April 20, igoi.J 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
81S 
Our Boston Letter* 
Boston^, April 13. — Everything now points to the com- 
ing yachting season being the greatest in the history of 
the sport in Massachusetts. All of the clubs are making 
great efforts in the racing line, and those who are looking 
for this kind of sport will have no occasion at the end 
of the season to find fault with the inducements offered 
by the regatta committees of the different clubs. Nearly 
all of the clubs of any prominence have made up their 
list of racing dates and from a glance at the total, when it 
shall have been compiled, it will be seen that all of the 
clubs are alive to the occasion and realize that this is 
the year for Massachusetts, when it is possible to create 
a lasting interest in the sport, much greater than has 
ever been shown in this State, which has always been 
noted for its aquatic sports. 
On the North Shore, at Annisquam, Gloucester and 
Newburyport, an unusually successful season is expected. 
The Annisquam Y. C. has already been heard from, and 
news of the racing dates of the American Y. C. is ex- 
pected every day. It is known that this club is making 
great efforts and that it will present more than its usual 
number of open events. This, of course, will mean that 
the interest in local yachting, in the events which are 
confined to club members, will increase accordingly. For 
a yacht club is most favorably known by its races. The 
social conditions of a club may attract a few, but the 
majority of the men who become members of yacht 
clubs always keep in mind the distinct purpose for which 
these clubs were founded. 
The East Gloucester Y. C. is one of the North Shore 
clubs which is preparing for a great season. In fact yacht- 
ing generally around Cape Ann is taking a sudden impetus 
which bids fair to become permanent. The East Glouces- 
ter Y, C. is now well housed, and is attracting a large 
membership. There are now about 250 members en- 
rolled, and it has a fleet of more than fifty yachts. This 
may not seem a great number to some of the clubs that 
have a great membership, those which are wealthy and 
have fleets of yachts accordingly. But when it is con- 
sidered that many of the members of this club are from 
the summer colony, the membership seems to be very 
creditable. 
For a- number of seasons past the club has made a 
feature of evening races, which have become very popu- 
lar. _ The cottrses for these are not very long, but there 
is an element of danger connectd witli a race in the dark 
which becomes exhilarating without the uncertainty^ of 
dire results. It makes a good school for the yachtsman, 
too, for it teaches him to sail by bearings and to find 
marks which he cannot see, even when close to them. 
The first of these evening races will be sailed on June 
5 and every succeeding Wednesday evening they will be 
continued up. to and including Aug. 7. There will 
be a club championship in every class, the prizes, as in 
previous years, being pennants. The fixtures for the other 
races are as follows: 
May 30 — Opening club race. 
June 17 — Club race. 
July 4 — Open race for all Cape Ann boats. 
Aug. 7 and 8 — Y. R. A. open races. 
Aug. 31 — Club race. 
Club cruise will be called at the option of the Com- 
modore. The principal event in this line will be sailed 
immediately after the race on Aug. 31. The fleet will 
proceed to Marblehead and Nahant, to participate in the 
Lynn Y. C.'s Y. R. A. open race, and afterward will sail 
across the bay to witness the races of the big yachts and 
fishing vessels for the Lawson cups. 
On the South Shore the clubs are no less active. The 
Duxbury is probably the most active of any of these 
clubs, and has laid out a good season's racing. This 
club, like many of those on the North Shore, is made up 
principally of members of the summer colony. Great 
interest is manifested in the i8ft. knockabouts by mem- 
bers of this club, so great, in fact, that they were called 
last year the "Duxbury i8-footers." Commencing June 
22. there will be races every Saturday for these boats 
until the close of the season. The schedule of the other 
races is as follows: 
June 17, Monday — Club race. 
July 4, Thursday — Club race. 
July 20, Saturday — Club race. 
.Aug. 3, Saturday — Club race. 
Aug. 31, Saturday — ^Y. R. A. open, 
Sept. 2, Monday — Ladies' day. 
The great interest which has been aroitsed in yachting 
in New England is not confined, by any means, to the 
Massachusetts coast. At Bar Harbor there is growing 
up a fine, healthy fleet of yachts, and Islesboro and vicinity 
bids fair to become one of the greatest Eastern yachting 
centers. The Maine coast has long been known as a 
summer resort, but within the past few years its popu- 
larity has grown wonderfully. With the coming of 
greater numbers of summer visitors, it is not to be won- 
dered that 3'achting should become the principal sport. At 
Bar Harbor there is a fine fleet of 2S-footers, which have 
furnished sport for the past three seasons. It started with 
a one-design class which was organized b}' a Boston man. 
and the fleet has grown steadily since. The interest in 
yachting is not confined to Bar Harbor, but has ex- 
tended all along the Maine coast. 
The House Committee of the LIuU-Massachusetts Y. C. 
has adopted a novel manner of placing interesting club 
matters before its members. A little paper called the Log 
has recently been issued which gives a prospectus of the 
coming season's features and calls upon its members to 
send in any interesting news of the club for publication. 
It is suspected that the editor-in-chief of the little paper is 
John L. Amory. but he, being a modest man, will prob- 
ably deny it. At all events the enterprise is a good 
one for the club, and is a credit to its organizers. The 
column in Avhich the news notes will be printed will go 
by the inspiring title of "Slivers." 
It is announced that the club house at Hull will be in- 
formally opened on April 19. The landing stages will be 
put in place there on that date and also at the town house 
on Rowe's Wharf and at the Dorchester clitb house at 
Commercial Point. The Hull club house will be opened 
for the season on June 8, and the Dorchester house will 
be opened April 18. The dormitories at the Hull club 
house have been thoroughly renovated and improvements 
jiave been made in the bathing departrae;;t, 
Hanley has started on the Canada cup defender Cadillac, 
which is being built for a syndicate of Chicago yachts- 
men headed by Mr. John C. Shaw. During the past 
week the moulds have been put up and from now on the 
work of construction will be rushed. It is Mr. Hanley's 
intention to have her all ready soon after the middle of 
next month. As might have been expected, Cadillac will 
be an improved Genesee. As Hanley has had great ex- 
perience and much success in building certerboard boats 
of her size, there is every reason to expect that she will 
give a good account of herself in the trial races. 
At a meeting of the Executive Committed of the Yacht 
Racing Association of Massachusetts a rule was framed 
that every yacht competing in an Association race shall 
carry a racing flag at the peak of the mainsail, which shall 
be hauled down immediately after the race. The flag will 
be i8in. square, having a blue ground with a white star in 
the center, the size of the star to be one-third of the 
length of the flag. This rule will commend itself readily 
to any yachtsman who has been deceived by yachts carry- 
ing the racing numbers throughout the entire season, 
which have hung around the starting line with no intention 
of racing. The official measurer was instructed in case of 
protest to measure the protested yacht immediately, if pos- 
sible, and, if not possible at the "time, to inspect the yacht 
and take a complete inventory of everything on board and 
to measure as soon afterward as possible. The fact that 
sails are wet shall be no reason for not, measttring. This 
is sort of legislation that has been awaited from the As- 
sociation, and it will do much to strengthen its cause 
among yachtsmen. 
The readers of Forest and Stre.iim are probably by this 
time familiar with the details of Independence's sail plan, 
which is a very large one indeed. Several yachtsmen have 
expressed the opinion that it is too large and will be a 
drawback to the boat, but this is a thing that can only be 
proved in practice. But the giving out of the sail plan, so 
that Herreshoff and Watson, who are already familiar 
with the lines and construction, can put the two together 
and draw comparisons, seems to be rather indiscreet, to 
say the least. It does not seem reasonable that the de- 
signer of the Boston boat can give all of his powder to 
the two greatest yacht designers living and not have them 
beat him. A certain amount of publicity makes a yacht 
popular, but there is a limit to all things. In this case it is 
the opinion of many yachtsmen here that Crowninshield 
has made the mistake of his life. ' •■ * 
Illinois, which has had several trials, has not proved 
the success which first reports would lead people to be- 
lieve. It has been found that she carries a strong lee 
helm, which is not as it should be if the yacht is to have 
any great success. Many changes were made, but all to no 
avail. It has been finally decided to give her a new main- 
sail and to shift the center of effort aft. This will be 
done by shortening the jib and giving greater area to the 
mainsail. About 20olbs, of lead have been cut from the 
fin. It is expected that she will be put on the flat car and 
shipped West Monday. 
The work on Independence is progressing smoothly. 
Her deck is nearly all laid and many of the plates for 
the steel mast have been turned out. The sternpost rud- 
der is now being plated. 
Fred Lawley has an order for a centerboard i8-footer, 
which will be built by Shiverick, of Kingston. ' He is also 
hard at work on a 15ft. racer, which he hopes to have 
ready to enter in the opening race May 30. 
Mclntyre, of Neponset, has three of the i8-footers of 
Starling Burgess design well along, and a fourth has been 
started. 
MacConnell Bros, have made the following sales: 
Knockabout Agnes to P. S. Estes, of Harvard College; 
J. and M. Praline to F. W. Bird, of Wnithrop; cutter 
Tomboy to Joseph Battles, of Lawrence; sloop Nokomis 
to Dr. W. B. Osgood, of Boston, and the cutter Ouida to 
a member of the Boston Y. C. 
Embree, of Quincy Point, has launched the 25ft. rating 
yawl, designed by Starling Burgess for his Uncle, Vice- 
Com. Walter Burgess, of the Boston Y. C. She will take 
her maiden sail Wednesday. 
Smith, of Quincy Point, has the 25-footer for Oscar B. 
Webber, of New York, and the 25-footer for W, D. Tur- 
ner, of the Boston Y. C. ready for launching. They will 
go into the water next week. 
At Lawley's the Sloane 85ft. schooner is all planked. 
The Parsons 46-footer and the Gibson 25-footer are about 
ready to go overboard. The Douglas i8-footer has been 
painted and her deck has been caulked. The deck is being 
laid on the Binney 70ft. steamer, and the house is being 
finished up on the 86ft. steamer of the same design. The 
Hurter 35-footer and the Lowell 25-footer are all planked. 
In the west shop the plating is going on the Eno 120ft. 
steamer, and the frames are out for the Crane 70ft. 
steamer. John B. Killeen. 
Senta. 
The English-built cutter Senta arrived safely at Green- 
port, L. I., on the morning of April 10. Senta crossed 
the- Atlantic in the worst season of the year and met with 
head winds and severe gales throughout the entire trip. 
She was the lightest built boat in her class in England and 
was constructed solely for racing, and it is really remark- 
able that she made an ocean passage with less injury to 
herself and those on board than large schooners have 
met with of twice her size that have been built for cruising. 
Senta was purchased by Mr. A, Howard Hinkle, of 
New York city, last December. Soon after she was 
bought work was begun on her to prepare the boat for 
the trip to America. Misfortnne followed Senta from 
the beginning ; first she went ashore in the Solent, and 
then put back for repairs. After being hauled out and 
surveyed she was found to be uninjured. On Feb. i she 
again started for Bermuda, and for fortj'-two days nothing 
was heard from her, and it. was feared that she had been 
lost, but on March 16 she reached Hamilton, Bermuda, 
after encountering revolving winds and heavy seas nearlj' 
all the way. and being struck in mid-ocean by a hurricane. 
The boat behaved admirably, but the great strain was 
too much for her main rigging, and it parted. Temporary 
gear was rigged to save the mast from going over the 
side. A steamer nearly ran them down one morning about 
4 o'clock. ■ In spite of the signals from the yacht the 
steamer did not change her course until she was almost 
aboard the y^cljt. The steamer was painted ^ drab color. 
and in the dim light of fhe early morning it was impos- 
sible to read her name. 
After spending several days at Bermuda getting the 
yacht in shape for the balance of the trip, Senta left for 
Greenport on March 19, but she ran into heavy weather 
and was obliged to put back, starting again the follow'ng 
day, March 20. She had been out from Bermuda a week 
before the first of the gales was met. Nothing but the 
smallest bit of a square sail could be used to keep the 
yacht from broaching to. For three days she rode in 
this \va.y, and was blown 254 miles to the south southeast.. 
In spite of the oil bags heavy seas ?jroke over the yacht. 
The starboard shrouds parted and the sail came down on 
the run at the same time. Temporary stays were used. 
About 250 miles from Montauk Point another gale was 
struck, and she was again driven oft' her course. Before 
she left England a temporary bulwark of planks heavily 
braced and fastened was built up around the sides of the 
yacht to protect the crew and support the life lines. One 
of the seas stove in this bulwark on the starboard quarter, 
Capt Esson's mate left him at Berihuda, owing to a 
misunderstanding. All of the crew were made up of deep- 
water sailors, and air agreed with Capt. Esson that it was 
the worst weather they had ever encountered. 
At the Gty Island Yards. 
The bad weather that has prevailed up to last week has 
greatly delayed the work of fitting out yachts everywhere. 
In all the yachts at City Island rapid progress is now 
being made on nearly all of the boats laid up there. 
Hawkins' yard looks rather empty now that Columbia has 
been launched. She is lying in the stream getting her 
spars and rigging in place ; her mast was stepped w.'th the 
aid of a large wrecking tug. Carmita is also lying at an 
anchorage; she is fully rigged, and her crew is aboard 
awaiting orders. Some work has been done on the 70- 
footer Rainbow ; her bottom is in much better condition 
than last year. The 70-footer Mineola has not been 
touched as yet. Work has begun on Emerald and Co- 
lonia. 
At the Jacob yard the schooner Amorita has been put 
overboard, and is lying in the basin; during the winter 
her lead has been lowered and a metal centerboard sub- 
stituted for the wooden one. The handsome cutter Queen 
Mab has been painted white, but the change is hardly an 
improvement. The ctitter Hester will receive a new mast. 
The sloop design by Messrs. Gardner & Cox for Mr. Otto 
Lohrke is practically finished, and has been run out of 
the shop ready for launching; she is a good look'ng boat 
with very fair accommodation in her cabin and a large 
cockpit. 'Mr. John Hyslop's keel yawl is nearing comple- 
tion; her cabin work is being put in place. She has a 
large amount of room below and a small cockpit. Her 
narrow cabin house gives ample deck room. The launch 
that was designed by Messrs. A. Gary Smith & Barbey for 
Mr. E. Wetherbee is planked and the deck beams are in 
place. The centerboard knockabout, also designed _ by 
the same firm for Mr. Wetherbee, is ready for launching. 
At Wood's yard the 43-footer designed by Mes^-rs. Gard- 
ner & Cox is being planked; she is an extrem.ely handsome 
boat in every particular. Her frames and floors all through 
the center of the boat are of steel, as' are her deck beams, 
while the frames and deck beams in the ends are of wood; 
she is double planked. Wood has done remarkably fine 
work on her throughout. This boat bids fair to ?urpass 
in good looks any boat yet turned out by Messrs. Gardner 
& Cox. The Fife cutter Jessica is ready for lauiich ng. 
The raceabout designed by Mr. Clinton H. Crane, of the 
firm of Messrs. Tarns, Lemoine & Crane, has been 
launched and is now anchored in the harbor. This boat is 
built of mahogany and looks very well as she lies at her 
mooring. 
At Byle's yard the centerboard sloop Wacondah is un- 
dergoing a number of changes, and a gasoline engine is 
being installed. 
Yacht Club Notes. 
The annual meeting and election of officers of the'^ 
Southern Y. C. New Orleans, La., took place Thurs- 
day, April 4. The following ofiicers were elected for the 
season of 1901-2: Com., A. Baldwin; Vice-Corn., Theo. 
Grunewald: Rear Com.. A. M. Cooke; Sec'y. L. D. 
Sampsell; Treas.. James Buckley. Governing Commit- 
tee, Charles Janvier. Thomas Sully, Fritz Jancke, J. B. 
Campbell P. S. Schneidau. House Committee, H. A. 
Hamilton, C. W. Smith, T. G. Stehle. W. M._ Stout, 
Dudley Selph. Regatta Committee, Emile J. O'Brien, 
H. L. Burton, A. M. Aucoin. Fleet Surgeon. Dr. R. L. 
Riley; Meas., Holmes Harrison. 
^ J^, 
The New Rochelle Y. C. met April 12. at the" 
Yachtsmen's Club and decided to lease Harrison's 
Island in Echo Bav for club purposes. The island is 
owned by Adrian Iselin, Jr. Cora. Edward Kelly pre- 
sided, and after the meeting entertained the members at 
The Columbia Y. C. on the Hudson river "will have a 
new house at the opening of the season. It has been 
erected on the site of the former club hottse at the foot 
of West Ei.crhty-sixth street, and contains a number of 
fine rooms, including a club room, dining room and lad'es' 
room. A spacious balcony skirts the front of the house, 
fnini which an excellent view of the Hudson is afforded. 
•t *S 
.VIr. Irving Cox will deliver the last lecture of the 
series at the Yachtsmen's Club, 47 West Forty-third 
street. New York city, on April 24. "The Steam Yacht. 
Its History, Design and Development." will be the sub- 
ject. ' ^ " , 
The Spaulding St. Lawrence Boat Co., of Ogdensbur.g. 
N. Y., has recently issued a handsome catalogue which 
contains descriputions. illustrations and prices of alco- 
vapor. naphtha, gas, gasoline and electric launches in 
.all sizes from t6ft. upwar<ls. This firm will gladly for- 
ward to any address thi§ catalogue on th.e t^ceipt of ap^ 
plication, 
