374 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[May io, 1002. 
HOUSE-BOAT WHIM WHAM. 
The House-Boat Whim Wham. 
The conditions surrounding the navigation of the 
Florida coast line, and particularly the inland lagoons 
and rivers, are so different from our Northern waters, that 
in 1897 Dr. R. V. Pierce, of Buffalo, N. Y., had a craft 
espec ally designed to fulfill these requirements. The 
principal features are light draft, so as to be able to 
navigate the shallow rivers and lagoons ; twin screws to 
give great maneuvering power in the narrow and tortu- 
ous channels; a light hull, with numerous watertight com- 
partments, so that striking a snag or knocking a hole in 
her bottom means nothing more serious than part ally 
filling a few compartments with water and increasing the 
draft somewhat ; sufficient strength of hull, so that outside 
runs of from fifty to sixty miles may be made with 
safety; large and high staterooms with ample ventilation; 
wide passage all around with covered deck and side cur- 
tains to protect the living quarters from the direct sun, 
railing with steamboat netting, and the owner often en- 
joys a spin on his wheel on this deck. 
The motive power of this craft consists of two White 
& Middleton 30 horse-power single-cylinder gasoline en- 
gines, which give a speed of eight miles an hour in smooth 
water. The naphtha tanks are ample and will carry a 
thirty days' supply. Provisions were made for stowing 
double the quantity in barrels, but during four seasons' 
use no occasion has arisen for doing this. The fresh- 
water tanks are very large, with leaders to upper deck 
for carrying the rain water, which has been found suffi- 
cient for all purposes. The boat is lighted by electricity 
and has a large storage battery, which can be charged 
while the boat is under way, or by disconnecting one 
of the main engines and running it when at anchor. 
The Whim Wham was designed by Henry J. Gielow, of 
New York city, and to avoid the long coastwise trip was 
built at Jacksonville, Fla. 
Our Boston Letter. 
Boston. May 5. — The 46ft. schooner Cygnet, which was 
designed by Mr. Clinton H. Crane for Mr. Arnold Law- 
son, was launched at Lawley's this morning, or rather she 
was partly launched, for she stuck on the ways when about 
half of her underbody had been immersed. She was 
christened by Mr. Thomas W. Lawson's youngest son, 
Douglas, and the little chap was accompanied by the 
youngest daughter of the copper king. Miss Jean Lawson. 
Mr. Lawson was present when the blocks were knocked 
away from the cradle, but he departed soon after, leaving 
the children to the care of their governess. While Cygnet 
has been building :'n the shop there has been a great deal 
of comment upon her appearance and construction gener- 
ally. It is quite probable that she is the most expensive 
sailing yacht of her inches that has ever been built en- 
tirely of wood. Much care was taken by the workmen 
employed upon her, and this boat and the 60-rater, Weeta- 
moe, are easily the pride of the shops. She is double 
planked with mahogany, and her hatches and skylights are 
of teak. 
Cygnet is 46ft. on the waterline, 73ft. over all, 15ft. beam 
and 10ft. draft. She will carrv about 2,500ft. of sail, about 
the same amount carried by Mr. John Richmond's Indra, 
of the same class. The hull is painted black above the 
waterline and green below, while between the two there 
is the white stripe, which is much affected nowadays. The 
yacht is very well proportioned. She has considerable 
deadrise, and is of a type known as fast cruiser. Pier 
ends are well drawn and give her a graceful appearance, 
She will be even better looking when she is floating and 
rigged than she was in the shop. Below decks she is 
well laid out. There is the usual double stateroom abaft 
of the main companionway, while in the companionway 
space there is a toilet room on the starboard side and a 
large chart locker on the port side. Then comes the main 
saloon, taking up the full beam of the boat, with sofas, 
shelves, book cases and luxurious fittings generally. For- 
ward of the main saloon is the captain's room on the star- 
board side, while on the port side are the ice chest, dish 
lockers and stove. In the forecastle there are four folding 
pipe berths, and there is plenty of room beside for 
stowage. 
She will be commanded by Capt. Glaf Cronstadt, who 
has been master of Mr. Arnold Lawson's 25-footer Saga- 
more since she was built. Capt. Cronstadt has seen 
service on Puritan, Mayflower, Volunteer, Helen, Shark. 
Pilgrim, Jubilee and Independence. He is a clever racing 
skipper, and will be a most excellent tutor for young Mr. 
Lawson. Cygnet will be enrolled in the Hull-Massachu- 
setts Y. C. 
It is expected that by this time Massasoit, the boat de- 
signed by Crowninshield, for the Bridgeport syndicate, 
headed by Com': T. H. McDonald, is on her way to 
Bridgeport. It was understood that she was ready to go 
on board the car last Friday, but no word had been re- 
ceived of her departure up to the time of writing. There 
was no opportunity of trying her out in these waters, but 
she will no doubt get plenty of tuning up off her home 
port-. Those who have seen the boat have predicted that 
she will be a flyer. The number of Seawanhaka boats 
building in Boston must be reduced to three, as it appears 
that Fred Lawley's scow is not for this purpose after all. 
Last Friday a cabin trunk was seen going on her, and this 
at once put all notion of Seawanhaka cup trials aside. Al- 
though Fred Lawley would give no information except to 
state that the boat would be a knockabout and would be 
sailed in Buzzard's Bay, it was learned from other sources 
that the boat is for Mr. W. E. C. Eustis, of the Beverly 
Y. C. The Burgess boat for Mr. Hollis Burgess and Mr. 
T. K. Lothrop, Jr.. is planked and her deck is partly laid. 
The Burgess boat for Mr. F. B. Crowninshield is to be 
built by Graves, of Marblehead. 
Nothing more has been heard about the Quincy cup, ex- 
cept that the syndicate headed by Messrs. E. A. and R. D. 
Boardman is going ahead. The boat is being designed by 
Crowninshield and will be built by White, of Manchester. 
Smith, of Quincy, will soon have the challenger for Mr 
Henry M. Faxon under way. No new challengers have 
been heard from. 
Marblehead is commencing to show signs of activity. 
Several yachts are now in the harbor, and new ones are 
making their appearances every day. Mr. D. C. Percival's 
46ft. schooner Rondina is out, as is the big schooner 
Adrienne, owned by Mr. Harry P. Smith. The cutter 
Shona is another of the new ones. Mr. H. Tweed's Run- 
away Girl and Rob Roy are fitting out. Crowninshield 
has sold the 46ft. schooner Barbara, owned by Mr. C. F. 
Lyman, to Mr. Robert Treate Paine, 2d. At Frazier's 
yard Mr. W. O. Gav's raceabout Jilt is fitting out, as is 
also J. W. Gilbert's Hera. 
At last the new yacht racing association has come out 
w ith a proposed race to be held on Memorial Day. The list 
of judges is given, but as there is said to be con iderable 
doubt as to whether these gentlemen were consulted with 
reference to the matter, it might be an injustice to print 
their names. The main idea of measurement of this as- 
sociation has also been stated. The boats will be classi- 
fied by their waterline measurement, plus one-third of the 
overhang, and there will be no limit to sail area. Th : s is 
simply taking or trying to take yachting back seven years. 
It is now stated that the Massachusetts Y. R. A. should 
take no notice of the new association, that the new one is 
not formed to antagonize the one already in existence. I 
WHIM WHAM MTPSHTP SECTION". 
and fine copper wire tiering or screens for all window-, 
doors and openings to keep out mosquitoes and insects 
generally, so common to tropical climates. 
The principal dimensions of the Whim Wham, for such 
is the boat's name, are: Length over all, 91ft.; length on 
load waterline, 84ft. 6in. ; breadth extreme, 23ft. 6in., ard 
draft in cruising trim, with nil equipments and supplies 
on board, just under 3oin. The hull is constructed of 
oak and cypress and divided into twelve watertight com- 
partments, which are each connected separately with a 
powerful bilge ejector to free them- from water. The hull 
contains the tank c , machinery stores and a 1 ! heavy sun- 
plies. For a d'strnce of 24ft. from the stem t 1 ie main 
deck is unobstructed, after which corner a din'ng r"om 
14ft. by 16ft. ; next a pantry, 6ft. by 16ft. and abaft of 
this a galley 7ft. by r6f t. . all connected by swinging doors. 
Abaft of the galley is the engine room. Toft, by 16ft, and 
after this there are four staterooms for the crew, each 
room being 8ft. by 9ft., with ample closets, wardrobes and 
a toilet room. 
From the forward main deck to the ?aloon deck there 
is a wide stairway, with hand rails and newel posts. The 
saloon deck forward is 24ft. in length ; then comes a 
saloon, or parlor, 16ft. by 19ft.. with piano, book cases 
and all the comforts of a summer home. The owner's 
stateroom is 11ft. by 16ft., with large closets, wardrobe, 
pr'vate bath and toilet. Then comes another toilet room, 
and another room for guns, fishing tackle, etc. Abaft 
of the latter are four staterooms, each 8ft. by 10ft., the 
forward two connecting. All staterooms have stationary 
wash basins with running water. With the exception of a 
pilot house, with chart room, and two skylights, the upper 
deck is unobstructed ; it is surrounded by a substantial 
ON BOARD HOUSEBOAT WHIM WHAM A GOOD CATCH. 
