334 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Oct. 2$, 1905. 
by the club, you might kindly just hand it over to the 
secretary. 
T liope you are keeping well. 
With kind regards, yours faithfully, 
Thomas J. Lipton. 
Commodore S. Cass Ledyard, New York Y. C, New 
York. 
New York Y. C, 
• 37 Wesjt Forty-fourth Street, 
New York, July 8, 1902. 
My Dear Sir Thomas: Your letter of May 2, inqu'r- 
ing whether in the event of a change in the New York 
Y. C.'s measurement rules, such change would apply to 
the America's Cup races, has remained uanswered until 
310W because of my illness and other reasons, having no 
relation to its subject, as I have explained to you in a 
personal letter^ 
The point raised by you is an important one. and I 
•quite agree with you that it should be answered by 
the club officially. I therefore-'submitted your letter to 
the club and am authorized by it to send you this reply: 
The facts about ihe proposed changes in the rule are 
that some months ago a committee was appointed by the 
■club to obta'n the views of the leading designers in the 
United States and England and o.her countries as to 
ihe desirabil'ty of adopting some rule of measurement 
^^hich would tend to evolve a more satisfactory and 
-wholesome type of vessel than has been produced under 
the operation of our present rule. It was expected 
that the work of this committee would not be completed 
rntil nevt autumn or winter, and such is now likely to 
be the case. - 
I need not say to you that the step taken had no rela- 
tion to any contest for the America's Cup in 1903, for 
it was not "deemed possible that any change in the rules 
which might be brought about by it could become effect- 
ive until long after the exp'ration of the limit of time 
for giving notice of a contest for that season, and no 
one could maintain for a moment that any change in its 
rules made by ihe challenged club after the receipt of a 
challenge could affect the race to be sailed near such 
challenge. 
Nor, indeed, would the New York Y. C. be willmg, 
■even if it had the power, by any change in its rules, 
to shut out or prejudice or handicap in any respect any 
challenging yacht bu It in reliance upon its existing 
rules. If anv change in its rules could injurious-y affect 
a challenger, the club would regard itself as imperatively 
bound to make such change known in rmplc se<,son to 
prevent iniustice or prejudice. 
Therefore, you may rest assured that, if you desire to 
challenge through any dub for 1903, no change m its 
rules by the New York Y. C. whether made before or 
af.er the receipt of a chal'enge, would apply in any de- 
cree to the contest under such challenge. 
" The fact, however, that you have asked the question 
makes it nroner for me to observe further, that under 
the deed of gift no such question can really arise. 
As I had occasion to explain to you when the ques- 
tion of towing arose in connection with the challenge 
ci Shamrock I., the deed of g-ft prescribes no conditions 
respecting the kind of vessel which may compete, ex- 
cept (a) that she shall be within certain linrts of length; 
(b) that no dimensions stated in the certificate may be 
exceeded; (c) that no restriction shall be placed on 
certerboards. and. lastly, that she shall proceed under 
sail, on her own bottom, to the port of contest. This 
last condition imports all that the framers deemed wise 
to insert by way of limitation upon the type of vessel, 
viz., her actual and demonstrated ability to make the 
passage under sail. . . 
As to measurement, the deed makes no provision what- 
ever. That is left to be dealt with under the mutual 
agreement, clause. The two clubs may agree upon any 
system of measurement they please. If they fad to agree, 
the terms of the match are prescribed by the deed; best 
two out of three races on ocean comses as described, 
-subject to the rules and sailing regulations" of the 
challenged c!ub "so far as the same do not conflict with 
t"',e provisions of the deed, but without any time allow- 
ance whatever." . . , -.t 
You will observe that under this provision tne New 
York Y. C. would have no power to make any change 
in i^s measurement rules apply to a challenging yacht 
without the consent of the club to which she belongs. 
All that the challenger would have to do would be to 
appeal to the deed and stand upon his right to sad the 
race, boat for boat, without any time allowance Avhat- 
ever, and. therefore, without the appl cation of any rule 
of measurement. Indeed, the New York Y. C, as the 
holder of the Cup, regards it as quite beyond its power 
to impo-e any restriction or any hindrance upon the 
challenging yacht, beyond those above enumerated as 
specified in the deed. The enumeration of these (piali- 
fcat'ons by the deed excludes the idea that the chal- 
lenged c'ub could in anv way vary from or add to them 
Any yacht, properly challenging through a qualified 
club, of a waterline length within the limits specified, 
complying with the deed ?ls to notice and certificate, and 
rroceed ng unde-r .sail on her own bottom to the port of 
contest, is entitled to sail for the Cup, on the courses 
designated, best two out of three, boat for boat, without 
time allowance and without any other or additional re- 
strictions being imposed upon her. She must sail, it is 
true, under the rules and sailing regulations of the chal- 
lenged club, but any provisions of these would plainly 
conflict with the deed, if they operated to impose any 
other limit, condition or penalty upon type, model, sail 
area, or other factor going to the qualification of the 
challenger. . . 
I have been thus at pains to state our position on this 
subject, in ordei" the more effectively to allay any anxiety 
that may naturally have been caused you by the news- 
paper reports to which you refer. We certainly do not 
intend to rnake any changes in our rule of measurement 
apply to the America's Cup races, and if we had any sudi 
intention, it is perfectly plain that we should be withoiit 
power to make it effectual. 
Since you suggested that our reply should be an offi- 
cial one, I would be greatly obliged if you would cause 
this letter to be laid before the Royal Ulster Y. C. that 
if 'may be informed of its contents. Very trub' yours, 
Lewis C^s? Ledyar4, Commodore, 
§ir Tf)'^^>i3s J. ypton, ■ _ - " / . ^ 
Seventeen Days* Cruise on Long 
Island Sound* 
BY THE CREWj THE SKIPPER AND THE OWNER. 
iCancnided from last week ) 
Dead ahead were a number of docks and a little shelter. 
It was here we decided to drop the hook, and with a 
plunge and a smash the Innocent lay over as the Skip- 
per brought her up in the wind. No time for losing 
headway or letting anchor go easily; she would have 
been away from us in a wink. Orders cemld hardly be 
heard, so leaping forward the Skipper le' go the anchor, 
at the same time hauling down jib; the throat and peak 
halliards, for a wonder, were not jammed, and we got 
the mainsail off her handily. The way she took that 
20oft. of y% chain was a caution, but when it snubbed 
up to the bitts, the Skipper said "Let her blow." And 
the Bartend.er p^'ped to a glass of grog, and we took 
stock of our surroundings. The Sk'pper supposed we were 
in Napeague Bay, but it was mere guesswork. The 
peculiar configuration of the land had shut us in com- 
pletely; we had no lights to go by and seemed to be in 
a landlocked bay, with the ocean immediately on the 
other side of us. The Skipper fancied he could hear the 
pound.ng of the surf on the beach. Going ashore we 
found we had struck the Promised Land, an exceed- 
ingly unapropos name for such an ill-favored spot of 
country. The air was redolent with a peculiar sicken- 
ing smell, which we found came from decaying fish oil, 
which is manufactured at this place. The beach Avas 
covered with a peculiar grass and with small brush. A 
few dilapidated huts and a company store were the only 
apparent dwelling houses in the vicinity. The only peo- 
ple we could find were either Huns, Slovaks or Poles — 
hard to tell which — ^who jabbered at us in their dialect. 
The one American who had charge of the company store 
was a silent man, who answered our questions mono- 
-syllabically. Perhaps the sparseness of the surround- 
ings had soured his temper. W e bought a small quantity 
of butter, which was fair in quality, and some bacon, 
but notii ng else could we get, except the average 
canned stuff, of which we had plenty aboard. We 
wa ked back to the boat and found it was blowing 
harder than ever; it was evidently a case of stay in this 
harbor until the blow was over. So we went aboard, 
cooked a sumptuous supper of steak, potatoes, aspara- 
gus tips, corn, string beans, with English plum pud- 
d ng. beer and coffee on the side, after which the Skip- 
per studied the chart; but as the buoys at Promised 
Land did wo'i seem to correspond with those on the 
chart, he decided to wait until morning, when he would 
go ashore and try to get his bearings. The wind had 
mow hauled a pohit to the south'ard, and the height 
of land gave us a little more shelter, so we put up -our 
riding light, feeling that our anchor would hold, no mat- 
ter how it blew. We turned in; shut the cab'n door to 
keep cut the sickening smell of the fish oil, smoked a 
cigar — or rather cigars — and gradually felt the drowsy 
influence of the god who Avooes the tired sailors of the 
f'csle with the same earnestness as those of the quar- 
terdeck, and,, with the w nd blowing a gale and the 
little boat 'scending and tossing, a somewhat vigorous 
rocking, our little ship's company fell asleep. 
Aug. 7. — Still blowing a gale from the east'ard. 
Banked up on the hopzon, north, south, east, -west, 
rolls of thick, Ipw-hanging, gray clouds, so. low in the 
heavens that one can almost note their formation. The 
tide running out like a jiiill race, and we have evidently 
anchored in a peculiar spo,t. The seas neyer break 
around us; indeed, it is always comparatively smooth; 
but there is not enough strength in the breeze to over- 
come that rushing tide effectually. We had no trysail 
-aboard, or the Skipper would have hoisted it; our awn- 
ing would have been torn to atoms in a mom.ent; and 
we kept describing arcs of a circle around our anchor. 
We got another anchor out on deck and 200ft. of cable 
in readiness should we start to drag, . And thus, watch- 
ing our chain and waiting, the morning hours di-ifted 
by. We had breakfasted hghtly: the smell was' getting 
in its fine work, and the Owner had already paid tribute 
to its efficacy. It was only by smoking countless cigars 
that the Skipper's stomach r.emained- norm.al- - The. Grew 
was getting along fairly -vyell.' ."A good^hance to.' sleep/' 
said he— und he slept. The monotony, of our w_at<ila was 
broken by a small fishing il6op beating in',,w.ith" scaa- 
dalized mainsail; she made good' weather of i.t uiidef this 
5ail; whei? t}>ey c^me abPMt, 3 man forw^rtf v|roi}l<l. hoiij; 
a. little of her Jib, she would then come about,- 'as soon 
, as she filled on the other tack, down came jib; she 
.wofl'ced handily this way, as well as. a catboat; she ran 
up to the dock, off which we were anchored, and the 
Owner immediately set off in the dinghy to get com- 1 
pass directions and buy some fish. With his customary: 
luck the Owner was in for .it. It commenced to pour 
torrents; rain it could not be called. The scuppers in 
the cockpit did not carry the flood off quick enough; 
there was a full J4-in. of water in an incredibly short 
time. Th's lasted for about half an hour, when it let 
up, and the Owner came back with fish and informa- 
tion. It was not much of either he brought; a scant' 
half dozen butterfish and a small blue. He informed 
the Skipper he could have got more, weakfish. too, but 
he thought these few would be enough. Poor Owner! 
He little thought of the hungry Skipper and ravenous 
Crew aboard, only the flickering memory of a lost 
appetite was his mon'tor. The Skipper made a few 
remarks, and a scornful laugh laughed he. The only in- 
formation the Owner could get (so he said) was "Keep 
close to the bushes." Of compass courses he spoke not; 
the yellow buoys were private buoys, but what for he 
did not know. "Keep close to the bushes"— the Skip- 
per repeated this to himself, trying to g-et the mean- 
ing through his dumb skull. Going on deck with the 
glass he searched the four shores for "bushes," but no 
bushes were there. Turning in he again had the 
Owner repeat: "Keep close to the bushes." He was , 
not ciuite sure whether he was going "queer." Gravely; 
the Owner repeated his instruction. Again searching 
.the horizon the Skipper suddenly had a great light dawn 
^on him — the bushes were lashed to the buoys in order 
to make them more distinguishable, and with a "he haw 
ho" the Skipper and Owner decided to brave the gale 1 
and run to Shel er Island at once, 
i We tucked in all the reefs, and got a strain on the 
chain. It needed our entire ship's crew to heave it short. 
KwA then our wind'ass — a powerful one— did the rest. ^ 
Exactly how this thing occurred no one will ever know, 
but the windlass brought up the anchor before it brought I 
.up the chaiif. The moment the anchor was brought to 
the surface the Crew had hoisted the jib, and away we 
went dragging the chain after us. Not for long, for she 
brought up in the wind and before we could get control 
of her we had drif.ed into one of the docks. We made 
her fast, and taking our jib halliard block from jib 
hoisted anchor and chain on deck, and a beautiful snarl 
it was in. It took us some t'me to clear it, and then 
we warped out bevond the shelter of the dock and away 
we went like a scared cat. We made good we:a:her of 
it, and picked, up our buoys without a groundmg, and . 
oil rounding a black and red buoy we rapidly got our 
bearings. The wind had begun to favor us, was moder- 
ating to a one-reef breeze, and we decided to shake out 
two reefs. This was quickly done, and we commenced 
to log about six knots. We picked up Long Beach 
Light, stood a little to the eastward; picked up Inner 
Beach Light and stood in between the buoys for the, 
breakwater at Greenport, which we made nicely. We 
dropped the hook at dusk in about 16ft. of water, and 
after supper the Crew and Skipper made a flying visit 
ashore for provisions and ice, and to send telegrams 
to Owner's and Skipper's respective families, after 
which we turned in and lay dead till the morning. 
Aug. 8.— Rise at 6; Cook under way. Quite a num- 
ber standing out of harbor in company with us; aS' 
usual hold our own; one b g, modern sloop gradually 
forging ahead of us. Quite a number of auxiliaries, 
cats sloops and yawls were sailing along wi h sails 
set and "kicker" chug-chugging away. It is this abuse; 
of the thini that the Skipper abhors. When you have 
wind use it. But if you must use power in a breeze,' 
furl the sails. We stood through the gttt with a nice 
breeze abeam and tide ebb, and one would never reaUze; 
how nasty that Gut can be sometimes in comparison. 
Flattening sheets, we stood well across on our star- 
board tack, the ebb tide catching us and setting us down' 
toward the Race; we made poor time bucking that tide. 
Orient Point Light was our companion for quite a whue,! 
but gradually we worked under the Long Island shore,, 
and with a series of short boards made Horton's Point 
Light It was now about 2 in the afternoon, and, as 
our intention had been to try for Port Jefferson, we 
hoped for more wind with the change of tide. And w© 
got it. A mile or so to the southwestward of Horton s 
Point Light it came from the S.W. with a rush. It is 
almost incredible how a sea can pick up in such a short 
space of time. In less than 15 minutes the Sound was 
covered with little white caps. Hugging the Long Island' 
shore we stood on and off, the Skipper driving her 
through the seas and making good time under the le^ 
of the land. Occasionally a puff would hit and she 
would lay over and run up in the wind Hke a startled 
bird. It was in one of these puffs the Owner's nerves 
started again, and he wanted to reef, but the Skipper 
apparently paid no heed, and kept the Innocent going. 
Crack! away went her port backstay in one of the jnmps. 
The Skipper still kept her sailing. It was getting late in 
the afternoon, and Port Jefferson was a long way off, 
The Sound by this time was full of those short, steepj 
angry seas with a broken crest on each -of them. In-; 
variably one would be under the Innocent's stem, while 
one was breaking under her stern. We were close' 
hauled and she was driving through it, but if our desti- 
nation had been across the wind .a point or two we 
would have made- better weather. - Threshing to wind, 
ward in a sea is always a wet task for a small boat, and 
we were only a little fellow. In response to the Own- 
er's urgent "and sensible request to reef, the Skippej 
relinquished the stick and got a reef in the mai.nsaill 
By this time the shelter we had got from working along 
the weather shore of Long Island was gone, for it 
reefing we . had Jet her -run across and were now. in th<i 
open; and it- was choppy-chop-choppy. If was the. firS' 
time during the cruise that darkness had .caught us it 
her somber pall before making a harbor, and the. situa^ 
tion to" one whose nerves werfe.on-fidge was; perhaps, s 
little- trying. .The ir.ight was -dark, the twinkling of j 
few stars overhead accentiia'ing the b'aekness in whici 
W*-, were -running,: our side lights, Ic^t. going' out' — oni 
^ould not \vork at all. The Owi^. i^Qsisted making- "th* 
nearest 7 port- The Skipper -infoftried^ him ; the n.eares 
anchorage was under the shelter of Faiilkner's Island 
