. ? 
Please vote "Yes" or "No" on each of these propositions and 
send same promptly to the secretary. According to Article 1 of 
our by-laws only those members whose dues are fully paid are 
entitled to a vote on any question; be kind enough therefore to 
remit your dues as per inclosed notice with your vote. The con- 
stitution and by-laws of the A. C. A. are much the same as our 
own organization, and the dues and initiation fee are the same, 
viz., $1 each. 
Our executive committee at their regular meeting, to be held in 
Milwaukee, Jan. 21, 1899, will decide the matter of joining the 
A. C. A. in accordance with the replies received from our mem- 
bers. It is necessary therefore that every member should vote on 
these questions, and we ask your co-operation to the extent of an 1 
immediate reply. 
* The Executive Committee, 
By F, B. Huntington, Sec'y. 
* 397 Broadway, Milwaukee. 
Approved: N. H. Cook, Commodore, Chicago. 
No notice taken of anonymous communications. 
Carrier Pigeon NA 14695, Garden Prairie, 111., Dec. 6.— Mr. 
R. O. Portee, of this place, in his barn yesterday found a car- 
rier pigeon with the number NA 14695 on left leg and a copper 
band on right leg. I would like to hear from owner if he 
wants the bird. A. Gates White. 
W. H. C, Ogdensburg, N. Y.— Will you be kind enough to tell 
me when deer shed their horns, and how long the velvet stays on? 
Ans. See article on this subject in our issue of Nov. 19, this' 
year. In different parts of the country, deer shed their horns at! 
different times, ranging from December to February. 
R. S., New Jersev. — 1. Is this a good time of year to put out 
yearling trout? 2. "Won't it be good policy to put small and 
tig-mouthed black bass in a pond together? 3. What depth of 
water do bass require? 4. What depth do brook trout require? 
5. Will trout and bass live together in peace? 6. Give the 
address of a reliable dealer in eggs, yearlings, etc. Ans. 1. Yes, 
from now until spring. 2. Yes; they often inhabit the same 
water, and if your pond or lake is not suited to the small-mouth 
the other will survive, as was the case at Cold Spring Harbor, 
Long Island. 3. From 6 to 20ft., with gravelly shallows to nest J 
on. 4. From a shallow mountain stream to 20 or more feet. 
5. If the water is good trout water keep bass, sunfish, chubs, and 
other fish out of it. Bass will destroy trout. 6. Consult our 
advertising columns. 
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. 
