176 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
IIMarch 2, 1901. 
AUXILIARY HOUSE-BOAT— DESIGNED BY MESSRS. CLAY & TORBENSEN. 
thirsty mosquito, but near enough to allow one to place 
himself in touch with civilization through the medium of 
the telegraph and railway whenever it becomes necessary. 
My own ark is moored in a beautiful landlocked cove 
about five miles from the city, half a mile from the ferry, 
and a quarter of a mile or so from the yacht club house, 
and under the shelter of a high promontory, which effectu- 
ally protects us from the trade winds and the summer 
fogs which roll in like a dense curtain through the Golden 
Gate, almost every afternoon. This protecting _ bluflf is 
covered on its lee side with a dense growth of "tejon" and 
scrub oak, from amidst which peep out dozens of more or 
less pretentious villas ; anchored about me in all directions 
are some twenty arks of various styles of architecture, but 
no two of them alike. In the evening the air is vocal 
with the twang of the mandolin or the plunk of the more 
plebeian banjo, while the summer girl and her temporarily 
best fellow tUne their voices in (more or less) melodious 
concord. Big hanging lamps throw their light through 
stained glass windows, and are reflected in the phos- 
phorescent ripples as we row by on our way to visit a 
friend or sit on the verandas idly blow'ing the after-dinner 
cloud. 
When one grows sleepy, the tender is hoisted up at the 
davits, the lights put out, we tumble into our bunks, and, 
lulled by the scarcely perceptible rocking of the ark, and 
the gentle lapping of the wavelets alongside, sleep as if 
that were our manifest destiny. 
The accompanying plans show the sizes of the California 
ark, and may be useful to intending house-boaters in other 
localities. 
I have not attempted to go very deeply into details of 
construction, as that is a matter upon which any local 
shipwright or even house carpenter can furnish all desired 
information. 
The smaller of these arks is calculated to accommodate 
two with some degree of comfort. The float is 8 by i6ft., 
the house 8 by 8, the quarter-deck, where smoking is 
allowed, 6 by 8. 
If built of inch stuflf ift. wide with the seams covered 
with ornamental battens 3in. wide, the house will require 
only three roof timbers and a frame of 2 by 3 scantling 
at deck and eaves to nail the top and bottom of the siding 
to, and a piece tying the corner posts together to prevent 
the roof over the quarter-deck from springing; the roof 
covered with light canvas and well painted will not leak 
in a deluge. This thing can be sculled at a respectable 
'speed if it becomes necessary to move to avoid paying 
"ground rent" or taxes, or meeting your creditors. 
The other structure is intended for the use of any 
number up to eight, being double the length and width 
of the first. Her strength would have to be proportion- 
ately increased, while the finish, appointments and cost 
may be carried to any extreme prompted by your purse 
or experience. Her framing would have to be much 
more elaborate than in the case of the smaller one, being, 
in fact, not unlike that of a small house. 
I will not attempt to give any estimate of cost, as 
figures based upon the market here would be of little or no 
v,'alue to the majority of your readers. W. B. 
Saw Francisco, Cal. 
The following letter takes us from San Francisco to 
Florida : 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I inclose sketch of a boat or scow that I used on Indian 
River a few winters since. Of course it is quite different 
from the house-boat seen on the Thames, about Kingston 
and Richmond, but then the cost was no comparison. 
On reaching Daytona, Fla., I at first thought of buying 
or chartering some cabin boat and living on her through 
the winter, but I remembered the sleepless nights and 
contracted quarters on such a craft when in Florida 
years before, and concluded to try a new plan. 
Securing the services of a good house carpenter (boat 
builders want their own way) I selected some well seasoned 
hard pine at the local saw mill, and in a week's time we 
had a scow 24 by 8ft., all caulked and bottom covered 
with tar, and a house high enough for head room, 7ft., of 
thin stuff plowed and matched, roof slightly crowned, 
covered with drilling and two good coats of paint, making 
it weather proof; windows and doors I bought ready 
made at a small cost. I then purchased at the local 
stores an outfit of bedstead (full size), mattress, cover- 
ing, etc., togetherwith an oil stove and a few cooking uten- 
sils' groceries, etc., and I was all ready to move into my 
new quarters. Of course the boat was the subject of much 
adverse criticism from the natives, and I was the re- 
cipient of no end of advice, but I had built boats before 
and was used to that sort of thing. 
For a tender I bought a well-proportioned little' skiff 
or "flattie" about 14ft." long. She was. easy to row, and 
by putting in a small centerboard and rigging up a sprit- 
sail, I found I had no occasion to use the oars when there 
was a breeze, which was almost every day. The nights 
were usually calm except during a norther. I was for- 
tunate in securing an old mushroom or mud anchor and 
some fathoms of chain, enough to hold the craft in any 
situation I was likely to be anchored. 
To abbreviate, I found the boat a great success, anchor- 
ing far enough out in the river to insure quiet. I spent a 
fe%v days at each town along the river, dropping down 
with the tide gradually, as far as the Inlet, from this to 
Mosquito, some twelve or fifteen miles. I was towed by 
one of the small steamboats running between Daytona and 
Titusville, at a moderate cost. 
Mosquito Lagoon is pretty wide arid exposed, so I 
worked down to the Haulover Canal with a favoring north 
wind and through into Indian River and across to Titus- 
ville. Here I anchored some two weeks, and securing an 
old spar and piece of canvas I rigged up quite a respect- 
able mast and square sail, and bolting a lee board on each 
side, I found with any kind of fair or quartering wind my 
house-boat was as manageable as some catboats. I steered 
with a large oar on a pin over the stern. 
From Titusville I cruised the entire river almost as far 
as St. Lucie and Eden, stopping as long as I felt inclined 
at the various places en route. I was obliged to return 
Yacht a«b Notes. 
There was a large attendance at the annual meeting 
of the Larchmont Y. C, held at Delmonico's, Fifth ave- 
nue and Forty-fourth street, on Feb. 20. The prizes won 
during the past year were exhibited. 
The secretary reported that there were 296 yachts in 
the fleet; that during the year 72 new members were 
elected and 5 were reinstated; there were 27 resignations 
and II deaths. 
The trustees reported that the club had 600 regular 
members, 50 life members and 17 army and navy mem- 
bers, making a full membership according to the con- 
stitutional Hmit, and that there is now a waiting list. 
Fifty-t-wo members have been elected since Jan. i. 
Some amendments to the racing rules were made, and 
it was announced that Commodore Adams will offer 
prizes to be sailed for in the coming season, to be known 
as the Adams Cups. The particular events for which 
these prizes will be offered will be decided by the Board 
of Trustees and the Regatta Committee. 
The following officers for the coming year were unan- 
imously elected: Com.. Frederick T. Adams, schooner 
Sachem; Vice-Com., Wilson Marshall, schooner Atlantic; 
Rear-Com., James Baird, sloop Hussar II.; Sec'y, A. 
Bryan Alley; Treas., William Murray; Meas.. Jshn 
Hyslop: Trustees, to serve three years, William B. 
Jenkins and Edward J. Greacen ; Trustee, to serve two 
years, to fill vacancy, Edward S. Hatch. 
, it It •! 
At the annual meeting of the Yachtsmen's Club, held 
at the club house,. 47 W. 47th street,, on Feb. 19, the follow- 
ing officers were elected for the coming year : Pres., 
David Banks, Commodore of the Atlantic Y. C; Vice- 
Pres., Frederick M. Hoyt, Commodore of the Stamford 
Y. C. ; Sec'y. E. M. MacLellan, Secretary of the Manhas- 
set Bay Y. C. ; Treas., Philip G. Sanford, Atlantic Y. C; 
Trustees, C. Eckert, Cliff Haven Y. C. and C. T. Pierce, 
Riverside Y._ C. The following new members were 
elected: E. V. Sumner, New York Y. C; E. Hope Nor- 
ton and George Hill, Atlantic Y. C; H. B. Yates, E. K. 
Greene and H. M. Molson, Royal St. Lawrence Y. C, 
and G. H. Chasmar, Norwalk Y. C. 
at ts at 
At a meeting of the Knickerbocker Y, C; held Feb. 
20, at the Hotel Manhattan, it was decided to apply to 
the Yacht Racing Union of Long Island Sound for the 
first Saturday in June as the date of the annual regatta 
of the club. It was stated that of the bond issue of $7,500 
on account of the extension of the club house at College 
Point, bonds to the value of $1,800 had been canceled in 
the past year. 
•5 It "6 
The ''fitting out" dinner of the Manhasset Bay Y. C. 
will be given on .Saturday evening, March 2, at 7 o'clock 
at the Yachtsmen's Club, 47 West Forty-third street. The 
purpose of this dinner is to encourage mutual intercourse 
and a general and complete acquaintance among the old 
and new members. More than double the number of men 
have been admitted to membership this year than were 
elected during the same period last year and it is re- 
quested that each member will so far as possible bring as 
his guest a friend or friends whom he can indorse for 
membership. There will be no speechmaking, and it is 
ii 
ii 
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ll 
ill J 111 
..^ L 
SANi FRANCISCO HOUSE-BOAT, NO. 1, 
North unexpectedly and sold my entire outfit at alrnost 
first cost to a man clearing a piece of land for pine- 
apples, who, I learned afterward, hauled the boat on shore 
and made it a permanent residence. 
Regarding the cost, as near as I can. remember, boat all 
complete, tender, anchor, sail, etc., cost about $150. I 
am sure my expenses for groceries and other eatables were 
not over $1.50 to $i.7S weekly. Fish, oysters, oranges, 
etc., cost 'nothing, visitors being usually allowed to help 
themselves to oranges lying on the ground in most of the 
groves. Occasionally the mosquitoes were troublesome, 
but I had a good net and never lost my sleep on their 
account. I would add that the boat was divided mto two 
rooms, forward being the reception and sleeping room, 
and aft the kitchen and general repair shop. 
Any one wintering on Indian River will get more com- 
fort from this plan than living at a hotel or cramped up on 
a sailboat or yacht. The scow drew but Sin. Perhaps 
after a year or two she might have settled deeper in the 
water, but not much. E. D. 
The publishers of Forest anb Stream will be glad to 
receive from designers, builders and all those interested in 
house-boats plans, photographs and descriptive articles on 
this subject, 
probable that entertainment may be furnished during the 
course of the evening. 
The following proposals for membership are published 
in pursuance of the constitution : Mr. Howard Gould, 824 
Fifth avenue. New York citv; Mr. Clarence P. Wyckoff. 
18 Wall street, New York city; Mr. Stanton Whitney, 
103 West Fifty-fourth street. New York city; Mr. Glen- 
worth D. Borden, 36 Broad street. New York city; Mr. 
J Butler Wright, 42 West Ninth street. New York city; 
Mr C. W. Scott, Port Washington. N. Y. ; Mr. Edwin 
Stevens, 65 West Thirty-fifth street. New York city; Mr. 
Stephen H. P. Pell, 542 Fifth avenue, New York cit>^ 
1^ 1^ 1^ 
Mr William Gardner, the designer, talked to tlie 
members of the Yachtsmen's Club, 47 West Forty-third 
street, on Wednesday evening, Feb. 20, on "The Racing 
Yacht: Its History, Development and Design." Mr. 
Gardner treated the subject in a niost interesting 
comprehensive manner. 
and 
Emperor William has informed the HeHgoland Cup 
Committee that in consequence of the death of Queen 
Victoria the race for the cup will not be sailed this year. 
