474 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Jviii 1^, igoo, 
New Factors in Yacht Measure- 
ment. 
In' its issue of May 24 the Yachtsman discusses the pro- 
posed formula of Mr, Heckstall-Smith, as pubUshed in the 
PoREST AND STREAM of last Week, and condemns it as 
"quite out of the question, both theoretically and prac- 
tically." In connection with the use of the midship sec- 
tion as a factor, it says : "It is suggested that the official 
measurer shall either check the drawings supplied by 
the designer by taking offsets from the vessel herself, or 
take the designer's word as accurate and not worry any 
further. The latter would be much the simpler plan, but 
if adopted surely the designer might be equally trusted to 
state the exact displacement of the vessel at certain marks. 
We should think the official measurer's lot would be far 
from happy if called upon to measure the greatest trans- 
verse area of any yacht by taking offsets from the ship 
herself. He would have to try at several places, for any 
one who is in the habit of designing much must be aware 
that the greatest area is not always at the greatest beam. 
If the measurer is to take all this trouble, why not go 
the whole hog and make him verify the complete design 
and from it get the displacement? The calculation would 
not occupy twenty minutes, but the less said about veri- 
fying the design, the better. 
"The idea of measuring the midship section is not 
new, and there are several ways in which it could be 
utilized. For instance, given the greatest transverse area 
and the length, a very close estimate of the displacement 
may be made, so close that no designer could cheat the 
rule without his model suffering greviously. But it is 
the getting at that transverse area. That, we think, can 
never be satisfactorily achieved, and it would be far better 
to cast about for some means of finding the displacements 
of yachts when buih. We do not believe there would be 
much trouble in this, but it is a question for engineers ; a 
question, too. that is very well worth careful study, for 
on it depends the possibility of arriving at the ideal 
method of measuring yachts for racing." 
The above will read strangely to any one who has had 
even a little practical experience in taking off the lines of 
a yacht ashore. Such dilficulty as attaches to this work 
is connected solely with the establishment of a base line, 
usually under the center of the keel, by means of which 
all the" transverse sections may be properly related to each 
other. This is not always an easy matter, as the keel 
blocks are more or less in the way. The yacht is prob- 
ably on wet and slippery ways, with the lower end ini- 
mersed at each tide, and when the line is correctly run it 
is constantly liable to derangement and breakage from 
workmen, especially if left over night, as is sometimes 
necessary. As far as the sections themselves are con- 
cerned, however, the* work of meauring them is simple 
and easy, the only difficuky being in the case of very 
large yachts s^lch as Columbia, where ladders are neces- 
sary. 
As to the specific point of locating and measuring the 
midship section, it may be located in most cases with all 
necessary accuracy by mere inspection. A straight edge is 
then set up horizontally at right angles to the line of 
keel, and vertical measurements from the skin of the 
vessel to the straight edge are taken at various points 
in the half breadth. The necessary tools are a board, with 
one edge planed up straight, a carpenter's square, a rule 
and a short tape line with a plumb bob at one end. The 
distances, say 6 or I2in., are set off on the straight edge 
by means of the rule, and the tape is moved down the 
side of the vessel and the heights measured when the 
plumb bob just touches each of the marks in turn. There 
are several other methods of obtaining similar measure- 
ments, which, when found, may be quickly plotted on 
cross section paper to the required scale without special 
drafting instruments and the area calculated by counting 
the squares of the paper ; or the section as measured may 
be used to check the accuracy of the designer's sketch. 
If there is any doubt as to the exact location of the 
greatest section, it may be settled by taking a few measure- 
m.ents wdth the straight edge in different positions. In 
practice the section would be taken to the planksheer, then 
when the vaxht was afloat and the waterline being meas- 
ured the height of freeboard would /be measured and the 
correct waterline drawn on the section. Compared with 
the present operation of locating the waterline before the 
vacht is hauled out and then locating a point 0.6 of the 
"waterline from the fore end, after which the steel tape 
must be verv carefully applied down, under the keel and 
up on the ocher side, at least two pairs of hands being 
needed, the operation of locating and measuring the 
greatest section is a very easy one, and may be performed 
by one man, though an assistant is always useful m 
such work. 
The query of the Yachtsman, why, after taking tlie one 
greatest section, the measurer should not continue and 
take enough to give the displacement, is easily answered. 
To' do this it would be necessary to locate and measure 
at least six sections instead of one, taking six times the 
time, and it is also necessary to establish an accurate base 
line by which the relations of the sections may be deter- 
mined—that is, their distances apart and the relative 
vertical positions. The location of this base line would 
probably take more time than the measurement of all the 
sections. .... 
As nearly every yacht is now built from a design, it is 
only necessary that the designer should furnish to the 
owner, with the usual docking plan or sheer plan, a sketch 
of the midship section, with the area marked. With this 
in his possession, the measurer can very quickly take such 
measurements as will enable him to ascertain whether it 
is correct; if it is incorrect or, in its absence, it will be 
iiecessarv for him to use more care and take a greater 
number "of offsets in order to construct a new and accu- 
rate sketch. Any one who is capable of making an accurate 
measurement of the waterline or the girth should be able 
lo measure and plot the midship section. 
In further criticism of Mr. Heckstall-Smith's proposal, 
the Yachtsman says: "It is not easy to see why sail area 
should be taxed in a rule in which displacement^ is so 
strongly encouraged. Given restrictions, or penalties on 
hull dimensions, it is obvious that the more sail there is 
the more displacement there will be. That is a self-evident 
proposition which hardly requires the proof of past ex- 
perience to support it. Why, then, tax sail? We know 
that we are voicing the opiBiotl of very many yachtsmen 
when we say that sail area should be struck out of the 
rule." 
A.S it now stands, only in general form, Mr. Heckstall- 
Smith's proposal does not strongly encourage displace- 
ment; the whole tendency of the rule hinges on the value 
assig;ned to the constant. Apart from this, however, the 
proposition that sail area should be dropped from the 
rule is one that cannot be argued on general grounds, but 
only in connection with some specific formula. While it 
is possible to frame some combination of length, displace- 
ment and possibly other factors by which sail area may 
be ignored, there are other possible combinations of the 
same factors which would require the addition of sail area 
to make a satisfactory^ formula. 
Rambling and discursive as the discussion of the meas- 
urement question in print and in the clubs has been in the 
past few years, some ueful principles have been estab- 
lished, and the way has been cleared of some obstacles. 
At the present time, in the opinion of many, including the 
Yachtsman and the Forest and Stream, there is a demand 
for a rule which will give a fair chance, if not the first 
chance, in racing to a yacht that is of durable construc- 
tion and reasonable accommodation, as compared with the 
flimsy racing machine which at present dominates all 
classes. If this much is admitted, the next step, in our 
opinion, is the discussion of complete and specific formu- 
las, in which the proposed ^•alue of everj^ factor is posi- 
tively stated. There is little to be gained by the pro- 
longed discussion of vague and indefinite propositions in 
which no fixed values are assigned to the factors, or of 
(luestions as to adding new factors or dropping old ones 
without reference to the resulting combination as a whole. 
It is a mere waste of time to argiie whether or not dis- 
placement should be added or sail area rejected unless 
the argument is based on a complete formula ready for 
instant trial, as that proposed by Thalassa. 
In the issue of the Yachtsman just to hand, a reply is 
made to the article, iji the- Forest and Stream of May 
19. The Yachtsman disclaims all predilections for "a pure 
displacement rule," but stands out for some rule which 
will place all types upon an absolute equality, so that each 
has an equal chance of winning, and in this connection 
it objects to the Hyslop formula on the ground that it 
will produce only one tippe. It is perhaps our fault that 
we are credited with the same statement, but the error, if 
any, is due to the lack of proper terms by which to ex- 
press differences of model and other points. The word 
"type" employed is rather vague and indefinite at best, but» 
unfortunately there is no word or phrase which just 
suits the case. We have no idsa that the Hyslop formula 
will produce one type in the sense in which the word is 
used by the Yachtsman— that is of yachts of similar 
dimensions and model ; but we believe that it can be made 
to encourage a general class of yachts such as the old 40- 
footers, which Avere by no means of the same dimensions 
or model, but included a wide variety of keel and center- 
board models of greatly varying proportions. The dis- 
tinctiA-e points of this class were the absence of modern 
machine features, the possession of reasonable living 
room, and the durable construction. These do not con- 
stitute a "type," but there is no other term Avhich fits the 
case. 
The idea of the Yachtsman that the rule should give 
equal opportunities to all types, the fin-keel racing ma- 
chine and the Avholesome cruiser or fast cruiser alike, is 
correct in theory, but Ave believe it to be unattainable in 
practice. Even if the factors of the formula are so 
perfectly adjusted as to produce this result, there are very 
poAverful modifying influences that Avill divert the rule 
and favor some one particular type. In this country, for 
instance, there are many localities Avhere the majority of 
yachtsmen, men of moderate means, have so interpreted 
the existing rule as to build fast but strong and roomy 
boats in which they have both cruised and raced, always 
living aboard in intervals between races. The presence 
of one steam yacht OAvner Avith a modern racing machine 
in tow at once kills off the existing fleet and makes it im- 
possible to Avin Avith anything but similar machines. 
About the Solent the demands of the maiorty are evi- 
dently for a day racing boat, even up to the 5^ft class, and 
it is probable tifiat the machine type Avill prevail there to a 
great extent, cA^en under a rule which gives more than 
an equal chance to the abler and more useful yacht. 
An Odd Schooner. 
The little schooner Bud, designed by Mr, S. N. Small 
tAVo years ago, Avas a novelty in rig, nominally a schooner 
Avitli'many of the points of a sloop. The same experiment 
on a larger scale is noAv being tried by Mr. Small in the 
new Clarette, designed for Mr. Walter Burgess. The fol- 
loAving description is given in the Boston Globe: 
In designing Clarette, and particularly irt her- sail plan, 
Mr. Small has as closely folloAA'^ed his successful schooner 
Bud as the Y. R. A. restrictions Avould alloAV. The main- 
mast in Clarette is not so far forAvard as in Bud, but 
the foremast is at the forAvard end of the Avaterline, Avhile 
the sail plan shoAVS the same triangular shape, Avith the 
foremast just high enough to be steadied by the long stay 
from the head of the mainmast to the end of the boAVsprit. 
Under the restrictions the mainmast cannot be placed 
nearer the foremast than 40 per cent, of the Avaterline 
length. This brings it about lift, aft of the foremast and 
2ft. forAvard of the center of the A\'aterline. The area of 
the mainsail is therefore not so large proportionally as in 
Bud, but Mr. Small has made up for this to a certain 
extent by going high in the air with the sail, and hence 
securing very good driving power for windAA-'ard work. 
At the same time the foresail is a more eff ectiA'e sail than 
on Bud. Over it Avill be set a triangular staysail that the 
designer is confident can be carried to windAvard to ad- 
vantage in light airs. The ordinary maintopmast staysaij. 
on schooners is a hindrance rather than a help to wind- 
Avard. although most skippers of schooners persist in 
carrying it, but , the triangular shape given to Clarette's 
should make a better- fitting and more effective sail. Capt. 
Edward Sherlock used a staysail of this shape to good 
advantage on the Marguerite when she was in his charge, 
and theoretically it should work a& wejt on the smaller 
boat. 
Clarette's spinaker will hoist to the top of the mainmast, 
thus giving her a big sail spread when before the Avind. 
and the balloon jib will set to the same point when used. 
Mr. Small found by practical experience in Bud that his 
jib and foresail, with a good sized staysail, Avere fully as 
effective as a ballooner in most chances, and so used the 
latter very little. The writer can see use for a good sized 
jibtopsail to take the place of the staysail in reaching, par- 
ticularly on a close reach, and it may be that Messrs. 
Burgess and Small have something of the kind in mind, 
although not showing it on the plans. 
With her 28ft. 6in. of Avaterline length, with hef large 
sail area and with the long side on which to sail when 
heeled, as shoAvn in the model, Clarette ought to be a 
A-^ery fast boat in reaching and running. Her Avind-jam- 
ming qualities ought also to be good, as Avere those of 
Bud, so that all around she should make things very in- 
teresting for the jib-and-mainsail 25-footers of the class. 
Clarette is 45ft. over all, 28ft. 6in. designed waterline. 
12ft. 3in. breadth and 3ft. sin. draft. She carries 4,C)Oolbs. 
of outside lead and 1,440 sq. ft. of sail. The lead is car- 
ried in a bulbed shoe about 13ft. long, ift. deep and loin. 
through in the Avidest part, tapering a little at the after 
end. The centerboard has an extrame drop of 8ft. Only 
enough inside ballast Avill be carried to secure the proper 
fore _ and aft trim. She is strongly built, yet no more 
heavily than the restrictions require. She will be painted 
white, Avith bright deck and cabin top. Her rudder is 
balanced and she steers with a tiller. 
Her cabin house is 19ft. long, and is only ift. high on 
the sides, but has considerable crown to the top so as to 
give 6ft. head room inside under the carlins. The cabin 
is 14ft. long, Avith four berths and room to sleep four men 
on the transoms. Toilet and galley are forward under 
the cabin house, and still further forAvard is the forecastle 
Avith two berths. All conveniences for cruising are pro- 
vided, and the little ship seems a very roomy one for her 
length. The cabin finish is in cypress with mahogany 
trimming, and the latter AA^ood is also used in the cockpit 
rail, skylights, etc. 
The main boom is 32ft. long, and the gafif 14ft. The 
mainsail has a hoist of 35ft. The foresail is 19ft. on 
the hoist, 12ft. on the gaff and 14ft. 6in. on the foot. This 
sail trims aft the mainmast, but the boom is short enough 
to sAving clear, the remainder of the sail being trimmed 
as a lug. The boAvsprit is gft. outboard, and the jib is i6ft. 
on the foot. In model the boat shows a flat floor, round 
bilge and nearly straight topside. 
The yawl rather than the schooner rig is Mr. Bufgess' 
faA'Orite, and so in Clarette he has provided for a change-^ 
in case the schooner rig does not suit him. The change 
can be made by placing the mainmast Avhere the foremast 
is noAv stepped, and by using the foremast as a jiggermasf 
in a step that has been built in the stern. But fcAv changes 
in the sails Avould be required under the yawl rig, and the 
balance would be the .same as under the present sail plan. 
Mr. Burgess expects his boat from the builders. Higgins 
& Gifford. of Gloucester, by June 20. .She has been 
measured by Isaac B. Mills, the official measurer of the 
Y. R. A., and has been found to be Avithin the require- 
ments of the restrictions. 
The question of the respective values of high and nar- 
roAv mainsails as against the more commoii- kind- of Ioav 
and broad ones seems likely to have considerable light 
throAvn upon it by the racing of the coming season in both 
the Y. R. A. and the H. O. classes of cabin 25-footere. 
The narroAv sail Avith its long hoist and short gaff has 
proved very successful in the raceabouts and knockabouts, 
but the centerboard boats. have hitherto fought rather shy 
of it and have stuck to the long boom, short hoist and 
long galf peaked Avell up. Al Kyris and Orphan of the' 
H. O. class shoAv the high and narrow sail, Avhile Hanley 
shoAvs a sail more in the catboat style. Empress is about 
half Avay^betAveen the tAvo. Mr. Small has taken the high 
sail for Clarette. The advantages claimed for this sail are 
that it catches the light airs aloft better than the lower 
sail, that it is a more noAverful driving sail to windward 
and that it is more easily kept in shape. Its continued u.sr 
on the keel boats has proved its value there, but it is still 
an open question whether or not it is the best for a light 
draft centerboard boat, particularly in reefins: Aveather. 
With the variation shoAvn in the sails of the H. O. class 
some good comparisons ought to be possible. 
Colombia Y. C, 
RACE TO MICHIGAN CITY;. 
Saturday, June 9. 
The annual race of the Columbia Y. C. of Chicago, 
from that port to Michigan City, was sailed on June 9 
Avith a start at i P. M. The run Avas made with a good 
easterly wind shifting to S.E. Siren soon took the lead of 
the fleet and won easily. The times Averc : 
Sailing. Allowance. Corrected. 
Siren 5 51 37 0 02 21 ii -19 16 
Sallie : 6 08 41 0 16 06 5 52 36 
Josephine 7 54 08 0 41 14 7 12 54 . 
Peri 7 54 23 0 32 56 7 21 27 
Nomad 8 12 32 0 32 02 7 40 30 
Charlotte R 8 13 20 0 13 31 7 59 49 
Nymph ...8 26 05 0 50 15 7 35,50 
Hull Mosquito Y, C 
HtfLl — ^BOSTON HARBOR. 
Saturday, June g. 
The Hull Mosquito Y. C. sailed its first race on June g, 
the times being: 
First Class. 
Elapsed. 
Caterpilla, W. P. Keyes 1 27 04 
Goblin, G. W. Canterbury 1 28 25 
Second Class. 
Beth, Crocker 1 19 42 
Rita, C. W. King 1 23 17 
Tech, H. E. Lvnch 1 27 57 
Royal Canadian Y* C. 
•rORONTO — TOROKTO BAY. 
Wednesday, June 6. 
The Royal Canadian Y. C. sailed a race for the i6ft. 
skiff class on June 6. starting at 4 :4s, the times being : 
Finish. Pimsh. 
— Mr. Phillips,.,.. .,.5 20 00 Hustler Withdrew. 
Electra ;,.,.-..j...5 21 00 T. JP. G Withdrew. 
Sigma -....,^;5.2Z 0(J 
