March 26, 1904.I 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
287 
A Long] Island Cruise. 
A Power Boat Trip from Jamaica Bay to Peconic Bay, 
BY GEORGE E.' CRATER, JR. 
A MAN who has never experienced the sensations of 
an earnest sportsman, has yet to learn how to live. _ 
I shall tell you of a little cruise which I took with 
my friend, Mr. W. H. Norledg-e, an Englishman, who 
appreciates sport in the broadest sense and who cast 
his fortunes with mine on the morning of July S last. 
We had talked over a way of spending the holiday 
of the day before, and had agreed that we should go 
to my club, located on the shore of Jamaica Bay, view 
the fireworks of the Fourth and dine together at the 
Oriental, at Manhattan Beach. 
Accordingly, on the afternoon of the Fourth, we 
journeyed together to the club, and finding a comfort- 
able and cool spot on the veranda, we at once 
set about to refresh with the aid of some good 
cigars and the proverbial Scotch high ball. 
We enjoyed the yacht races provided by the club 
for the amusement of the club members and their guests. 
Before us lay the Americus, a trim little craft, of 20ft. 
waterline, of which I was a modest owner. Her little 
3 horse-power engines had been carefully cleaned and 
the canvas hood had been snugly adjusted by the boat- 
man in charge of the club wharf. 
We soon caught the enthusiasm of our brother yachts- 
men as they raced their sailing craft in an earnest en- 
deavor to merit the approval of the ladies present, and 
incidentally, to win a club trophy. I could not stand 
the strain a moment longer and at once set about in a 
vain endeavor to find some of the other members who 
owned small power craft, with a view of arranging a 
match. 
It may be well to say that I had not heard that the 
builder of the Americus had previously raced this little 
skimming dish against every 20-footer in the bay and 
on both sides of the island, and had easily won every 
match. 
I was keenly disappointed in failing to find anyone 
who was willing to try his steel with me, and I hastened 
back to my friend, and for a half hour found myself 
in deep thought. At last I hit upon an idea which after- 
ward proved most delightful, and was a trip long to be 
remembered. I shall attempt to describe it for you, 
for F am sure you will be interested and it may be 
instructive. 
First, let m-e say that I am an amateur, and my friend 
likewise, so if we do not use the vernacular of the 
yachtsmen, you must overlook and try to enjoy our ex- 
periences without criticising us. On this memorable 
evening, I suggested to my friend that we stay all night 
at the hotel and get a good early start in the morning 
and cruise up the coast and in through Jones' Inlet, and 
thence through Great South Bay, through Shinnecock 
Bay, the canal to Peconic Bay, and down Peconic Bay 
to Craterdale, a summer place of which I was very 
proud, and which was located on Peconic Bay, at Red 
Cedar Point, about seven miles east of Riverhead. 
My friend was quite agreeable, and we set about mak- 
ing preparations; the commodore of the club tried to 
persuade us that the proposed cruise with the Americus 
would be a dangerous undertaking and advised us not 
to attempt an outside trip in so small a craft. 
His interest was well meant, but we could not allow 
our seamanship to be thus questioned, aside from cast- 
ing an insinuation on the Americus, which boat we were 
very fond. 
Neither my friend nor I had ever been over the 
course we outlined, and did not know exactly how we 
were going to accomplish our task. We finally decided 
that we must employ a pilot and immediately inter- 
rogated the commodore and other club officers, who 
informed us that they knew of no one who would at- 
tempt the trip in the Americus, which made us the 
more determined. 
We finally found a life saving station, and after the 
usual refreshment and cigars at a nearby resort, a 
pilot, by the name of Davis, agreed to go with us and 
see us through the inlet. Accordingly, it was arranged 
that he should have breakfast with us at Hales' store 
and restaurant, the only place open at 4 A. M., the 
next morning, and that we would get away at sunrise. 
After putting on 5 gallons of gasolene, 76 proof, and 
filling the stationary gasolene tank of the Americus, we 
spent the evening watching the people, who seemed to 
find amusement in sitting at tables and eating all sorts 
of horrors, and drinking the queerest mixtures. Being 
the night of the glorious Fourth, we found much amuse- 
ment in "slumming," and finally retired at 3:30 A. M., 
for we had but one hour to rest before we had arranged 
to breakfast with the pilot. 
A heavy knock at the door reminded us that the hour 
was up, and we hastily put on the few garments which 
we had removed, and hurried out into the glorious 
morning; and such a morning, the birds were singing 
everywhere, and far above us a flock of wild geese 
were winging their lazy flight over the placid waters 
of Jamaica, evidently bound for some far off feeding 
ground. 
We hurried on to the restaurant, and there found the 
genial wife of the proprietor, preparing our bacon and 
eggs, ordered the night previous, and we had not long 
to wait before the pilot made his appearence, and we 
put him through the same initiation. A good break- 
fast over, we hastened to the Americus, and in a jifify 
all was put aright and we were off. 
I shall never forget that day! As the dainty little 
Americus glided on and out through the bay, the pilot, 
Mr. Norledge and myself, as if by the same sentiment, 
sat speechless and drank in the soft sea air and the 
grandeur of it all, and truly no men were ever nearer 
to their Creator, for we were thankful that we were 
sportsmen. 
On shot the little craft and soon we had gone the 
full length of Jamica Bay, and before us we could 
plainly see the broad expanse of ocean with its heavy 
swells, and we had but to plow our way through the 
turbulent waters, where the peaceful Jamaica Bay joins 
the Atlantic, and we were in the ocean. 
Up to this time hardly a word had been spoken, and 
Forest and Stream 
KHAMA RIGGED AS A YAWL. 
0 6 
1 I I I I I I 
Scale of feet 
12 
1 
13 
—J 
24 
__l 
SAIL, AREA IN SQUARE rC. 
Fore TnangLe 
Mainsail) 
Topsail 
Total , 
J5n,12 
:2239..97 
704.13 
4455.2,2' 
Forest and Stream 
KHAMA RIGGED AS A CUTTER. 
as we shot through the seas and felt the swells of the 
ocean, we began to realize that our task was not an 
ordinary one, by any means. The continual hum from 
the little engine and the sharp reports of the exhaust, 
told us that the little craft was as true as steel, and 
was doing her part to give us a safe and enjoyable 
cruise. 
We kept the log, of course, and, if you like, I will 
quote from that, for you can then know the depth of 
the waters and will be able to take this trip yourself, 
should you desire. 
After leaving Jamaica Bay we headed off shore 
for about three knots, and then sailed due E. The 
water along the coast has an average depth of 9 fathoms, 
which is ample of course. We passed the Rockaway 
Life Saving Station, and could plainly see several of 
the men in charge of the station, watching us, and one 
of whom had a glass. This was so with every life 
saving station we passed, and the Long Beach Station, 
reported to the Herald, "A queer, small craft passed 
here, bound E., at 9:43 A. M., carrying blue pennant 
with white hatchet, and white pennant with letter 'A'." 
We seemed to be a source of wonder and amusement 
to Uncle Sam's life savers, and, no doubt, they thought 
that they were in for it and would have an opportunity 
of trying their skill on the crew of the Americus, but 
not so. , 
Directly south of Shelter Island and Shelter Island 
Inlet, we passed a red, whistling buoy, and found that 
we were in ioj4 fathoms of water. This buoy we passed 
to the right or, if you prefer, we left the buoy on our 
port hand. Three and a half miles due E. we again 
passed a similar , buoy in 11 fathoms of water. After 
passing this last buoy, we altered our course and 
steered N.E., and after a run of miles, we sighted 
the bell buoy off Jones' Inlet. A good, stiff breeze had 
now sprung up and we began to feel our little craft 
rocking merrily on the waters of the Atlantic, and soon 
by her excellent behavior, we unanimously agreed that 
the Americus was a little queen, and a match for the 
element, and we settled down to plan our course 
through the Inlet. 
Passing the bell buoy to starboard, we could plainly 
see the grim outline of a large tramp steamer, beached 
and a total wreck off the point, and about J4 mile S.W. 
of the Short Beach Life Saving Station. Here we met 
our first mishap. The pilot and Mr. Norledge were 
busily engaged in a discussion regarding the- cause of 
