August, 1921 
FOREST AND STREAM 
365 
ready with your sleeping quarters. 1 
made several of these cockpit tents, most 
of them of eight-ounce duck canvas, and 
with square sides held up by short clubs 
at either end, with a bridle attached to 
the roof guy rope. Just as good a tent, 
however, was the plain wedge tent, run 
over the guy rope and fastened down to 
the cockpit coaming. This was spread 
at the top by three short withes, cut 
green in the forest, and stretched over 
the rope and under the canvas. At both 
ends was a scrim netting which let in 
the night breeze and kept out the mosqui- 
toes. This tarp was of paraffined mus- 
lin, six by nine feet, and weighed a 
pound. 
To prevent the canvas canoe making 
leeway, I tried out several schemes, the 
first being a long keel, 3 inches deep in 
the center and fining away to l x / 2 inches 
at bow and stern. This held her up 
rather well, but I was not satisfied, and 
so added a keel board, a mere piece of 
pine board, five feet long by eight inches 
wide and of %-inch stock. This was cut 
to an easy slant at both ends and had 
three carriage bolts driven through it. 
There were three holes bored through 
the keel to match these bolts, and, to 
attach the keel-board you just clamped 
it to the keel by the wing nuts on the 
bolts. This was so simple and worked 
so well as to become a fixture with me. 
When the canoe went ashore, it was 
turned on its side and the keel-board 
taken off, when it could be used for a 
table. It was painted dark green to 
keep it from weathering and warping, 
and it stows in the canoe when paddling 
or making a long run before the wind. 
! 
A SIMPLE, reliable steering gear 
also caused some experimenting to 
obtain. I first tried an endless 
rope, drove through eyelets under the 
coaming and fastened at the ends to the 
rudder yoke. This gave lots of trouble, 
for it was always stretching, and was 
hard to grip when hiking out in a squall. 
Then I put a wooden support for a sec- 
ond yoke with tiller attached, on the 
rear cockpit coaming, and copper wire 
ropes went from this yoke to the rudder 
yoke. This solved my troubles, for it 
stayed put, and the tiller, a short club 
of ash a foot long, gave one easy steer- 
ing control. It is well to sit somewhat 
forward in the cockpit when sailing, so 
this short tiller is never in the way. 
Bow chocks for the anchor rope, and 
the smallest of folding anchors, weighing 
3V 2 pounds, I also found essential, for 
one was always stopping to anchor and 
fish in the bay when the weakfish were 
running, and without bow chocks it is 
impossible to hold the canoe head to the 
wind. 
This little devil, the Waterat IV, has 
been everywhere with me. Lakes and 
bays all look alike to her, and I never 
saw the blow that was too much for her. 
She had three reefing possibilities; full 
sail for moderate blows, a single reef 
for strong winds, and then, by lashine: 
the battens to the boom, you could spread 
a rag, of sorts, in very squally, white- 
cappy weather, and go like a scared cat. 
In even heavier blows than this I have 
made shift with the mizzen alone, 
In Writing to 
Peters Shells will stand 
the accidental “ducking” 
your equipment often 
gets — it won’t hurt ’em a 
bit. The finish and the 
crimp are both “like a 
duck’s back” when it 
comes to shedding water. 
Half a dozen other good 
points also help pile up a 
big majority for Peters 
Shells. The Peters Car- 
tridge Co., Cincinnati, 
O., New York and San 
Strange County 
Any one of these differ- ajgjBp 
ent styles of Taylor 
passes will serve you ef 
ficiently. Leedawl, $1.50; 
Magnapole. $1 5:1 it c - 
nite, $2.00; Gydawl, 
$3.00; Ceebynite, $4.00. 
Higher in Canada and j 
the Far West. 
SALE U. S. ARMY Gifts 
For Camp and Summer Wear 
Best quality, lowest prices. Our moneyback 
guarantee covers all purchases. 
ARMY SHELTER TENTS $3.00 
Khaki Riding Breeches 3.00 
Khaki Trousers 2.50 
Flannel Shirts 2.50 
Khaki Shirts 1.50 
Camp Ceoking Grates 30 
Folding Mess Pans 25 
Athletic Shirts 75 
Army Folding Cots 3.50 
Army O. D. Wool Blankets 3.50 
Army Tents, all sizes, and 5000 other arti- 
cles for camps or outings. Catalogue No. 
123 free on request. 
FRUSSELL’S Army & Navy Store Co. 
246 West 42nd Street, New York! 
Largest Camp and Military Outfitter ) 
Advertisers mention Forest and Stream. It will identify you. 
