Jan. i6, 1909.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
*05 
Origin of Cape Cod Cat. 
A STORY comes from Osterville, the home of 
the Cape Cod catboat, which gives a new idea 
of the origin of that craft. The story was 
printed in the New York Sun, and is as follows: 
“Few yachtsmen who have sailed in the 
strange little craft called the Cape cat know 
anything about how the name originated. 
“in j88o Andrew Crosby and his two boys 
came to Osterville and settled. About that time 
all the boats along the Cape shore were called 
sharpies. Those boats were aPout 20 feet long 
and sharp at both ends. Crosby was an old 
shipbuilder, but was so feeble that he went out 
of doors very little. He passed most of his 
time in the study of spiritualism. 
“During one spirit manifestation he claimed 
that he was going to have his boys build a 
boat according to dimensions that would be 
given from the dining room table on a certain 
night. On this night the old man and his sons 
gathered about the table, which was soon 
moved up and down twelve times. This they 
took to mean that the boat should be made 
twelve feet long. Later manifestations revealed 
the width, depth, length of waterline, where to 
put the mast and how long the mast must be. 
“The day that the boat was completed the 
spirit named her Eva. All the boatmen along 
the shore laughed at the craft and said that no 
boat would sail with the mast right up in the 
eyes and with no keel. All the old sailors were 
around when the new boat was launched, and 
many were there with their boats to give the 
new one a trial. 
“As soon as she was in the water one of the 
boys set the sail and started, with the fleet after 
him. The old sea captain that related this story 
and who was there at the launching said Eva 
would sail three miles while the others were 
sailing two. 
“The men who were standing on the wharf 
were discussing the boat when one said, ‘She 
comes about as quick as a cat,’ and that was 
the origin of the name Cape Cod cat.” 
Detroit Catboat Association. 
The Detroit Catboat Association has been or¬ 
ganized and its object is to promote seamanship 
among catboat sailors. The yachtsmen who 
formed this new association met at Detroit on 
Saturday, Jan. 9. These directors were elected: 
Commodore, E. F. Lloyd, Detroit Boat Club 
Yachtsmen; Charles Robertson, Edgemere Y. C.; 
Harry Kendall, Detroit Y. C.; F. A. De Lisle, 
Solvay Boat Club, and David Lorimer. These 
directors will manage the association’s affairs. 
In order to carry out the object of the associa¬ 
tion all points made in regattas will be credited 
to the helmsman and not to the yacht, and no 
helmsman will be permitted to make over points 
he may score to another. It was agreed that no 
changes should be made in the rules and speci¬ 
fications for three years, except by the unani¬ 
mous vote of the active members at a regular 
meeting. At the end of three years a three- 
fourths vote of active members will be neces¬ 
sary to make any changes. Active members are 
those who are .whole or part owners of boats 
and associate members are those who do not 
take part in the sport. 
The restrictions adopted by the association for 
its standard boat are as follows: 
1. Type—Boats in this class are intended to 
be of the ordinary round-bilged and sharpie 
types. No point in the hull shall be lower than 
the keel on the same cross section. No evasion 
in the shape of catamaran, double hull, square 
or snub-nosed bow, or other unusual type, nor 
any boat fitted with bilge fins, bilge boards, 
double rudders, nor other similar contrivance, 
shall be accepted. Rudders shall be hung on a 
skeg or a deadwood, the bottom of which shall 
be lower than any part of the rudder. All boats 
shall be single cat rigged, having one mast, one 
fixed shroud each side, and one fixed forestay, 
and no other fixed or movable shrouds or stays. 
2. Dimensions—The overall length shall be 
22 feet. The extreme beam shall be 7 feet 6 
inches. The minimum freeboard measured from 
the water to the top of the covering board or 
deck shall be 15 inches. A boat for such meas¬ 
urement shall be in racing rig and trim, but 
without crew. Provided, that any deficiency may 
be made up by means of a gunwale 1^4 inches 
thick and of the required height, secured and 
permanently fastened to the top of the deck at 
its edge. The sail area shall be 265 square feet. 
Variations—A variation of not more than lYi 
inches either way in the length, and not more 
than one inch less in the beam, and not more 
than iiich less in the freeboard, and not more 
than 3 feet greater in the sail area, shall not dis¬ 
qualify nor handicap a boat, but no greater 
variations shall be allowed. 
3. Materials—Keel, stem, sternboard or tran¬ 
som, frames or ribs, bilge stringers, clamps, 
shelves, chime piece, floors, deck beams, head 
ledges, knees or any other parts or portions 
forming the frame or skeleton of the boat shall 
be made of oak, elm or hard (pitch) pine. Cen¬ 
terboard, if of metal, shall not exceed 3-16 inch 
thickness; if of wood, may be weighted not to 
exceed total weight of 7.65 average per square 
foot of area. Sail, sheet, halliards, topping lifts 
or any other running rigging shall all be of 
strictly vegetable fiber with no silk. Mast, boom, 
gaff, sprit yard and all other spars shall be of 
solid wood. 
4. Scantling—Stem, oak, sided at head, 2)4 
inches; sternboard, oak, inches; keel, oak, 
sectional area 12 square inches; frames, oak, 
sectional area, i square inch; frame spacing, 
centers, 8 inches; bilge stringer or chime piece, 
clamps and shelves, oak, sectional area of each 
2 square inches; floors, oak, sectional area 2 
square inches; deck, beams, oak, sectional area 
1)4 square inches; deck beam spacing, centers, 
8 inches; planking to finish full 54 'nch; deck¬ 
ing to finish full, including canvas, 54. inch. 
Coamings shall be not less than 54 inch thick 
and an average of 3 inches high, and there shall 
be not less than 12 inches of deck at any point 
outside of them, and the cockpit shall not be 
more than 10 feet long. 
ARTHUR BINNEY 
(Formerly Stewart & Binney) 
Naval Architect and Yacht Broker 
Mason Building, Kilbv Street, BOSTON, MASS. 
Cable Address, “Designer,” Boston 
COX STEVENS 
Yacht Brokers and Naval Architects 
15 William Street, - -New York 
Telephones 1375 and 1376 Broad 
W. STARLING BURGESS CO., L<d. 
John R. Purdon, Manaccf. 
Naval Architects, Engineers. Builder* 
Office (& Works. MARBLEHEAD. NASS. 
Brokerage and Insurance Dept., 153 Milk St., Bosien, ttaae. 
C. D. CALLAHAN. Naval Architect. 
Designer of Yachts and Motor Boats. Construction supervised. 
San Pedro, CALIFORNIA. 
Canoe and Boat Building. 
A Complete Manual for Amateurs. Containing plain 
and comprehensive directions for the construction of 
canoes, rowing and sailing boats and hunting craft. By 
W. P. Stephens. Cloth. Seventh and enlarged edition. 
264 pages. Numerous illustrations and fifty plates in 
envelope. Price, $2.00. ^ ^ 
FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING CO. 
Building Motor Boats and 
Managing Gasolene Engines 
are discussed in the book 
Motor Boating School. 
The Motor Boating School of the West Side 
Young Men’s Christian Association opened a 
new evening term with a still larger mechanical 
equipment for the laboratory and practical 
study of the motor craft last Monday, at 
320 West 57th street. The school has already 
won the support and co-operation of many 
manufacturers who have either loaned or given 
a number of engines and accessories for use in 
its classes. At the opening session the follow¬ 
ing men, well known in the motor boating 
world, spoke: Hugh Gamble, Secretary Na¬ 
tional Association of Engine and Boat Builders; 
Thom.as F. Day; George J. Smyth, Special 
Deputy Surveyor of the Port, who will speak 
on motor boating law; H. W. Patterson, of 
Seabury & Co., and James Craig. The school 
which has its own special gas engine laboratory 
and the equipment of the automobile school 
shops for experimental work, will offer two 
courses—gas engines, theory and practice and 
boat handling. The practical boat handling is 
given in the motor boat, West Side, which was 
actually built by the students in last year’s 
courses. All phases of the subject are con¬ 
sidered, including emergency repairs of engines 
and electrical adjuncts. 
Taft Prize for Yacht Race. 
The Toledo Y. C. has announced that Presi¬ 
dent-elect Taft has presented the club with a 
trophy which will be raced for annually. Judge 
Taft did not specify what class of yachts should 
compete for the prize, but as catboats have been 
very popular with the club and with other clubs 
in the Great Lakes Association, it has been de¬ 
cided to offer it for all catboats. This has been 
done too because it gives the younger yachts¬ 
men some incentive to race. The winner each 
season will keep the trophy until the next series 
of races, when it will be returned to the Toledo 
Y. C. and raced for again. No title has been 
given the prize, but it will probably be called 
the Taft Trophy or the President’s Cup. The 
conditions to govern these races will be an¬ 
nounced shortly. 
“HOW TO BUILD A LAUNCH FROM PLANS" 
A complete illustrated work on the building of motor 
boats and the installing, care and running of gasolene 
motors. By Charles G. Davis. With 40 diagrams, 9 
folding drawings and 3 full-page plans. Price, post¬ 
paid, $1.50. 
ration. All the instruction given is defined and com¬ 
prehensive, 40 diagrams, 9 folding drawings and 3 full- 
page plans. That portion of the book devoted to the 
use and care of gas engines should be most carefullv 
perused by every individual who operates one. The book 
IS well worth the price asked for it. 
FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING CO. 
GAS ENGINES AND LAUNCHES^ 
Their Principles, Types and Management. By Francis 
K. Grain. 
The most practical book for the man or boy who owns 
or plans to own a small power boat. It is motor launch 
and engine information boiled down and simplified for 
busy people, and every line of it is valuable. Cloth, 123 
pages. Postpaid, $1.25. 
FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING CO. 
Manual of the Canvas Canoe. 
By F. R. Webb (Commodore). 
This is a seasonable book. The very practical guide 
to satisfactory results that the man or boy who is *,lan- 
ning to build his own canoe is looking for. It gives 
not only simple, complete and practical instructions fully 
illustrated and with working drawings for building the 
canvas canoe, but suggestions as well for cruising and 
camp life, and splendid reminiscences for memorable 
cruises. Cloth, 115 pages. $1.25 postpaid. 
FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING CO. 
