Oct. i8, 1902.] 
FOREST AND STrEAM. 
§1? 
MELODY— DESIGNED AND BUILT BY GILBERT M. SMITH, PATCHOGUE, L. I., N. Y. 
was not checked sufficiently to stop at the exact spot 
where the Skipper had been informed the hose was ; con- 
sequently there was a lot of backing and haulmg— and 
swearing— and advising, but the Crew with the assistance 
of the dockman, succeeded in getting her out far enough 
to drop the hook and let her drift back comfortably, and 
we then filled the tanks. This done, we had the same 
difficulty in getting away from the float. It would be 
too much bother raising the mainsail, and with the Crew 
md dockman towing we managed to get out far enough 
fco ride at our anchor with comfort. The Crew had cer- 
ttinly worked with celerity and quick-wittedness, and he 
h all right in this respect; indeed, none better; and the 
few words of commendation from the Skipper seemed 
id make him more docile than usual. As the Skipper 
lighted a cigar and stretched himself in the cockpit, he 
mused how easy it would have been to pick his way 
through the rowboats, full speed astern, not havmg to 
gather way with a glass show case launch 20ft. on the 
port hand, and a wicked bunch of spiles on the other. 
Thus ruminating, the Skipper began to wonder what had 
become of the Owner, It had been the intention to sail 
for the Thimbles, as it was only a short run, and it 
would be an absolute crime not to lay in that picturesque 
spot for at least one day. Neither Skipper, Owner nor 
Crew had ever dropped hook in there, and the Skspper did 
not want to let the opportunity go by. So we patiently 
waited for the Owner's appearance. The wind was blow- 
ing about six and from the south'ard, and it seemed a 
pity to be chafing at anchor. The Crew suggested starting 
without him, but this the Skipper thought was hardly 
feasible. It was now seven bells and the tide was ebb, 
wind seemed I ghtening, and still no Owner. The Crew 
prepared some sandwiches, and we had a bottle of beer 
apiece. 'Twas then we heard the tiny whistle that the 
Owner was wont to carrv with him to summons his ship's 
comrany on occasion. We had him aboard in a jiffy, and 
after a Uttle hesitation on his part as to the feasibility of 
starting, in went a reef, up went the mainsail, then we 
broke out the hook, and started out of the breakwaters. It 
seemed that the wind was determined to give the Owner 
the haha for putting in that reef, for off the old white 
tower that was once a lighthouse the wind fell to a sum- 
mer's zephyr. When by the breakwater, out went that 
reef, and then the wind obligingly freshened and a little 
summer squall was observed making up out of the 
southeast, but no reefs this time, and we bowled along, 
making our six knots by the log easily, and soon picked up 
Branford Beacon on the starboard hand, and Kigger Head 
red spar buoy on our port, and heading for the tower on 
Pot Island, following soundings and the chart, ran into 
what we considered a good harbor, inasmuch as there 
were some yachts and fishing boats anchored there. On 
inquiring, however, we found that the regular anchorage 
was about 300yds. more to the eastward, so we hailed a 
launch, which kindly towed us between Pot, Money and 
tJigh islands. Tbe Skipper loves blue water, but he was 
not slow to admit the beauty of these little verdure-clad 
i.slets. The sun dipping gradually in the west made a 
splendid background. It was a mingled picture of sea, 
land and sky which hardly seemed the work of nature so 
theatrically had she performed her task. No photograph 
could show the beauty of this miniature fairyland. We 
had dropped the hook and lay around the deck simply ab- 
sorbing the beauty of the scene. The Skipper noticed the 
protection from wind and sea from almost any quarter. 
The Crew heaved the lead, made about four fathoms of 
water, and then we decided to go in swimming. The 
water was deliciously warm, and we worked up a ravenous 
appetite for supper. It was about this time that we fornied 
the acquaintance of "Leo." In his peculiar drawl he in- 
quired of nearly every yachtsman we knew, a great many 
we didn't know, and proved to be a living epitome of 
yachting and yachtsmen. He also informed us that he 
could furnish anything we wanted— ice, meats, etc.— and 
would take our mail to Stony Creek. We promptly de- 
cided that after supper we would go ashore and look h.s 
place over. After supper, which consisted of six courses, 
in honor of the occasion, we paid him a visit and drank 
some of his very good beer, ordered dinner for the next 
day. marveled at the scenery, and listened to Leo's 
reminiscences of yachtsmen, until from the afar we heard 
the tinkle of eight bells, and then it was we decided to 
turn in and explore the beauties — natural — of the Thimbles 
on the morrow. 
July 31. — A dull gray morning, with rain clouds banked 
up thickly to the east'ard. Had breakfast, went ashore 
and hired a small catboat. After dinner at Leo's sailed 
over in cat to Sachem's Head, where we called, in the 
yacht club there and were very nicely received. Beat 
back and got back at Leo's in the evening. _ Decide to 
start next morning for New London. The Skipper chafes 
at lying more than one day in port, and while the scenic 
beauty of the Thimbles is unsurpassed, the prospect of 
ir.alving Newport is enticing. Turn in at 12; sleep well. 
Aug. I. — Up early and get ship ready for trip to New 
London. Nice breeze from N.N.W. Stand well across 
Sound until Falkner's Island is abeam, then lay course 
for Corpfield Lightship. Pick up lightship at ten minutes 
past one. Breeze lias freshened, and we will make New 
Loudon easily by 4 o'clock. Carry away sister hooks of 
iiia'nsheet block off Mantic. Wear ship, repair block. 
Time lost, twenty minutes. Lay course again fqr Bart- 
ktt's Reef Lightship. Pass if on port hand at 3 ;40. Stand 
in for New London. Tide very strong here. Innocent un- 
der good breeze smashes through them like a pprk. • She 
does not like these short, steep, broken seas as a rule, but 
we are logging fully seven and a half miles by the log, and 
they do not get much chance. To-day's run has been most 
glorious, a perfect sailing day, and as we pick the buoys 
up at the mouth of the harbor we wonder whether the 
god of fortune will attend us as well in our run to New- 
port to-morrow. We make the Harbor nicgly and drop 
anchor in six fathoms of water at 4:20. After an early 
supper we go ashore, get shaved and send letters and tele- 
grams home, explore New London a Uttle. The Skipper 
generally Wattts to get out of a town as soon as he has 
walked through the main street. No exception. Try to 
get chart of Fisher's Island Sound, but found store closed. 
Peturn. Crew asleep as usual, and but for a friendly 
captain on a schooner whose name is forgotten, it would 
have been another lofig vigil. The Skipper hesitated about 
beating through Fisher's Island Sound without a chart, 
and to go on the outs de through the Race would have 
made it too much of a run. The Owner and he agreed to 
sleep on it till the morning. 
Aug. 2. — The Owner awake bright and early, tries to 
get Skipper up, but no go. The Skipper sleepily tells him 
to stick the flag in the rigging and get towed through, as 
there is hardly a breath of wind. At this point n getting 
ice, we are informed that we will have no trouble in 
getting through, as we have the tide in our favor, and 
the wind will spring up from the south'ard. We decide 
to cook breakfast under way, and have the sails on her in 
a jiffy and find we have just enough a r to give us steer- 
age way. We worked through gradually until we are 
past the Dumplings, when by Ram Island Lightship we 
are becalmed and have a hard job holding our own with 
the tide, which has turned. After two hours of this, in 
which we are entertained by a school, or rather schools, of 
porpoises, we get a little breeze from the south'ard, and 
gradually pass the lightship. The breeze is now freshen- 
ing, and we are commencing to log. We pass the light- 
ho\ise at Watch Hill, and then lay our easting. It may 
not have been wise to run down our lee shore the way 
we did, but we wanted to make Newport early, and the 
Skipper, giving the Innocent just enough offing to clear 
Point Judith, let her romp away. It was simply grand. 
Away on our starboard hand the distant shore of Block 
Island dimly stood out of the haze, while the white sand 
line of the Rhode Island shore seemed like a line of white 
fire. And as we tore along, smok ng, with the Bartender 
splicing the main brace every once in a while, we agreed 
that old ocean in her kindly moods is unsurpassed. We 
passed Point Judith ten minutes of three. Passed Brenton 
Reef Lightship well on starboard hand at 4 -.30. It was. as 
I have said, a fine day, but how those swells did roll in 
from the Atlantic, b g fellows, that would lift the Inno- 
cent up 8 or loft. and then — down hill again. We had 
been giving a large knockabout a great race of it from 
the point, and were holding our own nicely. We also 
picked up several cats, and under a breeze wh ch \vas 
freshening, we simply tore by Butterball, and with jib 
sheets eased all we could and main boom out to the 
rigging, we tore into the harbor. The Skipper at once 
saw it was no time for monkeying. We had too much sail 
up for easy sailing, and the harbor was literally jammed 
with a flotilla of yachts of all kinds from the Lark to the 
iNourmahal. To the east in the Cove there was compara- 
tively open space, and here thje Skipper rounded to. doused 
jib and let go the hook, and with a smack and a bang 
got down the mainsail. Phew ! it had been hot work for 
the last twenty minutes, but everything had held, and 
Newport, our Mecca, had been reached. We trimmed up 
ship and got supper quickly and were ashore in no time. 
After calling on some of the Owner's friends we turned 
in, in eager anticipation of the race to-morrow between 
Columbia and Independence, 
Aug. . .. — A mere record of laziness. With the ex- 
ception of driving to Bareman's Point to witness the 
memorable race between the Columbia and the Inde- 
pendence, Avhen the latter was beaten by 25 seconds, we 
made no journeys together, the Skipper preferring to 
loll about the deck and smoke a cigar, than "excursioniz- 
ing." as he termed it On Sunday we intended to go 
to Narragansett, but it rained, and we made no more 
attempts to travel in company, the Owner going to 
iProvidence, while the Skipper took a drive around the 
town. Newport is unique in one respect — the beautjf of 
her drives and residences, and the narrowness and dingi- 
ness of her city streets, the negat^n of a modern town- 
ship, a trillionaire's palace, a trad!esman''s shanty. While 
Newport is concededly the Mecca of the society grub, 
that fact is not oppressive, however. In Newport there 
are two classes — the intensely rich, and those who min- 
ister to their wants. From a yachting standpoint the 
harbor is perfection, and as that is the all-important 
question to the readers of this, we will not dwell on the 
social aspect. 
We decided to start on Tuesday morning for Shelter 
Islan4, haying loafed away three and a half days in 
Newport. The Skipper was ge ting impatient and the 
Crew lazier than eyer. while the Owner wa? also s'gh- 
ing for fresh fields and harbors new. So. on Tuesday 
morning at 6. sail wa^ niade, and, with a favorable wind 
from the N. E., we gently ran out of the harbor. While 
the breeze was soft and favorabie, it promised rain, and 
the Skipper got into his oilskins. Several yachts were 
standing out of the harbor, but, as usual, we more than 
