1^. 20, 1904.J 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
IBS 
I 4 
accommodations than afforded by the racing hull has the 
greater influence. 
For general consideration small launches may he 
divided into three classes — racing, cruising, and day 
boats. No boat can fit all three, but may fit more or less 
well into two of them. 
For driving power there are three divisions also— in- 
ternal expansion engines, where the fuel is burned 
separate from the engine, and internal combustion, where 
the fuel is burned directly in the engine, and electric 
power. The steam, alco-vapor, and naphtha engine come 
under the first heading, and the gas, gasolene, and kero- 
sene engines come under the second. For general pur- 
poses steam and gasolene are the two rivals for popular 
favor, and fcc present the craze for autoing which has 
swept the country, added to its natural advantages for 
small units, has pushed gasolene way ahead of its older 
rival. Gasolene engines are cleaner, start quicker, and 
take up less room in small boats, and require no Govern- 
ment license. Steam is more reliable and for extreme 
speed at present is ahead. 
Turning now to the general design of the hull, we find 
the problem dividing itself into two parts — the shape or 
form of the hull and the construction. Taking up the 
form first, the characteristics of the boat depend on the 
form of hull, and this in turn is governed by the use for 
which the boat is designed. Form may be expressed 
briefly by two expressions — proportion and fineness. By 
proportion is meant the general relation of L. to B. and 
B. to H. where L. is the length on L. W. L., B. the greatest 
beam, and H. the draft of hull. By fineness is meant the 
relation between the block obtained by multiplying 
L.XB.XH. and the actual bulk of the underwater body 
of the boat. This is expressed in the form of a decim.al 
fraction and called the block coefficient, i. e., a boat 
having a body ^ of the product of L. B. H. would 
have a coefficient .5. On the coefficient depends the dis- 
placement or weight of the boat, and of two boats haying 
the same dimensions, that having the greater coefficient 
will have the greatest displacement. In small boats 
the ratio of L. to B. varies from i :4^ to i -.9 ; anything 
below 4^ gives a tubby, awkward shaped boat hard to 
drive and bad in a head sea, while anything greater than 
8 or 9 gives a cranky, unhandy boat, and one which is 
structurally difficult. On a given length it may be safely 
said that within the given proportions greater beam leads 
to comfort, stability and seaworthiness, but slower speed, 
while lesser beam gives less resistance and greater speed 
for the same power, but less room and less safety. The 
relation of B. : H. naturally depends on that of L. : B., a 
broad boat tending to shallow draft, while the narrow 
hull takes it out in depth. So far we have been dealing 
only with the underwater portion of the hull. The upper 
part varies as the use of the boat. If speed is wanted, 
then freeboard is cut down; if cruising ability is called 
lor, then high freeboard appears. From the above it can 
be readily seen that speed, safety, weatherliness, and 
roominess cannot be all at their maximum in any one de- 
sign. There must be a compromise between them. 
In the last few years there has been a radical change in 
launch design. The old conventional hollow-bowed, pot- 
bellied, fantail stern monstrosity has, or is, fast disappear- 
ing, and seaworthy, speedy models are taking its place. 
In no part is the change more noticeable than in the form 
of the stern. The sharp, pinkey stern developed by Mr. 
Arthur Binney, or the torpedo boat or French stern, are 
characteristic of practically all modern launches. One 
advantage of the short stern more important to steam 
launches than to gas boats, is that as the length enters 
into the tonnage measurement you can get more boat for 
the same length and better speed lines than with the fan- 
tail or long overhang. The main purpose of the change 
was, however, to obviate the squatting or settling of the 
stern when driven, as well as the rising of the bow, so 
noticeable with the older type of stern. Returning for a 
moment to the coefficient of fineness. The fineness of the 
after body of a boat depends not on the lines but on the 
disposition of the displacement. This being so, the after 
part of the boat can be made narrow and deep with fine 
waterlines, as in the old models, or very shallow and wide, 
as in the new. In either case the displacement remaining the 
same. With the broad flat run the boat sits firmly on the 
water, and her stiffness is materially increased,' while 
the water has a clear unobstructed flow to and from the 
propeller. When under way the broad flat stern prevents 
settling aft, and keeps the boat to her designed lines. 
There is no question that for a given power the flat 
stern will give better results as regards speed. The Si 
or cross section of the boat at largest point should show 
no freakish features. It should show a fair rise of floor, 
a well rounded bilge running to straight at the rail. If 
very shallow draft is called for, then a flatter floor and a 
hard bilge must be given, but for structural as well as 
speed requirements, well rounded sections arc desirable. 
In small racing craft a flat floor is somewhat of a neces- 
sity, as the beam cannot for safety and room be reduced 
below a certain figure, and the only way to avoid unneces- 
sary displacement is to flatten the floor and harden the 
"bilges. 
The special points in the design of racing boats are 
saving of weight and easy lines. The former is obtained 
by cutting down scantlings, freeboard, and fittings; the 
latter by great length and small displacement. Length is 
a vital factor in speed. At a given speed all boats throw 
a wave of a certain length or distance from crest to crest 
independent of the length of the boat. If a boat is too 
short she will simply climb up the back of the wave all 
the time and waste power, while if proportionately long 
enough will ride between the two crests on nearly an 
even keel. This explains why often lengthening a boat 
with no increase of engine power gives greater speed. 
One special point to be considered is not to use too small 
a wheel. The difference between 22in. and 28in. draft on 
a 25ft. or 30ft. launch is not usually important, and the 
difference in wheel efficiency is much. As regards length 
ratio, don't go above unless you have a first-class de- 
signer. Even then it is doubtful in these small boats 
whether it pays. 
See that the engine is so placed that when lying stopped 
the boat is very slightly down by the head. As speed de- 
pends greatly on spreading out the displacement over long 
easy lines, avoid overhanging bows with forefoot cut 
awa^i th? tmi9Q\ 5hQui4 k- Qarried to marly tU§ M 
draft of the hull proper and be as near square as possible. 
If rough water is to be encountered occasionally, keep the. 
forward weights well back from the stem and the buoy- 
ancy of the bow will give the lift necessary. 
At present many designers, influenced by sailing prac- 
tice, have carried the overhanging bow into launch work. 
It might be all right in cruising boats, where it unques- 
tionably helps to lift the bow in a sea, but in a speed 
model it is unnecessary and even harmful. As said be- 
fore, length gives speed and the bow should be carried 
down straight so that when the boat lifts out forward, 
as all boats do somewhat when driven, no matter what 
the model, the waterline will stay the same length and 
remain as sharp and easy as when at rest. 
In designing the hull the actual conditions when under 
way must be considered, and to spend time and money in 
building a long narrow boat to pass cleanly through the 
water and then have her rear up in the air and not use 
several feet of length and shove a rounded breast against 
the sea is not common sense. A little flare in the bow sec- 
tions is useful if well above the waterline. The question 
of weight is too obvious to need mention. Carry the 
engine seating well forward and aft of the engine; a 
fourth of the boat's length is not excessive in boats 
under 40ft. 
In cruising boats the requirements are very different, 
high freeboard, round bows verging on the bluff, a ratio 
of about S and substantial construction is the rule.. The 
pinkey stern is better than the flat as easier in a following 
sea. Trunk cabins with dead lights as seen on sailing 
yachts are stronger and look neater than the old horse-car 
window house, and you can slam into a head sea without 
any compunction or fears for j^our cabin carpet. One 
thing in particular, always have either a water-tight cock- 
pit if the boat has a cabin, or else two water-tight com- 
partments or air tanks if she is an open boat. Sooner or 
later you will take water aboard in large quantities, and 
they will prove handy. Then again, in laying _ out the 
cabin do not take in the whole boat. The cabin is for 
sleeping essentially, for a living room or dining room 
only occasionally. Practically all the time is spent either 
on deck or ashore, and deck room or a large cockpit will 
do more to render cruising comfortable than a palace 
below and a wash-tub set into a 3 by 4 deck above. Speak- 
ing of wash-tubs. On the Ambra, my old 21ft. yawl, the 
cockpit was small and water-tight, and by plugging_ up 
the scuppers and letting water stand in the sun a little 
while I have had many a good bath when down East and 
the ocean too cold for comfort. Another hint, if building 
for genuine cruising, don't put your galley way forward in 
the most cramped place on the boat. Cooking is not a joy, 
and if we follow the English fashion and place the stove 
and other gear at the after end of the cabin neatly 
mounted then you can step out to help with the boat, 
can stand up, at least have the full head room, and last, 
but not least, always have fresh air.' I made one cruise 
on a boat fitted this way and it was simply perfect. 
Carry plenty of fresh water and if you can afford it 
use only tin-lined copper. If you use galvanized iron do 
not drink any of the water for at least two weeks, in order 
to allow the tank to get well pickled. I learned that in a 
trip round the Cape in a knockabout when both my com- 
panion and myself were almost too sick to move with 
zinc poisoning, and a heavy sea and wind making matters 
interesting. A word more. Have everything strong, even if 
heavy. An anchor davit that doubles up like tin when 
you put a strain on it in a tight corner, or a cabin door or 
rskylight that splits when a sea causes you to lean up 
against it, are causes of profanity. 
Passing now to day boats, boats for afternoon sailing 
with family and friends. These require more speed, or at 
least as much, as the cruiser, and much room tO' move 
round in. If under 20ft., 4ft. beam is permissible, but Sft. 
is better; above that a ratio from 4 to 6 will cover. 
Be sure and have air tanks or a substitute for them. 
These small boats are good sea boats as far as they go, 
but some means of floating the boat if filled should be 
■ provided. Speed varies with the owner's purse, but the 
less speed the more comfort. 
In powering boats one thing must always be borne in 
mind, and that is that a big engine does, not necessarilj'- 
mean a fast boat. Each hull has its possible speed, and 
beyond that no power can appreciably force it. 
For all around work the 4-cycle gasolene engine seems 
the most satisfactory, and although in its present form 
heavier than need be, owes much of its popularity to the 
strength and freedom from accident due much to this 
very weight. As it is impossible to get an accurate 
formula for power in gasolene engines brake horse-power 
is the only reliable test, and that many makers will not 
guarantee. - No gasolene engine should, however, be pur- 
chased for a speed hull, unless that brake H. P. be 
guaranteed. 
As regards installing, time will allow but a word. 
The better the connection between engine and boat 
the better the results. This means designing the hull 
with reference to engine location and building accord- 
ingly. 
The other most important point is the gasolene 
tank. Tanks should be made of good heavy material — 
copper preferred, galvanized iron next. Seams should be 
w^ell riveted and afterwards soldered. Wash plates to 
prevent surging of the gasolene should be fitted inside. 
Where possible the tank space should be ceiled and the 
tank made a close fit to prevent bulging. The bottom of 
the tank should be above the vaporizer to drain well. 
The best method of installing is to place the tank in a 
copper-lined box above the waterline and run a drain 
pipe from the box to the sea. The filling pipe should 
run to the deck, so that any gasolene spilled will run 
overboard, not inboard. The pipe connection to the en- 
gine should run outside of the boat if a cabin boat, but 
may run inside if she be open. Have a valve at the out- 
let of the tank and just in front of vaporizer. Put your 
strainer where the gasolene goes in to the tank. It is 
hard to get at if at the bottom of the tank. Be sure and 
have a hand hole in the tank to clean out when necessary. 
Passing now to what is doing. The»auto enthusiasts 
are going into power boating; 40ft. boats with 75 horse- 
power are a fact with speeds of 20 miles ; 60ft. boats with 
120 horse-power are a fact with speeds of 23 miles, while 
the limit has not been reached. One French auto maker 
i§ by.il4iug a goft, ^Qlt with J^grg^-power— fgyr 40 
horse-power auto engines set tandem. 1 • j 
In the smaller clases all kinds of freaks with all kinds 
of claimed speeds. In England the Harmsworth cup has 
been won by a Napier auto motor in a hull so lightly 
built that instead of a . deck they used oiled cotton canvas. 
In France they have a 2Sft. boat with a speed of 16 
miles. All of these are racing shells, and unfit for any- 
thing but smooth water. What the future holds in store 
we cannot tell, but what I confidently look forward to is 
the re-entry of steam into the arena, and speed varying 
from 20 miles for a 25ft. boat to 38 miles for a 60-footer. 
In some of the auto papers lately there have appeared 
some rather partisan comparisons between steam and 
gasolene as motive powers. Perhaps the easiest method 
of comparison is by tabulating results in existing boats: 
GASOLENE. 
22ft. by 4ft. with 7 H. P., gave 14 miles. 
25ft. by 4ft. with 7 H. P., gave 12 miles. 
27ft. by 4ft. with 9 H. P., gave 14 miles. 
28ft. by sft. by 11 ^in. with 14 H. P., gave 121^ miles. 
35ft. by sft. gin. by 12ft. with 15 H. P., gave 13-85 
miles, D. 3,950. . 
3Sft. by 5ft. 4m. with 25 H. P., gave 18 miles. 
55ft. by 6ft. 6in. with 120 H. P., gave 23 miles, 1902. 
58ft. by 7ft. 6in. with no H. P., gave 23 miles, 1903. 
STEAM. 
25ft. by sft. 6in. H. P. 25, speed 12 miles, 1896, D. 2,800. 
28ft. by 4^ft., 17 miles, 1896. 
30ft. by 4V2 H. P. 26.0, speed 21.87 miles, 1898. 
6oft. by 9ft. 3in., speed 23.60, 1894, D. gYz tons; load 
3 tons. 
Of the latter I will say that she was a seagoing boat, 
and carried accommodations for two officers and four 
men, and a trial load of three tons. 
Compare this with either of the racing shells with 
gasolene machinery. 
New Yofk Y. C 
The annual meeting of the New York Y. C. was 
held at the club house. West Forty-fourth street, on 
Thursday evening, February 11. Commordore Freder- 
ick G. Bourne presided and the following officers were 
elected: Com., Frederick G. Bourne; Vice-Com., 
Henry Walters; Rear-Com., Cornelius Vanderbilt; 
Sec'y, G. A. Cormack; Treas., Tarrant Putnam; Meas., 
Charles D. Mower; Regatta Committee, S. Nicholson 
Kane, Newbury D. Lawton and T. H. Wales; Com- 
mittee on Admissions, Henry C. Ward, Frederick Gal- 
latin, Cornelius Vanderbilt, James A. Wright, Tracy 
Dows; House Committee, Thomas A. Bronson, Henry 
Sampson, Jr.; J. Lorillard Arden; Library Committee, 
Lewis A. Stimson, Thomas A. Bronson, Francis W. 
Belknap; Committee on Club Stations, William H. 
Thomas, Henry H. Rogers, Cord Meyer, Augustus C. 
Tyler, Charles Lane Poor, Maximilian Agassiz, Har- 
rison B. Moore, Henry C. Ward, William Lanman 
Bull, Edward R. Ladew. 
A number of amendments to the constitution were 
passed, but must be approved at another meeting be- 
fore they go into force. Among the amendments were 
changes for the number and dates of the meetings. It 
is proposed to hold the first meeting on the third 
Thursday of January; the second on the fourth Thurs- 
day of March; the third on the third Thursday of May; 
the fourth on the third Thursday of July; the fifth on 
the first Thursday of October, and the sixth on the 
third Thursday of December. The annual election will 
take place at the last meeting of the year. 
The letter which Sir Thomas Lipton wrote to the 
club, in regard to another challenge, was referred to a 
committee of five to be appointed by the commodore. 
The members voted resolutions of thanks to ex- 
Commodore J. Pierpont Morgan, owner of Columbia, 
and to the syndicates of Reliance and Constitution, and 
to Messrs E. D. Morgan, C. Oliver Iselin and August 
Belmont, who managed the three boats in last sea- 
son's racing. To each syndicate member and each 
managing owner was presented a French clock. On the 
pendulum of each was a miniature America's Cup in 
silver. 
Rear Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt and Mr. C. 
L. F. Robinson each offered two cups for races over 
ocean courses. 
Mr. F. M. Smith offered two -cups for steam yacht 
races; one for boats over iioft. waterline, and another 
for boats under iioft., but over 7Sft. waterline. Time 
allowance will be given in the races for both these cups. 
Commodore Bourne offered two cups for races be- 
tween high speed launches. The conditions govern- 
ing these contests will be given out later. 
The annual regatta will be held on Thursday, June 16. 
The race for the Lysistrata cup between the steam 
yacht Hauoli, owned by Mr. F. M. Smith, and the Kan- 
awha, owned by Mr. ,H. H. Rogers, the holder of the 
trophy, will take place just before or just after the 
June regatta of the club, off Sandy Hook. 
A committee was appointed to draw up resolutions 
of condolence on the death of ex-Commodore E. M. 
Brown. 
The report of the Regatta Committee is being 
printed, and a copy will be sent to each member. 
Secretary George A. Cormack, in his report, stated 
that there were 1,616 active members in the club, and 
that the toi:al membership is 2,021. The fleet numbers 
517 vessels with a gross tonnage of 70,175. 
The club's first house, on the Elysian Fields, Hobo- 
ken, will be removed to Glen Cove, on the property of 
Mr. Edward R. Ladew, and made one of the club's 
stations. 
Twenty-two active and four naval members were 
elected. 
At the annual meeting of the Independent Yacht and 
Boat Club, ol Northport, L. I., which was recently 
held, the following officers were elected: Com., B. L. 
Sammis; Vice-Corn., Elmer E. Skidmore; Treas., W. 
B. Warner; Sec'y, Thomas E. Davey; Trustees, B. L. 
Sammis, Elmer Skidmore, J J . FoXj William Ki§§ai;U 
