Feb. 27, 1904.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
178 
Fjre-itj:iJS'rcum ■ 
All spars to be made of spruce. 
Mast 2%in. circumference from heel to jaws; total length lift. 
Boom 1^4in. circumference from jaws to within 2ft. Gin. of outer end; total length, 14ft. 
Gaff l%in. circumference from jaws to within 1ft. 6in. of outer end ; total length 6ft. Gin. 
Bowsprit 2%in. by ?,in. at stem, slight taper to outer end; total length, 7ft.; 2ft. on deck and 5ft. outboard. 
Mam halliards hoist through holes in mast; no pulleys; y?in. pulley for jib halliard as stay and halliard are one piece. A separate 
Jib for each reef is much more satisfactory than reefing the large jib. 
SOUTH BAY SCOOfER SAIL AND SPAR PLAN. 
Temporary cross piece to hold 
sides in place 
1/4 '/4 in. cedar rib 
10 in. from centres 
=1 
Forest an'd_Sti'2a 
Cross Section showing curve of deck Si bottom 
Brass or stee 
I shoes I in.x_J4 in 
.Row look 
fo: ^a^^ii stream 
SOUTH BAY SCOOTER—CONSTRUCTION PLAN, 
PiKe 'er so'; ice with '.'-i in, dia. hcndls 8 f*. l-ne 
Scale of Feat 
Shoit pik9 with ''.J i". d'a. hindlo 3 ft.icng 
SOUTH BAY SCOOTER' STEERING PIKES. 
two 7in. galvanized door hasps will answer by drilling 
each for screws. To put on, place perpendicular against 
outside oak band opposite aft mast hole, letting eye pro- 
ject above deck far enough to receive ^in. S hook, then 
bend lower end under and snug up to bottom planking 
and fasten one on a side. 
For deck eyes, a heavy galvanized J/4in. screw eye will 
answer for the bow, screwed well down into the oak 
stem piece. For the aft end, a heavy galvanized staple 
drove through deck into the oak stern will hold the main 
sheet pulley. 
A %\rx. brass screw eye placed on the second deck tim- 
ber from bow will hold the heel of bowsprit. Cut otit 
underneath the bowsprit where it goes over the large 
screw eye so that the bowsprit will rest on the deck. 
Fiore a Y^in. hole through the bowsprit exactly opposite 
the large eye so that a bolt will pass directly through 
eye and hold the bowsprit 
The bolt holes in the 
bowsprit can be strengthened by bending a piece of lin. 
band iron over top and down each side where the bolt 
passes through, reaming out the bolt holes. 
Now make spars and hooks, bend sails, and you will 
behold a typical Great South Bay scooter. For a first 
trial select a moderate breeze. Trim the mainsail fairly 
fiat, twisting the sheet around rowlock. Take the jib 
sheet (which is always a single part about 8ft. long), and, 
giving the boat a little start on the ice, jump into the 
cockpit. Watch closely the effect of trimming in or let- 
ting out the jib, and before you have sailed two miles 
you will have discovered the art of sailing a boat without 
a rudder. Find a small air hole of open water, and prac- 
tice going into the water and out on to the ice at various 
speeds until you have gained full confidence in the 
scooter's safety under all conditions. After a few trials 
you will become master of the situation and an en- 
'thusiastic devotee of the new sport called "scoote-ring," 
British Letter. 
There has been a good deal of discussion lately in 
the leading yachting papers as to the desirability of 
having a standard of classification for yachts which 
could be applied with benefit to the modern racer, and 
the Yacht Racing Association recently interested them- 
selves in the matter sufficiently to appoint a com- 
mittee to inquire into this subject among other 
matters, but, so far, without tangible results. The only 
system of classification which has been recognized over 
here, during the last twenty-five years, has been that 
of Lloyds, but as the rules governing this system had 
not been altered since their inception until last summer, 
and the form of racing yachts has undergone a com- 
plete metamorphosis during that period, Lloyds rules 
have been utterly inadequate as a means of classifying 
racmg yachts for many years. Last year the com- 
mittee of Lloyds undertook the complete revision of 
their rules, and in August they issued a new set of 
rules for the building and classification of wood, steel 
and composite yachts, in which they have endeavored 
to cope with the difficulty of providing a code of rules 
which can be applied with benefit to the construction 
and classification of the modern racing yacht. 
In this matter they have only partially succeeded, 
and it will require the cooperation of the Yacht Rac- 
ing Association to make a complete success of the 
new scheme. The Y. R. A. have more than once had 
thoughts of formulating a set of scantling rules to pre- 
vent the flimsy construction which has done so much 
to kill class racing in British waters; but their efforts 
have always been half-hearted and they shrink from 
anything like drastic changes, however much the 
changes may benefit the sport in the long run. There 
is a golden opportunity now for the governing body 
to combine with Lloyds to evolve a satisfactory system 
of classification for racers, and to make it compulsory 
for every racing yacht above a certain size, say 36ft., to 
be built sufficiently strong, with due regard to the 
stress and strain imposed by the heavy lead keel and 
big spread of canvas, to stand the wear and tear of 
one or two season's racing, and afterward be fit for use 
as a fast cruiser. Class racing in anything above a 
36-footer is at a very low ebb, with the exception of 
the 52ft. class, and vested interests would by no means 
be hard hit by such a healthy innovation, besides which 
people would be much more willing to build if they 
could only be certain of getting the hall mark of 
Llodys classification with their vessels, and knowing 
in that respect, all yachts would be treated alike, and the 
bandboxes rigidly excluded. Until something of this 
sort happens and the Yacht Racing Association exer- 
cises its undoubted authority much more freely than 
it has done of late, it will be quite hopeless to 
expect a renewal of class racing in Great Britain. It 
was hoped that something definite would have been 
done at the annual general meeting of the Yacht Rac- 
ing Association, which was held on February 2, to try 
and establish class racing on a firm basis, bi:t a motion 
by the chairman, Mr. A. Manning, that all yachts over 
30ft. rating should be built to Lloyds new rules, and 
classed, did not meet with a seconder. It is true that 
Lloyds new rules as they stand are not quite suitable 
to the_ modern form of racing yachts, but very little 
alteration would be necessary to make them all that is 
desirable, and it is certain that until the Y. R. A. 
modify their rating rule so as to produce a more 
wholesome type of vessel, and put themselves in touch 
with the committee of Lloyds for the purpose of evolv- 
ing a suitable code of rules for building and classifica- 
tion of racing yachts, prospective owners will not build 
big vessels for anything but the handicap class. 
With the death of Mr. Robert Hewett, which took 
place at Salcombe, S. Devon, on January 21, there has 
■ been removed one of the best known yachtsmen of the 
old school. Mr. Hewett was Commodore of the New 
Thames Y. C. and Vice-Commodore of the Royal 
Thames, and his well-known figure was always a prom- 
inent feature on the club steamer in the river matches 
on the Thames at the opening of the season when his 
sound, common sense and good judgment were always 
jn^ request and never withheld from the sailing com- 
mittees. Mr. Hewett was more than a mere yacht 
sailor, for he was responsible for the design of thij 
famous lo-ton cutter Buttercup, one of the most suc- 
cessful of the old plank on edge type of boats in vogue 
in the early eighties, which he sailed himself with a 
very large measure of success during four seasons. 
Buttercup was a big, full bodied boat, with high free- 
board; and she differed from all the other boats in her 
class in that she had a short schooner bow which was 
afterward copied and called the "Buttercup bow." She 
was very fast to windward and a particularly powerful 
boat in a seaway. _ Mr. Hewett will be deeply regretted 
by a very large circle of friends in the yachting world, 
where he was deservedly popular. He did not take 
an active part in yacht racing of late years on account 
of his advanced age, but to the last he used to cruise 
quietly in his 40-ton Terpsichore. 
There is a rumor that the new 6s-footer, building at 
Fairlie, for Messrs. Connell is to be fitted out, and that 
the old Watson cutter Carina will be raced against 
her, so as to give the class a start. Unfortunately, no 
sport can result from such a combination if they sail 
on even terms, and the 52ft. class will have the chief, 
place once more in class racing. Moyana, Lucida and 
Camellia will be under fighting colors. It is extremely 
doubtful if Viola will join them; but Fife has an order 
for a new boat for Mr. Samuel Butler, of Bristol, so 
that the class will muster four vessels and some ex- 
cellent racing is sure to result. E. H. Kelly. 
The annual meeting of the San Francisco Y. C. was 
held on February 10, and the following officers were 
elected: Com.. A. C. Lee; Vice-Com., H. H. Jenness; 
R"c. Scc'y, W. H. Gray; Fin. Sec'y, A. G. A Mueller; 
Treas , F. A. Robbins; Port Capt., Dan Miller; Meas., 
F. Raisch. All of these candidates are yacht owners, 
and fOr several years have been prominently connected 
with the affairs of the club. 
